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Sunrader 26 Gallon Optional Tanks


Gulfstream Greg

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:D I was crawling under my rig today and noticed a label on the fuel tank. My tank is the optional OEM 26 gallon tank offered to Sunrader owners. The label has the manufacturers name on it, the capacity etc.. So a search on the internet and what do you know. STILL IN Business!!!

Great news for me because I have some fuel gauge issues and I need the gaskets for the access ports on the top because they are leaking. So here is the web address Transfer Flow Fuel Tanks. I will contact them on Monday and get more information. Here is a pic of the label. B)

Sunrader26gal_label.jpg

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The web site says nothing about Toyota's. Maybe they do not build them anymore for the toys. My tank hangs off the frame rails with some heavy duty brackets. I would think it would be easy to put one of these tanks in. Here is a pic.

tankbracket.jpg

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Hi Greg and other Sunrader owners,

I talked to the engineer (not just the receptionist) at TransferFlow

about 3 weeks ago. Yes, they are still in business. I asked him

if they could make me a larger capacity gas tank for my E-Z

Ryder. The answer is, "Certainly -- and the minimum order is 20

tanks!" Well, I said, "Not yet, thanks." The reason for this

minimum order is the engineering required. Each tank is

specifically configured to match the underside of the vehicle

according to where the other things are located under there.

However, here's the good news for Sunrader owners: If there

are at least 20 Sunrader owners that want to order larger tanks,

then he said he would go to their stored files and pull their old

plans for Sunrader tanks and they could be put into production

again! Probable cost for a 26 gal. tank is in the range of about

$500 - $700 each. Installation is on your own. That is about the

same as AeroTanks' cost for a custom made one. Except with

Aerotanks you have to go to their facility in Corona, CA for the

install ($750 or so total).

So, Greg, you might be able to get the parts you need.

If any Sunrader owners want to band together for a group

order of jumbo gas tanks, you can probably get some made up

for you. You should just be sure that the ones he is making up

are indeed a match for the particular year and model of Sunrader

you have.

If Dolphin/ Seabreeze owners or Warrior/ Itasca owners wanted

to do this as well, TransferFlow might agree. (I wouldn't be

surprised if they would want payment up front through.)

Hope this helps.

Tika

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Tika

Thanks for the info. I will give them a call today about my gauge and gaskets. I would think all the tanks would be the same for any Toy truck. The underside does not change due to the coach on the top. Possibly the fill spout? If you look on the bracket picture the dark area bottom center is actually gas that has keaked from the top of the tank and ran down the side.

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Called the tank builder today. Got the same info Tika did, except I was told by the parts dept. that it would have to be a min of 10 tanks, he could have been wrong.

Good news for me is that the bigger tank uses stock Toyota parts. IE the gaskets, level sending unit and fuel pump. Going on a trip next weekend so hopefully the weekend after I will drop the tank. Not sure if there is a filter on the pickup tube. I think I will buy the stock sender and make sure it has full swing top to bottom. Right now I am finding that it will read full but when its on empty I can have as much as 10 to 12 gallons in the tank. Its been a guessing game.

So even though they were the originak manufacturer of the larger tanks if you want a bigger tank you might have to have one built by someone else. Besides, its really only 10 gallons more than the stock tank. Rig two GI cans on the rear and you have that.

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Called the tank builder today. Got the same info Tika did, except I was told by the parts dept. that it would have to be a min of 10 tanks, he could have been wrong.

Good news for me is that the bigger tank uses stock Toyota parts. IE the gaskets, level sending unit and fuel pump. Going on a trip next weekend so hopefully the weekend after I will drop the tank. Not sure if there is a filter on the pickup tube. I think I will buy the stock sender and make sure it has full swing top to bottom. Right now I am finding that it will read full but when its on empty I can have as much as 10 to 12 gallons in the tank. Its been a guessing game.

So even though they were the originak manufacturer of the larger tanks if you want a bigger tank you might have to have one built by someone else. Besides, its really only 10 gallons more than the stock tank. Rig two GI cans on the rear and you have that.

I wonder if reads E simply because you've used 13-15 gallons, with my stock Toyota tank it reads right near E once I'm down 13 gallons and just below E when I'm down 15. Could it simply be that your tank is 6 or 7 inches deeper than the stock unit?

