Installing a RDS Aluminum Transfer Fuel Tank
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- Опубликовано: 25 фев 2022
- #ilovervlife #TransferTank #RDStransferTank Joan and I are looking forward to more travel this year. One challenge we faced recently was the continued increase in diesel fuel prices. We have recently experienced fuel swings as much as $1.00 within a 3 day time span. Adding to the cost of fuel has been the time frame required to fuel the truck while towing our 42 foot 5th wheel.
While we appreciate access to the truck stop fueling lanes, both the cost of fuel and the time to fuel impacts our travel time. It was time to add a transfer fuel tank to make travel less costly and more convenient and a RDS Transfer Fuel Tank was perfect for our needs.
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This is one of the best things I added for towing our 5th wheel. I have one of RDS tanks with the toolbox on the top and the fuel in the bottom. It carries around 60 gallons. One suggestion you might add is some type of filter on your vent hose. I added a lawnmower filter to mine to prevent dust and insects from getting into the hose. With my set up we can travel over 900 miles without stopping for fuel if necessary. Love your videos!
Thanks Benny. Used a couple of times now. Don’t know why I didn’t add sooner. Thanks for the filter tip.
Strong work
Thanks
Love it when u do projects; enjoy the details
Thanks
Awesome Jerry! This addition will make your trips more enjoyable.
Thanks. And saving a few $$ along the way.
You all ways have great ideals and video that help many of us.
Thanks a bunch
Another great video. Good info. Thanks for you work on these videos.
Thanks
Great video Jerry! Your a natural to this video making 👍
I have a auxiliary fuel tank on my ram 3500 and it is a blessing!!
I also have the TSD Logistics EFS RV fuel card for discount fuel at many truck stops. Looking forward to your updates on how the new tank and 5 th wheel are doing!! Safe travels and thank you!!🇺🇸🇨🇦
I have a TDS card. Big savings along the way. Still saw $.30 to $.40 savings purchasing at a Murphy if close by. We’ll have a video on both soon. So far, so good!
Thanks for the video, Jerry. We’ll done sir.
Thanks Brad.
This was extremely helpful. Very well done walkthrough and detailed video. Thank you!! 🙏🏾
Thanks for watching.
Excellent video. Can't wait to hear how it worked out on the road.
We run a week or two behind in our video production. Have used twice. Works great. No issues.
Great install Jerry! Joan saved the day! This is something we have thought about doing as well. Our ford has a 48 gallon tank. But I feel like you never have enough on long hauls. Thanks for sharing. Paul & Magen
Thanks. Joan did save the day. Her wrench skills were perfect. Fuel prices are crazy now. It’s hard to believe, but we’re seeing $.60 to $1.00 per gal swings in cost all in the same day. Gas Buddy helps, TDS card too. Having that extra tanks has been a big savings.
Awesome job Jerry, on my ram long bed it came with a 50 gals fuel tank if I were full time I would think about something like this, you made that job look easy I feel confident on doing something like this please sir keep us posted.
Thanks. I wish I had a 50 gal main.
Jerry i love your video, thank you for sharing with us here, cheers
Th ask so much. Appreciate you watching.
very good
Thanks
Well done, we also have an auxiliary tank- definitively increases options while traveling
Thanks
We love watching your channel. Great information, we are now using damp-rid. Hope our paths cross one day. Hope the tank is a perfect solution and look forward to hearing the results.
Damp rid makes a big difference. Tank worked out great on first trip. RV life make the world much smaller. Hope to see you in our travels.
We just watched this. Great idea. Anytime we can save money. We also use the EFS card. We have saved money there. Nicely done.
Thanks we have an EFS card too. If I can find a Murphy before we head out, still my end up,with a $.20 to $.30 a gal savings.
Greaaaat video sr. Thank you.
Thanks for watching.
Great video Jerry!
Thanks
My friend you have just done what I’ve wanted to do for two years. After watching you I’m going to go buy this. My goal is to not having to stop for fuel with the trailer hooked up, there is usually a place to get fuel near the parks we might be at. I have a one ton ram and it only has a 27 gal fuel tank.
Nathan, with that small tank an auxiliary tank will be a game changer. Bought Murphy diesel on Wednesday. Saw a $.60 plus per gal increase on the interstate today. Plus, had to drive 7.5 hours. On these long tows, great saving that 30+ minutes not going the the truck stop fuel lane.
