Thought this topic had been discussed but I couldn't find it with a search.

Anyways, I'm thinking I'd like to put a transfer tank in my pickup that I can use for both the airplane and the snowmachines. The catch is I don't want anything above the bed rails. I plane to put a sled deck on my pickup this winter so I can't have anything that sticks up, also I don't like how it looks. Any opinions on fueling with a transfer tank please share.

Lots of options whee. How much do you want to haul per load? I had a L tank for a long time, 90 gallons and the only thing above the box side was the pump. Had a spot cut out of my sled deck for it to go through. Also had a custom made on that went fron the front of the box to the back of the wheel wells, and was level with the top of the wells. Didnt like it because ot was full width in the front so no room for my sled deck legs. Its actually not that expensive for custom made tanks and you can have them built anyway you'd like.
David

Think maybe 75gal. Plane holds about 50gal so I suppose I really don't need anymore than that. I'd like it if the pump and filter were both below the rails too.

I have one similar to this and use it for extended range in my pickup, it is a good value as far as I'm concerned, but the one I bought held 5 gallons less than what they advertised, other than that I'm happy with it.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200306725

I'd think to stay below the bed rails with the pump and all you might need a custom built short tank. The payoff should be quick though, I spend about $850 on my fuelling setup (aluminum tank, 12v pump, fuel hose, brass plumbing pieces, goldenrod waterblock filter, auto-stop nozzle, fuel meter, ground bonding reel) and save about $2 per gallon, it payed for itself in about 50 hours (@ 8.5 gal/hr). I picked up a 36 gallon aluminum tank since I drive by the ethanol-free gas station on the way to work everyday all I needed was enough to fill my tanks. I'd highly recommend spending a few extra $$ on an aluminum tank as old steel tanks can get rusty.

I'd recommend the GPI pumps, they are well built and have aluminum housings so they won't rust. You can pick up refurbished pumps about $100 off by calling them directly. Also get a Goldenrod Water-Block filter. I have 20' of hose and that has been fine. Picked up a grounding reel on ebay that works nicely. I also got a GPI fuel flow meter, it is accurate to +/- 5% and I use it to keep detailed records of fuel going in and out of the tank for tax refund purposes (you will get $0.18/gallon refunded if you keep good records and file Idaho Tax form 75) quarterly or annually.


20130602_163030.jpg by scottf, on Flickr



20130602_163112.jpg by scottf, on Flickr

Some other things to consider:

DOT regulations, may or may not be a concern.
Aluminum vs. steel, Aluminum lighter looks better, steel more durable. I know of a few aluminum tanks that have cracked.
Hose never seams to be long enough.
Hose is to stiff (cold climates).
Also, UV resistant hose I had one that was sun baked and leaking after one summer.

I have a 150 gallon steel tank, pump is mounted on top but I have a 1" plug in the bottom of the tank, I'm thinking of putting a valve and cam lock on it so I can move the pump down. And putting my sled deck on also.

Paul

I have been using a 10 micron filter on my transfer tank and I still get too many particles in my fuel. I would like to run a smaller particle filter but they have proven to be hard to find. What do you run?

Have the 100 gallon l shape gpi pump and goldenrod filter works just fine

The diamond plate aluminum tank in the photo looks great, but the dispenser nozzle sticking up like that is sure to attract attention of the wrong kind. I would be worried that the local airport avgas franchisee would be upset about it, and raise a ruckus about unlicensed fuel on the airport. Also, I would be worried about people seeing an opportunity to steal the gas for their cars. The suggestion is to have everything including the nozzle flush with the bed rails, and then also have some box or tarp or something to camouflage the nozzle from prying eyes.

EZ

See your point, however in the Farm Country this time of year almost every pick has some kind of fuel tank in it,

Call ATI Industries in Florida. DOT approved for gasoline. Can build whatever you want.
I purchased a scratch and dent for significant savings. Good Luck!

I have a 100gallon tank with a tool box on the top of it and the whole thing fits under the bed rails. My sled deck fits over it nicely. I dont have a picture of it with the sled deck on.

Check some of the big marine wholesalers, West Marine is one, they stock all kinds of tanks that would be suitable. I have used RDS Aluminum in the past, they will make you anything you want and build it perfect. You could make it as custom as you want. No reason to stay with the stock sized tanks, though they may be a bit cheaper.

When you get your tank, buy a good (real) canvas tarp and figure out a way to secure it, so the tank is hidden, also keeping the sun off the hose.

hah, yeah I guess it is all where you're from. In Idaho truck tanks are very common, you see them ever day. I have a softtopper over the bed now but it didn't attract any attention all summer.

