Thinking of replacing stock fuel tank

[pwall]

I've been thinking lately of replacing the stock 35 gallon fuel tank on my 3500hd. I know it's a large tank now, but when towing, it sure would be great to be able to go beyond 500kms.
I would perfer the tank that replaces the stock tank, thus not taking any of the precious space in the truck bed.
Two models out there.....Titan, which has a 62 gallon plastic tank. And Transferflow.
Right now I'm leaning towards the titan as it's a plastic tank and is larger. The transferflow is nice, but the larger tank drops an inch below the frame.

Anyone have any opinions or real experience ?

[cwit]

Unless I was doing searous boondocking I don't think 1in below the frame would bother me , your rearend and driveshaft is still below that line. I do think transferflow is a higher price.

[Limey]

With your truck and the fact that you tow a TT that's a good idea. Not an option for me with a 5er, however, as every gallon added in a fuel tank reduces the amount of pin weight I can carry, and with most 3/4 ton trucks that's a fine line

[pwall]

Good point....never thought about that.
So, I did some math (which is a miracle itself.....):

34gallon stock fuel tank x 7.15lb per gallon of diesel = 243lbs
62gallon fuel tank x 7.15lb per gallon of diesel = 443lbs

which will be 200lbs more. Shouldn't be an issue in the 3500.
Glad you mentioned it though....it's certainly something to always keep in mind.

[cwit]

It's getting lighter every mile you travel down the road.

[pwall]

Update....been doing some more homework. Still thinking of replacing the stock tank in the spring.

Titan Fuel tanks - http://www.titanfueltanks.com/GMC_Chevy_Fuel_Tank.htm
62 Gallon extra heavy duty cross-linked polyethylene fuel tank. (234litres) (also can purchase an off-road skid plate to help protect the fuel tank).
Pros - larger tank, apparently does not extend below frame, lighter - thus less cost to ship to Canada
Cons - more expensive, as much as 25%
Full tank of fuel = 451 lbs

TransferFlow - http://www.transferflow.com/gm_tanks_0.html
56 gallons, aluminized steel (211litres)
Pros - less expensive
Cons - smaller, more expensive to ship
Full tank of fuel = 406 lbs

I would perfer to go with the Titan, but it will cost 300-400 more. And if I get the off-road skid plate with it, another 100 more. The additional weight of fuel I'm not too concerned about. Assuming my future 5th wheel has a pin weight of 2000lbs, still lots of weight room.
Oh what to do....

[cwit]

The cost of a bigger tank expensive the being able to go 10 hours on the road without a fuel stop priceless.

[pwall]

True....not needing fuel for 10hrs would be nice. Not sure though my bladder will agree.

Thinking about it some more, think I will be going with the Titan in the spring. More expensive, but I think it's a better product for what I want.
Anyone want to send donations?

[dodger]

Is it that far between gas stations up where you live?

Seriously though, the luxury of not "having" to stop for fuel would be nice. A few of my racing buddies have oversize or transfer tanks in their rigs and can go from Portland all the way to LA without stopping for fuel. As hard as it can be to find an accessible station when towing a big trailer, especially where a lot of them don't have diesel, that would be great. I'm forced to start looking for fuel after about 300 miles when I'm hauling my camper and race car trailer.

[pwall]

Fuel stations are not that far apart. The issue is two fold:
- smaller stations may not carry diesel (that's happened to me)
- a lot of the newer stations have the pumps turned so that the car faces the store. Makes it difficult to get in/out with a larger trailer in tow.

And of course, there is the 'cool' factor to be able to tow for 1000kms.