Great video Jerry
Thanks
GoodStuff,GreatTips😀👍🏿 2016 F250
Thanks
I like that stay safe God Bless
Thanks
Jerry- when I did mine I found fuel was very slow to drain down. What I found ( on my Chevy) was that there is no way for air to get out of the truck tank so that new fuel can enter. That’s because the truck fuel cap ( which is on the filler neck) only lets air IN , not out. ( in design they assumed you’d have the cap removed when filling, silly engineers). I needed to cut the truck vent hose and connect another hose to either the transfer tank or to atmosphere. By doing this the fuel and air in your truck tank just exchange. I can also leave the valve open and it just keeps the truck tank full as I drive and I don’t have to stop to open the valve.
I also added a fuel filter between the tanks to catch trash or condensation from in the transfer tank.
It’s a fantastic upgrade-you’ll love it.
Thanks for the tip. This may be Chevy specific. On the F350 I haven’t had an issue. I turn the valve on when the primary tank is around half full. With burn rate, the tank is between half to three quarters at the end of the trip.
good video.
I have a RDS 71789 tank/ toolbox combo (with external 12V pump for filling equipment or transferring to my truck) in my work truck.
I'm pondering a gravity tank for my other Dodge.
I appreciate the instruction and meticulous installation.
Thanks
Glad we could share. We’ve just made two 9 hour tows. Fuel mileage avenge 11mpg. Usually open fill valve at half or a little less in the main tank. Gravity feed is a little faster than burn rate. Has been working well.
Great Job!! Joan makes a great assistant and is much more patient than my wife...I'm purchasing a gas Super Duty this year to tow a smaller 5th wheel. Similar tanks (some with tool boxes attached) are available for gas models as well. I believe that you must use a transfer tank (with pump and nozzle) for gas as it is illegal to connect an auxiliary tank directly to a gas fuel system.
Thanks Eric. DOT regs are different for gas. Joan’s always great to help.
As long as the check valve is placed at the top of the fill tube it will shut off when the fill neck fills with fuel. It kinda looked like this was mounted on side which could be an issue. Simple fix though, just loosen the 2 hose clamps holding the connection in place and turn the brass check valve up to the top side of the fill tube.
Agree. It’s the camera angle. So far, so good.
Hey Jerry just wanted to let you know I live in California I've had a fuel box in my truck for several years where I live it is illegal to have gravity feed fuel from your auxiliary to your main tank they come with a pump that pumps the fuel out of the top of the tank which works great has a little computer that recognize when the bottom tank is getting low and automatically turns on and start pumping fuel great instructional video you did I always enjoy your DIY videos
Thanks. Great tip for those who need an alternative to pull fuel from the tank.
One of my favorite mods that I did to my truck! Great job Jerry! After a few trips I got tired of stopping and getting out of the truck to open the valve. If you have the upfitter switches, I wired a magnetic ball valve to one switch and just leave the valve open. Now when I need to refuel, I just hit my upfitter switch while driving.
Thinking about the switch. Used twice now. Flip the valve open about 3 hours into the trip. The tanks is at 1/2 to 3/4 when we reach the campground.
Is there any risk of over filling the tank below?
Hi Mike. The inline ball valve added to the fill tube prevents over filling.
@@iLoveRVlife I'll have to watch it again, so even if you filled both tanks and immediately opened the valve for the upper tank, the flow would stop before overfilling the lower?
It does. No issues. The only issue is placement of the ball valve in the filler tube. There is an upright position position with the hose from the aux tank must be at the top to work.
I think you mean voids the warrant… great stuff as always!!
Thanks
I'm looking at doing the same thing. I have the bed cover also and need a tank and filler cap that will not interfere with the cover. I have a battery operating fuel pump that I'll use to transfer the fuel from the aux tank into my main tank so I wont be using the transfer kit. This tank will probably do the trick for us. Great video. 👍
Thanks Rick. We’ve used recently on 3 long trips. Working great. Still gravity feed. We wait till about half full on the main tank. That about 3 to 4 hours down the road. Usually a rest stop to for a leg stretch and we open the valve. Doesn’t feed fast. It flows around burn rate plus a little more.
Thanks Jerry. We are going to get one. We are doing ALOT of travel also. In the meantime I’ll be using yellow jugs and a Tera pump. Happy travels.
I’ve used the yellow jugs for a couple of years. Nice to have those retired.
@@iLoveRVlife I’m sure it’s going to get old fast. I hope I don’t get dependent on them. A tank sounds easier.
