GM disappointingly small fuel tanks continue

Grumpy Bear · September 16, 2020

46 minutes ago, 48548 said:

I need piss breaks.....

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Me too. It's an old man thing. On a 26 gallon tank I can go 560 miles standing on my head. 700 if I baby it some and run it down to 2 gallons of reserve (pump cooling).

flyingfool · September 17, 2020

i just bring a full 5 gallon jug along for long trips,

kstruckcountry · September 17, 2020

Me too. It's an old man thing. [emoji6] On a 26 gallon tank I can go 560 miles standing on my head. 700 if I baby it some and run it down to 2 gallons of reserve (pump cooling).

Stopping to pee is one thing. I can do that anywhere.

Wiggling the truck and trailer into a crowded gas station that may or may not have decent fuel is another thing. And it sucks.

The bigger the tank, the more likely you can drop the trailer and fuel up once you get there. Or at least have more choice in where you fuel on the way.

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September 17, 2020

I have a 2012 dmax the 36 gallon has been fine for me. I also have a short bed.

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Grumpy Bear · September 17, 2020

2 hours ago, kstruckcountry said:

Stopping to pee is one thing. I can do that anywhere.

Wiggling the truck and trailer into a crowded gas station that may or may not have decent fuel is another thing. And it sucks.

The bigger the tank, the more likely you can drop the trailer and fuel up once you get there. Or at least have more choice in where you fuel on the way.

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Good points all.

Dad made himself ancillary tanks for his 75 Ford Camper Special when I was a sprout. 1,000 mile range hauling the slide it. Two 50 gallon tanks under the box and the 20 something behind the seat.

I guess I should have prefaced my remarks with "in my case'....

kstruckcountry · September 17, 2020

Good points all.

Dad made himself ancillary tanks for his 75 Ford Camper Special when I was a sprout. 1,000 mile range hauling the slide it. Two 50 gallon tanks under the box and the 20 something behind the seat.

I guess I should have prefaced my remarks with "in my case'....

I have seen a few pickups recently with "shortbed" campers in a longbed with transfer tank in front.

It is interesting that the camper specials manufacturers used to make haven't really been reincarnated.

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Wintersun · October 3, 2020

If one manufacturer does not have what I need then I go to another manufacturer. I have owned trucks from Willys, Dodge, Ford, Chevy, and Toyota, depending on what I needed at the time and what was available.

Last month I sold my 2500 with the diesel engine and the 36 gallon fuel tank. I plan to buy a 1500 pickup with a gas engine. My first three vehicles were Willys and with their small gas tank any backcountry travel meant bolting on a couple of 5 gallon jerry cans. Go out into the deserts or the forests and there are no gas stations around and you need to take enough gas to get out and to get back. And crawling along on trails the miles per gallon is going to be worse than city miles per gallon with any truck.

In terms of gas tank capacity I can go with GM and have a 24 gallon tank or with Ram and have a 33 gallon gas tank or Ford and get a 36 gallon gas tank or with Toyota and get a 38 gallon gas tank. With a diesel engine I could replace the factory tank with one from Titan but this is not an option with a gas engine. For me the GM 1500 pickups are off the list and my next pickup is going to be from Ram or Toyota. Ram also provides an electronic locking rear differential which is icing on the cake.

October 3, 2020

If one manufacturer does not have what I need then I go to another manufacturer. I have owned trucks from Willys, Dodge, Ford, Chevy, and Toyota, depending on what I needed at the time and what was available.

Last month I sold my 2500 with the diesel engine and the 36 gallon fuel tank. I plan to buy a 1500 pickup with a gas engine. My first three vehicles were Willys and with their small gas tank any backcountry travel meant bolting on a couple of 5 gallon jerry cans. Go out into the deserts or the forests and there are no gas stations around and you need to take enough gas to get out and to get back. And crawling along on trails the miles per gallon is going to be worse than city miles per gallon with any truck.

