There has been a lot of talk about the 36 gallon tank mixed into other threads. So I thought I would make a dedicated thread for it that people can find when doing a search to weigh the pros and cons.

That having been said, it’s hurricane season and another system is churning in the Gulf. The last big one we had in Texas, 2 years ago, had most stations within 200 miles of the coast tapped out, as the refineries were shut down as a safety and damage precaution. Most stations were out of fuel for 5-6 days and normal supply didn’t resume for about 2 weeks. Having filled my 36 gallon tank when the storm was first reported, I was able to travel as needed when others could not.

Now, with another storm in the Gulf, I topped off all of our vehicles today. I will have fuel for 3 weeks if I drive conservatively.

Another plus is that I can ride out spikes in price. Like we’re sure to see if this turns into a major storm. And yet another plus is having plenty of reserve when traveling in sparsely settled areas to the south and west of me.

The only con I can think of is the impact on payload, which isn‘t really an issue for me.

 

Portable gas containers also work well for extra gas storage.

 

I wouldn’t want a tank smaller than 36 gallons. That’s actually on the small side for me. Like many people I have a cabin in northern wi. About 100 miles from home. Gas tends to be 20 to 30 cents a gallon more expensive up there so I try not to buy gas up there. It pretty common for me to be near empty by the time I get close to cheaper gas.

 

I wish my Silverado has it. Both of my previous F-150's had it and it was ideal during gas price spikes. Or going through areas up the mountains where gas prices cost a lot more.

Gasoline is lighter than water so payload isn't a biggie. I think a gallon of gas is 2 pounds lighter than water.

 

I had the 36gal in my 2013 3.5 and now I have the 23gal in my 2016 2.7. I miss the 36 gal.

I am currently working on a tank swap which is surprising easy, once you find the parts. So far I'm in about $125.

 

Exactly. Back when I was flying, we calculated gas to be 6 lbs per gallon (water is 8 pounds per gallon). Avgas and car gas weigh the same.

So the difference between a 23 gallon and a 36 gallon tank is 78 lbs (13 * 6).

 

I like my 36 gallon tank.......it's definitely convenient for traveling long distance....... wish my super duty had it........

 

I filled my 36 gallon tank on Thursday, in preparation for the hurricane. I’m glad to have the extra capacity in case we have problems getting gas.

 

There is no reason to not get the 36 gallon tank. The additional weight is negligible and if you’re that close to capacity on a regular basis you should get a SD. It doesn’t displace any other option/system. It’s available in the short-box configuration. If you’re towing, you can get a decent amount of miles on your trip between fill-ups.

I remember one member here a few years ago saying he didn’t like it because the gas bill was too high. Personally, I find gas stations annoying. If you like them, fill the tank half full. Then you can visit twice as often. My Explorer with it’s tiny 18 gallon tank and horrible mileage made me visit the gas station every 5-7 days. I can go two weeks with my 36 gallon tank now.

 

I'm going to look into that. I'd hate to spend big bucks for after market tank. Anyway, I have five 5 gallon containers that I fill when gas is fluctuating downward when I plan on towing. Right now it's $2.99 for 87 octane which is up from $2.59 a week ago.

 

Car-part.com but they're very hard to find and many have been mislabeled. I had to have a manager measure the tank. The 36 gal is 74 inches.

 

When I was looking for my 2018 truck I specifically wanted the 36gal tank based on my current commuting. I've been able to get ~700 miles to the tank. The 36 was a step down from having to fill the 44gal on the Excursion, but luckily way better gas milage

My M-F daily commute is 230 miles (115 each way) from Orange County, Ca down to San Diego (8 miles from the Mexico border). I take the 5 freeway down for most of the way. There's only about 5 miles total of city driving. The morning 5am southbound commute is 1hr 30~45mins, usually no traffic and between 75-80mph, using cruise control as permitted. Then on the 3:30pm drive back north it's always between 2.5-3hr, slower through the city traffic spots, 8-30mph, then opens up for ~40 miles back in the 75-80mph range, and again I try to use cruise control as permitted.

I tend to switch between the normal and eco modes, but definitely notice that at the low-speed/crawling traffic, the 10spd definitely shifts to much, plus it "feels" like it doesn't let the truck coast as much on downhill portions of my drive.

I bought my truck June 2018, and as of this week I'm at 42,468 miles.

 

Five gallon gas cans are fine for lawn mowers and portable generators but I'm no fan of trying to pour one into my truck using Ford's special little funnel even though I've converted all my gas cans over to non-safety spouts.

 

Those EPA spouts are a pain in the ***. I’ve replaced them all with the kits bought from Tractor Supply.

I used to carry a 5 gallon gas can with me when I went to West Texas. I don’t need to anymore.

I’m glad the hurricane was mostly a non event. We saw a small, 10-20 cent gas price spike here yesterday. They prices will probably drop back to the $2.20 range by next week.

 

Come on out here. I think we are currently paying in the $3.50 range.

It seems the only real objection to the 36 gallon tank is the cost of a fill. That does not take into account the time it takes to be filling almost twice as much. Personally, I think you end up paying the same for the fuel (in bigger chunks), and paying a lot less for the time to do it. My feeling is if the cost to fill is that big a deal, do it 20 gallons at a time.