Long range fuel tanks

[VidereStudios]

I'm definitely interested in the middle tank. Are you at the point where you have an estimated price point?

Not quite there yet. I should have a concrete number on the 45 gallon subtank this month. Once I nail some accessories down, then I should be able to easily extrapolate the cost of the other two tanks. I would say I would have pricing figured out by early to mid-November. Hoping to have the two smallest prototypes finished in November and December with potential orders starting in January or February.

 

[db2nsoaz]

I am definitely in on the smaller tank that sits flush with the frame with a complete plug-n-play kit ready to install. As these are high quality vehicles from my point of view I do not want to install anything less than the best. A kit that includes only the highest quality components will be appreciated. Seems I have always regretted trying to save a few bucks although I am holding my breath to see what the final #s come out to. Eliminating the need for jerry cans - absolutely wonderful!
Thank you for taking this on,

 

[Romer]

I had the subtank on my 80 above the frame rails and would prefer a similar setup. So I guess I am in the minority for the 20 gallon.

 

[dclee]

I had the subtank on my 80 above the frame rails and would prefer a similar setup. So I guess I am in the minority for the 20 gallon.

Nope, that's what I want as well! Don't think we can go much bigger if we have the canister _and_ want it at least flush (if not above) the rails.

BTW, I have to deal with CARB and smog tests here in CA. I seem to recall there can be some issues passing a visual. Anyone hear similar? Amando?

 

[hoser]

CA Smog techs are no longer required measure/check the fuel filler restrictor.... but if tampering with the fuel system is evident, they can still fail you.

Here is a new 62L (16.4 gal) "additional" tank from Front Runner. Like all the other tanks, it also doesn't work with our '03+ canister. But for those 98-02's, it should fit above the frame rails. I can't find any additional information but it almost looks like it is a gravity fed tank.

http://www.frontrunner.co.za/fuel-s...tional-fuel-tank-toyota-land-cruiser-100.html

 

[paflytyer]

I had the subtank on my 80 above the frame rails and would prefer a similar setup. So I guess I am in the minority for the 20 gallon.

Same for me, small tank.

 

[Elijah]

Is there any stateside company that stocks, or even sells at all, a COMPLETE kit for installing an auxiliary gas tank in the OEM spare tire location?

 

[hoser]

Yes, post #2 of this same thread.

 

[spressomon]

VidereStudios: I can't say unequivocally what thickness you should go with for the bottom of your tanks. What I can offer: My 25-gallon steel subtank, which is wedge shaped from its side profile, sits slightly below the frame rails near the bumper/rear side of the tank and hangs below the frame rails at the axle or inboard side.

We knew the tank would take a hit now and again so we opted to build the tank with 3/16" bottom. After years of knocking around on some fairly aggressive trails/trail sections with ledge drops I'm glad, now looking at the accumulated scars, we went with the extra thick protection of the 3/16" bottom.

Although I could have gotten by with a <25 gallon tank and probably made use of a >25 gallon tank my 25-gallon tank has proven to be 'just right' for what and where we travel most of the time. There have been a couple off-road forays in Nevada where we did +800-miles of dirt over the course of a week with only a couple opportunities to get fuel. There have been a couple times I've sweated getting a refill on those types of trips. Utah also has its share of remote big mile places that warrant extra on-board fuel...notably getting to all corners of the Maze!

The other feature I recommend and you've probably already incorporated into your design: A low point drain bung on your tanks. In the event of a pump failure and with a drain bung one could, at least, manually drain fuel and move it to the main tank or another rig.

Dan

 

[paflytyer]

The other feature I recommend and you've probably already incorporated into your design: A low point drain bung on your tanks. In the event of a pump failure and with a drain bung one could, at least, manually drain fuel and move it to the main tank.

Dan

Great idea. I guess carrying something to catch and then transfer the fuel would be a pretty important part of your gear list.

 

[spressomon]

Collapsible bucket's are cheap and indispensable...and take up almost zero space. http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i:aps,k:Collapsible Bucket

Ditto for a collapsible funnel. Ya just never know

Not related: I keep and use a 5-gallon collapsible bucket apart of my on-board shower kit.

 

[dclee]

Yeah, old school jerry cans actually do have some advantages over sub-tanks:

1. modular and portable
2. easy to fill via siphon or other means
3. can be easily unloaded to reduce weight (e.g. for recoveries)
4. not subject to trail abuse (if properly carried and secured)
5. puncture or fuel contamination can be localized and not spread to your entire fuel supply

I actually carried four or five in my G-Wagen lashed to the floor behind the first row. Helped keep the CoG low. But of course, that's diesel. I would never do that with normal petrol. But if you put a few cans on the back bumper in a swing-away rack, you get similar utility.

 

[cboyd]

I think Jon is hitting most of the salient points. The parts are out there for folks to cobble together an auxiliary tank system, but I am really surprised that a tough, plug and play, 25-30 gallon kit is not out there. The 100 series is supposed to be one of the top expedition vehicles, but you really can't get to deep into the middle of nowhere without an auxiliary tank or an obnoxious amount of jerry cans. 5-6 jerry cans of fuel available at the switch of button? Hell, yeah! Now, getting such a system to the masses without breaking the bank may be a challenge, but I don't see anyone else doing it. A complete kit, down to the last clamp, fastener, etc. sounds very attractive.

