Auxiliary Fuel Tanks for 200s

[TeCKis300]

I'm somewhat guessing. But the only concern I had previously for LX570 compatibility had to do with potentially moving the charcoal filter, as the likely spot has the AHC reservoir. That is OBE now with their notching of the tank.

Having looked above the spare tire when fitting my 33" tire up there, it looks wide open. Doesn't look like there is any accessories, nor LX specific accessories in that vicinity. I found only 1 pic here that may offer a glimpse.

 

[TonyP]

I don't remember seeing that bundle of wires on my LC. I would check, but my 200 is at the bodyshop while I thrash the hell out of this rental turbo Infiniti Q50

 

[wardharris]

I don't remember seeing that bundle of wires on my LC. I would check, but my 200 is at the bodyshop while I thrash the hell out of this rental turbo Infiniti Q50

I am no 200 expert, but those appear not to be what we found under Cole's 200 last week.

 

[wardharris]

TANK UPDATE

PROTOTYPE ON THE WAY
The engineers at LRA have the new "200 US Spec" aux tank in CAD thanks to @indycole and his visit to Valley Hybrids under the care of @orangefj45. The prototype is being built and will be shipped along with our December tank stock order, along with tanks for Tacomas, FJ Cruisers, 80s and 100s.....and a Jeep.

We are working against a hard stop since our partners shut down next Thursday for their holiday respite. If the work can be done before the break, Tank #1 will be here for fitting during or after the holidays - assuming the shippers and Customs cooperate with scheduling, entry and delivery to our offices in Stockton.

The mods required to accommodate the charcoal canister reduce capacity by approximately three gallons, delivering a net of approx. 13 gallons for the small tank and 42 gallons for the large tank. The medium tank will probably remain at 24 gallons, but we have not confirmed this yet.

On this end, we are working on communications, installation instructions, customer service systems (order entry, communications, accounting) along with marketing/disclosure documentation for the new products - one example below.

We have a waiting list but we are not started taking orders/deposits yet. That will begin in the next week or two, once we confirm availability for production units and final pricing (details below).

There has been quite a bit of interest generated from this thread and prior efforts by @TonyP and others that came before. Georg and I see our role as custodians of the products LRA offers and the mods/services needed to get those products in the hands of our friends and the shops that support them. We are working hard to make sure the tanks fit and function as designed and when that is confirmed, we will move forward into production. This is the same path followed by LRA to suit US spec 100 Series, FJ Cruisers, Tacomas and Tundras. Our efforts on the 200 Series, GX 470/4G4Runners and GX460/5G4Runners are simply following the same course of research, development and deployment.

SHOP PARTNERS - INSTALL & RESALE/DELIVERY
To further expand the range of options, we are working with several regional partners to reduce shipping costs and facilitate delivery. For example, Duc @duggy at Duggy's Garage in Houston will serve as regional delivery hub and installer. Our plan is to bundle orders on a single pallet for delivery to Duggy's - either for installation or delivery to end users. The cost of shipping the pallet change with weight, but the basic charges (size and motor freight fee) remain the same. Everybody can win through lower costs and less effort.

If you want to work with a shop like Duggy's for delivery and/or installation, then we ask you to work through the shop to get on the list (including deposit payment and full payment) - purchasing the tank through the shop. We have had a bunch of interest from partner shops around the country, so if there is someone you work with, let me know and we will try to work out a local delivery/install option for you. Please call me (Ward) at 206-678-2213 or email to info@cruiserbrothers.com to discuss.

TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE ON THE LIST TO ORDER
Here are the basic rules for the list if you want an auxiliary tank for your 200. It is basically "first come, with money, first served" to keep it fair for all concerned:

1. If you have posted on this thread that you want in - not "I would want one, if...." but "yes, I want one" - then you will receive a PM requesting email, full name, shipping address, tank size, mobile phone (for delivery coordination) and whether we are shipping to residential or commercial and whether you will need a lift gate for offloading the pallet. You will need a fork lift or two strong people to handle a 125 lb pallet.
2. Same deal if you sent interest via MUD PM or email.
3. We need an email because with all the interest, we simply can't keep track of everybody without a common communication method (instead of MUD PM, Facebook PM, text, voicemail, etc.)
4. We will finalize "the list" of names - ranked in order of when the post, PM or email was received.
5. When we have final pricing, folks on the list will be sent an email (no thread posts, no PMs) with final price, estimated shipping (by location, type of delivery) and approximate production date.
6. At that time, people on the list will have the option of making a reservation with a 20% refundable deposit.
7. If you sell your truck, change your mind, etc. you get your deposit back. Same thing in the unlikely event that we can't make the product work in our test trucks.
8. When we have an approximate production date for "your" tank - and an ETA for US arrival - we will send a final invoice, not including shipping, for the balance of the tank price.
9. If you pay the balance, the tank is yours when it arrives.
10. If you don't pay the balance, we will give you the option of a refund or keeping your place on the list for the next round.
11. When your tank arrives, we will finalize shipping details/cost and arrange delivery and final payment.

That's it for now - thank you for your interest, support and patience!

Ward 'n Georg

 

[TonyP]

Sounds good!
Looking forward to seeing the final pan-out for the 24 gallon and the clearance for the 45 gallon.

 

[wardharris]

Sounds good!
Looking forward to seeing the final pan-out for the 24 gallon and the clearance for the 45 gallon.

Since the 24 isn't in production yet - even in Australian market - it will be a while before there is an installed tank to photograph, but the 45 (42 gallons, actually) is well documented.

Here are the Large Tank photos we have - won't have much more until owners start sharing their wheeling snaps down the road.

For the 24 gallon Medium Tank - the horizontal dimensions won't change, it will simply be more shallow and hang down less - slightly more than half, we we would think.

Also, it is possible to up-armor the bottom of the Large Tank (42 gallon +/-) from 2mm to 3mm with a $120 upcharge if you are concerned aobut bumps, dents, etc.

 

[wardharris]

PRODUCT SPECS

We have inadvertently referred to the tanks as aluminum on occasion (sleep deprivation) when they are, in fact, made of steel as below. Here are some other details for your reading pleasure:

• Long Range Automotive uses the latest 3D modeling software to design and build their tanks. Precision CAD 3D models and drawings are produced for all tanks.
• Tanks are constructed of T125C aluminized steel Aluminized steel - Wikipedia
• LRA uses a HyPertherm HyPerformance HyPerformance Plasma Cutting Systems | Hypertherm CNC plasma profile cutting system with ‘True Hole’ technology to ensure accuracy.
• All welds are full penetration corner to corner MIG welded, using a high quality inert shielding gas and level layer wound MIG wire to ensure good welding penetration and exclusion of porosity in the weld.
• Tanks are fully internally baffled and an expansion chamber is incorporated in the design of the tank.
• All tanks are pressure tested and checked by two separate quality control procedures.
  

 

[Blasst]

Oh Geez....42 extra underneath. It's got me salivating thinking about it. This will be a big deal. Yukon, Central America, South America here I come !!!
You and your guys are amazing Ward. This will be a game changer for the LC community.
I'm having trouble sleeping when I think about it.

 

[wardharris]

OK, TIME FOR TANK MOVIES

 

[indycole]

@wardharris

A couple questions regarding some of the finer details. I think these were discussed earlier in the thread but I couldn't tell whether there were conclusions.

1.) Will the stock filler neck be replaced with a dual filler?
2.) I've seen a small, round switch in the LRA photos/videos with an integrated transfer button and gauge. Is that the one we'll be using? It seems like the cleanest install would involve drilling a hole in the dash as it does not seem like it would fit in one of the rectangular switchbanks. Not saying that's a problem or anything... just curious?
3.) Can fuel transfer occur while the vehicle is moving?
4.) Does the overall system have any checks in place to mitigate user errors such as leaving the transfer pump on while there is no fuel or transferring fuel while the main tank is full? I've never had a secondary tank on other vehicles so I'm not that familiar with usage pattern.

