Fuel Cell/Tank

[88RV]

I have a Fuel Cell from my 1988 Winnebago Econoline 350 that is badly rusted. I can’t seem to find anyone that still makes them so that I am able to purchase a new one. Due to it having baffles I can’t find a solution to cleaning it either. Any help or ideas would be appreciated.

[Home_Skillet]

klutchdust wrote:
Having restored a old hot rod or two I know there are companies that clean and reseal old gas tanks as they are sometimes not easily found. I would look for a local "motor head" shop and ask.

+1.
They will clean the tank and spray the inside with an epoxy liner.

[Beverley_Ken]

Google, was going to say Yellow Pages. Look for Radiator Repairs Gas tank repair shops in your area.

Ken

[88RV]

Yes JD I only have one tank and I believe it is a 35 gallon tank. It also does require a fuel pump that can distribute fuel to the on board generator. I replaced it with a 22 gallon tank and obviously it didn’t come with the proper fuel pump so I don’t have fuel going to my generator and can’t go very far before refueling so I want to figure out either cleaning the original or finding a replacement.

[klutchdust]

Having restored a old hot rod or two I know there are companies that clean and reseal old gas tanks as they are sometimes not easily found. I would look for a local "motor head" shop and ask.

[j-d]

You refer to this cell/tank in the Singular, so I take it that you don't have an additional Side Tank. I actually thought those had gone away by 1988, but that's what our 1983 E350 had. Two tanks. RockAuto.com shows a 22-gallon rear tank and a 16-gallon side tank for 1988. Both priced well under $100 each.

Do you know the capacity you have now? Newer E350's used in Class C's (by that I mean 1992 and newer) have a 35-gallon tank with 55-gallon optional.

Anyhow, RockAuto furnishes the dimensions of both those tanks. You might be able to install two, but the cost goes way up since the Selector Valve is about $100 and you'd need lines, wiring, a switch, relay and ....

What about a later model 35 or 55 tank? You don't need to just know the dimensions of the early and late model tanks. You need to see if Winne added components that limit the space for the tank(s). Remember too, correct pump for your engine may not fit a different tank.

If you have an onboard generator, you have to provide a fuel connection for it.

Finally, how do you plan to use the RV? Even if you plan to go cross country, there's gas within 100 miles almost everywhere. Alaska Highway off-season, maybe not.

[88RV]

What I was told was Winnebago would replace the tank with a larger tank when they received the chassis from ford because it was going to be used for a motor home. And that they are no longer being manufactured.

[DrewE]

Is this different from the stock Ford E350 fuel tank? Typically I thought motorhome builders used the factory tanks, and a very quick search suggests that replacement OEM-style tanks are very readily available from the usual places such as JC Whitney. If you search for Winnebago, you probably wouldn't find them, assuming it's a normal Ford part.

One of the nice advantages of E series chassis is that Ford has made about seventy bazillion of them over the years so parts are generally not difficult to come by.