LRA: 24 Gallon or 40 Gallon and Why?

[WrongWayDave]

I am considering purchasing a LC, and exploring options for long range tanks in the spare tire well.
Price being equal, and taking into account the extra weight loaded--do y'all you have any experience with one vs the other? How much further does the 40 gallon extend downward and does it become a potential source of hanging up?

 

[Mendocino]

I have a 2016 with the 40 gallon and If I had it to do over I would get the 24. My rig gets used a lot and I frequently slide the sub tank over rocks. The tank is tough and I have not seen any issue, but I think the smaller footprint of the 24 gallon would be better. That stated, I love having ~65 gallons of fuel in my gas guzzler. This has served me well in multi-day expeditions in the Rockies and the Utah Desert.

 

[WrongWayDave]

Thx Mendo!
1. Any pics of how far it is down on the bumper?
2. Did you add any armor to it?
3. Do you notice the rear sits a lot lower with all tanks full?

 

[TeCKis300]

I don't have first hand experience with the 24 or 40.

From my perspective of being well served by the baby 12.5, I would recommend the 24.
Primarily 2 reasons:
1) The 12.5 already adds hugely comfortable range, and the 24 in my mind would offer dramatic range
2) Weight. It should be the first point. More is good, until it starts effecting other things and overall vehicle performance becomes less.

There's been some posts that comment on that added weight changing the driving dynamics. Needing to change suspension further to accommodate the added weight. Also fuel slosh particularly when partially full.

 

[TWILLY]

I have a 24 on my 80, and would recommend that. I carefully considered the 40 but, in my opinion, it hangs too low (for the 200 as well), places too much weight behind the rear axle, and uses too much payload (even more so with the 200, whose payload is 400 lbs less than the 80). It is very well built and does not need armor; I once perched mine on a rock and, to my surprise, it was completely unscathed.

 

[bloc]

Speaking of slosh.. run your main down, fill from the 24, that one is nearly empty. Take a main tank fill out of the 40 and it is roughly half full, every time you do so. So there’s 120# sloshing around behind the rear axle..

 

[GreatestDane]

I am doing a build with a 24gal tank. When I contacted Long Range America about a similar question they told me the 40gal will hang about an inch lower than the stock tire in the spare location. Hope that helps

Speaking of slosh.. run your main down, fill from the 24, that one is nearly empty. Take a main tank fill out of the 40 and it is roughly half full, every time you do so. So there’s 120# sloshing around behind the rear axle..

I didn’t even consider this. Very good point.

 

[WrongWayDave]

Dang Bloc, you may have nailed it!! Still, i imagine the tank internals are baffled, right?

 

[Mendocino]

My rig does not sag when the tanks are full and its loaded. I have heavy springs.

 

[Hants]

I’ve got a 40 gallon on my 80. Hangs a couple inches below the frame. Have a few light scratches on the tank, and a bunch of grinding on the rear (Slee) bumper. Surprisingly tucked even though clearly hanging down.

Have a 24 gallon on my 200. I would be surprised if it ever gets rock contact.

24 is great. Fill up at 1/4 tank, then another top off before the aux is empty. It is awesome.

Even with the 24, I'm right on the edge of going to heavier springs (1/2" squat when full)... but I'm significantly heavy (not weighed yet).

 

[Just a Ninja]

I went back and forth over the 40 vs 24 decision also - I came up with 2 main deciding factors:

1) how much value do you place on being able to run nearly twice as long between fill ups w/ the 40 vs 24? I love filling up once a month using it as a daily and that doesn't even count how convenient it is to not even think about gas on a weekend trip driving around in the mountains.

2) If you do a lot of serious rock crawling - I'd go 24 gal - I can't imagine that extra 1" clearance being important otherwise. I've got a couple scuffs from logs and gravel/dirt hills and it's nothing more than surface scuffs so it takes a pretty hard hit with a rock to do any real damage.

Pics taken pretty close to level with the bottom of the back bumper - you can barely see the tank in the 1st pic just between the top of the mud flap and the front edge of the muffler. Someone on here had a steel "skid plate" welded on to the bottom of their tank before installation to beef it up - and I actually meant to do that and didn't get it done. W/ the adjustable Toughdog front and rear I've never noticed any "sloshing", I'm assuming it's baffled properly, and there may be a slight ride difference between carrying 60gal compared to when they're both near empty, but I haven't even noticed it.

