97 gallon total fuel capacity (Pics added)

[bncinwv]

That is what the 07 classic chevy dually now has. Should be about a 1000 mile range. Got the RDS auxiliary tank installed this morning. Total install time, not counting the obligatory trip to Home Depot was two non-hurrying hours. I documented the installation with photos and will post them later (possibly tonight). Break time at the pool now, 85 degrees and a great day!
Bingo

Here are the installation photos with a brief narrative of the process:

First step was to drill holes (3/8") in the tank flanges to allow for the use of galvanized bolts to fasten the tank to the bed:



Next was to place the tank in the bed in it's installation position and mark the locations for drilling the bed floor. The tank was centered left to right and about a half inch was left on the cab side to prevent rubbing:



Holes were then drilled and the tank was bolted to the bed floor:



To start the actual plumbing, another hole was drilled and a grommet used to keep the hose from rubbing:




Fill spout hose was then cut with a utility knife to allow installation of the t-type coupling equipped with a valve to prevent overfilling of the OEM tank:



Finished view from beneath the truck:



And the finished view from the rear of the truck bed:



An interesting project that unexpectedly went as planned. Went to the local gas station and put ten gallons in the auxiliary tank to check for leaks, and we are now ready for extended trips with minimal fuel stops!!

[The Oldguard]

Three woman and no pit stops for 1000 miles you may not live to see 30 on your next birthday

[bncinwv]

Guess they will just have to ride in the rig with the furry creatures, Bill. I will be extra nice and give them a gallon of flush water!!
Bingo

[HamRad]

Old Guard beat me to it! Wow! When do you get the afterburners installed? You gonna need them to be carrying around that much fuel. What is it? About 700 -- 800 more pounds? But whatever floats your boat! No doubt that you can travel a long long distance with that extra fuel. Just get out there and enjoy it! Dennis

[bncinwv]

I have to confess the rationale is not specifically to allow for longer trips without stops, but rather to allow me to purchase fuel in bulk out of state for what averages out to be about 30 to 40 cents a gallon cheaper due to the excessive taxes in West Virginia. Doesn't take long for the savings to add up. Another thing to mention is that the auxiliary tank is actually 63 gallons, the 97 gallon figure includes the 34 gallon OEM tank. At that savings for fuel, I have calculated that the tank will pay for itself after 30,000 miles. It will take a while, but after the initial outlay, at least I can save some money on fuel from now on. A hundred dollar a year savings on fuel cost will pay for two or three nights camping, every little bit helps.
Bingo

[mamestra]

We love our auxiliary tank, for the extend driving time, giving us a much greater opportunity to choose where we fill. We usually find that we can drop the trailer and fill when we are running around with the truck so we can take advantage of prices in service stations where we would not be comfortable pulling in with the 5er attached. Also as Canadians I now can fill my tanks in the US and seldom have to buy diesel in Canada where it is more expensive. I think that we have already paid for ours.

[Irlpguy]

I am curious to know bncinwv if your tank is double walled, it looks quite large for a 63 gal tank. Nice looking addition, but the wife and the dog would never allow me to go anywhere near that far without a pee break.

[cjohnson]

We installed the same tank couple of years ago, only ours is a 47 gal. Very easy to install and they are DOT approved. What we love is the ability to go point to point, drop Monty, then fill up.
My problem is not the DW having to stop for a break its ME!;>)

[HOOK]

$384.00 fill up, about right? Small compared to a diesel pusher! Probably twice the distance per gal.
No more worries about finding that special fuel point. All good things!
I do recommend making sure its water proof before MA.

[bncinwv]

The tank is not double-walled, but from my research before buying it is one of the thickest. Just the tank itself weighs around 80 pounds. The size is deceiving in the pics because of the angle of the shot. The part of the tank towards the hitch is sloped at an angle to allow a better view of the hitch from the truck cab. This model is made specifically for fifth-wheel applications.
Bingo

[Gkerlin]

Nice install. I think you will love the tank. Especially on those long trips.

I love mine.

