Hi, did anyone get a result re getting a larger fuel tank fitted? (1 Viewer)

[resbiker]

I have an Autotrail Apache 634. Second one I've had. The older one had a 90 litre fuel tank and this one is ONLY 50! My car has way more than this. I can't get any sense as to how to get a bigger tank fitted. Does anyone have any information/experience/help please?

 

[pappajohn]

I would expect the hole the tank fits in will be the same size for both tanks.
Smaller tank will save 40kg in fuel weight making the extra payload more appealing.
Have you tried a main dealer?

 

[Guigsy]

Often these vans have a 90litre tank. However they have a deliberately lowered fill neck to prevent them from being filled to the maximum. This reduces the "mass in running order" which assumes the tank is full, to try to keep them under a target maximum authorised weight.

 

[Steve and Denise]

We only have a 90ltr on ours (Iveco) our last Fiat had a 120ltr from Hymer

 

[gus-lopez]

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[resbiker]

I would expect the hole the tank fits in will be the same size for both tanks.
Smaller tank will save 40kg in fuel weight making the extra payload more appealing.
Have you tried a main dealer?

Tried main dealers and no result. Not something they do or come across. Hard to believe as there are many who need the bigger tank. This one of mine is literally 15 litres to empty so you don't tour very far before you are looking for fuel. A real pain when doing decent distances in Europe. You are constantly having to pay for fuel at whatever price is available instead of being able to opt for a cheaper fuel station. It may sound a decent fuel range to some but touring Spain in the mountains [which are frequent!] when the tank shows a quarter fuel that's only just over two and a half gallons which can run out pretty quickly. Any pointers gratefully received.

 

[GeoffnDee]

You could try www.coastalmotorhomes.co.uk who may be able to supply a correct or larger tank.

 

[the1andonly]

Have you got an Ad-blu motor?
if so as previously stated you have a 90 l tank and the pump assembly has been doctored to allow 60l only to compensate for the extra wt of adblu. Your 50l sounds different to norm, maybe 60?
The fix is relatively simple, however i didn't need to do it so didn't save it or book mark if you find it. It was originaly in german .

 

[Dutch 68]

Ours has 280 litres , I think that will do, I pass on a bigger tank lol

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

My van had an a small tank when I got it and I had to fill up after every 250 miles to be safe, had a new 200ltr tank fitted in Germany last year and it’s so much better not having to think about filling up every day as have a 750-800 mile range
Bonus is saved around €800 against the factory fit price and it’s from the same firm that fit factory ones

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[the1andonly]

Möchtest du endlich volltanken? - Tankgeber-Tuning am Ducato Typ 250

Wusstest du, dass in deinem 60L Tank in Wahrheit mehr Platz ist? Wir zeigen dir, wie du den Tankgeber umbaust und dadurch mehr herausholst.

www.ducatoschrauber.de

As previously mentioned, eventually found it

 

[Guigsy]

I'm assuming you have up-plated your van? As mentioned, the reason the tank is small is to prevent you from overloading it. Autotrails are infamous for having impractically low payloads.

 

[resbiker]

Have you got an Ad-blu motor?
if so as previously stated you have a 90 l tank and the pump assembly has been doctored to allow 60l only to compensate for the extra wt of adblu. Your 50l sounds different to norm, maybe 60?
The fix is relatively simple, however i didn't need to do it so didn't save it or book mark if you find it. It was originaly in german .

The motor is not Ad Blu. Also very definitely only 50 litres. I have had the misfortune to nearly run out a couple of times and the gauge on the dash showing 0 miles range left. Filled right to the brim and 50 litres. Hopeless.

 

[Steve N Tracy]

The fuel tanks on the Fiat's are often a 90 litre tank restricted to 60 litres by a plastic tube on the fuel gauge sender assembly remove this and you get the full 90 litres, I have done this on my Rollerteam which came with a 60 litre capacity.
There are a couple of things to note though,
The gauge is calibrated to 60 litres so reads full until the level returns to the 60 litre level around 140 miles, which I do not see as a issue, the other thing was the first time I filled it to 90 litres the level moved the wiper on the fuel gauge off the windings on the sender so put up a fuel level warning, I had to modify a stop to avoid the fuel gauge sender float rising too high.

 

[marsh36]

We can make a tank to fit under and feed the small tank this one is 200 liters

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[Guigsy]

We can make a tank to fit under and feed the small tank this one is 200 liters View attachment 689679

The other question is, is there 200kg of spare payload to allow it?

 

[marsh36]

Would need to check the weights this one is for a tag axle one so the weight isn’t a problem

 

[the1andonly]

The motor is not Ad Blu. Also very definitely only 50 litres. I have had the misfortune to nearly run out a couple of times and the gauge on the dash showing 0 miles range left. Filled right to the brim and 50 litres. Hopeless.

