Third tank.

[77snowwheeler]

So, I wanted to share my experience with a third gas tank. At first I needed to figure out what it looked like to have a third tank? Where to put it? I needed a ton of room for stuff in the bed of my 77 short bed. To achieve room and space for everything I needed, for going high in the mountains in feet of snow, and space is tight. I added an additional saddle tank perpendicular in the front of the bed. How to fill it and plumb it, were of course other questions. I drilled through the body for another filler, and ran a fuel hose through the bottom of the bed, to run a fuel hose into the main line coming across from the driver side, and run a vent hose down underneath, considering I don’t have a return line on my system. But what I had to figure out was, how to stop gas from back flowing into the other tanks, mainly driver side. So, I installed an electric portable fuel pump mounted near the third tank, and one way valve coming from the driver tank. Now, the gas won’t flow unless I turn on the pump, and it won’t back flow into the driver tank. I’ve had to learn all this as I was going through the process, and it wasn’t fun because I back flowed into driver tank which over filled and I guess because my seal might be bad, gas was all over the ground. Not fun. So far all is working. I wanted to share to help anyone from making the mistakes I did. Hope this helps someone.

 

[campfire]

So, I wanted to share my experience with a third gas tank. At first I needed to figure out what it looked like to have a third tank? Where to put it? I needed a ton of room for stuff in the bed of my 77 short bed. To achieve room and space for everything I needed, for going high in the mountains in feet of snow, and space is tight. I added an additional saddle tank perpendicular in the front of the bed. How to fill it and plumb it, were of course other questions. I drilled through the body for another filler, and ran a fuel hose through the bottom of the bed, to run a fuel hose into the main line coming across from the driver side, and run a vent hose down underneath, considering I don’t have a return line on my system. But what I had to figure out was, how to stop gas from back flowing into the other tanks, mainly driver side. So, I installed an electric portable fuel pump mounted near the third tank, and one way valve coming from the driver tank. Now, the gas won’t flow unless I turn on the pump, and it won’t back flow into the driver tank. I’ve had to learn all this as I was going through the process, and it wasn’t fun because I back flowed into driver tank which over filled and I guess because my seal might be bad, gas was all over the ground. Not fun. So far all is working. I wanted to share to help anyone from making the mistakes I did. Hope this helps someone.

View attachment 412791

View attachment 412792

Cool stuff!

What sort of mountain expeditioning do you do, that requires a third tank?

 

[77snowwheeler]

Cool stuff!

What sort of mountain expeditioning do you do, that requires a third tank?

In Oregon, our access to certain areas are now closed off because of fire, cleanup. Now we have to go around and travel long distances with no resources, to get where we like to go. 232 miles to be exact. And at 8 miles to the gallon you need a good supply of gas. At 48 gallons I can get in and out of those areas without adding any temporary tanks. That’s what I was avoiding, to carry.

 

[Blue85]

So what's that cost to fill up these days?

 

[77snowwheeler]

So what's that cost to fill up these days?

I have to run premium for optimum performance, so it’s around 260. I trailer the truck to further destinations on the highway, to save, with my f350 diesel. Obviously I don’t go every weekend. We really have to space out the trips now. It’s primarily an off road rig.

 

[Truckman4life]

Is the third tank just an auxiliary used to pump into the driver tank when needed? I think I missed that.
I mounted a tank the same way once in an old farm truck. Except I removed both other saddle tanks and just put one in the bed. Another truck I had I mounted a 32 gal semi truck diesel tank in the bed and used it as the only tank and got rid of the saddle tanks.

 

[77snowwheeler]

because of the original diverter switch, for both tanks, I can set the switch on left side, which, the third tank is plumbed into, and run off both those tanks. I put a one way valve between the driver side tank and third tank to keep from back flowing into that tank. So when I switch the third tank on, I’m using both tanks at once.

 

[Clark75K5]

Just wanted to say hello from Eastern Oregon. Cool K5!

 

[77snowwheeler]

Just wanted to say hello from Eastern Oregon. Cool K5!

Howdy. Hello from Oregon City. I’m actually headed your direction for work next week. Nice blazer.