Extra fuel tank for TV

[daneboy]

I'd like to purchase the tool box fuel tank combo for my 06 F250 4X4 Powerstroke. I'd love to go through Canada on the way to Alaska without buying any diesel fuel. However the price of $1,300 (without installation)is way to high. The larger after market replacement tanks (under truck) hang down too low for my liking. Has someone out there in Monty land solved this problem?
Jerry

[Montana Sky]

daneboy,
Check www.transflow.com They do nothing but external fuel tanks with many options for your truck.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

quote:Originally posted by Montana Sky

daneboy,
Check www.transflow.com They do nothing but external fuel tanks with many options for your truck.

That should be... http://www.transferflow.com/

[Sweetfire]

Glenn has a Titan Fuel tank link on his RV Related Links page. I have it on "My Favorites" list at home but can't find it here at work. (I'm on my lunch break). If I remember right these tanks are in 40, 60 and 80 gal sizes. Do you think the 60 or 80 gal tank would off balance the TV when full. At about 7lbs/gal that's a lot of weight.

Glenn, is there anyway we can have a link to your RV Related Links page at the top right of these screens?

[Countryfolks]

Do you have the payload capacity to add another 280-560 lbs plus the weght of the toolbox/tank?

Skip

[Parrothead]

Be aware also that in some states these transfer tanks are illegal for gas. I assume from your post you are diesel but for others who have gas you might want to be aware. The place in Chico CA has a good reputation and I believe several MOCers have used them. One of the reasons we got the long bed TV was for the larger fuel tank.
Happy trails....................

[Montana Sky]

Glenn,
Thanks for catching my bad typing on the link.

[foggyb]

Hi Try Northern Tool. They sell a pair of 55gal tanks. They broke up the pair for me. $228 plus a small electric fuel pump and you are all set. I can push 1000 miles btwn filg towing. 13 mpg towing. I don't push that hard but it makes it nice not to always be looking for a fill-up place. Dan

[Dave e Victoria]

I'm curious. Has anyone tried to figure out the marginal cost of hauling an extra gallon of fuel? I'm ignoring the obvious convenience of the extra fuel. I'm trying to seperate the quantative and qualitative aspects of the decision to add an extra tank. It seems to me there ought to be a way to calculate how far you can carry an extra gallon of fuel to make up for say a 10cent difference in fuel cost. I know the airlines do this as do cruise ships.

On cross country trips we invariably go through Oklahoma which always seems to beat everyone around. With the availability of fuel price reports across the country one could plot a strategy at night about when and where to refuel over the next couple of days.

[ken]

WE use the 45 gal transfer flo tank on our 2005 GMC shortbed. The original tank only held 28 gal. Full, the truck showed no lean from the original tank. It only goes 1 inch below the frame. We also carry 2-5 gal portable tanks in the metal storage box in the bed. The only time I have everything full is when I make long trips and have to go thru states that have high taxes on their fuel.

[Sweetfire]

That link I was referring to was under "SuperTanks" and the capacities were between 42 and 58 gals. That would be around 140 extra pounds from my OEM 38 gal tank to the 58 gal. Hmmmm!

[richfaa]

A gal of gas weighs @ 6lbs depending on temp and a gal of light diesel weighs @ 6.84 lbs.,a extra 50 gal tank would add 300 to 340 lbs to your load. That has got to decrease fuel milage some. I would guess that in some cases the extra range would be necessary however we seldom drive for 4 hours without a stop . When I get a new truck I always run the tank as empty as I dare to then fill it to see what it really holds.I got 40.6 gallons in my 38 gallon tank . 4 hours at 60MPG average, if you can maintain that, is 240 miles and well within the 40 gal range of even a V-10.(8 to 10MPG)

[Dave e Victoria]

I think I answered the question I posed earlier in this thread. That is, what is the marginal cost of carrying an extra gallon of fuel? or How far can one carry a gallon of fuel to justify a 10 cent per gallon fuel saving. I'm not sure my calculations are correct but here is how I came to it.
1) if an empty TV gets 18mpg while towing a Monty it only gets 12 mpg. Then, it must cost about 0.028 gallons to haul the 14000 pound Monty one mile. That works out to approximately 2 x10(neg 6) (ie: 0.000002) gallons per pound mile. No doubt this is far worst case as a big part of hauling the Monty around is wind drag.
2) Diesel is roughly 7 pounds per gallon. Therefore, we have 1.4 x10(neg5) gallons per gallon mile.
3) at a nominal $2.50 per gallon for diesel we get $3.5 x10(neg5) per gallon mile.
4) converting to cents and going 1000 miles costs yields 3.5 cents per gallon

Bottom line, You will break even if you get fuel 3.5 cents cheaper per gallon even if you have to haul it 1000 miles. And I believe that is dramatically worst case.

Now, please check my calculations and tell me where this is wrong -- other wise I am going to buy a big tank and invest in my own version of oil futures.
Dave

[richfaa]

Figure in the cost of the tank..50 gal tank 600.00 + not including pump and installation.It is a cost vs benefit item.If our traveling style justified one I would have it.. I can't go much more than 4 hours without a pit stop so may as well fuel at the same time.At one time fuel stops were few and far between on the Al-Can but understand that is not the case now. remember driving across New Mexico years ago and it was along trip between fuel stations.