 

[Eric Sarjeant]

Some info that may help:

 

[Romer]

Have you ever been on the trail and got a flat and then had to run with no spare? I have on several occasions. Thats why I went with the 12.5 gallon aux tank so I could have two spare tires. I have the Slee rear bumper, so I can carry 3 Gas Cans on the rear carrier if I am going for long expo trips.

On the most recent run to the Maze, I had a flat tire and almost ran out of gas. My failure was not to fill up at the last place before we left pavement, probably about 5 gallons extra would have made the 4 day expedition run easy with what I had.. But having the 2nd spare allowed me to continue wheeling the plan rather than thinking about an exit to pavement

Last year on a several day run I actually slashed two tires, so it was good I had two spares. In all honesty, if I didnt have the 2nd spare, I likely wouldn't have wheeled that day anyways until I drove to town and got another spare of was able to repair the flat tire. I like to make sure my equipment is good before I leave pavement

I know it wasnt your original question, but something else to consider.

 

[Mendocino]

Have you ever been on the trail and got a flat and then had to run with no spare? I have on several occasions. Thats why I went with the 12.5 gallon aux tank so I could have two spare tires. I have the Slee rear bumper, so I can carry 3 Gas Cans on the rear carrier if I am going for long expo trips.

On the most recent run to the Maze, I had a flat tire and almost ran out of gas. My failure was not to fill up at the last place before we left pavement, probably about 5 gallons extra would have made the 4 day expedition run easy with what I had.. But having the 2nd spare allowed me to continue wheeling the plan rather than thinking about an exit to pavement

Last year on a several day run I actually slashed two tires, so it was good I had two spares. In all honesty, if I didnt have the 2nd spare, I likely wouldn't have wheeled that day anyways until I drove to town and got another spare of was able to repair the flat tire. I like to make sure my equipment is good before I leave pavement

I know it wasnt your original question, but something else to consider.

@Romer Your shortness of fuel made the trip more exciting for all of us! For this I thank you!

 

[Markuson]

I have yet to touch my up-armored 24, despite hitting everything else underneath. Could have skipped the added plate armor, but the thing has been solid as a rock.

About the 40....
Personally, I think it would be nice if they offered a 32. Full tank transfer, plus a reserve...and full clearance with Slee and other rears. But I really have no complaints with 24. It’s nice to run the main to E and go back to full on the fly. Also makes it somehow easier to mentally keep track of since it’s a full transfer straight to an empty aux.

For what it’s worth, the tank is silent, but that might be helped because I have very full drawers in back. I neither hear nor feel sloshing. It sits so low that even if it did slosh, I doubt it would matter.

Here’s the 24 with my Slee. No one ever notices it’s even there...

Super tucked...and what you see at the arrow below is the more forward part. It actually slopes upward and higher (more tucked) toward the rear bumper.
Here:

 

[Markuson]

You make a good point about the 40 working with aftermarket bumpers. Any ideas which rear bumpers do work with the 40 gallon LRA? With towing and exploring all in the same trip often I would lean toward the 40 for my needs.
Thanks
Eric

I wasn’t trying to say the 40 doesn’t work. It fits just fine. I was just mentioning that a 32 (if it existed) would avoid sitting lower.

The Slee works with ALL of the US spec LRA tanks...40 included.

 

[Mendocino]

I have a Slee rear bumper and the 40. Ther'e no issues other than sliding the 40 over rocks now and then. I have not added any additional armor to the tank,

 

[Markuson]

I have a Slee rear bumper and the 40. Ther'e no issues other than sliding the 40 over rocks now and then. I have not added any additional armor to the tank,

What Mendocino said.

To others, my post about the 40 and Slee was just a wish that they offered a 32 gallon, because I think it would avoid hanging lower than the bumper.

 

[Mendocino]

What Mendocino said.

To others, my post about the 40 and Slee was just a wish that they offered a 32 gallon, because I think it would avoid hanging lower than the bumper.

I too have wished for a tank of about the 30-ish gallon size for the same reasons @Markuson mentioned.

 

[Artie]

For what it’s worth, we went with the 40 gallon but haven’t taken delivery yet so I have zero input as far as real world use goes but I’m getting a lot out of this thread. We tow a overland trailer that’s just shy of 4K pounds and went with the 40 for the range while remote and/or off road. We likely won’t see anything serious as far as rock crawling goes so clearance isn’t as important to us as not being concerned about hunting a gas station in unfamiliar areas.