[97TacoDude]

A coworker has a 98 Tacoma and wants to add a second gas tank where the spare tire is (I guess he'll put the spare in the bed). He wants to be able to drive 1500 miles between refuels since he does a lot of cross-country traveling (which doesn't make any sense to me...I mean how far can you drive before you have to snack-up or go to the bathroom anyway(???), not to mention that if I was traveling cross country I'd want a car with a nice crusin' sispension). In any case, does anybody make a kit that allows you to run 2 seperate tanks? I know my uncle had a ford truck with an auxillary tank and there was a switch in the cab that allowd you to select a tank...that's about the only cool thing Ford ever did IMO. He's having a 50 gallon tank custom fabricated this week (yes, I also explained that lugging 68 gallos of fuel for the first part of the trip is NOT good for economy ). Anyway, someone must make a kit.

 

[Mike]

I coworker had a 98 Tacoma and wants to add a second gas tank where the spare tire is (I guess he'll put the spare in the bed). He wants to be able to drive 1500 miles between refuels since he does a lot of cross-country traveling (which doesn't make any sense to me...I mean how far can you drive before you have to snack-up or go to the bathroom anyway(???), not to mention that if I was traveling cross country I'd want a car with a nice crusin' sispension). In any case, does anybody make a kit that allows you to run 2 seperate tanks? I know my uncle had a ford truck with an auxillary tank and there was a switch in the cab that allowd you to select a tank...that's about the only cool thing Ford ever did IMO. He's having a 50 gallon tank custom fabricated this week (yes, I also explained that lugging 68 gallos of fuel for the first part of the trip is NOT good for economy ). Anyway, someone must make a kit.

Assuming he gets 20 mpg (not likely) where's he gonna fit 75 gallons of gas? And assuming that gasoline weights about 6.25 pounds a gallon, that's about 470 pounds of weight back there!

Later,
....Mike

 

[bluetaco]

http://www.h2go.info/

this Tacoma has tanks mounted in the bed for all the various fuels it runs....if you look thru the press links there is a picture of the set up(at least there used to be)...the gear for converting the 3.4L to run the alternative fuels and the tanks is under $6K...

as far as fuel cells I've seen a 20 gal fuel cell in the location of the spare...but more commonly see these:
http://www.transferflow.com/html/crossthebedtanks_0.html
this is a better location for the added weight and easy to fill at the gas station!

there are places that do make them for Toyota or do custom tanks just haven't found the links yet!

 

[LAW]

downey has the 15 gallon tank that goes in place of the spare http://www.downeyoff-road.com/BodyComponents/index.htm

 

[Kyota]

The thing is with a lot of fuel cells is their weight, price, and smogability. But as long as you retain your stock gas tank location it would probably not be a problem ( keep it hidden and look stock). Depends on the smog shop. If it is a extra cell, I imagine it would be ok.

KarTek off raod has race fuel cells up th 44 gallons. I've read of trophy trucks with 70 gallon tanks, which'll last em a couple hundred. Oh yeah, tanks are expensive. Around 500 plus for a 20 gal and up from there.

 

[calamaridog]

He is going to need to address the rear suspension with new or improved springs and shocks.

 

[Cracker]

Man...I dont know about hanging that Downey tank AND/OR the spare from the crossmember alone....That thing is pretty thin stamped metal...even worse than the pre-Tacos....

 

[anestech*]

He is going to need to address the rear suspension with new or improved springs and shocks.

Ummm, I believe that payload capacity of our trucks is a tiny it more than 500lbs.

It think it would ride better, I know mine does with 2 dirt bike in the back (about 500 lbs).

 

[97TacoDude]

Assuming he gets 20 mpg (not likely) where's he gonna fit 75 gallons of gas? And assuming that gasoline weights about 6.25 pounds a gallon, that's about 470 pounds of weight back there!

Later,
....Mike

I know it doesn't make much sense. And when he's just using it to get back and forth to work, he's lugging this big empty tank around. I don't think the Tacoma is the proper vehicle to be messing with tanks on. Another thing to consider is the surge...unless the fabricator is smart enough to baffle the tank, when he comes to an abrupt stop with 1/2 of a tank it's gonna surge like mad. And yet another thing...pumps at gas stations aren't that fast...they're designed for 20 gallon or smaller tanks. Think of how long you'd tie up the pump filing a 68 gallon tank.

