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Old 04-07-2014, 07:37 PM   #1
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Mounting the auxillary fuel tank

I received my 60 gallon Auxiliary Tank & Toolbox Combo today.
RDS Auxiliary Fuel Tanks
I ordered the RDS model number 72743 from 3 G Toolboxes and got a great deal.
3G Toolboxes

Tomorrow I'll have it sprayed black with the Line-X Product so it does not stick out like a sore thumb in the back of the truck which is also sprayed with the black bed liner.

Just wondering if anyone has any learnings or suggestions from your installations that I could "steal shamelessly and apply rapidly" ... a phrase coined at Shell where I previously worked for 33 yrs. before retiring last September. Hell Yea!
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Old 04-07-2014, 07:52 PM   #2
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Use rubber grommets around the holes that any lines are going thru. On some trucks thw front bed panels have plastic body plugs you could run them through instead of drilling holes in the metal.
And with the weight, I would use bolts &washers to hold down instead of self tapping screws.
Also a tip- use a plug of some sort even a 110 extesion cord type for electric, and a fuel shut off at tank, you never know when you might have to pull it out or for service to need to pull a bed. Just my $.02

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Old 04-07-2014, 08:36 PM   #3
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Thanks Miller Time.

I had already thought about the rubber grommet and have it!

I did buy 1/2" hex head bolts, flat washers and lock washers but once I got the tank the tabs aren't large enough for the 1/2"! Looks like I'll have to use 3/8" but that should do the trick. There are 3 tabs in which to mount the tank to the bed.

I have an isolation valve at the outlet of the tank which can be close if the tank has to be removed. Not certain what I would need any plug for as it is just an auxiliary tank and not a transfer tank.
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Old 04-07-2014, 09:02 PM   #4
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Oh, ok. Thought maybe you had a solenoid valve on there maybe.

Sounds good on the rest. Im sure it will be awsome to not have to worry about fueling as often!

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Old 04-07-2014, 09:07 PM   #5
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Would definitely use stainless steel nyloc nuts and bolts for mounting.
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Old 04-07-2014, 09:10 PM   #6
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If it is exposed to the sun there is a reason it is not black.
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Old 04-07-2014, 09:12 PM   #7
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you can get the tanks in black too, so im sure its not that big of a deal...mine came pwdr coated black from the factory..

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Old 04-07-2014, 09:22 PM   #8
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DDC, the flash point of diesel is between 100 and 130 degrees F, but you still have to have a source of ignition.

The flash point of gasoline is -45 degrees F!
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Old 04-07-2014, 09:33 PM   #9
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Side saddle tanks on truck tractors came in black forever, no ill effects.
So are you just gravity feeding it or are you adding a pump? I installed a pump to fill my stock tank faster for keeping better accurate records of fuel usage. On my RDS 90 gal. there is a drain plug on the left lower corner and the valve and siphon is up top in the center near the headboard, easy access from the rear slider. Try not to use the drain port to fill your truck because any condensation in the aluminum tank will easily end up in your truck's tank. The siphon up top is a little off the bottom of the tank so it helps out with contamination.
With the little mounting tabs that these tanks come with, a 5/16" bolt is plenty. The tab will rip off long before the bolt breaks.
If you do any long trips, you will wish you got the tank years ago. One of the best accessories for those NJ - FL runs.
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Old 04-07-2014, 09:44 PM   #10
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05CrewDually, the plan is to just gravity feed.

It seems any condensation could get into the 37 gallon main tank, but should be captured in the in-line fuel filter under the truck. I suppose I could add a filter out the bottom of the auxiliary tank before tying into the main tank fill line. What do you think?
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Old 04-07-2014, 09:53 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dhatfield6 View Post
05CrewDually, the plan is to just gravity feed.