In terms of gas tank capacity I can go with GM and have a 24 gallon tank or with Ram and have a 33 gallon gas tank or Ford and get a 36 gallon gas tank or with Toyota and get a 38 gallon gas tank. With a diesel engine I could replace the factory tank with one from Titan but this is not an option with a gas engine. For me the GM 1500 pickups are off the list and my next pickup is going to be from Ram or Toyota. Ram also provides an electronic locking rear differential which is icing on the cake.

You will like it.... i hate my wifes 2015 grand Cherokee.... more recalls then I have had on all the rest of my vehicles added up in my life. Ecodiesel. Hell, fca can't even make their own trannys... but that is a good thing they went to zf.... my 2012 dmax odo... might have to go. The engine might be broken in.... that was a joke....

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Agriont · January 2, 2021

I have a 6.2l. Requires premium gas. I tow 5k lb trailer for recreation, winter driving. On the route I travel, nearly 1K miles of it is regular unleaded at the pump. It is very rural. No freeways, no exits, no fringe. This means I have to carry a lot of gas cans or risk damage to the 6.2. 26 gallon tank is pathetically inadequate imo. Bed tanks aren't legal for gas as far as I know, although I cannot see how five or more jerry cans of gas in the bed is somehow safer.

Colossus · January 4, 2021

It does not "require" premium but it is suggested to do so for best performance. You are just fine running 87/89 for awhile. It will not damage the engine. Even when towing.

Agriont · January 4, 2021

It does require premium.

Colossus · January 5, 2021

Wrong wrong wrong.

GM recommends using 93 octane gasoline for its top-of-the-line 6.2-liter V-8-equipped trucks. The owner’s manual does state as low as 87 octane is acceptable for the engine. However, to achieve maximum performance and fuel economy you must use 93.

So with that being said- you can get by fine for a few tanks of 87. Won't have the same performance as you would running 91 or 93 but go ahead and do it if 91/93 is not available. (91 above 3500-4000ft is essentially the same as 93 at sea level)

https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2020/10/misleading-these-trucks-recommend-or-require-premium-fuel/

So SHUT UP and drive.

KARNUT · January 5, 2021

I’m wondering.[emoji2957] What’s better a 6.2 on regular gas or a 5.3 on reg gas? Or... 5.3 a tune and high octane gas. Or the 6.2? There seems to be more deals on trucks with 5.3s. Bragging rights or saving money with close to the same results. I’m asking for a friend.

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Colossus · January 6, 2021

Alright. kidding aside and what not from my previous post- Direct Injection engines will generally provide better performance and even fuel economy with the higher octane fuel like 91/93. Why? Well.. I'll refer you to a good article that explains it better then I can. From that article:
Raising the octane rating (also known as the anti-knock index) doesn't change the energy content of a gallon of gasoline. A higher octane rating indicates greater resistance to knock, the early combustion of the fuel-air mixture that causes cylinder pressure to spike. When higher-octane fuel is flowing through its injectors, the engine controller can take advantage of the elevated knock threshold and dial in more aggressive timing and higher boost pressures to improve performance.

Source: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a28565486/honda-cr-v-vs-bmw-m5-ford-f-150-dodge-charger/

So. With that being said, at least for 2019 and older 6.2L direct Injection engines- what i posted in a previous post about it being recommended but NOT REQUIRED holds true. That is straight from the owners manual. I don't know if that has changed for the 2020 models but the way I understand it is that they are essentially the same engine as 2019. So decide for yourself. But in a pinch? Yes, you can get by running 89/87 and even 85 up here in the mile high city, for awhile without causing damage. The computers are able to adjust the timing and what not to compensate to keep it running.

Agriont · January 6, 2021

18 hours ago, Colossus said:

Wrong wrong wrong.

GM recommends using 93 octane gasoline for its top-of-the-line 6.2-liter V-8-equipped trucks. The owner’s manual does state as low as 87 octane is acceptable for the engine. However, to achieve maximum performance and fuel economy you must use 93.

So with that being said- you can get by fine for a few tanks of 87. Won't have the same performance as you would running 91 or 93 but go ahead and do it if 91/93 is not available. (91 above 3500-4000ft is essentially the same as 93 at sea level)

https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2020/10/misleading-these-trucks-recommend-or-require-premium-fuel/

So SHUT UP and drive.