19 Gallon Aux Fuel Tank

wolfie1953 · Nov 28, 2015

Well, finally got around to adding an aux fuel tank to the 2015 Golf TDI. Never was happy with the size of the tank (13 gal.) and the range. The goal was to make a system that did not require a pump to move the fuel.

All AL tank was made by a local fabricator for $480 and another $400 for labor and parts to install. Would have done it myself, but needed a lift to get under the car.

The fill pipe is thick plastic, strong and presents many options for splicing in the tank fill pipe. Since the trunk is higher than the installed fuel tank, gravity does the work, and no pump is needed.

A kit could be made to do this worthwhile mod.

New at this, can't seem to paste any pictures.

(Would someone please explain how to add pictures. Thanks)

dremd · Nov 28, 2015

Very cool.
I built one, but haven't gotten it installed yet. Mine is only 7 gallons though, mainly because I refuse to give up any useful space.

Where is yours located? Trunk floor?

Ol'Rattler · Nov 29, 2015

Why would you do such a ridiculous mod? A 14.5 gallon OEM tank is more than adequate.

hughesjasonk · Nov 29, 2015

Ol'Rattler said:
Why would you do such a ridiculous mod? A 14.5 gallon OEM tank is more than adequate.

Why are you such a rediculus person? He already said why he did it and you're just being a jerk. Because racecar. That's why he did it...

If your just looking for distance i think this is awesome. Like what someone else said I'm not sure I'm willing to sacrifice storage space for such a large tank since I love having my TDI for trips.

dremd · Nov 29, 2015

Ol'Rattler said:
Why would you do such a ridiculous mod? A 14.5 gallon OEM tank is more than adequate.

Because there is no such thing as enough on board fuel.
Because it is awesome.
Because he can.
Because race car.
Because diesel car.
Because epic range.
Because he wants it.
I'm sure we could go on.

JSWTDI09 · Nov 29, 2015

Assuming you could drive at 80mph all day, and assuming that you could average 40mpg at that speed (I'm being generous), my simple calculations indicate that the OP could drive for about 16 hours straight without stopping. This begs the question: How big is this guy's bladder? Don't forget that there is another "tank" that occasionally needs emptying.
There is a company that makes a safe (DOT Approved) 12 gallon fuel bladder that fits into a spare tire well which I considered for a while. I stopped considering it when I realized that my own bladder couldn't make it any farther than the stock fuel tank allows.

Have Fun!

Don

dremd · Nov 29, 2015

I'm down around 30 MPG towing in the ALH, about 25 MPG towing in the CR.
I can easily wipe out a tank in a day with either, I can't out bladder them though.

dwfdiesel · Nov 29, 2015

Makes sense for me I travel to work in areas where fuel is $1 a gallon more and I can't get back on the same tank on the weekend so this would save me money.

Also up in the north it may be 3 hours between fuel stations so every bit counts at $4 a gallon

Ol'Rattler · Nov 30, 2015

I apologize for my less than proactive comment. Being able to go over 1000 miles on a tank would be great.

Once again, forgive me for being "ridiculous".

kjclow · Nov 30, 2015

I understand the why but not sure I could justify the expense at the loss of room. Now if I could swap out the 14.5 gallon tank for a 19 gallon tank, that would be an easier decision. I would still be stopping every couple of hours for bladder and circulation needs.

One thing to note is that the OP has a 2015, which is a 13 gallon tank. So at equal mileage (40mpg), his distance per tank is 60 miles shorter than mine.

cowgirlkaboom · Dec 2, 2015

Cool modification. I'd love to see pictures if you manage to get them posted somewhere. I've wished for a bit more capacity as well.

john.jackson9213 · Dec 2, 2015

I would also like to see pictures. It is an interesting project and one I have looked at for several different cars I have had. After having the 25 gallon tank in my B4V and once or twice actually driven more than 1200 miles between fillups I can honestly say that my bladder is the limiting thing between stops, not lack of fuel. The other advantage was 6 or 7 years ago when diesel prices in San Diego were $2 or more per gallon higher than diesel prices in Tijuana. I could save more than $40 per fill simply by crossing the border. Did this a few times and saved a bit of money. But, the real advantage to me was being able to SCREW the oil companies charging $5+ per gallon. That was a great feeling!! Sadly, prices in TJ are just about the same as in San Diego these days.

redbarron55 · Dec 2, 2015

The only time you have too much fuel is when you are on fire or over weight!

