Sponsored article presented by Titan Fuel Tanks.
“It takes an average of 26 minutes to stop for fuel.” So says Mike DeFord, Titan Fuel Tanks’ marketing manager—and also NASA racer, autocrosser and longtime amateur motorsports scenester. “Like, from the time you pull off the highway, get parked, get fueled, find your way back to the road, then …
So, one big part of FMVSS testing (and one reason why fuel tanks don't take up all available space) is fuel tank intrusion/puncture in a collision. Have they done anything to address that?
26 minutes ??? Wait, what ?? That includes lunch, right ?
It only hurts to buy one, was $1400 at one I looked at the last time, then having to fill it, at $2.40-3.00/gal. I'd rather have a bed tank.
300zxfreak said:26 minutes ??? Wait, what ?? That includes lunch, right ?
If you're running with a logbook, you realize that this isn't really all that inaccurate.
This is for a normal fuel stop, not trying to prove that you can totally decelerate, exit the highway, get in front of a pump, fill your vehicle, do a load check, pee on the tire and grab a drink before peeling out and getting back to the onramp and accelerate back up to speed all in under 37 seconds. It takes a lot longer than you think, especially when you're dealing with larger quantities of fuel found in the sort of vehicle that can carry an oversize tank of diesel.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
And also when you have to go in to the Love's to get the pump turned.
Patrick (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to Keith Tanner :
And also when you have to go in to the Love's to get the pump turned.
Oh, man, don't get me started.
The Staff of Motorsport Marketing said:“Our friends from Nitto Tire told us they saved hours off their trip from Seattle to King of the Hammers, which is in the desert east of Victorville, California,” DeFord continues. “They cut what was a four- or even five-stop trip down to two stops. That just makes all their logistics operations more efficient.”
So...They saved "hours" by cutting a 4-5 stop trip down to two? I mean, "hours" would suggest at very minimum 2 full hours (if not more), so by cutting 2 or 3 stops that means they were making minimum 40-minute stops and maximum 60+ minute stops.
I mean, if they just made five 25-minute stops, they would have done it in the same time.
Just sayin....those guys were clearly not in a rush anyhow ;)
In reply to Keith Tanner :
We have basically the same rig, so you're not really hitting any car diesel pumps either. I got a loves card and i still have to go in first. Got their app, still have to go in. My pilot/lying J card won't turn the pumps on most of the time. It's more than mildly annoying. They have a 52 gallon one for the ram, i'm curious how much of that is usable because my truck leaves 6 gallons in the tank when the range is on oh crap find a fuel pump according to what goes in and what the factory claimed capacity is. Back in the day i could get a suburban tank and add it to a 73-87 chevy truck and add 40 gallons of capacity with a transfer pump. I'd throw the spare in the bed for a 40 gallon tank that fits where the spare goes
I have the Titan 55gal tank in our Ram dually and love it. In-bed aux tank was a non-starter because of our slide in camper. While "saving hours" may be a bit exaggerated, it's given us a lot more flexibility about where/when to get fuel.
Big tank is big... 
Keith Tanner said:300zxfreak said:26 minutes ??? Wait, what ?? That includes lunch, right ?
If you're running with a logbook, you realize that this isn't really all that inaccurate.
This is for a normal fuel stop, not trying to prove that you can totally decelerate, exit the highway, get in front of a pump, fill your vehicle, do a load check, pee on the tire and grab a drink before peeling out and getting back to the onramp and accelerate back up to speed all in under 37 seconds. It takes a lot longer than you think, especially when you're dealing with larger quantities of fuel found in the sort of vehicle that can carry an oversize tank of diesel.
Still, 26 min? Unless you spend a lot of time searching for fuel, that's excessive. If you are doing other stuff like eating, peeing, and/or pooping, then iMHO that does not count to the time. For me, if I had to do any of that, then getting fuel is a bonus.
Which is why i'm totally ok with a fuel tank that can only do 300 miles at once- that's a long time to go between stops. Maybe it's just me, but driving and doing #1 at the same time seems, well, complicated.
Like I said, try logging it on a real road trip with a diesel truck. And that's from "cruising speed to cruising speed". Takes longer than you think unless you are purposefully trying to set some sort of personal record, and you can't do that on every stop.
I agree that human bladder capacity may not automatically get upgraded when the Titan tank is installed. That's one reason why my roughly 4 hour time between stops is okay and I'm not looking for a bigger diesel tank :)
In reply to alfadriver (Forum Supporter) :
I had a baby and stops have become more frequent and somewhat longer because we have to take turns using the bathroom. 30 minutes is now a fast stop for us. Orlando to Atlanta went from one bathroom break and one fuel stop to four full stops. It adds at least an hour to the trip. The first time, I traveled with the baby, I was really confused when we showed up two hours late. He did manage to poop four times in three hours so that didn't help.
In reply to ojannen :
Per the African proverb: "If you want to go fast, go alone."
I definitely see the advantage of a bigger tank. It's less useful if you're not towing, or you're towing a very light, aerodynamic load. When you're looking at <10MPG, every extra gallon is welcome.
ojannen said:In reply to alfadriver (Forum Supporter) :
I had a baby and stops have become more frequent and somewhat longer because we have to take turns using the bathroom. 30 minutes is now a fast stop for us. Orlando to Atlanta went from one bathroom break and one fuel stop to four full stops. It adds at least an hour to the trip. The first time, I traveled with the baby, I was really confused when we showed up two hours late. He did manage to poop four times in three hours so that didn't help.
I agree with that.
