Auxiliary fuel tanks

[Ninkasi]

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Hi, I am new member from Pittsburgh. I know there is a separate section for introductions but I have a question too so I thought I would ask it here. Has anyone who still is interested in a Mahindra considered installing an auxiliary fuel tank in one when and if it is ever available? This is one the main reasons I am interested in a diesel truck. Because diesel is less volatile than gas, it is safer to store it in larger amounts and this, combined with the fact that you can go further on diesel means that that is possible to go very far before having to fill up the tank(s). I wonder if kits will become available at some point to automatically feed the fuel system of a Mahindra from an auxiliary tank? I would like to get a TR20 with a 100 gallon tank in the bed. Besides allowing me to better time when I buy fuel to when it is the cheapest, once a week I work 15 miles from the West Virginia border (where fuel taxes are much less than Pennsylvania) and I could go there to buy large quantities of it cheaper. It would not make sense to go there for 20 gallons but it would for 120. I am also lazy and do not like going out of my way to refuel when I am low .

[blue7.3]

Welcome Ninkasi!
Based on the latest news regarding the lawsuit, who knows when or if this truck will ever make it to our shores. But to answer your question...
Auxillary diesel tanks have been around for a very long time. You will normally see them in full size pickups used for transporting fuel to construction equipment as well as those used for long distance hauling (like for boats or cars). Splicing into the main fuel system is a snap, they make electric solenoids to do the switching.
Unless you do one of those type jobs though, I'm not sure you'd really want to carry 700 lbs of diesel around with you just so you don't have to fill-up as often. My F350 with his 38 gallon tank can go ~600 miles on a tank. And he weighs in at 7000 lbs...
But, different strokes...

-pete

[ToxicSludge]

It just might be more advantageous to buy a couple of 30 gallon drums and take them with you when they need filling then use them to fill up at home.The range on the imaginary tr20/40 should be pretty good,and as Blue 7.3 pointed out,why carry the extra weight if you don't have to.

[blue7.3]

Originally Posted by ToxicSludge

... the imaginary tr20/40...

FUNNY! Kinda like Pop star 'Prince' old name when he went to that symbol for a while: "the artist formerly known as Prince"

-pete

One other thing to consider about storing diesel if you don't go through it regularly, you need additives to keep it from growing plant-life in the warm weather and anti-gel in order to use it in the cold weather. Pump-diesel has those additives, but storing bulk you'd probably want more...
-pete

[Bugman]

Wow, that's funny that you live in Pa. and look forward to getting cheaper fuel in WV, and I live in southern WV and sometimes go out of my way into Virginia where I save 30 - 40 cent a gallon...lolol

[Ninkasi]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

blue7.3 - yeah, I guess 100 gallons would be too much. Maybe something like 40 gallons would be more reasonable. It would still add a lot of weight but I think it would be worth it for me. The added weight would also give more traction in the winter, I guess. I would like to try to get at least a 1000 mile range. I think I would go through it fairly quickly but on the occasional winter morning where the low is expected to be below 0, I would probably just leave it parked in my garage and use my gas car. A few years ago it got to -8 and the record here is -22. In most cases, though, the low is well above 15.

Toxicsludge - I do not think I could carry a full 30 gallon drum of fuel - probably about 15 gallons at the most. I guess I could always have a storage tank in my backyard and have it delivered.

Bugman - this just shows how bad PA's taxes are . I do not go to WV often but when I do I notice that gas is definitely cheaper. We have a very tax-and-spend happy governor and legislature who love funneling money to special interests and pet projects. The funny (or rather sad) thing is that in spite of our higher gas taxes and the fact that this money is supposed to go to road maintenance, our roads are still often pretty bad.