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Once I get the sender out I will be able tp see what the travel is. The parts guy said that the resistor packs get corroded. Be a few weeks before I can pull it out. I suspect as you say, the tank is deeper and the float does not reach the bottom. Might have to work it over.

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  • 1 month later...

JC whitney has large capacity 25gallon tanks for the Toyota pickups,,however they are $750.. For that much I think I would rig up a second 10-14 gal tank and dual tank switch for less money and to better balance the weight.

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JC whitney has large capacity 25gallon tanks for the Toyota pickups

They won't fit Toyota motorhomes, according to this poster on the Yahoo toyota_motorhomes group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/toyota-campers/message/30145

Greg

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Besides, its really only 10 gallons more than the stock tank. Rig two GI cans on the rear and you have that.

Very dangerous on an RV, according to posters on RV.net, due to the flames from propane devices:

http://rv.net/forum/Index.cfm/fuseaction/t...30.cfm#14097830

One of them likened it to "a fused bomb ready to blow anytime". :rip_1:

Greg

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I think I would rig up a second 10-14 gal tank and dual tank switch for less money and to better balance the weight.

Northwest Metal Products used to do that, but stopped because the tanks were breaking loose. They found that the reason the tanks were breaking loose was because the frames were flexing too much.

Here's my email to them and their reply:

Hi Greg,

Sorry to say that we can't make a tank that will fit your motorhome. While

there is enough room there isn't a good place to bolt the tank in. In the

past we made a tank for the Toyota MH but found that the frame flexed too

much causing the tank to break loose. Not too desirable. We decided it was

safer to not do these anymore.

Sorry we can't help you.

Thank you for contacting us.

Sharon

www.nwmp.com

http://stores.ebay.com/id=116560883?rifid=store

----- Original Message -----

From: "Greg Lovern"

To: <sales@nwmp.com>

Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2004 1:52 AM

Subject: Tank for '90 Toyota Motorhome

> Hello Northwest Metal Products,

>

> Do you have or can you make a replacement or auxiliary gas tank for a 22'

> motorhome based on a 1990 Toyota pickup?

>

> I noted this product of yours:

> "LWB, SWB & Extra Cab Pick-up 4 Wheel Drive 1989-1990"

>

> Will that one work with a 2 Wheel Drive?

>

> It looks like there is a lot of room behind the rear axle. The spare tire

> is mounted outside, on top of the rear bumper.

>

>

> Thanks,

>

> Greg

>

>

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Hi Greg and other Sunrader owners,

I talked to the engineer (not just the receptionist) at TransferFlow

about 3 weeks ago.  Yes, they are still in business.  I asked him

if they could make me a larger capacity gas tank for my E-Z

Ryder.  The answer is, "Certainly -- and the minimum order is 20

tanks!"  Well, I said, "Not yet, thanks."  The reason for this

minimum order is the engineering required.  Each tank is

specifically configured to match the underside of the vehicle

according to where the other things are located under there. 

I'm beginning to think this is my only hope of increasing my Toy's range. I also tried a local shop that installs auxiliary tanks in motorhomes, but they said they couldn't do it to mine (I even had the Toy there and the owner of the shop even looked underneath).

Unless vetoed by my wife, I could pay cash for 20 (or 10, per Turbo Greg's post) Transfer Flow tanks, store the other 19 (or 9) in my garage, then resell them to others at cost over time.

But first I would need to know more about what others would fit a tank that would fit mine. I have a 1990 Odyssey. I don't see anything that would get in the wayof a bigger tank, but if some units have wider or narrower coach bodies, I could see that making a difference. Actually, I'm not sure about even that. I'm just going by memory; I can't check right now because it's at a shop having more seatbelts installed.

In any case, I could (barring a wifely veto) buy 10 - 20 that would fit my 1990 Odyssey, then resell those.

Does anyone here have any information on what other Toy makes and years would and wouldn't fit a tank that would fit my 1990 Odyssey?

BTW I'll be away for a few weeks, I'll check in here when I get back..

Greg

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...if some units have wider or narrower coach bodies, I could see that making a difference. Actually, I'm not sure about even that. I'm just going by memory; I can't check right now because it's at a shop having more seatbelts installed.

