Reason behind extra tanks?

[CG]

So the K20 I recently purchased from board member Livrat has three tanks. Cab tank and two extra poly type tanks. I never really gave it much thought before, but why did they have the extra tank option?

I guess I could see it if you were hauling a camper somewhere. But I was thinking these trucks were purchased to use as trucks back in the day. I don't think of them being used to make long road trips. Run low on gas in the regular tank ... stop at the gas station and fill it up.

The one thing Ive thought would be an interesting idea is to ditch the in cab tank and run off the two extra tanks instead. Hassle though filling em both up with the fillers one on each side of the bed.

[Thanos]

Originally Posted by CG

So the K20 I recently purchased from board member Livrat has three tanks. Cab tank and two extra poly type tanks. I never really gave it much thought before, but why did they have the extra tank option?

I guess I could see it if you were hauling a camper somewhere. But I was thinking these trucks were purchased to use as trucks back in the day. I don't think of them being used to make long road trips. Run low on gas in the regular tank ... stop at the gas station and fill it up.

The one thing Ive thought would be an interesting idea is to ditch the in cab tank and run off the two extra tanks instead. Hassle though filling em both up with the fillers one on each side of the bed.

Ditch all 3 of the old bastards and run one 30+ gallon tank.You could even run a 40 in the spare tire area. Puts the weight on the rear tires as well.

[Racer382D]

Farmers don't go to town every day.... It is 8 miles from my house to the nearest gas station.... Fill them all up and your good for a while before your next trip.

[swamp rat]

Back then there wasn't as many interstates and gas stations, camping across the other side of the state? or a couple states over? 8 miles per gallon? Give me capacity..

[RedRoad]

I had 50 gallon capacity in an old K10 I used to have, the BB got 8mpg or less depending on terrain. I would easily burn through that on a 2 day off road trip so I also carried 2 5 gal gas cans just to be safe. Ill tell you there are NO stations out in the boonies and god forbid you rupture a tank on some rocks!

[special-K]

Extended cruise range. These trucks were used for everything trucks are used for today. These trucks hauled campers all over the nation, towed boats, race cars, travel trailers, etc. Hauling loaded into the wind in some trucks can cut your range down near 100 miles. I've been in areas where a ranch is 50 miles from a gas station. Half a tank drive home with little more than enough to go back for more. It was pure practicality and the reason that ever since we have had a dual tank option, then much larger tanks offered on pickups.

I've often considered just running the saddle tanks. I dealt with a tank on each side in 73-87 trucks for years. Not that bad. There's always the option of only filling the one side, if doing both sides is inconvenient. You would have the 30 gallon capacity, room behind seat, still have a place for the spare tire, and 100% bed capacity.
I like the screw-on doors for the period accessory look. But if they bother you, gas filler doors could be grafted-in for a finished look.

[Bob B.]

My truck was originally sold with a big slide-in camper and 2 aux. tanks. I guess total fuel capacity was a little more than 40 gallons. Figuring the 351 V-6 got about 8 m.p.g. loaded with a 4:10 gear, that's about a 320 mile cruising range.

[mike16]

If you were old enough you would remember the gas shortages of the early 70's . Most extra tanks were installed as a solution to the shortage back then.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by CG

thinking these trucks were purchased to use as trucks back in the day.

From the mid 60's to mid 70's almost 50% of all 3/4 tons were originally purchased as recreational vehicles. Before this period, yes, most of these trucks were mainly used for business, government and agriculture use.

[dozerbill72]

The lack of gas stations on every corner back then was the biggie. I can tell you from past experience a cross country trip (or just to town and back in a big and open state) in one of these trucks with only the cab tank can make you a little nervous. Middle of Wyoming in the middle of the night theres not much for gas stops. I would of loved to had about 5 tanks on my truck.

[CG]

I guess Im only considering it from the point of view where I live. Lots of valid reasons posted. One side of mine has the screw on cover, the other a cap protruding out of the bedside. I have a 67 parts truck that has two tanks, both steel. You fill them from inside the wheel well.

[dozerbill72]

Yes location is a factor. Here in Indiana you saw very few trucks with extra tanks on them

[68panelman]

I agree with location, here in the tri state region, you never saw or see multiple tank trucks. It was over populated then, with many gas stations to choose from.