[Art-n-Marge]

Too many miss the one big advantage of a specific feature to minimize FUEL stops, not stops in general. With an aux tanks the stop can be quicker not having to manuever a vehicle/trailer to the pump. Just drive in, park and out you go for the bio break or whatever.

I don't know when this started, but I'll be fine on a 2-3 hour stretch of driving but inevitably when I pull into a station to refill, the "urge to go" is unbelievable and gets worse the longer it takes to drive wherever I need to get the pump lined up, then it's near desperation for the race to relief. Sure I have a "toilet" with me in the rig but I don't want to have to drive up, park to use the facilities, then drive around and line up at a separate time for a pump. Leaving the stops just for bio breaks and food and NOT adding fuel would be nice and achieve the second big advantage of increasing range to help find the best selection.

Yup, leaving out that fuel pump line up step would be nice. Sure, the weight for 63 gallons is about 453 gallons, but that should not be a problem for a dually.

In my case, living in California, I would have to drive a long ways to find the fuel savings that mamestra and bingo achieve - more like 1-5 cents per gallon savings. Thankfully, in this more modern world I can use a Hotspot and a laptop while enroute (DW does the searching) to find the least expensive fuel using the internet, cheap fuel websites and a navigation system. With only a 38 gallon tank we do this daily since we don't try to get below 1/4 tank of fuel.

[richfaa]

Bingo understand about WVA diesel prices as we go through WVA twice a year sometimes more. We usually can not get more than 200/250 miles before nature calls so we stop and fuel anyhow .We looked into a larger fuel tank and decided it would not save us much time or $$$..

[Sheepdog]

I have a 71gal fuel tank/tool box combo I bought at Tractor Supply. I just slid it in and secure it with turnbuckles and I put a manual hand pump on it. My goal was not to minimize the "rest" stops but rather the search for fuel stops, especially the small stations. It works great for me. When we stop to stretch our legs, I may pump a few gallons over to get to the next stop. When I unhook I'll fuel up both tanks. It gives me peace of mind knowing I am not dependent on having to make the regular 250 mile fuel stops at whereever they may turn out to be!

[simonsrf]

I had an extra fuel tank installed too. One advantage is being able to buy fuel at a cheaper price depending on which state you are driving through. The other advantage is being able to not have to "drive to town" before hooking up to leave.

And, we don't buy fuel in California if we can help it.

[kab449]

Bingo:
Some say they have to transfer the fuel in the aux tank to the trucks tank with a pump. How is this accomplished with your setup? I saw the hose you ran through the box. Where does that connect and does it gravity flow? If you open the truck fill when there is fuel in the aux tank will fuel come out?

[bncinwv]

Keith,
It is a gravity flow system. The t-connector shown from beneath the truck has the inflow on top (I could not get a picture) and that inflow is equipped with a check valve that stops the gravity feed from the auxiliary tank when the fuel gets to that level in the fill hose. It plays havoc with the DIC since it will show you being out of fuel, yet you are not. If you turn the truck off and back on the DIC resets itself. I have not tried it yet to see if the fuel gage registers full all of the time, but I would think if it is a float-type indicator that it should still work properly. The reason the check valve works on our model is the fuel system is not pressurized, with a pressurized system, they do not recommend a gravity feed but rather to use the shut off valve that is on the upper tank. We have the option of leaving the gravity flow on or turning it off. I intend to leave ours on.
Bingo

[bncinwv]

And from the beginning, I have tried my hardest to not even go to the place stirring the pot where the weight becomes an issue. After all, I do have air bags!!!Sorry, couldn't help myself!!
Bingo

[cjohnson]

Bingo
On our Dodge, the main tank shows full until you go thru the Aux tank (ATI product). That is when you know its time to fill it up again. I did find out the hard way not to open the main tank, if the aux is feeding the main, tends to flow out quickly. ;>)

[Carl n Susan]

quote:Originally posted by simonsrf



.....And, we don't buy fuel in California if we can help it...

Robbie you might want to re-think that position. CA diesel is cheaper than OR and WA based on our recent travels through those states.