I was wrong about the width of the coach body having anything to do with it; the tank is inside the frame rail. :Poster_oops:

I don't see how the coachbuilders would have been likely to have done anything to affect whether a larger tank would fit and how big the tank could be. I think a tank that fits a Sunrader of a given model year (or set of years) would fit an Odyssey, Dolphin, Travelmaster, Huntsman, Winnie, or any other Toyota motorhome of the same year (or set of years).

BTW and OT:

The seatbelts turned out great. It took me a little while to find someone who would add them. They were done by Airport Valley Vinyl of Tukwila, WA (near Seattle). It was Poulsbo RV in Kent, WA who suggested I ask them.

We added seatbelts to each of the captain's chairs, and to each end of the sofabed (facing forward and facing rear -- for baby seats, not for adults). Now we have three places we can put our baby, who still needs to face toward the rear, instead of just one. He likes to be near my wife, but she doesn't like to drive. Until now, he would fuss when I drove, even if Barbra sat on the front of the sofa, leaned in toward him, and talked to him. Now they can be in the captain's chairs facing each other, or he can be on the front end of the sofa, facing her in the middle of the sofa. When he's big enough to face toward the front, we'll have two additional places we can put him. I anticipate some happier travelling. Knowing my wife, she'll even be able to nurse him like that (she's amazing in that regard).

Back on topic:

Again, we'll be gone for a few weeks, so I'll check back in on this thread when I get back..

Greg

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I was wrong about the width of the coach body having anything to do with it; the tank is inside the frame rail.  :Poster_oops:

I don't see how the coachbuilders would have been likely to have done anything to affect whether a larger tank would fit and how big the tank could be. I think a tank that fits a Sunrader of a given model year (or set of years) would fit an Odyssey, Dolphin, Travelmaster, Huntsman, Winnie, or any other Toyota motorhome of the same year (or set of years).

BTW and OT:

The seatbelts turned out great. It took me a little while to find someone who would add them. They were done by Airport Valley Vinyl of Tukwila, WA (near Seattle). It was Poulsbo RV in Kent, WA who suggested I ask them.

We added seatbelts to each of the captain's chairs, and to each end of the sofabed (facing forward and facing rear -- for baby seats, not for adults). Now we have three places we can put our baby, who still needs to face toward the rear, instead of just one. He likes to be near my wife, but she doesn't like to drive. Until now, he would fuss when I drove, even if Barbra sat on the front of the sofa, leaned in toward him, and talked to him. Now they can be in the captain's chairs facing each other, or he can be on the front end of the sofa, facing her in the middle of the sofa. When he's big enough to face toward the front, we'll have two additional places we can put him. I anticipate some happier travelling. Knowing my wife, she'll even be able to nurse him like that (she's amazing in that regard).

Back on topic:

Again, we'll be gone for a few weeks, so I'll check back in on this thread when I get back..

Greg

I think my 26 gallon tank would fit any toy truck of the same year range. As for the frame flexing and breaking the tanks or falling out that seems not true for the sunrader tanks. My tank is bolted to two large welded a frame brackets which are attatched to the side of the frame. I will get a photo and post it. Sunrader offered the larger tanks for all sizes of ite MH's.

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  • 5 years later...

I assume this thread is dead. That said, was there ever any resolution to the question of larger replacement tanks? I have a 1990 Odyssey with a 17 gallon tank, it also has a 20 gallon custom made tank for the generator. I plan a "transfer pump" system to extend my range, but would prefer to install a larger main tank. I've seen some larger tanks advertised by Brown Davis in Australia:

http://www.longrange...tankmodels.html

Because they have different models than we here in the US, I have sent them a inquiry and will share the response. In the meantime, is there any current information out there?

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 5 months later...

Spectra Premium makes tanks for the Toyota pickup. You can't buy from them direct, but I believe places like Autozone, Advance and NAPA can get their parts. Also EBay.

http://ecat.spectrapremium.com/apps/ecat/mainfile.php?vehicle_id=1277412&model=PICKUP&year=1986&make=TOYOTA&splash=false&action=search_by_vehicle&module=product_catalog

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Any idea where to get a stock tank for a 1986 toyota Sunrader?

Please advise I have a huge leaking problem.

jamie

A stock tank for a sunrader would be a stock tank for that year pickup, available at local wreckers that have toy trucks. Where is the leak?

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