[pritch]

I sure liked the saddle tanks in a past '67 I had. I could fill all the way up in Salt Lake and drive clear to Reno heading west, or Cheyenne to the east. (actually, I'd fill up just across the border in Evanston, Wyo-gas has always been cheaper there than in Utah)

[El Dorado Jim]

I got rid of the in cab tank and run the two saddle tanks..

[JCD]

A lot of years ago I remember a sign on the 40 west at Needles California.."Last Gas until Barstow" .. That's when you appreciate three tanks.

J.

[mike16]

Originally Posted by dozerbill72

The lack of gas stations on every corner back then was the biggie. I can tell you from past experience a cross country trip (or just to town and back in a big and open state) in one of these trucks with only the cab tank can make you a little nervous. Middle of Wyoming in the middle of the night theres not much for gas stops. I would of loved to had about 5 tanks on my truck.

maybe in wyoming , I agree having past through a few times but up until the early seventies "gas crunch" , there was gas wars and many more stations and oil companies.

it would depend on when the tanks were installed and what was going on economically at the time. And even that does not cover all the reasons people put tanks on thier trucks.

My 68K20 has the saddle tanks, They were installed shortly after the truck was purchased in late april of 68. the reason being that the owner was always up in the mountans looking for gold and had a bad experience. You think finding an open gas station in Wyoming at night is bad, try the Huachuca Mts.,,, in the sixties.

I remember when diesle's first came out, it was such a PITA to go down on the interstate to get fuel. people had the standard tank, then spare tanks every where else on the vehicle and one guy had a 55 gallon drum of fuel sittng in the bed of his truck.

[JCD]

I had no AC in my ElCamino, and I tried driving at night during a cross country trip..
I found out fast that a lot of gas stations west of the rockies would close at night, leaving me sitting waiting for it to open in the morning.
After that I always carried an emergency tank.. just in case.

[JCD]

While we're on the subject of 3 tanks.
I have a question. I see a lot of the aluminum door tanks on the drivers side.
I have the gas filler on the drivers side, and the aluminum door on the passenger.
If so does that mean the driver side is a factory addition, and the passenger dealer?
Or is it typical for the factory to do the three tanks this way?

J.

[special-K]

All that type of tank/filler are aftermarket. Back East you didn't see these added tanks. It was a Big Western State thing. People cover a lot more ground out there. People had more trucks set up for camping and it was nothing to do a 500 mile (one way) trip for a weekend of few days. Back here it's a big deal to go a couple hundred miles. Gas stations everywhere. My '71 Custom Camper from back east didn't have any extra tanks. I doubt it every left PA till I bought it.

[frenchy51]

How can it be aftermarket when his SPID shows an aux. tank option? And which xtra tank is "correct"? The driver or Pass. side?
I ask because my 72 Highlander has 2 xtra tanks both with aluminum locking doors. They don't show on the SPID so I assume they are aftermarket but what does the factory xtra tank filler look like? Thanks

[JCD]

You can't see it well because I have a tool carrier over it.
But the left side tank filler goes down the inside of the bed, surrounded by a squared off structure that was painted the same color as the metal bed interior.

The right side tank has the aluminum door halfway down the bed wall, and the tank has a small filler cap inside between the inner and outer fender.

Other than being different ways to fill them, the tanks are the same, that is mirrored to each other.

J.

[davepl]

Even as recently as the 90s I was driving my '69 Pontiac 427 though the northern lakes route of the Trans Canada (the I-90 but north of the Great Lakes more or less) and there were stretches of several hundred miles without fuel at night. My car barely made it, and one of these trucks with a camper would have no shot.

So, they added extra tanks. But there are more fuel stations now.

[GRX]

Originally Posted by davepl

Even as recently as the 90s I was driving my '69 Pontiac 427 .....

Pontiac 427? Sounds like you were one short of a 428. Unless you had a Chevy in there

Years ago my father and I would do extended 4WD fishing trips on logging and fire roads in the Cascade mountains. Two extra tanks in that old Ford. Loooog walk back in bear country if you run out of gas.

[57taskforce]

Originally Posted by JCD

While we're on the subject of 3 tanks.
I have a question. I see a lot of the aluminum door tanks on the drivers side.
I have the gas filler on the drivers side, and the aluminum door on the passenger.
If so does that mean the driver side is a factory addition, and the passenger dealer?
Or is it typical for the factory to do the three tanks this way?

J.

Driver side is indeed factory my K/20 has the nl2 tank option as well. That's a hell of a spid by the way, comfortilt, plaid bench,A/C,camper options, etc. that's a nicely optioned truck.