I agree with LCTom and Jonathan's points. I also prefer the 25 gal range for clearance and weight/balance reasons. as others have mentioned, I prefer a *mostly* done kit including the Japanese dual filler neck. The switch and pump would be a huge bonus. I've been leaving that OEM blank for just such a purpose!

I'm a 99 with no filter underneath.

 

[VidereStudios]

Nope, that's what I want as well! Don't think we can go much bigger if we have the canister _and_ want it at least flush (if not above) the rails.

BTW, I have to deal with CARB and smog tests here in CA. I seem to recall there can be some issues passing a visual. Anyone hear similar? Amando?

You should be fine. The nice thing about the JDM dual filler neck is that it uses the current gas caps that we have and fits exactly like the OEM filler pipe that is on the US 100 series. That is the thing that I disliked about the FrontRunner custom filler neck...it did not fit like OEM and was quite noticeable that it was not stock. You should be fine with a JDM dual filler neck and either of the two smaller subtanks.

 

[VidereStudios]

I had the subtank on my 80 above the frame rails and would prefer a similar setup. So I guess I am in the minority for the 20 gallon.

Romer, I don't think you are in the minority. I think it is pretty evenly split between the two smallest subtanks. Interest in the biggest tank is pretty low.

Nope, that's what I want as well! Don't think we can go much bigger if we have the canister _and_ want it at least flush (if not above) the rails.

Noted as above!

Same for me, small tank.

Lots of interest in this one!

 

[VidereStudios]

CA Smog techs are no longer required measure/check the fuel filler restrictor.... but if tampering with the fuel system is evident, they can still fail you.

Here is a new 62L (16.4 gal) "additional" tank from Front Runner. Like all the other tanks, it also doesn't work with our '03+ canister. But for those 98-02's, it should fit above the frame rails. I can't find any additional information but it almost looks like it is a gravity fed tank.

http://www.frontrunner.co.za/fuel-s...tional-fuel-tank-toyota-land-cruiser-100.html

That is cool to see that. I would love to see how they got that mounted. That thing has tons of welds...

 

[VidereStudios]

Is there any stateside company that stocks, or even sells at all, a COMPLETE kit for installing an auxiliary gas tank in the OEM spare tire location?

Yes, post #2 of this same thread.

For all of you interested in costs, I am looking to be under that number by a significant margin...

I am interested if they are stocking the tanks here and then shipping is only Stateside. Or if you have to pay shipping from Australia. That was the deal-killer for me on the Long Ranger and LRA tanks.

 

[VidereStudios]

VidereStudios: I can't say unequivocally what thickness you should go with for the bottom of your tanks. What I can offer: My 25-gallon steel subtank, which is wedge shaped from its side profile, sits slightly below the frame rails near the bumper/rear side of the tank and hangs below the frame rails at the axle or inboard side.

We knew the tank would take a hit now and again so we opted to build the tank with 3/16" bottom. After years of knocking around on some fairly aggressive trails/trail sections with ledge drops I'm glad, now looking at the accumulated scars, we went with the extra thick protection of the 3/16" bottom.

Hey Dan, yeah, that is good input. I think the two smallest tanks will have bottoms that are either doubled up 12 gauge or consist of 6 gauge (.194") steel sheet metal or 7 gauge (.1875") stainless steel sheet metal.

The other feature I recommend and you've probably already incorporated into your design: A low point drain bung on your tanks. In the event of a pump failure and with a drain bung one could, at least, manually drain fuel and move it to the main tank or another rig.

I didn't put one on the 45 gallon prototype as I was going to put a 3 way valve in the line going to the fuel pump for that purpose. But I don't like the extra flow restriction that it puts in front of the fuel pump, so I will be adding in an additional bung and a small valve on future tanks. I had thought about this early in the design and wanted to save a little on the labor costs with the fabricator.

 

[paflytyer]

For all of you interested in costs, I am looking to be under that number by a significant margin...
.

Thats good news.....For me personally, once it gets into that $800-1200 range, I'm out. It's not that hard to carry a couple Rotopax cans mounted to the roof, bumper or tire carrier.

Not as cool or even convenient per say, but the cost of the FR makes it cost prohibitive for me.

 

[VidereStudios]

Yeah, old school jerry cans actually do have some advantages over sub-tanks:

1. modular and portable
2. easy to fill via siphon or other means
3. can be easily unloaded to reduce weight (e.g. for recoveries)
4. not subject to trail abuse (if properly carried and secured)
5. puncture or fuel contamination can be localized and not spread to your entire fuel supply.

I actually carried four or five in my G-Wagen lashed to the floor behind the first row. Helped keep the CoG low. But of course, that's diesel. I would never do that with normal petrol. But if you put a few cans on the back bumper in a swing-away rack, you get similar utility.

I definitely agree! MFC's are a great option and I personally think the two go hand in hand. Then you have the flexibility of the MFC's and the low CoG and capacity of the subtank.

To get the capacity I want, I had to go the subtank route. There was no way to fit 8-10 cans on the back of the 100. And it wasn't even an option to put them on top or inside. If a person knew that they could get by with only an extra 10-15 gallons, than the fuel cans are the way to go. But once you start looking at 25 gallons or more, a subtank has to come into play.