Adding A Titan Fuel Tank Means Less Stops For Fuel

If there’s one downside to traveling long distances in Project WorkHorse, it’s the fact I need to stop so often for fuel. With a 31-gallon fuel tank, fuel stops come much sooner than I care for. I’m not complaining about the Ram’s fuel mileage, I just wish the truck had a larger capacity fuel tank. When I am hauling the loaded gooseneck trailer, I get an average of 11 to 13 mpg depending on the loaded weight. If I figure using 23 gallons (I never run below a quarter of a tank), that means I can travel roughly 253 to 299 miles between fill-ups. In other words, not very far.

A Larger Fuel Tank Is Better

Luckily, I found a way to remedy that issue with the help of Titan Fuel Tanks. The Titan XXL replacement tank I decided to install increases fuel capacity to 52 gallons. With the cost of diesel being as high as it is, you might be wondering why I am even considering such an upgrade. That’s simple. During long trips, not only can I travel farther between fill-ups, but I can now be selective about where I stop. How many times have you pulled into a gas station because you needed fuel, only to find fuel .20 cheaper at the next exit on the interstate? Having a larger capacity fuel tank can alleviate that.

You will need to remove the driver's side wheelwell liner to access the fill-tube clamp and vent for removal.

For me, another concern comes when towing the gooseneck or the toy hauler. The gooseneck is 28 feet long and the toy hauler is 40 feet long. That means pulling into just any gas station is not an option. Sometimes there just isn’t enough room to move in and around the pumps at the station.

larger fuel tank

With the tank supported by a floor jack, I removed the straps. Do not just drop the fuel tank. You will need to lower it just enough so you can reach onto the top of it and unplug the sending unit and fuel lines.

By replacing the OE tank, I really am upgrading not only for size, but also in the quality of the tank. Titan’s Super Series XXL replacement tanks are constructed of heavy-duty crosslinked polyethylene which is thicker and stronger than the OE tank and yes, just the OE tank, it includes vent hoses with rollover safety valves. Titan fuel tanks are 50-state legal as they have received approval from regulatory agencies in all states, ensuring that they comply with the necessary standards and regulations in each state.

If you’re concerned about how much larger the Titan tank is and if it will be hanging much lower than the OE tank, it does not. Well, it does hang about 2 inches lower, but that is negligible in the grand scheme of things. Titan has done their homework, and even though the tank is nearly twice the capacity of the OE tank, there is no need to remove, relocate, cut, or fabricate anything.

Final Thoughts

As far as the installation is concerned, I did it by myself in my driveway. I will say, it can be done this way, but a lift would have been a big help. All I used was a floor jack, a couple of jack stands, and a few hand tools. I will also say it took me the better part of a day to complete the installation but remember, I was flat-backing it and stopping to take pictures.

The hardest part of the swap was disconnecting the factory fuel lines to lower the OE tank. Even though my truck is a 2019, the clips securing the fuel lines to the water separator/fuel filter broke when I tried to remove them. Luckily, I was able to locate new clips at the local Ram dealer. I also suggest you drive the truck until the old tank is nearly empty before trying to remove it. Trying to remove a full or nearly full tank in the driveway is not a good idea.

larger fuel tank

The Titan fuel tank reuses the original fuel-sending module. Simply undo the ring holding the module in the OE tank and remove it. With the new O-ring installed on the Titan tank, slide the module in place and secure it with the Titan locking ring.

There are a couple of things you will need to consider after the upgrade is complete. For starters, I made a trip to the local credit union for a small loan to fill the larger fuel tank for the first time. Okay, I’m kidding, but Titan does recommend you fill it for the first time in order to check for leaks. Also, the truck’s dash reading of Distance To Empty (DTE) will no longer be correct. Remember, the Titan tank adds 21 gallons over the OE tank size, so that goes without saying. I did ask my local dealer about flashing the computer to update for a “50-gallon” tank and they told me there was no sales code to do that and it was not an option.

Although the Titan tank is physically larger than the OE tank, no modifications are required for installation. Also, the tank only hangs below the frame maybe 1-1/2 to 2 inches.

Also, the fuel gauge will only start to drop when your new tank hits roughly half a tank. Remember, the Titan tank utilizes the factory sending unit module and since the tank is physically “taller”, the fuel gauge will read full when the float is fully lifted. Since there is more fuel higher in the tank than the gauge can physically “reach”, it will read full until you have between three-quarters and half of a tank.

Now that the tank is installed and I have been filling it less often, I can say I am glad I upgraded. Before, with the gooseneck, I could travel 253 to 299 miles on a tank. With the extra 21 gallons (using 45 gallons as the fill-up number), I can now travel 495 to 585 miles. When I am not pulling any trailer, I typically get 23 mpg and with the 52-gallon tank, I can now travel almost 1,200 miles between fill-ups. That’s a one-way trip from my house in central Florida to Pennsylvania. Sure, I considered going to the local credit union for a loan to take care of the initial fill-up, but over the course of a long haul, I will use the same amount of fuel, just not stop as often to add any. That saves time and money and who isn’t about saving those?

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About the author

Randy Bolig

Randy Bolig has been working on cars and has been involved in the hobby ever since he bought his first car when he was only 14 years old. His passion for performance got him noticed by many locals, and he began helping them modify their vehicles.
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