[Transfer Flow]

This is Warren Johnson at Transfer Flow. When designing and engineering our fuel tanks, we always make sure the tanks have plenty of ground clearance for different types of terrain. Our GM replacement tank does hang down about an inch below the lowest part of the frame rail, but your differential will be lower! The tank itself is made from a combination of 12 and 14-gauge aluminized steel. The bottom part of the tank is made from 12-gauge, which if you know steel, is pretty thick. Our tanks are also baffled for extra strength and to reduce fuel slosh. Besides manufacturing aftermarket fuel tanks, we also manufacture OEM fuel tanks for numerous companies who rely on us for fuel systems that are safe, legal, and reliable. If you are ever in the Northern California area, we’d love to give you a tour of our company and take you through the manufacturing process of our fuel tanks.

If you have any questions, please call us at 1-800-442-0056.

Regards,
Warren Johnson
Transfer Flow, Inc.

[pwall]

Welcome Warren!
I appreciate the information. I'm still debating which tank to go with, but more importantly, if I will have the funds in the spring.
But we'll be talking for sure!

[cwit]

If your thinking of going with a 5er you may want to think about an inbed tank. These are much cheaper and can be hooked up gravity feed to your main tank. Mine is a gas job so I pump mine into my regular fuel tank. I can take mine out of truck in 15 minuets. 4 bolts and it could be out.

[pwall]

Well I finally decided what to do...........
just got off the phone and I've order the Titan 62gallon fuel tank.
Should have it in a couple of weeks. I decided with the Titan for two main reasons:
1. largest capacity - 62gallons (234 litres)
2. polyurethane. With the salt used during Canadian winters......
Not the cheapest tank though. But it sure will be nice to be able to go more than 500kms (300miles) without having to stop for fuel while towing.

This is a replacement fuel tank, not an 'in-bed' tank. Didn't want to give up the space in the bed as I do a fair number of scouting activities, and every little spot counts.

[pwall]

The new fuel tank has arrived, it's at the shop. Truck is going in on Monday to have a 62gallon fuel tank installed.
Not sure what I'll do with the stock 34gallon tank, keep it in the shed for a while I guess and then try to sell it.
I'll post a report in a few weeks after the tank is installed and the next camping trip is done.

[pwall]

The new tank is in!
62gallons (234litres) of fuel it will hold. That's going to be real sweet on the road trip back home this summer.
Here are a few pictures.....
First fuel fill, 192 litres (50gallons), the tank already had >30 litres and the remaining fuel in the stock tank was transfered to the new tank:

First Fill

And some pictures of the tank installed showing the clearance. Yes, the truck is a mess, 2 scout camps back to back makes for a messy truck. The tank does hang a lot lower than the stock tank, but the drive-shaft and rear axle are still lower. I don't take my truck 'off-road' so I'm not concerned.

[Little Kopit]

& do you know that PEI, NB, NS, & NL have regulated gas prices? & how those work?

[pwall]

Yes I'm aware that the prices are regulated. Not sure what you mean by 'how those work'.
I didn't increase the tank so that I can fill-up only at the lower-priced stations, but to be able to drive without having to stop every 4-5hours and find a station that I'll fit into. A real pain in parts of NB, NS (specifically Cape Breton) and NL.

[Little Kopit]

How they work:

Newfoundland, used to be 1st of month, then if x conditions were met, it could change on Thursdays. Public Utilities Board. & George Murphy of Consumer Group. Look up PUB for PDF file of prices per region. ie. St. John's, lowest, then Deer Lake - Corner Brook, ...... Grand Falls isn't too far down.

Nova Scotia, regions. Halifax will be lowest because of highest volume. Utility and Review Board. http://www.nsuarb.ca/documents/gas/gasprice.pdf

New Brunswick. Changes coming July 1. NB Public Utilities Board. http://www.nbeub.ca/index.php/en/petroleum-products

PEI IRAC Island Regulatory Appeals Commission. Often the lowest of the 4. Pretty much the same for all regions, I think.

Newfoundland is usually the highest.

[pwall]

Newfoundland is definitely the highest.
I recall in 2008 when I first got the d-max, diesel here in Ottawa was 1.40 litre, 1.69litre at the Irving on Hardy Ave in Grand Falls-Windsor.
Did I mention that I'm heading home in August for a few weeks?