Aux Fuel Tank - Montana Owners Club

rrheik · 10-10-2006, 07:24 AM

Thinking about getting a Transflow aux. fuel tank for my 2500HD, probably in the 40 gal. range. Does anybody know if adding the aux. tank affect the TV warranty?

bob

tweir · 10-10-2006, 07:53 AM

According to my service advisor @ a Chevy dealership, NO, unless they (being GM) can directly attribute a failure of warrantied-covered parts on an after-market installed component. He said the chances of a "transfer flow tank affecting a drivebility component is zilch". I would check with your service folks and ask them point-blank if it would or not.

rak · 10-10-2006, 09:18 AM

I installed an aux tank it will not void my warrenty. It is great to be able to start looking for the best price and then top off with that price. I will neverhave another TV without an Aux tank.
Dick

HamRad · 10-10-2006, 10:49 AM

Rrheik,

The added fuel capacity is great but don't forget you'll be adding a lot of weight when you add the tank plus the fuel! But sure does make it nice to be able to pick and choose where you can stop for fuel. Good luck.

HamRad

ken · 10-10-2006, 11:03 AM

We installed the transfer flo 46 gal tank on our GMC 2500 HD. I had trouble with the fuel sending unit in the tank about 2000 miles later. (not associated with the tank) I tried to get GM to cover replacing the fuel gage in the tank and they said no because of the replacement tank. I still like the tank and have had no problems with it. 26 gal was not enough fuel towing a big Montana.

scattershot · 10-10-2006, 12:50 PM

I'm not convinced of the savings by purchasing an aux tank. I filled up recently in Kansas for $2.45/gallon (diesel) and when I got back to Colorado at $2.65. That's .20 a gallon. Substantial, to be sure, but pretty unusual, too. If you had a 100 gallon auxilliary tank, say, the savings would amount to $20.00/100 gallons. How long would it take you to recoup the cost of the tank and installation? Not trying to be a wiseguy, but I'm curious.

Glenn and Lorraine · 10-10-2006, 12:54 PM

A couple years ago I too thought I needed a larger fuel capacity but not any more. I find the 26 gallon tank to be just fine. If I had an extra 40 gallons on board, #1- I do believe the TV would be overweight and #2- with an extra 40 gallons I would be tempted to travel further than I should without taking a break. Both of these conditions are in my opinion unsafe at best. Stopping every 200 or so miles is just the break I need. I do however carry 2-5 gallon cans inside my aluminum tool box for those extra low prices that I can't pass by. But even with those I do have to stop in order to dump them in the tank.

Wrenchtraveller · 10-10-2006, 04:15 PM

I like the auxilary tanks because they give me the range to make it to my next cardlock and they average about 500 miles apart. The only time I have ever been tense pulling a Fiver is when I start getting low on fuel. Even when I had my diesels, they did not give me a comfortable range with only the stock fuel tank. Myself, I would not tow without having at least a 500 mile range and my aux tank is one of my favorite RV toys.

dieselguy · 10-10-2006, 04:54 PM

With a stock 38 gallon tank, I am satisfied with 400+ mile range, but if you do opt for an auxillary tank, go baffled aluminum. Steel tanks although sometimes cheaper, rust and scale off over time leading to fuel contamination and headache. Been there ... done that ... got the T shirt.

ols1932 · 10-10-2006, 05:18 PM

My F-250 has two tanks (18 & 19 gal) and I had thought of changing the front one with a Transfer Flow 40 gal tank. But then my wife says, "We always stop every couple hours, so when one tank empties we'll just start looking for a refueling stop." Really, she was right because it works really well. On top of that, we only travel 250-275 miles/day and we can do that without refueling. Just refuel at our stopover.

Orv

Fjkiss · 10-10-2006, 11:01 PM

We have the toolbox tank combo, it's great, and nice to know we can go over 700 miles before we have to fule. Liveing in Florida with all the storms and lack of fule I know I can get out of harms way when we have to.

Make sure your install is DOT aproved
have a great day Frank

illapah · 10-11-2006, 06:16 AM

I have the Transfer Flow 50 gal aux tank. Love it. Especially when I have the option of stopping for fuel or not. I have seen some places that I would have a problem getting into/out or. Also, where I live, most places I travel to sell fuel cheaper than I get it locally. I used to carry 4 or 5 fuel cans. Now they stay at home.

Mudchief · 10-11-2006, 09:33 AM

The first time you are driving on a 2 lane road looking for a place to get diesel with your low fuel light on, then put 26 gallons in a 26 gallon tank, then have to back the unit out into traffic, you will be getting one like I did. Until that happens you don't need one.

skypilot · 10-11-2006, 09:59 AM

I want a 50 gallon tank for the same reasons several stated above; the ability to get fuel at your call where you know the cost is less and a whole lot less pucker factor. Traveling out west - it is a long way between fuel stops on some of those roads - not even cell service in some places (i.e GoodSam ERS won't be much help

!!)

rrheik · 10-11-2006, 12:25 PM

Thanks ya'all, I just finished a 8,000 mile trip for four months out West. A few times I was wonderin if I was going to make it tto the next fuel stop. One of the places I planned on stopping in Montana had closed sometime after I stopped there two months before hand. It definitely made me sweat out finding another stop. Fortunately 40 miles later I found a spot. I normally start looking when I am down a 1/2 a tank. Sometimes whe a strong head wind kicks up, that old fuel gauge starts to fall. So before my next 4 month trip in December, I think I willadd a transflo.

illapah · 10-11-2006, 12:44 PM

Just to note, if you go to Transfer Flow Factory in chico they have a deal with the local Holiday Inn motel that gets you a discount and free taxi service to/from the factory. did it twice myself.

Glenn and Lorraine · 10-11-2006, 01:18 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Mudchief

The first time you are driving on a 2 lane road looking for a place to get diesel with your low fuel light on, then put 26 gallons in a 26 gallon tank, then have to back the unit out into traffic, you will be getting one like I did. Until that happens you don't need one.

Well after 3 years of full timing that has yet to happen and with proper travel planning I doubt it ever will. If I do foresee a need for more than the 26 gallons I than fill the 2- 5 gallon cans I carry. Only had to do that one time.
As far as backing out into traffic all I can say is Been There Done That but only once and it was no big deal. In 99% of the stations if I can pull in I can pull out. Afterall how did the fuel delivery truck get in and out? In fact I've had to back out of more campgrounds than I have service stations.

Cat320 · 10-11-2006, 02:03 PM

As noted above, too much weight for a 3/4 ton.

bobgay · 10-12-2006, 02:05 AM

RRHeik, whether or not you can justify an aux tank on a pure cost basis depends on what kind of driving you do. On short trips you probably won't find big differences in fuel prices, but on our recent trip from Fla to Alaska and back (over 15,000 miles towing). we encountered diesel prices ranging from $2.33 in Ga to well over $4.00 in the Yukon Territory. We didn't find any stretches of over 100 miles or so without fuel, but fuel stops with reasonable prices were often over 1,000 miles apart. Our 116 gallon aux tank gives us 151 gallons total, and a range towing of well over 1,500 miles. I am convinced I saved several hundred dollars on this trip, and had a similar experience a couple of years ago going to Newfoundland and Labrador.
As for rest stops, nothing says you have to be out of fuel to make a rest stop. We still take breaks every 100 miles or so, but now we are not limited to gas stations.
I say go for it.
Bob

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