But, IMHO, the additional time to go to the bathroom, eat, etc- should not count toward the time it takes. If that HAS to be done, you will have to stop even if the tank isn't empty.
The time should be deceleration to stop, fill, drive away and cruise. Unless there's some kind of bladder and bowel compensation devices on the vehicle- for all passengers.
I average right about 20-25 minutes if I can pull in right to a pump and start filling up the 25 gals the Avalanche takes when I stop. This includes a quick walkthrough the store, even if I don't get a thing: helps with dvt prevention, an attempt at peeing, and then getting back on the road. It's 45 minutes easily if I stop and have the family along. I always have to grab whatever the truck stop has for fast food. We eat inside, berkeley the mess the kids leave in the back seat.
We had the 50 gallon tank in our E450 which gave us 400 miles to bone dry. Stopping at 300-350(to give a buffer) to fuel wasn't terrible because it wasn't the most comfortable seat and switching drivers was always welcome. I like the concept of a huge range, and love my 400+ mile range in the XJ, but it can be more than needed.
alfadriver (Forum Supporter) said:Which is why i'm totally ok with a fuel tank that can only do 300 miles at once- that's a long time to go between stops. Maybe it's just me, but driving and doing #1 at the same time seems, well, complicated.
It's true that you're still going to be making stops, but with the larger tank, they don't all have to be fuel stops. And if you don't have to get fuel, you have more flexibility in where you stop. That bathroom break can now be at a rest area or scenic overlook instead of a busy truck stop. Much more pleasant. I'm usually traveling with my wife and our dog, so no stops are short... LOL
Another factor is that out here in the Southwest, it can be a long way between fuel stations if you're off the interstate. And the place you stopped last year may be out of business this year, suddenly adding 50-100 miles to reach the next station. That's gotten better in the last decade, but it's still a reality. The stock tank in our truck was only 32 gal... at 8mpg and keeping a 50 mile reserve, that's about a 200 mile range. Even having an extra 100 miles in the tank is a big stress reliever and adds a lot of flexibility when you're getting 8-9mpg.
Regardless of the time savings, not having to stop for fuel when towing is helpful from a PITA standpoint. This is less true for diesels since most most gas stations that sell it (and all truck stops) are set up for larger vehicles, but when you're towing a big trailer with a gas vehicle, you have to plan ahead and find stations that are big enough and/or configured so that you can get in and out of there. Most truck stops are pretty good, but you can't always find one of those when you're running low. If I have to answer nature's call, I can always stop at a rest area.
Unfortunately, nobody seems to make larger auxiliary tanks for gasoline vehicles. I'm assuming it's a safety thing of some kind, since gas is more volatile.
In reply to Rodan :
Well, if stopping and time matters so much, then one should be multitasking when getting fuel. If timing doesn't matter, yea, I'll stop, get gas, get some picnic stuff, and head to the next nicest rest area to have a picnic.
But the premise of getting this massive tank is all about time.
What's interesting- all of the previous vehicles we've gotten to pull our stuff with got 15mpg when pulling our Alfa. Now that we pull with an SUV, we are getting into the refill quickly timing, but I'm still ok with that, as breaks are needed.
Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:
Unfortunately, nobody seems to make larger auxiliary tanks for gasoline vehicles. I'm assuming it's a safety thing of some kind, since gas is more volatile.
Gasoline tanks are part of the EVAP system, and messing with emissions controls on modern cars is a no-no.
As for stops and whatnot, I also think there's some geographic and convenience considerations with the larger tanks. I normally stop every 3-4 hours whether I need an immediate fillup or not, but with a smaller tank and travelling mostly in the more densely packed eastern part of the US, I cna pretty much take my pick of places to stop whenever I need to. But out west where stuff is further apart, with a smaller tank sometimes you may have to make a stop before you really need to, or at a busier, less-accessible intersection, because you may not have the opportunity for a while.
In reply to JG Pasterjak :
Ah, that makes sense.
alfadriver (Forum Supporter) said:Still, 26 min? Unless you spend a lot of time searching for fuel, that's excessive. If you are doing other stuff like eating, peeing, and/or pooping, then iMHO that does not count to the time. For me, if I had to do any of that, then getting fuel is a bonus.Which is why i'm totally ok with a fuel tank that can only do 300 miles at once- that's a long time to go between stops. Maybe it's just me, but driving and doing #1 at the same time seems, well, complicated.
Pretty much in agreement here. 250-300 miles is 4-5 hours of drive time. I'm gonna need to take a break, stretch my legs, get some food and drink, "return the cores", etc. Heck, I might do that between fuel stops.
I just can't see the value in a $1500 fuel tank to save minimal time at best. Even if you save a full hour per trip once a month (which seems very generous for most grassroots racers), that's 12 hours a year. Subtract the couple of hours in time spent installing the tank, and you break even in 4 years...if you make $65,000 a year. Most people won't come close to breaking even on this. Unless you're making like $200K a year, this just seems wasteful (plus, if you're making that much money you probably already have a nicer tow vehicle to begin with).
I certainly wouldn't pay money to install one, but small gas tanks from the factory have always been a pet peeve of mine. I once had a 100 mile daily commute in a prius, but due to the stupidly small tank I had to fill up every other day. Who enjoys fueling their vehicle? I'd rather stop where and when I'd like to, not having to use dirty gas station bathrooms and buy overpriced junk food for road snacks. All cars should be able to get 600 miles + on a tank. And if you think the time saved isn't worth it, try fueling up in the winter time in Canada where it's -20 with a nice stiff wind and a nozzle that keeps clicking off..
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