What size fuel tank do you have on your toon?

chrisg · #1 June 2nd, 2009, 12:27 PM

Since I have replaced my seats, I now need to put the fuel tank on the back beside the motor. I noticed prices have gone way up from last year. I saw the pics of Trashasdaddy’s ‘toon, and that tank looks like a beacon! I figure I’ll go with something smaller. With a 60HP bigfoot, perhaps a 12 gal would work. Any comments? What do you guys have for ‘strapped on fuel tanks’?

rrhodes · #2 June 2nd, 2009, 01:44 PM

Can't help with the strapped on tank.. Mine has a 55gal tank in the center tube. I am guessing your motor eats about 6gal per hour at WOT so the tank size will depend a lot on how you drive and the distance you need to travel. I would probably get something a little bigger.

samm835 · #3 June 2nd, 2009, 02:51 PM

I have a 24ftr....with a 115 Mariner and I have a 20 gallon tank, I personally wouldn't go any smaller than 20 or two 12's. My tank is in the right corner in a aluminum tank from mfg..

chrisg · #4 June 2nd, 2009, 03:35 PM

True, I could go with 2 -12gal. that would be cheaper then one 20 Gal. ( can't figure why?) I could strap one on each side, and just move the connection as needed. ( 2-12 would give me 24 gal, but cost only $100.00, where a 20 gal. is $170.00, Gee last year the 20gal was 125.00, dont they know there's a resession going on, and they should be droping prices!

VaGent · #5 June 2nd, 2009, 05:51 PM

I found 2-28 gallon aluminum tanks with the sending units on craigsslist a month ago for $85.00. That was for BOTH the tanks. They were both brand new in the box & the guy was leaving town due to a divorce. I don't need both of them but it was a package deal so I grabbed them. He even had all the fittings to go with them. One will be fine for me unless I decide to travel the intercoastal water way to FL & back.

chrisg · #6 June 2nd, 2009, 06:16 PM

The tank would be sitting outside in the sun ,so I would assume metal would get hot, and not a good idea for holding fuel. ( I assume tanks are plastic and red for a reason- deflect heat perhaps? - then again, the old tanks were metal, perhaps thats not really an issue.)

Jeep Man · #7 June 2nd, 2009, 07:05 PM

My old toon has a 45 gal. tank, and my new '08 which was factory outfitted with the same motor as yours (60 hp bigfoot) also has a 45 gal. tank. If your tank is exposed to the elements, white will reflect the heat best. Red will draw heat. Any light color will work OK.

VaGent · #8 June 2nd, 2009, 09:59 PM

I painted both of mine with a White epoxy paint & they will be inside a vented box on the back of the toon. I'm also installing an air scoop on the side of the box to insure plenty of ventilation of gas fumes & to help remove any heat buildup. I've aways wondered why the plastic ones where RED & metal ones too. Maybe to draw attention becuase you are using them for gas? Red means danger possibly? Dark colors attract heat & light colors repel it. Most all gas cans I have ever seen are RED.

pugbro · #9 June 2nd, 2009, 11:16 PM

I dont know if the information I got is correct but a "knowledgable" friend of mine said the colors are an international thing..Red for Gasoline..Blue for kerosene..Green for Desiel and white for drinking water..Don't hold me to this cause I am just repeating.............

Keep it Safe..Keep it Fun

The_Kid · #10 June 3rd, 2009, 12:17 PM

All depends on how far I'm planning to go. I can carry up to 4, 6 gal. tanks in the covered compartments. I had the option of a built in tank, or portables when I ordered the boat. I went with portables because it's a lot cheaper to fill them at a gas station than it is at a marina.

Rancherlee · #11 June 4th, 2009, 09:24 AM

Running a 70 hp 4 stroke I never seem to go through more than 12 gallons in a day but I never go above 2000rpm much. Pulling a tube I run about 4000rpm and the a 6 gallon is empty in about 2 hours at that speed (~15 mph on my toon depending on the load). At trolling speed I've gone 20 hours on 6 gallons of gas!. I've been trying to find a LONG skinny short tank to mount under my pontoon boat between the cross members so I can extend my deck to the back of the pontoons.

PolishPrince · #12 June 6th, 2009, 04:37 PM

My 24' Bentley has a 24 gal. poly tank. We ran her Memorial weekend for 4 hours straight and turning 4000 - 5500 RPM and still have 1/4 tank remaining. My engine is a 90HP 4 stroke. If you have a 2 stroke it will be about twice as thirsty. I emailed Merc and they said my optimum cruise is 4200 RPM.

chrisg · #13 June 16th, 2009, 05:59 PM

Well, I just got a 12 gal. If need be, I will buy another, Strap it to the other side. Its still cheaper then a 20 Gal. all I would need to do is swap cables as needed. also a 60hp 2-stroke BF should not drink that much! ( should it!?)

rrhodes · #14 June 17th, 2009, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisg

Well, I just got a 12 gal. If need be, I will buy another, Strap it to the other side. Its still cheaper then a 20 Gal. all I would need to do is swap cables as needed. also a 60hp 2-stroke BF should not drink that much! ( should it!?)

Depends on how you run it. At WOT it should drink about 6gph.

chrisg · #15 June 18th, 2009, 11:23 AM

I think in 2 hours at WOT, I would make 4 round trips on the river ( its only 9 miles long.)

So, I got the 12 gal tank, got some straps and fixed it to one side of the toon, I put a 6 gal tank on the other and straped it down with a bungy cord. ( Or are the plates that I should put under it?) is a bungy cord good enough to hold a tank?

BEARCATJER · #16 July 26th, 2009, 12:11 PM

Reading these posts alarmed me a little. I have an 18ft pontoon with a honda 40hp 4stroke. I used to have two 12 gallon tanks on the back but recently got rid of them and bought a replacement 12 gallon as i have never seemed to use all that much gas with this enginhe during the 4 years i have owned it.We boat on Lake Marion...bitggest lake in SC so im now wondering if i should have replaced both tanks instead of only one. We dont get way out on the big lake due to size of my toon, but I dont need to get out there with my wife and grandkids and run out of gas! Maybe my engine is so small and 4stroke i just dont burn much. I have always been amazed at how little gas it uses.Any thoughts appreciated.Thanks.

coolguy147 · #17 July 26th, 2009, 02:02 PM

i got a little 10hp lol so i only carry a 6 gallon i put like 5.3 gal in there though and one 2 gallon for emergencys

chrisg · #18 July 28th, 2009, 12:01 AM

I put a 12-gal on one side, and the old 6-gal on the other. So far I have not run out of the 12, needing to change to the 6, on the river. So I think I'm safe with this setup. Also, the marina is by the dam which is down river, so if I ever run out........

I can just float down to get gas!!!!!!

)

tashasdaddy · #19 July 28th, 2009, 06:47 AM

Mine is 27 gallon, with a 6 gallon back up. that is 20 ft 2004 50 johnson. 27 gallons give me 6 hours running time. i am upgrading to a 140 soon, and doing a lot of changes.

chrisg · #20 July 28th, 2009, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tashasdaddy

Mine is 27 gallon, with a 6 gallon back up. that is 20 ft 2004 50 johnson. 27 gallons give me 6 hours running time. i am upgrading to a 140 soon, and doing a lot of changes.

that 140 gal tank, or 140HP motor? If its the motor, what do you want to do, feel the wind in your hair!, Gee, you'll go through gas in no time that way!

I'm doing 19MPH with the 60, and that's fast enough for me. ( And I feel safer letting the kid driver it.)