Sorry that you are stuck with 50l (must be pure payload related).
Steve N Tracy post shows it is possible to alter as i posted. The first thing to check is that you haven't got a small tank underneath the van.

 

[resbiker]

The fuel tanks on the Fiat's are often a 90 litre tank restricted to 60 litres by a plastic tube on the fuel gauge sender assembly remove this and you get the full 90 litres, I have done this on my Rollerteam which came with a 60 litre capacity.
There are a couple of things to note though,
The gauge is calibrated to 60 litres so reads full until the level returns to the 60 litre level around 140 miles, which I do not see as a issue, the other thing was the first time I filled it to 90 litres the level moved the wiper on the fuel gauge off the windings on the sender so put up a fuel level warning, I had to modify a stop to avoid the fuel gauge sender float rising too high.

Hi. Thank you for the reply and the info. This sounds just what we would need to do. Do you have any further information that we could use please? Many thanks. Tony.

 

[resbiker]

Sorry that you are stuck with 50l (must be pure payload related).
Steve N Tracy post shows it is possible to alter as i posted. The first thing to check is that you haven't got a small tank underneath the van.

No, the tank is huge compared with the capacity so am sure it is restricted somehow. As it is a 4 berth M/H and only ever 2 of us in it then feel I have some weight capacity to play with.

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[Steve and Denise]

My van had an a small tank when I got it and I had to fill up after every 250 miles to be safe, had a new 200ltr tank fitted in Germany last year and it’s so much better not having to think about filling up every day as have a 750-800 mile range
Bonus is saved around €800 against the factory fit price and it’s from the same firm that fit factory ones

Was that a standard Iveco tank they fitted ? Assuming your van is Iveco base.

 

[Minxy]

No, the tank is huge compared with the capacity so am sure it is restricted somehow. As it is a 4 berth M/H and only ever 2 of us in it then feel I have some weight capacity to play with.

You need to know for sure that you have the spare capacity though, many 4 berth MHs are sailing close to the wind when the come out of the factory so best to load it up in full holiday trim and take it to a weighbridge with you both on board and anything else you'd be taking and get the true weight of each axle and overall, then at least you can see if you have the spare capacity for the extra fuel ... it may only be 30 litres max but if you're already at the limit weight wise you will then need to consider what to do/risk.

 

[Brains]

No, the tank is huge compared with the capacity so am sure it is restricted somehow. As it is a 4 berth M/H and only ever 2 of us in it then feel I have some weight capacity to play with.

Get yourself to a local weighbridge.
(Local scrap yard, council waste site, quarry or grain distributor)

Find out what you weigh. (Allowance to be made for extra people, clothing, food, dogs etc when 'on tour')
See what the limit is on your plate.
Do you have a C1 licence that permits you to driver over 3500 kg ?

Then you can see if you can fit extra fuel capacity (1 litre of fuel is 1 kg in weight)

If you buy one of the Off Road magazines there will be a number of adverts for companies that make long range fuel tanks.

 

[Brains]

SNAP!

 

[Steve N Tracy]

Hi. Thank you for the reply and the info. This sounds just what we would need to do. Do you have any further information that we could use please? Many thanks. Tony.

Hi I did not take any photos but here is a link to a German article with photos which will open in chrome in English.
https://www.ducatoschrauber.de/tankgeber-tuning-ducato-250/
To retrict the float I just put a cable tie round one of the travel stops on the sender to stop the wiper coming off the windings.

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[Coastal Cruiser.]

Was that a standard Iveco tank they fitted ? Assuming your van is Iveco base.

Think it was 80 or 90, complete waste of time on a van this size.
So much better with the big tank as I normally do 250-300 miles day in Europe to get somewhere and was a pain filling every day, sometimes twice!!

 

[Stealaway]

I have an Autotrail Apache 634. Second one I've had. The older one had a 90 litre fuel tank and this one is ONLY 50! My car has way more than this. I can't get any sense as to how to get a bigger tank fitted. Does anyone have any information/experience/help please?

I think you should average 300 miles between fill ups. Would you need to go further?
I'm wanting to stop, if only to stretch my legs, after 3-4 hours and anyway I'm supposed to be on holiday
I toured Europe for years on a motorcycle and had to fill up again at half that mileage.

 

[Steve and Denise]

Think it was 80 or 90, complete waste of time on a van this size.
So much better with the big tank as I normally do 250-300 miles day in Europe to get somewhere and was a pain filling every day, sometimes twice!!

I think ours is a 90ltr at the moment as you say not much good at 18 mpg, I will have a better look to see how much is involved in replacing it with a 120ltr

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Hope you have better luck than me.
Looked at fitting one myself but could not get anything bigger than what I had then looked at having one made.
The prices to have one made were very reasonable but nobody was interested in making one for my van hence having one fitted in Germany.

 

[Nirvanauk]

Like others have said. You need to get it weighed!