 

[wardharris]

@wardharris

A couple questions regarding some of the finer details. I think these were discussed earlier in the thread but I couldn't tell whether there were conclusions.

No worries, Cole. It is getting rather leggy, this thread....

Here you go, COLE:

1.Will the stock filler neck be replaced with a dual filler? YES

2. I've seen a small, round switch in the LRA photos/videos with an integrated transfer button and gauge. Is that the one we'll be using? YES

It seems like the cleanest install would involve drilling a hole in the dash as it does not seem like it would fit in one of the rectangular switchbanks. Not saying that's a problem or anything... just curious? IT WILL LIKELY FIT IF YOU DRILL ONE OF THE BLANKS

3. Can fuel transfer occur while the vehicle is moving? I BELIEVE SO

4. Does the overall system have any checks in place to mitigate user errors such as leaving the transfer pump on while there is no fuel NO, OTHER THAN DESIGN OF THE SWITCH - INTEGRATED GAUGE SHOWS LEVEL AND SYSTEM ONLY OPERATES PUMP WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED - NO PUSH/NO PUMP, SO SIMPLE FAIL-SAFE.

or transferring fuel while the main tank is full? SAME THING - OPERATOR IS IN CONTROL AT ALL TIMES.....JUST LOOK AT THE MAIN TANK GAUGE

 

[kevinfoutch]

Ok, so this might be a SQOD, but I get the 'fuel transfer while booger picker is on the button' but one quick followup - If the main is at 24 gals, and I'm pressing the button, and I get the main tank 100% full, and I'm still holding the transfer button - does the transfer pump simply turn off? Does gas from the spare tank just spill over onto the side of the road? Does something else happen? Probably one of those 'just deal with it Gomer' and get along down the road with 'close is good enough' for horseshoes, hand grenades, and now dual tank transfers....

BTW - thanks for making this happen! Stoked.

No worries, Cole. It is getting rather leggy, this thread....

Here you go, COLE:

1.Will the stock filler neck be replaced with a dual filler? YES

View attachment 1591213

2. I've seen a small, round switch in the LRA photos/videos with an integrated transfer button and gauge. Is that the one we'll be using? YES

View attachment 1591214

It seems like the cleanest install would involve drilling a hole in the dash as it does not seem like it would fit in one of the rectangular switchbanks. Not saying that's a problem or anything... just curious? IT WILL LIKELY FIT IF YOU DRILL ONE OF THE BLANKS

3. Can fuel transfer occur while the vehicle is moving? I BELIEVE SO

4. Does the overall system have any checks in place to mitigate user errors such as leaving the transfer pump on while there is no fuel NO, OTHER THAN DESIGN OF THE SWITCH - INTEGRATED GAUGE SHOWS LEVEL AND SYSTEM ONLY OPERATES PUMP WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED - NO PUSH/NO PUMP, SO SIMPLE FAIL-SAFE.

or transferring fuel while the main tank is full? SAME THING - OPERATOR IS IN CONTROL AT ALL TIMES.....JUST LOOK AT THE MAIN TANK GAUGE

,

 

[indycole]

Ok, so this might be a SQOD, but I get the 'fuel transfer while booger picker is on the button' but one quick followup - If the main is at 24 gals, and I'm pressing the button, and I get the main tank 100% full, and I'm still holding the transfer button - does the transfer pump simply turn off? Does gas from the spare tank just spill over onto the side of the road? Does something else happen? Probably one of those 'just deal with it Gomer' and get along down the road with 'close is good enough' for horseshoes, hand grenades, and now dual tank transfers....

BTW - thanks for making this happen! Stoked.

It sounds like the best way to think of a transfer take is as a much larger, more convenient, electronically-controlled jerry can. As an example, with a 24 gallon tank you'd never want to empty the aux tank completely unless you somehow had the gall to run on 0 DTE for 50 miles and completely run out of gas

I'll probably throw a enable/disable switch in line with the fuel tank switch so I can turn the fuel switch on or off. I do the same for my lockers.