I've always thought it would be really cool to have "in flight" refueling on turnpikes...you could drive behind a special tanker truck and top your tanks off without having to stop. Pointless, but fun! (more fun that lugging 70 gallos of gas around all day)

 

[PismoBoy24]

To each his own, but I'd personally love a huge gas tank.
-Chris

 

[Kyota]

I've always thought it would be really cool to have "in flight" refueling on turnpikes...you could drive behind a special tanker truck and top your tanks off without having to stop. Pointless, but fun! (more fun that lugging 70 gallos of gas around all day)

Now that youmention that, at one of the more recent baja races a trophy truck team did almost exactly that. On the paved sections of the course the racers have to go the speed limit. If they dont then they are DQ'd. So to skip a pit stop for refueling, a TT team too the opportunity to fill on the fly , I guess. On a straight a truck of their pulled up behind and gassed it up while goin 60 or something. Very neat. Although there was no rule against it, there may be in the future.

 

[97TacoDude]

The officials will probably shut that down the first time their is a crash or fire a combination of both not to mention some EPA weenies getting on their case about fuel spilled on the road.

 

[sjvicker]

http://www.h2go.info/

this Tacoma has tanks mounted in the bed for all the various fuels it runs....if you look thru the press links there is a picture of the set up(at least there used to be)...the gear for converting the 3.4L to run the alternative fuels and the tanks is under $6K...

as far as fuel cells I've seen a 20 gal fuel cell in the location of the spare...but more commonly see these:
http://www.transferflow.com/html/crossthebedtanks_0.html
this is a better location for the added weight and easy to fill at the gas station!

there are places that do make them for Toyota or do custom tanks just haven't found the links yet!

just because im sort of bored and should be studying some dynamics. The most expensive tank from transfer flow is $1425.51 and is a 98 gallon tank. Just say that you can fill up for .10c cheaper at a gas station and fill it completely full (and assume normal gas is 1.99) so you have a savings of 9.8 dollars per tank. Every time you stop you probably waste about 15 minutes and say your worth 20$ an hour, that's a savings of 5 bucks for not having to stop, figuring on a tank that's ~5 times the taco tank that's a savings of 25$. Wear on the vehicle is probably another 5$ from the constant fuel stops, so right now you've saved 39.8$ and you wont be buying that 2$ monster energy drink from not stopping so then you've saved 41.8$ by switching to the massive tank of fuel (Assuming it fit into the taco). Now for the tank to pay for it's self and start actually see savings you would have to fill it up 34 times. 34x98 is 3332 gallons and that's roughly a range of 66640 miles or 4 years to pay make it start to seem worthwhile.

not to mention the fact that you would have to have a strong bladder to keep from stopping.

 

[97TacoDude]

You're not taking the weight factor into account. On airliners for example the ground crew will only put enough fuel in the plane to get where it's going plus a safety reserve, so that the airline is not wasting huge sums of money transporting it's own fuel all over the place needlessly.

 

[BigBadBob0]

And with extra weight over the rear axle comes premature wear to the tires, premature failure of the shocks/springs and premature wear of the brakes. The brakes are probably close to negligible since you'll be mostly freeway.

 

[flatlandtacoma]

The brakes are probably close to negligible since you'll be mostly freeway.

The extra weight is negligible on the highway gas mileage too. Only in stop in go traffic does the weight cost you in fuel economy. Highway mpg is virtually unchanged with a load in the bed as long as it doesn't affect the aerodynamics (wind drag).

 

[97TacoDude]

The extra weight is negligible on the highway gas mileage too. Only in stop in go traffic does the weight cost you in fuel economy. Highway mpg is virtually unchanged with a load in the bed as long as it doesn't affect the aerodynamics (wind drag).

This would only be true on flat land. If you were going through mountains it would make a huge difference. The only way it wouldn't matter is if you did not brake coming down hills and converded ALL of your potential energy into kinetic energy, but braking converts some of the potential energy into heat which is lost. I would not want to come down hills with no brakes.

Also, with a loaded up vehcle I believe there is a *bit* more energy lost from tire friction.

 

[flatlandtacoma]

Also, with a loaded up vehcle I believe there is a *bit* more energy lost from tire friction.

Would you care to explain this? I would really like to hear about this energy lost from tire friction.

 

[97TacoDude]

As I said it's a really small bit of energy. Think of how bad your gas mileage would be if you ran your tires at 10 PSI versus 26 PSI, now think of the same idea except not nearly as severe.

 

[flatlandtacoma]

As I said it's a really small bit of energy. Think of how bad your gas mileage would be if you ran your tires at 10 PSI versus 26 PSI, now think of the same idea except not nearly as severe.

That's why most people would keep their tires properly inflated for the load they were carrying, and wouldn't lose any energy.