Starcraft SS160 - built-in fuel tank or stay portable?

[ShoestringMariner]

I was at the sportsman show today looking at boats. Love all the new features of modern boats. I also recently saw somebody selling an SS 160 that was done up beautifully. The seller had mounted a fuel tank in the bow. With filling station on the top side of the bow, complete with vent.

So currently I am gathering information before I start undertaking modifications for this resto mod project. I’m not opposed to a built-in fuel tank, Especially because I think I’m going to go four stroke soon. My boat is traIler stored except for a week or two that we rent a cottage somewhere.

so my questions; is there any real benefit to me to install a permanent tank aside from the fact I can have a fuel gauge on the dash?

if you were going to put a fuel tank into your SS 160, where would you put it?

 

[MTboatguy]

I use two 6 gallon portables on mine right now and can balance things out depending on the load that I have on the boat, I have an 18 gallon built in that I might put in it at a later date, but the portables are working out fine right now.. If I have to pull the floor to replace it, I am going to do some stronger thinking on the built in, but I won't pull the floor up until it needs to be replaced again and that will be a few years off.

 

[ShoestringMariner]

I use two 6 gallon portables on mine right now and can balance things out depending on the load that I have on the boat, I have an 18 gallon built in that I might put in it at a later date, but the portables are working out fine right now.. If I have to pull the floor to replace it, I am going to do some stronger thinking on the built in, but I won't pull the floor up until it needs to be replaced again and that will be a few years off.

Thanks, but where would you put it? The one I saw had it mounted in the bow. Is that not a lot of weight for the bow? (not sure if that much weight up there would negatively affect the performance and handling)

 

[Watermann]

I don't have a 16' SS but I can say that adding a belly tank in a boat is the best addition you can make. The best location is mid ship, bow tanks cause a change in the boats handling that you can't rely on or predict as the weight changes when the fuel is consumed or added.

 

[ShoestringMariner]

Makes sense. I'm starting to see those belly tanks in some of the rebuild threads.

Anyone built one? I'm wondering if they have baffles in them. Also wondering how to put a float gauge in one and where I might find one. Building one for me is easy...just need some specs

 

[MTboatguy]

Makes sense. I'm starting to see those belly tanks in some of the rebuild threads.

Anyone built one? I'm wondering if they have baffles in them. Also wondering how to put a float gauge in one and where I might find one. Building one for me is easy...just need some specs

The 18 gallon that I have, does have two baffles in it and if I install it, it will be mid ship.

 

[ShoestringMariner]

The 18 gallon that I have, does have two baffles in it and if I install it, it will be mid ship.

Excellent, thanks

 

[Candutch]

I can't comment on the 16 SS but I bow mounted my 18 gallon tank on my 18 SS under a front casting deck I built. I have not noticed any handling issues at all and having power trim I can fine tune as the weight decreased. When the fuel tank is full I do lose a few miles per hour on my top end but I can live with that for the convenience of not having to take spare fuel with me on extended trips.