 

[TonyP]

Ok, so this might be a SQOD, but I get the 'fuel transfer while booger picker is on the button' but one quick followup - If the main is at 24 gals, and I'm pressing the button, and I get the main tank 100% full, and I'm still holding the transfer button - does the transfer pump simply turn off? Does gas from the spare tank just spill over onto the side of the road? Does something else happen? Probably one of those 'just deal with it Gomer' and get along down the road with 'close is good enough' for horseshoes, hand grenades, and now dual tank transfers....

BTW - thanks for making this happen! Stoked.



,

This is speculation;
If the filler neck operates the way I think it does, the pump feeds up into the main portion of the filler neck to fill the main tank. So if you kept the pump going it would just fill the main all the way up to the top of the main filler neck and spill over/back into the aux tank. Kind of like pumping water out of the bottom of a bucket back into the top of the bucket. Hard to explain, but long story short, it won't cause any issues.

 

[wardharris]

...... and I get the main tank 100% full, and I'm still holding the transfer button - does the transfer pump simply turn off? I AM GUESSING NO

Does gas from the spare tank just spill over onto the side of the road? AGAIN, GUESSING NO

Does something else happen? Probably one of those 'just deal with it Gomer' and get along down the road with 'close is good enough' for horseshoes, hand grenades, and now dual tank transfers.... ONCE AGAIN, PROLLY YES - I THINK AS TONY POSTULATED, THE OVERFLOW RETURNS TO THE AUX TANK

WILL CHECK WITH THE BRAINS OF THE OPERATION IN STOCKTON AND MELBOURNE..... I AM JUST THE OFFICE MONKEY

BTW - thanks for making this happen! Stoked. SERIOUSLY, GEORG AND I ARE THE STOKED GUYS, HAVING WAY TOO MUCH FUN WITH THIS

 

[wardharris]

This is speculation;
If the filler neck operates the way I think it does, the pump feeds up into the main portion of the filler neck to fill the main tank. So if you kept the pump going it would just fill the main all the way up to the top of the main filler neck and spill over/back into the aux tank. Kind of like pumping water out of the bottom of a bucket back into the top of the bucket. Hard to explain, but long story short, it won't cause any issues.

Makes sense to me, Tony. Will confirm with Melbourne, along with Kevin's ramble...

 

[wardharris]

It sounds like the best way to think of a transfer take is as a much larger, more convenient, electronically-controlled jerry can. As an example, with a 24 gallon tank you'd never want to empty the aux tank completely unless you somehow had the gall to run on 0 DTE for 50 miles and completely run out of gas

I'll probably throw a enable/disable switch in line with the fuel tank switch so I can turn the fuel switch on or off. I do the same for my lockers.

My inner smart ass says just wire in a "Clapper" - Clap/Pump ON, Clap/Pump OFF

 

[Markuson]

California Question...

Cole is in California (as am I).

I'm trying to figure out how this dual hole setup is going to function with California's fume recovery pumps.
There were comments from others in this thread reporting issues with this.

Has this been tried with a California-type fuel station pump?

Also curious about the seemingly missing closure device under the fuel cap (Don't know what it's called--like a spring-loaded cap you push through in order to fill up). I guess I don't know the significance of that to the pressure sensors, etc. No idea if that is a California-specific thing, or if it matters to remove that.... ??

 

[indycole]

My inner smart ass says just wire in a "Clapper" - Clap/Pump ON, Clap/Pump OFF

Hah! Every time my truck visits the local Toyota dealer it comes back with all of my switches in different positions. It's almost funny.

 

[indycole]

California Question...

Cole is in California (as am I).

I'm trying to figure out how this dual hole setup is going to function with California's fume recovery pumps.
There were comments from others in this thread reporting issues with this.

Has this been tried with a California-type fuel station pump?

Also curious about the seemingly missing closure device under the fuel cap (Don't know what it's called--like a spring-loaded cap you push through in order to fill up). I guess I don't know the significance of that in the pressure monitors, etc. No idea if that is a California-specific thing, or if it matters to remove that.... ??

Definitely a good question that I'll be curious to try first hand as well. At the same time, I have to wonder how it would be any different from filling up a jerry can or am I missing something about how those pumps work?