sherrie Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 For those who are interested here is a Youtube, of our First real camping trip after solving the overheating problem. Now how to solve the small gas tank problem. Here in Nevada there are lots of cool areas to explore but not necessarily gas stations within the tank range! https://youtu.be/xMDFBENEtmo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 I'm used to living where gas stations are few and far between. I always carried a 5 gallon gas can on the back of my camper. Cheapest solution to the small gas tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Even going through the plains I have my two spare cans on the back bumper. Sometimes it is either fill up at 100 miles or push on knowing that it is 250 miles to the next gas. Somewhere in there we will stop for something and I will dump in 5 gallons of gas. Sometimes that 100 miles station is off the main road by 5 miles. I had two- 2 1/2 gallon cans on the last trip but from now on I will be carrying two 5 gallon jerry cans. I would be able to help someone else if I found some poor soul sucking vapor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 I guess I will miss my 144 gallon fuel tank? Jim SW FL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 A stock tank is 17 gal. Just to make sure, when your home next try to arrive with an low tank. The stock tank should have a drain. Drain the tank CAREFULLY and then refill from a 5 gal can and go to the closest gas station and fill it up. Then you'll know how much fuel you have and can plan accordingly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherrie Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 If I have a 17 gallon tank I would be really surprised. If I do - I have a bad gas gauge. We carry 5 gallons for our generator, but have already talked about adding another 5 gallons. I think the biggest problem was not understanding how much the wind effected our gas mileage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Probably not a bad gauge but an un-calibrated one. Check to see about the drain plug on the bottom of the tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 My camper only had a 14 gallon tank, and even at that...it never took more than 12 gallons at the pump. And I mean at practically bone-dry. I drove 30 miles AFTER the first time I stalled. Driving along, chugging, stalling, speed getting slower and slower to where I was driving on the shoulder of the highway at 45mph...35...25...jerking and shuddering...stalling and coasting...engine kicking back in again...stalling again. Finally stalled for good, I thought, so I walked to the closest gas station planning to buy a can and fill it, but it was closed (sunday), so I walked back to see if I had anything to fill with gas. Figured I'd try once more...started up and limped the rest of the way to the gas station. And still, it took just a hair under 12 gallons. It seems some people have similar issues with their tank never taking it's supposed capacity, and some people don't. Not sure what the deal is... But I never travelled without a gas can (full) after that. Didn't help that my gas gauge never really worked... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherrie Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 I will always travel with a full gas can from now on. I put 13.9 gallons of gas in at the last white knuckle fill up. We left a day early from some awesome fishing so we could caravan to the gas station with the rest of our group that was leaving a day before we had to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 I wouldn't want to drive a Toyota RV without a working gas-gauge. Not with that small tank. Toyota used poorly designed fuel sending units in the tank and it very likely what you need. The float-arm has a metal bar that rubs against wires - that's all there is too it. The wires wear through and break. You can either rewire it with the correct ohmage resistor wire - or just buy a new sending unit. It uses 94 inches of 32 gauge resistor wire with a value of 14 ohms per foot. About $3 worth of wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 The 5 gallon tank took 95% of the stress out of it, for me. Having a non-working gas gauge might be stressful for some people, but for me, I knew if I ran out, I could just pour 5 gallons in and be on my way. I knew I was out of gas when the truck started jerking. I would always have at least 10 miles of highway driving after feeling the first signs, before things got bad, which is plenty of time to find a place to pull over in 99% of stretches of highway. I paid close attention to my mileage, and tried to always get gas before I was getting "close". Now there's always the chance that it'd run out of gas sitting at a stop light in busy traffic or something, which wouldn't be fun. But in a town, I just always made sure to be very conservative on my estimates, and fill up long before I knew I'd need to. For me, 150 miles was completely safe. 170 was usually fine. 190 if I was doing real good. But typically if I was at 150 and anywhere near a gas station, I'd fill up. And worst case...I'd feel the truck start bucking, pull over, add 5 gallons. No big deal. That would not work for anyone who tends to get stressed out more easily. Worked fine for me, though. I probably ran out of gas 30 times on all my travels. Feel some hesitation, find a spot to pull over, fill up from my jerry can. No big deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 I count on 200 miles before I start to worry. If I don't find more gas by then, I dump in my spare 5 gallons. The only time this did not work out was when my daughter was driving while I took a nap, I did not know that she was driving through western Montana with her foot smashed to the floor for the 100 miles I was sleeping. I woke up and she told me that we had been doing over 65 mph the whole time. We topped off the tank at about 120 miles and we only got 9 1/2 mpg with her driving She was very surprised at that. I drove the rest of the trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 It would be safe to figure 5 gallons would take you 50 miles. On a 500 mile trip i used to do twice a year I figured on 3 fill ups. Mine had a low fuel light that actually worked pretty well it basically told me don't screw around stop and get gas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 I count on 200 miles before I start to worry. . We topped off the tank at about 120 miles and we only got 9 1/2 mpg with her driving She was very surprised at that. I drove the rest of the trip. FWIW I get 9.5 mpg @65 mph, in my 26 ft Class A. But I have a 50 gallon tank. Your experience shows that aero is a real BIG deal with a small RV with a smaller engine. 55-60 mph is real. