Community Forums

jetfromtn · 04-01-2012, 09:12 AM

I have a 2007 Coachmen Pathfinder, the specs for the chassis states the fuel capacity is 90 gal. My travelling is mostly within 150 miles of my home during the summer. I travel to FL in Nov. to spend the winter and it is 820 miles to where I go I usually top off the tank when the guage says 1/2. Coming home last week, I ran the fuel down to 1/4 tank and filled up. It held 53 gal diesel. I can't believe for the life of me that there was 37 gal. of fuel left in that tank. This tank, I assume was installed by Freightliner when it was built. Anybody have any info on the actual capacity of this tank?

clyon51 · 04-01-2012, 10:26 AM

No, but it's really common for a mfg to show less fuel than you really have. I would assume more so on diesels as you don't want them to run out of fuel.

In my gasser I have a 75 gal tank. At 1/2, it takes about 30 gals to fill it. At 1/4, it takes about 50 gals. So at 1/4, I actually have 1/3. Much better this way than the other

This is not to say if you top it off, you're not getting 10 extra gals in there, that's fairly common too with large tanks.

Theberrys · 04-01-2012, 12:03 PM

My 1999 Tradewinds on a Freightliner Chassis is about the same. I have a 90 Gal tank and I go to about 600 Miles before filling again. This puts me below 1/4 tank on the guage, almost to Empty. Only one of the fule lights lite at this point . I get a consistant 9 MPG and that's about 66 Gals to go 600 miles and the fillup reflects this milage. So I have about 30 Gal's left when the first warning lite comes on. there are two on my coach and I have never pushed it to the second lite, I have only seen it flash once in a pinch I went 800 miles before finding fuel.

I think because it's a big deal if you run a pusher out of fule that they set a margin of safety on the guage. If you run out you need to prime the fule system and empty the filter to get the air out. It's really a pain.

Dick

wb7auk · 04-01-2012, 12:26 PM

I can not think of a one plane, auto, truck, motor homes, and other equipment that I
have owned that did not have more fuel than indicated but I always treated them as
if the indicator was bragging and I had less.

wb7auk · 04-01-2012, 12:28 PM

Hi Dick

Theberrys · 04-01-2012, 03:00 PM

Hey Art

Are you gonna post up the pictures of the TV upgrade?

Dick

wb7auk · 04-01-2012, 03:17 PM

Will check with the other half she is better at it .

Mr_D · 04-01-2012, 03:32 PM

We have a 150 gallon tank, when it shows ¼ tank I can put in about 100 gallons. I've done this several times so it is "accurate"

FRR2EYW · 04-01-2012, 04:34 PM

I have a 100 gallon tank. When the "Low Fuel Warning" sounds at 1/8 of a tank, I still have 20 gallons left. Not quite an emergency.

ladagobago · 04-01-2012, 05:18 PM

We just came back from FL and normally never let the tank get below 1/4 full because at that point the generator may not run. This is a feature on many rigs fuel or gas.
The tank is 90 gallons and most of my fills are 65 gallons average.

The one time I did let it go a little lower we ended up with no generator. not fun.

FleetMan · 04-01-2012, 08:44 PM

Don't forget the FMCSA requires a certain amount of space in the fuel tank for expansion. I do not remember the percentage at which a tank is considered legally full. A "sharp" DOT inspector wrote up my fleet one time for not having a line marked on the tank at the specified "full" point. It was an inch or so below the filler cap on a saddle tank. Like most, I fill to the brim because I will be driving off and it soon won't be full anymore. Taking more to fill to the very top will always be more than the specified volume of the particular tank.

zeeyaarv · 04-05-2012, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetfromtn

I have a 2007 Coachmen Pathfinder, the specs for the chassis states the fuel capacity is 90 gal. My travelling is mostly within 150 miles of my home during the summer. I travel to FL in Nov. to spend the winter and it is 820 miles to where I go I usually top off the tank when the guage says 1/2. Coming home last week, I ran the fuel down to 1/4 tank and filled up. It held 53 gal diesel. I can't believe for the life of me that there was 37 gal. of fuel left in that tank. This tank, I assume was installed by Freightliner when it was built. Anybody have any info on the actual capacity of this tank?

We have a 2008 Pathfinder. Have same concern and same observation. I guess only way to find out is to run it dry but not that brave. If you find answer, let be know.

clyon51 · 04-05-2012, 12:12 PM

Quote:

We have a 2008 Pathfinder. Have same concern and same observation.

Anyone that has a big concern with this type of problem, do what I use to do many years ago. Get youself one or two 5-6 gal fuel cans full and hit the road. When you run out of gas, you got 25 to 75 miles, (depending on your bravery and math), to find a station. Did this with a '92 Four Winds, it held 38.7 gals at the neck. The previous owner told me it was a 45 gal, turned out to be 35 gal

jmdermo · 04-05-2012, 02:29 PM

I have a 98 Monaco with 100gal tank, when the tank was rebuilt last year, the service center put 20gal in to get me to the filling station, didn't get two block before running out of fuel. I was towed to a station and the unit took another 80gals. So what I am trying to say is don't go by the tank capacity, with a diesel, you don't want to run short. They leave room for water and sediment in the bottom of the tank.