I just bought a champion 9375 watt portable generator the one with a 50 amp RV plug 699.00 at Costco. 8 hour run time at 1/2 load going to be securing it in back of 3500 ram and was thanking about putting a 50-60 gallon transfer or auxiliary gasoline tank in the truck also. Question is how do you use the transfer tank to feed the generator gas when the generator is in use. I want to be able to run my generator for 3-4 days without having to refuel generator? Any recommendations from personal experience?Thanks in advance :)

You might want to consider a toolbox fuel tank combo, or other fuel tank that fits into the back of a longbed truck. Then get a way to hook up a fitting from the bottom of the tank to the generator fuel cap. If they are about equal height, you might get gravity fill- without overfilling. As for personal what I have done, it is a boat type fuel tank with a fuel line and hand prime bulb on it. It can hold about 6 gallons and if slightly above the generator fuel cap, it will slowly drain into the generator. After a few hours, you can take the boat fuel tank and refill it, while the generator keeps running on it's built in fuel tank. Then prime the bulb again, and the small tank will start feeding the stock tank again.I am hoping that you have a dually truck, able to handle the extra 500 pounds you propose!Good luck!Fred.

Fred yes have dully I've read about using the gen fuel cap and gravity with a control value so you done old the gen just was wondering of a more secure way with less chance of fuel leakage and really didn't want to drill any holes in new gen

Just curious have you have researched where you will be allowed to run your outside generator for long periods of times...Granted many public campgrounds will have generator run time restrictions in place. Alot of the NATL FOREST areas may allow you to run a generator from 8AM to 8PM but the ones we usually find still have the two hours in the morning an maybe three hours in the early evening. Never allowed to run after 8PM anywhere... Your high wattage CHAMPION generator is going to be pretty loud as well...This only leaves PRIVATE places and perhaps some OHV Camping - Dispersed Camping in the Western States. Not much of that style of camping located here on the East side of the USA including Texas and Okla. Putting alot of money into a generator setup with extended run time etc and then finding out there isn't many places you will get to use the system would sure impact some of my planning thoughts...Just curious how you are finding this availability to use where you will be camping... Roy Ken

Roy plan on running it anywhere I choose one of the reasons I gave up neighbors and went full time :) but probably won't ever be in one spot long enough to run it that long but if I'm going to add extra fuel tank why not go bigger plus plan on using it in the future to build barn fence horse stall hunting cabin ect.. Just mainly don't want to be in a rest area or truck stop for a day or so and have to get up out of bed and refuel.

Most aux tanks are not certified for gasoline.

Auxillary/transfer fuel tank in pickup used for generator

16 Replies

avvidclif1
Explorer
Oct 14, 2014
Dave H M wrote:
Folks, just for grins I went to the Transfer Flow and RDS site and both sites specifically state that they have aux tanks for gas available.

loooordeeee, I should have included that it may only apply to 49 states. :h

Read closer, RDS has transfer tanks which have a pump.They don't make a gravity feed tank. RDS has tanks for gas but they must have a fuel pump the operates thru the gas cap, no gravity feed.

Big difference between an auxiliary tank and a transfer tank.
laknox
Nomad
Oct 13, 2014
teamfamily5 wrote:
Fred yes have dully I've read about using the gen fuel cap and gravity with a control value so you done old the gen just was wondering of a more secure way with less chance of fuel leakage and really didn't want to drill any holes in new gen

The key to these extended run tanks is that they have a tube attached to their cap that extends to the bottom of the tank. The gen's tank cap has no vent so, as gas is used, it pulls a slight vacuum on the external tank, sucking fuel into the gen's tank as it's used.

Lyle
sh410
Explorer
Oct 13, 2014
Transfer Flow permit from DOT for class III liquids which includes gasoline.
Dave_H_M
Explorer II
Oct 13, 2014
Folks, just for grins I went to the Transfer Flow and RDS site and both sites specifically state that they have aux tanks for gas available.

loooordeeee, I should have included that it may only apply to 49 states. :h
n7bsn
Explorer
Oct 13, 2014
57 Panhead wrote:
Dave H M wrote:
I did not think it would take long for the urban legend issue on gas aux tanks to rumble in.

Now can you guys come up with some concrete reason, like DOT, statute, anything but a quote from the transfer flow site to back up that proclamation.

If you can, I will certainly say i was wrong and get back in my corner.

Well here is the gospel according to California Air Resources board.

CARB Rules for aux gas tanks

Steve

Over the last few years CARB has been developing stricter standards, like the new small gas cans. If you do a search you will find several publications in the Federal Register where the EPA is approving these standards and allowing states to adopt them.

These type of GAS aux tanks were legal and available in past years, but really aren't any more. I have found a handful of GAS approved aux tanks, but boy or boy are they NOT cheap.
avvidclif1
Explorer
Oct 13, 2014
Dave H M wrote:
I did not think it would take long for the urban legend issue on gas aux tanks to rumble in.

Now can you guys come up with some concrete reason, like DOT, statute, anything but a quote from the transfer flow site to back up that proclamation.

If you can, I will certainly say i was wrong and get back in my corner.

It may be urban legend to you but look around at the auxiliary tanks and see how many are DOT certified for gasoline.
sdetweil
Explorer
Oct 13, 2014
Dave H M wrote:
I did not think it would take long for the urban legend issue on gas aux tanks to rumble in.

Now can you guys come up with some concrete reason, like DOT, statute, anything but a quote from the transfer flow site to back up that proclamation.

If you can, I will certainly say i was wrong and get back in my corner.

I use an RDS 60 gal toolbox/tank.. RDS tanks are DOT certified for Diesel only.

you can use SOME of them for transfer tanks with a pump, but not connected to anything that consumes the fuel...

"Tank can be used for nonflammable liquids"
57_Panhead
Explorer
Oct 13, 2014
Dave H M wrote:
I did not think it would take long for the urban legend issue on gas aux tanks to rumble in.

Now can you guys come up with some concrete reason, like DOT, statute, anything but a quote from the transfer flow site to back up that proclamation.

If you can, I will certainly say i was wrong and get back in my corner.

Well here is the gospel according to California Air Resources board.

CARB Rules for aux gas tanks

Steve
Dave_H_M
Explorer II
Oct 13, 2014
I did not think it would take long for the urban legend issue on gas aux tanks to rumble in.

Now can you guys come up with some concrete reason, like DOT, statute, anything but a quote from the transfer flow site to back up that proclamation.

If you can, I will certainly say i was wrong and get back in my corner.
Lantley
Nomad
Oct 13, 2014
sdetweil wrote:
Most aux tanks are not certified for gasoline.

Correct, what sounds like a simple enough idea is not so simple.