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 The daughter felt bad about the gas mileage that she got on that tank of fuel. We were traveling with theRV and a car pulling a pop-up. At 55mph the Mercury Grand Marquis was getting 21 mpg with the pop-up. On that 100 mph section I checked that vehicles mileage and it dropped to 17 also. It convinced everyone that I was right about the mpg being the inverse of the mph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 It really makes a huge difference. Although it was easy to get my Chinook up to 70, and above...and because of the size it didn't effect my mileage quite as much...it still made a difference. Once I got used to never passing anyone, and going slower, I find I really don't mind it. I've been keeping at 70mph in my Tacoma on the highway. And they just changed the limit all along this stretch of I-15 to 80mph. No thanks... Every now and then I actually get to pass someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 We made a 3000 mi trip in the Escaper one summer and we passed 3 vehicles, one of them was going up hill. Major celebration and pounding on the dash on that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaFred Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Just finished a 5,000 trip in my '84 toy and passed one vehicle. It was a double-trailer semi! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Just south of Rapid City, SD, there is a very long steep hill with a stop light at the bottom. I think I have hit a red light every time I have gone through there with every vehicle I own. The first time up that hill with the Toyhouse, there was a line up of 5 semis and a dump truck (loaded) at the light. I pulled up in the left lane at the light. My wife asked me why I was in the passing lane. When the light turned green, I actually passed 5 vehicles in a row. I probably should not celebrate passing a fully loaded quad axle dump truck going up a steep hill from a dead stop, but I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Yep, I get pretty excited when I pass someone. What was actually more fun was the first trip or two I took the Chinook on, before I kept myself at a sane speed. I loved going past someone at 75mph or more and seeing the look on their faces... The first time I drove down the I-15 corridor through Salt Lake, I kept up with the flow of traffic at 80mph. Never again, though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgragert Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Do any of you that carry 1 or 2, 5 gal Jerry cans on the back of your RV worry about what would happen if you were rear ended? I only ask because I was planning on doing the same thing. When I was much younger and in the service I always had 2 Jerry cans on the back of my jeep, and 3 more between the radios and the seat, but of course at that age it was no big deal because I was going to live forever. So far so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Yes, but, you know... I read a lot about it leading up to buying one. On one forum, there was a guy who worked in some capacity that had him responding to highway accidents. A guy like that, who has "seen it all" and was very over (I think) cautious because of it, was very against having extra gas anywhere, period. In theory it can add another very real element of danger to an already bad situation. But getting rear-ended won't be the issue. It'll just spill gas. The issue is a terrible accident in which crap really hits the fan and your camper and someone else's vehicle are scattered all over the highway. At that point the jerry can is probably more succeptible to spilling than your gas tank is, and if there's any ignition source, you could have a fire in addition to the accident. The NATO jerry cans are going to be a lot safer than those plastic gas cans you use for the lawnmower, as far as spilling. In the end, you take your chances. You're driving around in a little truck with a probably sketchy frame extension, with a house more or less haphazardly attached, with a gas tank, a propane tank and any other number of sketchy things. Not sure if adding a gas can to the back bumper is really adding anything significant to the "death-trap" equation you already have going... And they are perfectly legal. Which doesn't necessarily mean they're safe, but... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 does anyone remember the old time pickups and other trucks that had the gas tank behind the seat in the cab. the good old days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgragert Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 "In the end, you take your chances. You're driving around in a little truck with a probably sketchy frame extension, with a house more or less haphazardly attached, with a gas tank, a propane tank and any other number of sketchy things. Not sure if adding a gas can to the back bumper is really adding anything significant to the "death-trap" equation you already have going.." Funny, and true. And to add to your colorful description, mine was haphazardly attached 25 years, and 142,000 miles ago. Of course on my Dolphin the Propane tank is sitting in a compartment on the rear corner, but then it's protected by a 1 1/4" thick fiberglass and foam panel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgragert Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 does anyone remember the old time pickups and other trucks that had the gas tank behind the seat in the cab. the good old days. My absolute favorite vehicle, '64 Chevy pickup, a rusted out, straight 6, three speed on the column (had to hold the stick just right when you shifted gears or it jammed), That was the simplest and most fun vehicle I've ever owned. The gas tank leaked and I "repaired" it with a fiberglass tank repair kit from an auto parts store, Come to think about it, and considering what I've driven in the past, why am I worried about a couple of jerry cans?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 does anyone remember the old time pickups and other trucks that had the gas tank behind the seat in the cab. the good old days. Yeah that was a briliant GM ideal. Worst it didn't keep them from rusting and leaking inside the cab either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Come to think about it, and considering what I've driven in the past, why am I worried about a couple of jerry cans??Even though I'm sure you're partially kidding here, let's not discount the value of being older and wiser. It's a wonder any of us lived through our teenage years, and to some extent our 20s. There is a danger with the jerry cans which is worth taking into account. But yeah, I guess my point...in the scheme of things, it seems like a pretty small danger compared to the rest of the rv. When you're young you can have worry-free fun because you tend not to understand the danger. These days I prefer to know the danger, then decide what amount of risk I'm willing to take. I do NOT like it when I realize I've missed a danger. I want to know and understand the danger, and make the decision whether I'm ok with it or not. I don't like being ignorant anymore... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonny sunrader Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Think a couple cans on the rear bumper dangerous, the Jeeps in WWII had the gas tank in the passager compartment right under the drivers seat. But they were also getting shot at, so the gas tank under the seat probably not a big deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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