@@iLoveRVlife I ordered our RDS 32 gallon tank. I'll be using the jugs until June as the tanks are on back order.
You’re going to enjoy the convenience.
@@iLoveRVlife Hi Jerry! Just want to let you know I got our RDS tank installed. Its sure going to come in handy for our trip back west!
Something to think about when adding an extra tank is payload. While you have a dually and payload may not be a problem for your truck, some are close to maxed out and adding over 400lbs in your case could be unwise. Thanks for the videos!
Good point. The engineer in me always has margin in my plans.
Excellent as usual Jerry! I will be curious about the differences in pulling the new longer 5th wheel and the maneuverability when backing into a camping spot compared to your other 5th wheel.
Thanks so much. This one is 2 feet longer. Tad more in the rear swing. Hasn’t been an issue. Plus, the Montana is 7,000 lbs heavier than the Gateway. Mileage dropped about .5 mpg, but the ride in the dually is much better with the added weight.
I looked at northern tool here near the Houston area and they did not have too much to choose from but for sure I will find it. Doing it yourself probably saved you $500 or even more based on the prices I got around here.
Doing it myself saved a bunch. Northern will order the one you want.
I also purchased and installed a 60 gallon RDS aux fuel tank in my 2019 Ram 3500. Excellent product. I also have the BakFlip tonneau cover.
I added a fuel filter between the tank and filler. Unfortunately my filler was metal and I had to do some serious steel cutting in a very confined space. Very stressful job and it took a lot of time. But it is installed and working.
Oh I live in San Diego so my diesel is now almost $5 a gallon 😢
Terry, interstate diesel was running mid $4.30s in Tennessee today. Filled tanks on Wednesday at a Murph. Huge savings?
@@iLoveRVlife Wow, that isn't hugely lower than what I paid at $4.79. Well, maybe I feel a little better now. Thanks for your channel. I watch regularly.
Appreciate you watching.
Thanks, Jerry! I’ve had the tank for awhile and just been too nervous to cut my filler tube, lol. Higher prices are pushing me to complete this project. Gas prices here in California are >$6/gallon now and diesel is not far behind.
Thanks for watching. For our F350, cutting the filler tube wasn't a big deal and the kit was a perfect fit. Currently in GA and diesel is swinging from $4.65 to $4.99 on the side streets and over $5 on the Interstate. We're still going to travel, but we'll have to make some adjustments some where.
@@iLoveRVlife diesel jumped ahead of gas and was $6.83.9 last night. Haven’t checked yet today.
Mercy. Hope this ends soon..
I’d recommend braided hose when you have to eventually replace that rubber line.
Thanks
Question: wondering about leaves or acorns getting under the tank and rotting, etc. Any thoughts about that? Thanks for the video Jerry.
Don’t think there’s enough room for acorns. We have a cover that we close when we get to campground. If we see any build up, a good squirt with the water hose should take care of things.
Great job Jerry have y’all tried the discount cards at the truck stop for fuel prices
We have a EFS card. Makes a big difference. But, a Walmart Murphy fill up before we head out can be a big savings.
I didn't see a good shot of his stepstool, but we carry a sto-step one with us for getting in and out of the bed and for use in hooking up the fifth wheel.
I was jumping in and out of the truck bed so much on this one and thought best to save the ankles.
@@iLoveRVlife I couldn't hop into ours. I have to back up to the bumper and place hands on the bed and boost up into it. I get out similarly. And you might want to reword your response to me, it makes you sound like a hussie.
Definitely carry a lot of fuel is the way to go. I pull my fifth wheel camper with a Kenworth T680. I have a 2500 mile range 😄
I see a HDT and 5th wheel every now and then around the east coast. A great setup for the long haul.
Jerry thank you for the video I also have a 350 and have been thinking of doing the same thing I do have a question… can you turn the tank in the on position and leave it on all the time? or would it over flow?
There are reports you can with no issues and others state there’s over flow issues. There’s a ball valve that should prevent. I’ve made two trips with the tank so far. About 3 to 4 hours into a trip, I stop for leg stretch and bathroom break. I’m around a half a tank at this stage. I open the valve for the remainder of the trip. With burn rate the tank will stay around a half for the remainder of the trip.
Do you keep the valve open and the tank gravity fills as your driving? I had an aux tank in another truck but it had its own pump would auto fill the factory tank.