It seems any condensation could get into the 37 gallon main tank, but should be captured in the in-line fuel filter under the truck. I suppose I could add a filter out the bottom of the auxiliary tank before tying into the main tank fill line. What do you think?
On mine I also installed a filter after my aux fuel pump. I used a general use transparent plastic filter so if water does get in it I can see it visually before it gets pushed to my trucks tank.
What ever you choose, know how to drain your primary fuel filter housing, only use Motorcraft filters, and be cognizant of the chance of water.
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Old 04-07-2014, 09:58 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 05CrewDually View Post
On mine I also installed a filter after my aux fuel pump. I used a general use transparent plastic filter so if water does get in it I can see it visually before it gets pushed to my trucks tank.
What ever you choose, know how to drain your primary fuel filter housing, only use Motorcraft filters, and be cognizant of the chance of water.
Out of curiosity, how often do you have to drain water from your filter after your aux pump?
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Old 04-07-2014, 10:15 PM   #13
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Quote:
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Out of curiosity, how often do you have to drain water from your filter after your aux pump?
I get more debris in it than water. I change it when I see anything floating around in it, usually twice a year. I don't want you to be over concerned or worried, just aware of the chance and know how to overcome it to stay on the road.
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Old 04-07-2014, 11:24 PM   #14
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I have an aux tank and love it. There's no more stopping for fuel while towing, which makes for a much safer drive. I use a short stool to fuel that tank.
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Old 04-08-2014, 03:15 PM   #15
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OEM in-line fuel filter

Quote:
Originally Posted by 05CrewDually View Post
I get more debris in it than water. I change it when I see anything floating around in it, usually twice a year. I don't want you to be over concerned or worried, just aware of the chance and know how to overcome it to stay on the road.
Not being as familiar as I should be with my 2013 F-450 I inquired at the local dealership today about the in-line fuel filter on the truck. There is a low point drain (clearly identified because its yellow) on the in-line filter to do exactly what we need, drain any water, be it condensation or water in the fuel!

This is the upstream filter which has a pleated paper cartridge filter and this filter can be replaced. There is a secondary filter under the hood. The one under the hood is a complete unit, meaning a plastic housing which contains an internal filter in which the whole unit has to be replaced.

So as you can guess what I did! I spent the $112.00 and bought the pair, as that is how they are sold. You can not buy just one or the other. And it will be a monthly check of the upstream filter for any condensation or water.

Thank you 05CrewDually for stirring up the interest and making me find out what I should have known already!
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Old 04-08-2014, 03:25 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dhatfield6 View Post
Not being as familiar as I should be with my 2013 F-450 I inquired at the local dealership today about the in-line fuel filter on the truck. There is a low point drain (clearly identified because its yellow) on the in-line filter to do exactly what we need, drain any water, be it condensation or water in the fuel!

This is the upstream filter which has a pleated paper cartridge filter and this filter can be replaced. There is a secondary filter under the hood. The one under the hood is a complete unit, meaning a plastic housing which contains an internal filter in which the whole unit has to be replaced.

So as you can guess what I did! I spent the $112.00 and bought the pair, as that is how they are sold. You can not buy just one or the other. And it will be a monthly check of the upstream filter for any condensation or water.

Thank you 05CrewDually for stirring up the interest and making me find out what I should have known already!

a lot cheaper place for filters - sells OEM and fleet brands.
Home - Diesel Filters,Additives,brake rotors, and brake pads for Chevy, Dodge and Ford Diesel Trucks
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Old 04-08-2014, 04:13 PM   #17
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For other RDS aux tank gravity-feed installers...

If you do not have a rubber grommet for the bed, you may find that a PVC/valve-cover grommet from your local auto parts store might work. These come in different sizes and are heavy duty thickness, mine fits a 1" hole and acommodates my gravity feed hose just right.

We decided to add an elbow at my aux tank drain fitting for bed compartment layout. Being careful not to over tighten the elbow and shut-off valve threads, we decided to add a fuel tolerant liquid sealer to those threads so they could all remain pointing at the proper perspectives without risking the threads.

When tightening the bolts/nuts at the tank tabs, we found it helped to add a few spacer washers on the bolts under the tabs to relieve stress between them and my Ford bed as we tightened.

My particular RDS tank rests on the bed floor. I added some rubber floor mats, cut to size, that I found at our dollar store to help with abrasion of my tank base.

As we routed my gravity-feed hose from the aux tank to the main tank input tube, we noticed my hose would contact two places on the Ford frame. We cut a slightly larger automotive hose into 6" lengths and slid it over the gravity-feed hose, positioning the 6" hoses at these possible wear points.

I like my RDS aux tank on my old F-250 diesel.
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Old 04-08-2014, 04:19 PM   #18
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Thanks rip, all good info
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