Thread: Long Range Fuel Tank

Beat me to it Martyn.

I did a trip to Gove last year with the family and had to stop every 500 or 600 ks for fuel in my 130 Tdi 300, it was good to stop and have a stretch but we had a problem when coming down the track back to the main road, the vibrations from the corrugations had caused the 2nd skin on the tank to wear holes in the tank as rust had pitted between the 2 skins, I did not realise until we got to Mataranka at 4.30pm and filled up with 75 litres of diesel, it started to pour out so I went to willys workshop and asked him if he had any empty containers, as he was closing up, he did and gave me 3 to drain the tank, he said he was too busy to fix it for me but i could pull out the tank and he would solder it for me the next day, and i could do it at the back of the workshop.I thanked him. As we needed to camp the night we went to the north end camp ground and i made a funnel to catch the dripping fuel with a container under and there it stayed till morning, The next day i drove over to willies workshop and drained the tank, pulled it out, seperated the 2 skins, then willy sand blasted it, soldered it, I put eurothane mastic all over the solder between the 2 skins, rivited them together then put the tank back in, then the plastic pick up broke off the side as i was puting it in so willy gave me some pipe of the right size and we glued it back in, fitted everything and put the fuel back in, with the drain plug screwed in, pumped some fuel through the line and she started almost start away. Took me the best part of 5 hours as it was a first for me, and Willy was a wealth of information. I asked him how much for his time expecting to pay hundreds but i almost fell over when he said $70.00, happy to recommend his place for any repairs to any one. He had even shouted me a pie at lunch time, I and the family were so relieved that we didn't have to find another tank and get it freighted there to fix the truck, we really enjoyed our swim at the springs, great town, great people, my family had a good time at the museum, and the the park reading about the history of the area.
So after all that, i do think a long range tank is a good idea but if you cant afford to spend the pingers on a permanent 1 then look at alternatives like the following link, it holds 100 litres, and costs $695.00 as a 130 owner i am thinking these tanks are a better alternative and will build my tray on camper to accommodate this type of diesel storage for long distances and it boosts your load to 180litres so even better than a 130 permanent tank. Something to think about, ohh by the way the repaired tank is still in my truck, I use it every day, http://www.silvanagcess.com.au/cgi-b...982&prod_div=3

Originally Posted by samuelclarke

True! It's quite a shock to the wallet! Especially when fuel prices were high last year - on a trip down 4wding around Lithgow filling up cost me $230...

And slightly off topic...damn the current QLD government for dropping the fuel subsidy...

Yes I agree with you. Aren't those robbing oil companies having a ball up here now.Just compare what they were charging when prices to them were much higher virtually the same is being charged now per litre.In 3 years or so maybe we can get our revenge at the ballot box.Cheers
Disco 44 ( once a Labor voter)

My 200 TDi Fender had a 120 litre tank when I bought it and I love it. The only thing is that the sender unit and the fuel gauge have a running battle.

When full the needle reads above the full line for about 300klms. It then goes down to zero in the next 200. It then goes back to about half and wobbles around for the next 200 or so. Then it goes back to zero and the fuel light goes on only to go back up again to around a 1/4 tank which is when I start to watch it as it usually means that it is getting low.

The only time I ran out of fuel was in Curawinya NP with the Numpties and Bushie last year after doing 997 klms along the Madigan line and down through Birdsville. I sort of did it on purpose to see how far it could get and I had three jerry cans to fill her up to get me to the next bowser.

If you have the opportunity get a long range tank - a great bit of gear.

The other advantage of a long range tank is that if the bowsers are out of action particularly due to extreme heat situations [desert conditions], it is never a problem.

Diesel is far more volatile than petrol only when its hot,petrol puts off a vapour and is very dangerous but diesel doesnt produce a vapour,why are all fire engines petrol???because if they were diesel and the fuel tanks get to hot while fire fighting they will explode,you can boil petrol but you cannot boil diesel,try this, leave a 5 ltre jerry tin of diesel in the sun for a hour undo the lid and tip it over now go throw a match at it,you think petrol goes off!!!well your in for a big shock it goes off like a bomb,i worked in a large mobil fuel station chain and we had a lot of safety videos and demos to attend and so many people thought diesel was harmless.

Our local fire truck has just been replaced (ACCO V8 petrol) with a Canter 4wd diesel, and Tas Fire Service are replacing petrol pumps on the Toyotas now with diesel fuelled pumps.
I think I would rather be refuelling a diesel pump with naked flames (new or old) any where within the local vicinity.
cheers