I wait till the main tank is around half full. This usually is about 3 hours or so into the trip. We usually pull into a rest stop for a leg stretch. I turn on the valve and this will trickle until I get to the campground. With burn rate, the tank will end up at 3/4 full when we finally stop.
I can understand the benefit of longer range and fewer stops, but with the random movement of fuel prices, I am not so sure savings can be counted on. Nice job 👍
With apps such as gas Buddy, you can search your whole route and find the lowest price. You easy save 60 cents or more per gallon.
Thanks. With the crazy price swings this week, filled main and RDS tanks for $3.45 on Wednesday. Left this campground the morning. Interstate prices were $4.28 or higher.
Thanks. I picked up some tips here. I recommend anyone installing a tank like this to watch several videos to pick up different tips from different installers. Funniest moment about 10:30. "I'm going to barely, barely, barely pop through the sheet metal to be ever so careful..." And then you ram the drill 2 inches through. Hahaha.
It's been a year since this video. Could you add a bit of a review by taking the bolts out to see how the holes look? I'm curious if vibrations and driving have caused damage to the holes or the bolt threads. Any corrosion from the aluminum bed/steel bolts?
Thanks for watching. No corrosion or changes in the holes. The springs keep tension on the bolts and expect that helps.
Did you put rubber pads under the mountng tabs on sides of the tank
I did. They came with the tank installation hardware.
@I Love RV Life Hi Jerry, I am doing similar, RDS Toolbox Tank. Which Tonneau cover are you using? It looks like it folds up out of the way enough for fueling your tank. Did you have to adjust anything for it? Thanks for sharing!
This is a Bak Flip hard panel tonneau. On the long wheel base it’s 4 panels. Took me a while to find a low profile tank including the fill area and cap that would fit under the tonneau. Appreciate you watching
Why didn’t you go for the electric fuel pump addition or a 12 volt solenoid valve for diesel fuel so you can do your fuel transfer while driving ? Also how long does it take for the gravity feed system to bring you up to full when you are at say 1/4 tank ? Great job by the way. I just retired from the fire department and am looking to do some traveling soon. Thank you for your time in making this video.
Thanks and good question. We’ve logged over 3,000 miles since the tank install. We found gravity feed works with no issues. I’ve used the main tank to almost 1/4 and turned on. Gravity feed has been higher than burn rate at 10 miles p/gal. We recently had two 9 hour tows. I turned on before we left. The main tank remained full until we burned over 50 gal. The ball valve worked great and didn’t over fill the tank. At this stage, haven’t need a pump.
What size hose did you use on the drain rollover valve ?
The one that came with the kit is 1/4 inch ID.
We were at almost $7.00 a gallon for diesel in California.
Sorry to hear that Randy. We’re in Georgia and seeing the mid 4’s. Really hoping wiser minds prevail in the near future and these fuel prices come back down.
In your blog, you wrote "This is a gravity feed application, and found the slow drain from the tank matched the remaining trip mileage". That doesn't sound right. A 1/4" line should drain much faster than 1 gallon every 10 minutes. I noticed you did not orient the ball valve vertically as you had mentioned as necessary earlier in the video. What effect does the orientation of the ball valve have on the flow rate of the fuel? (I have a tank with a pump that I use to transfer heating fuel, but am considering adapting to gravity feed for the truck). BTW - I can buy heating fuel for 3.30/gal or have it delivered for $5.60/gal and my set-up paid for itself in one winter. You were. I thought I would reinforce your statement about cost savings in the long run. Thank you for taking the time to make and post this video.
Thanks. The ball valve angle was shown for the video. It’s vertical. It drains faster. Not sure what the exact rate is, but wanted to share that it would keep up with the trip. I didn’t want to add a pump with wiring if it wasn’t necessary. Works great as is. Good tip on the heating fuel.
Do you gravity fill when you drive? My GMC threw a code when I did that.
I do Stephen. I wait until we’re about 3 to 4 hours into the trip. I ready for a break and stretch. The gravity feed keeps up with my burn rate and I have around a little over a half a tank when we reach our destination. No issues with the F-350 throwing a code.
What is that T called you used to cut into the gas fill tube
It’s called a RDS Auxiliary Conversion Kit for Diesel Transfer Tank. There’s 2 types depending on model and year of truck. I purchased mine at Northern Tool.
What keeps the fuel not to over flow the main tank?
In the video I show the installation of the filler kit. The in-line unit placed in the filler neck contains a built-in rollover valve that prevents overfilling. You have to make sure the device is in the up right position when installed. Haven’t had any issues.