My pump has a hidden switch for the pump power so the gas thieves should bring their own siphon hose, and it is usually nearly empty unless I'm headed out to the hangar soon. The airport has no rules against bringing fuel in other than they do not want the plane fueled while in the hangar which is reasonable.

If you want to be 100% legal I think ATI makes about the only DOT approved transfer tanks for gasoline.

I used this tank from Northern Tool for 5 years. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200306727_200306727 It is one of the only tanks where the pump sits below the bed rails. I know they say only for diesel fuel... but that is just a CYA for their own liability. No difference between these tanks and tanks for tripple the price that are "certified" for gas. Get a 15gpm pump and an in line filter and an inline fuel meter and you are all set. Don't forget grounding cable and a fire extinguisher too. I am currently saving $2.50 per gallon running auto fuel here in Salt Lake. Saves me over $150 per tank of gas or approx $4,800 per year. A real no brainer!

When I bought my first airplane (C150) back in 1995, I wanted to get a truck tank for running mogas but I bought three 5 gallon cans to tide me over until I did so. I still have those 5 gallon cans (added one since then) and I still use them-- I never did get a truck tank. That C150 used about a can an hour, my old C170 & my current C150/150 use about a can-and-a-half an hour. With my source of e-zero mogas right on the way home from the airport, having only 22 gallons (5-1/2 per can) of fuel available has rarely been a handicap. If my airplane had a higher fuel burn, or I had to drive way out of my way to find suitable fuel or to take advantage of a low price, I'd probably feel different, but I have no plans to upgrade from my cans. One advantage over a truck tank is that I don't need to always drive my pickup-- the gas cans fit into the trunk of a car or in the back of my baby SUV.

My biggest concerns about truck tanks or gas cans is that I've seen some really poor practices, some of which are flat out dangerous--and yet there's no reason for these unsafe shortcuts:

Failing to ground the airplane or the cans/truck to the airplane;
Wearing nylon jackets while refueling;
Smoking while refueling (hard to believe);
Refilling cans while they're in the back of a pickup;
Talking on a cellphone or hand-held while refueling.

Since I can't burn mogas in mine (the STC for mogas and the STC for my engine don't match), I don't worry about these issues much, but I do refuel from self-serve, and I've seen similar poor practices from pilots who either don't care or who haven't been taught the need to do things like ground their airplanes, and ground between fuel trucks and the airplane, etc. I've even had to remind ramp rabbits to run the ground wire to my airplane.

I've never had to refuel my boat from a can. But I did add an extra tank to my boat, and I have the ability to run from extra boat cans, for extra long distance cruising. I did all that in preparation for my boat trip back in 2011, which you can read about in The Ultimate Small Boat Adventure (still available, only $15.95, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc. ). But I was very careful to do the entire extra tank installation using CG-approved pieces and parts, and I'm oh so careful with gasoline.

I'm sure I could think of other situations, but the point is that gasoline, whether mogas, avgas, boat gas, or even diesel fuel, can be dangerous, and some folks treat it like it isn't. As the wag says, half a boom will spoil your whole day!

Cary

That tank from Northern Tool is about what I am looking for. Thanks for the link guys. I don't really need or want the tool box on top of the tank but that tank is the closest thing I have seen to what I'd like.

I was looking at Transfer Flow for a DOT legal-for-gas tank, before I moved away from the lake. I recall lots of other options for diesel, not so many for gas.

180driver wrote:. I know they say only for diesel fuel... but that is just a CYA for their own liability. No difference between these tanks and tanks for tripple the price that are "certified" for gas.!

Nope, not true. The rules regarding tanks are pretty complex, and vary with capacity. One of the big differences between diesel and gasoline tanks is often the vents. Vents for gasoline storage tanks are huge.

That said, unless you get crosswise with DOT somehow, or something REALLY bad happens, I doubt you'd have a problem with most relatively small tanks.

I used a small transfer tank for some time, but I would NEVER put gas into an airplane with just one of those Goldenrod filters. Most of them won't stop water. A "No-Go" filter is mandatory, in my opinion. Bear in mind that most of those will also pass SOME water if the system pressure isn't right...like higher than you'll get with a hand pump.

They do work however.

Just be careful, and understand that you are now commuting at highway speeds with the equivalent of a couple sticks of dynamite in your. Truck. Park in your garage at night? Hope your house doesn't catch fire.

And nearly empty is almost worse than full.

I had to laugh at the picture of a tank secured with a nylon ratchet strap. What's gas weigh again? Get some serious attachment hardware.....on the highway, you're going almost as fast as some airplanes.

Not saying don't do this...just understand what you're doing, and realize the risks.

MTV