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Desert_Captain's avatar
Desert_Captain
Explorer III
Jan 27, 2014

How big is your fuel tank?

The auxiliary fuel tank thread in the tow vehicle Forum got me to wondering what most folks have in their Class C's. When we bought our used 2012 Nexus Phantom 23P the dealer said we had 40 gallons which is pretty much the standard tank size on an E350 Ford chassis. I thought that would be fine anticipating 9 to 10 mpg. The gauge and my first couple of trips to the pumps left me more than a little confused, especially when it showed one quarter of tank but took 41 gallons. :S

A little research on the Ford website disclosed that the 55 gallon tank was an option on the 2011 Chassis and happily the original owners went for it. Cruising at 55 to 60 we consistently see 10 mpg both on the Scan Gauge and at the pumps. Sure is nice to know we can go 500 miles and still have a little left. When gas is ridiculously high, vs just plain high, I'll either put 10 gallons in or just keep going. It's nice to have options and we have saved serious dollars with the Gas Buddy App (you do have the Gas Buddy App, right?) and our large tank.

I am curious what the E450's, and others, come with and how that translates into range with the larger heavier rigs (many of which have Toads). :h Also what is your comfort level as to when to take on more fuel? I try to never get below one quarter of a tank as the generator won't run on less than that but if out on the interstate where I know fuel is available and the cost (Gas Buddy again), I'll take it lower.

Folks are frequently seeking advice on what to look for when shopping for a C and this issue rarely is mentioned. For what it's worth, and based on our very positive experience I would put fuel tank size up near the top of the list especially if long trips are contemplated and X2 if you will be pulling a Toad. :C
  • Our 2009 Greyhawk has a 55 Gallon tank, but at 7.5 mpg on average and not wanting to go below 1/4 of a tank, that 55 gallons doesn't get us very far.

    -Michael
  • I think it is 45 on my E450 Sunseeker, atleast that is the most I have ever put in at one time and that was prety low on the gas gage. I try not to go under 1/2 a tank.
  • For the Ford E350 and E450 chassis since the Triton engines were introduced, I believe the "Built-For-Motorhome" cut-away chassis has the 55 gallon tank standard as is the 6.8L-V10 engine. But that chassis can be ordered with the 5.4L-V8. It could be that if your rig has the V8, you have a smaller fuel tank. I never heard of a V10 with the smaller tank.

    If your motor home has a generator, the larger fuel tank is much better to provide longer generator run times. I personally appreciate having at home, a mobile power station with a lot of supporting fuel, just in case of a long term power outage at home. On trips, I rarely get below a half tank so I am just carrying extra weight. I suppose I could fill the tank to 3/4 but I appreciate the peace of mind. On one trip, our generator would not run because we got to that point where the tank was at 1/4 full. It was actually a little higher than 1/4, near 3/8 full.
  • E-450 Chassis with a 55 gallon tank here also.
    My old Ford "B" had a 22 gal. and a 19 gal. I liked the two tank system. Always made me feel safe that if one tank got too low I had a backup and I could just flip the switch on the fly. I would alternate using them. Of course that's when I was getting 15 miles to the gallon.
  • My Chevy based MH has a 57G tank. Makes for a good driving range.
  • I have 40 gallons and find it's perfect... I begin to look for a station when approaching 1/2 tank to 1/4 tank left. Stop to fuel up after about 3 hours of driving. Perfect length of time to stop and stretch.