How long does it take to refill the tank? Can you drive while the refill valve is open?
With the ball valve, I don’t worry about it. Just turn it on. But, I’ve run till the mai tank was half full. The gravity flow runs a little more than burn rate.
Love the channel, I have the same truck you have, what part number tank did you get?
Thanks Michael. It’s the RDS Aluminum Transfer Fuel Tank - 55 Gallon, Model# 71109.
@@iLoveRVlife thanks!
So you can leave it open during travel?
I do. No issues. The ball valve installed in the filler neck prevents overflow.
Jerry my husband did this to his diesel truck.His engine light in the truck stays on now. Which now has affected the warranty to the truck Just want to know if this has your engine light on.
Sounds like a leak in the vapor recovery system. It should be easy to track down.
No issue with my add.
What is "revelant"?
Hey Jerry, does you our truck use D. E. F.?
Unfortunately, it does.
do u leave your value on all the time? is it ok to leave the value on all the time?
I didn’t leave on at the start. Wasn’t sure how gauge and computer would respond. Last couple trips I left on with no issues. The ball valve added to the filler neck prevents overflow.
I totally get this from the convenience and range points of view. At my age though, my bladder will not go more than about 4 or 5 hours.
I wonder did you consider your mileage decrease from adding over 400 pounds to the truck? maybe only .5mpg or so, but might extend your payback. Given price differences of $.50 per gallon between states though, payback could be sooner!
Stopping to empty your bladder is much easier than pulling a fifth wheel into a gas station. I now stop and pee in the camper bathroom , get a snack and then resume driving. Adding 500 pounds to a rig that weighs over 20,000 isn’t noticeable.
👍 bladder. Gotta stop anyway might as well gas up.
@@chucknSC Fair enough on the pee, but you still have to pull off the highway someplace safe.
I was thinking the weight would be more relevant when not towing. Into town for provisions, to and from work for the employed people, etc.
David, with mileage was the same. With the 26,000 lb tow capacity, the additional weight wasn’t significant. Plus half way into the trip, I’m starting to use fuel, so weight is reducing as we continue the trip. We stop around 3 hours too. This is when I open the valve to start adding to the main tank. Payback has started. Interstate diesel was $.60 plus more per gallon than what I purchased at a Murphy.
Potty break is one thing. Paying $.60 per gal more for truck stop diesel now is a thing of the past.
Hi Jerry, wondering why you did not opt for a larger OEM tank, cost?
Hi Henry. It was cost and finding a shop to install.
Chevy wants 2600$ to go from a 20 gallon tank to 40 gallon OEM.....
2 month wait, and wants vehicle for 3-4 weeks
@@gregprince2523 wow!!!!
I looked at a Titan product. Pricey too. This was a reasonable alternative and I had the bed space.
@@iLoveRVlife I like to have my bed space, probably will go with the OEM product, will increase my capacity from about 23 to 65 gals. With diesel prices, I will have to get a loan to fill my truck!!!
I hate stopping for fuel. We usually stop at a meijer to get the 10cent/gallon discount. BUT, the hustlers, druggies, homeless, panhandlers( whatever you call them) beeline for the people pulling rvs,as you likely have cash on hand. Every time we stop we get the person that “ ran out of $ and need to get to another state” or “ lost their wallet “ etc. so every time we have our eyes peeled looking for them so we can fend them off. Your tank will be nice.
We hit the Walmart Murphy before we head out. Usually much lower than the interstate.
Hi Jerry, how is your RDS tank working out?
Great. I'm now able to find lower cost fuel before we travel, plus we can make a longer trip with stopping at the truck stop. Paid for the tank with fuel savings.
Thanks!!!!
Try $6 or$7 dollars a gallon in the west. .
Ouch! Getting some relief in the southeast.
Funny thing, my truck doesn't run any better on the $6 diesel, than it did on the $4 diesel... 😉
So true. Sometime I just have to wonder……
Why didn't you run the fill line through the rubber grommet in the back wall of the bed? Would of saved you from drilling another hole in the bed!
Wish that was an option. There wasn’t a rubber grommet located in the rear of the bed on this year and model.
6.50 a gallon now.... talk about chaining down the american people.. anyways nice install. looking or a gravity fed aux tank for my new sprinter
It’s challenging to travel and we’ve had to work harder for find lesser cost fuel, consider our distance to travel, and the cost when we arrive. We’re still traveling, just differently.