[Dave e Victoria]

Rich, here again, we like to stop when we want to not as dictated by the need for fuel. It is true that there are convenient fuel stops most places. But, the issue is cost. Diesel is as low as 2.20 in Oklahoma but over 2.50 in the upper midwest. The savings for 50 gallons is $15.00 against the marginal hauling cost of $1.75 worst case. in this example. If I could save just a dime on each fill by strategically filling the tank I should be able to pay for a tank and install in three or four years of ownership. It is fun for me if the quantative part works out so I can enjoy the qualitative aspects without feeling guilty.
Dave

[richfaa]

I agree with you. we thought seriously about having the extra tank and may still do so at some time. We do not think that we will stay with this gas tv for more than 3 years maybe less if the diesel motor and fuel situation sorts itself out. Unfortunately our stops are not dictated by the need for fuel but by the need for a pit stop. When we we lived out in a more rural area we had a 250 gallon above ground fuel tank (old farmhouse) and we saved a lot of $ by buying bulk at the right time. I note that in this area, Northern, Ohio, Diesel fuel has remained fairly constant for @ the last 6 months.2.59 t0 2.89 it spiked at 3.19 a couple of months ago. It is 2.79 right now.Gas however has fluctuated wildly..low as 192 high to 3.00 and is now at 2.15. The difference between gas and diesel has remained fairly constant 60 to 80 per gallon and for awhile 1.00 difference. I just wonder where the diesel prices will go when the new fuel standards and new motors come out.We are watching very closely as our travel miles may go way up next year when Helen retires and the diesel SHOULD be more economical.. As someone on this forum said,,well if you can afford 80K + of TV and camper why are you worrying about the cost of fuel.Paying attention to the little things is one reason we CAN afford 80K+ of TV and Camper.

[rickfox]

As an earlier poster mentioned, a 50 gallon tank of diesel fuel would add 350# of weight, an 80 gallon tank adding 560#. Almost every 3/4 ton TV out there that is towing a Monty is technically already over its GVWR. It seems to me that carrying the extra fuel weight might be a good thing while tooling across country in the TV, but it would be a bad thing if you're also towing the Monty!

[Dave e Victoria]

Rich,
I don't believe you are correct when you say almost everyone is technically over the GVWR.. The pin weight of even the heaviest monty is about 2500 pounds. GVWR on new 2500HD is 9200 while curb weight is less tha 5200. So even after the monty is hooked up you have room for over 1500 pounds of folks, fuel and stuff.

The other limiting factor is GCWR. At 23,000 pounds and a 14,400 pound trailer we have 8600 pounds left for the truck and contents. Since the truck weighs in at 5200, the limit here is 3400 pounds for folks fuel and stuff. (Note here, we have already taken care of the pin weight as it is part of the trailer in this calculation.) However, the limit is still the GWR above so we are not to exceed the 1500 pounds.

The FAA says an average person weighs 170 pounds ( No disrespect but, I prefer to round up to 200). If we figure 500 pounds for folks, we have 1000 pounds left for fuel and stuff. So, now we add 500 pounds of fuel and there is still 500 pounds for stuff.

I think we are pretty much OK on the truck side. In fact, from what I have seen of truck designs, I think we are real OK. I'm much less convinced on the trailer side. Case in point, when is the last time you heard of a frame break on a truck with less than 50,000 miles on it. Yet, we hear of this all the time for trailers on this forum and others. I suspect that the design margins for trucks is one whole lot better than for trailers.
Dave

[RVWheels]

A recent Trailer Life article does in fact indicate that about 80% of folks towing a trailer are over the weight limit of their tow vehicle. I don't have the article in hand so I may not have the exact figure but it was a very high percentage. Perhaps someone out there could actually quote the article.

RVWheels

[rickfox]

Thanks for the response Dave,

However, my Chevy 2500HD must be constructed much differently than the one you sighted. My 2500HD crew cab, with me (at 220#) and 3/4 tank of diesel, per the CAT scale, weighs in at 7040# which is considerably more than the 5200# you mentioned. I have a 26 gal. tank, no tool box, and very little additional cargo inside the truck. One big surprise is that that the factory has told me that the diesel engine with its added components itself adds almost 600# to the truck.

Starting out at 7040#, if I were to add a toolbox, an additional fuel tank, another person, I could easily push the TV weight toward 8000#. This leaves very little left for additional hitch pin weight.

As I mentioned in another thread on this form, after making numerous measurements with our two 5vrs, we are almost always at or above the GVWR of the TV, but have always been within the rear axle weight rating and the GCVWR - and we have never overloaded the trailer axles.

I didn't used to think these things, but after spending enough money at the local CAT scale to deserve an ownerhip position in it, I am now a believer. I bet that almost every 3/4 ton TV out there (towing a 5vr) is "by the numbers" overloaded! Unfortunately, the scales don't lie. How important this is, I'm still trying to figure out. In the mean time, my 2500HD has not yet broken under the load.