GreenLantern_TDI · Dec 3, 2015

I have to wizz 3 times as much as i need diesel fuel. I like the huge tank as i can fill up on known good fuel instead of rolling dice on road diesel.

jayb79 · Dec 3, 2015

I like being able to drive to Ct from NH 3 times a week without stop for fuel every day. If I had and extra 19 gallons I could almost go 7 days between fuel ups.

mishkaya · Dec 3, 2015

I'll add to this that having that kind of range allows the driver greater choice of refueling points. There can be huge price differences in fuel depending on location; it's always nice to have a choice. On my Cummins powered Ram, I installed a 58 gal fuel tank for these very reasons. It has proven to be very worthwhile over the years...

JasonG · Dec 3, 2015

If you've ever driven a vehicle with 250 gal of fuel, it's nice to be able to plan fuel stops based on price.
You can always stop more just to pee

My current work takes me twice a week across state lines with nearly a $0.50 price savings. Last week I rolled in with 5 miles on the display. Talk about pucker factor!

kjclow · Dec 4, 2015

I live near the state line and save about 20 cents per gallon on all fuel purchases.

pkhoury · Dec 5, 2015

Ol'Rattler said:
Why would you do such a ridiculous mod? A 14.5 gallon OEM tank is more than adequate.

14.5 gallons is FAR from adequate, especially for those of us who drive a lot. I've already driven 39K in 11 months, and the year still isn't over!

pkhoury · Dec 5, 2015

john.jackson9213 said:
... The other advantage was 6 or 7 years ago when diesel prices in San Diego were $2 or more per gallon higher than diesel prices in Tijuana. I could save more than $40 per fill simply by crossing the border. Did this a few times and saved a bit of money. But, the real advantage to me was being able to SCREW the oil companies charging $5+ per gallon. That was a great feeling!! Sadly, prices in TJ are just about the same as in San Diego these days.

Isn't Mexican gas still LSD? Or have they switched to ULSD now?

kjclow said:
I understand the why but not sure I could justify the expense at the loss of room. Now if I could swap out the 14.5 gallon tank for a 19 gallon tank, that would be an easier decision. I would still be stopping every couple of hours for bladder and circulation needs...

Doesn't the Passat TDI have a larger tank? I'm guessing it's physical dimensions are probably a lot different than that of the JSW or regular Jetta TDI? I usually leave my car running when I stop for potty breaks; I don't worry about someone stealing the car with 2 German Shepherds always accompanying me on long trips (also means Border Patrol checkpoints are a breeze).

Wankel7 · Dec 5, 2015

On road trips I like having a long range. On interstate trips I can stop at rest stops instead of fuel stations. I find them much faster and no traffic lights to worry about....in and out.

john.jackson9213 · Dec 5, 2015

pkhoury said:
Isn't Mexican gas still LSD? Or have they switched to ULSD now?).

The nearest oil refiners to Baja California are about 120 miles north of the border. Fuel - both gas and diesel gets shipped on a barge from Los Angeles to TJ. Closest Mexican refinery to TJ is on the Mexican mainland making transportation to TJ totally unreasonable. So gas in TJ is refined in Los Angeles - just like gas in San Diego

kjclow · Dec 6, 2015

pkhoury said:
Isn't Mexican gas still LSD? Or have they switched to ULSD now?

Aren't most countries on USLD now?

pkhoury · Dec 10, 2015

john.jackson9213 said:
The nearest oil refiners to Baja California are about 120 miles north of the border. Fuel - both gas and diesel gets shipped on a barge from Los Angeles to TJ. Closest Mexican refinery to TJ is on the Mexican mainland making transportation to TJ totally unreasonable. So gas in TJ is refined in Los Angeles - just like gas in San Diego

kjclow said:
Aren't most countries on USLD now?

But what about the rest of Mexico?

john.jackson9213 · Dec 12, 2015

pkhoury said:
But what about the rest of Mexico?

Personally I have no information. Think if you search the Road Trip forums, you will find a trip from Atlanta to Central America - sure their is information there.

wolfie1953 · Dec 25, 2015

Yes. Removed spare tire and holder.

temporaptor · Dec 26, 2015

pics or it didn't happen.......lol

ATR · Dec 28, 2015

In for pictures

VeeDubTDI · Dec 28, 2015

A how-to for posting pictures can be found here: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=286691

murphyslaw · Jan 4, 2016

As someone who drives alot. And also plays the fuel price game. a replacement tank, or reasonable sized aux tank would be a + in my book. My Volvo packs 400 gallons. My GMC packs 120 gallons. And my VW packs 14. Despite how many times I need to stop for a 45 second piss(usually every 2-3hrs of driving). Being able to get fuel, of good quality and for a fair price is always a "game". I use several rewards plans to get the best deal. That usually requires the use of 4 or so jerry cans so I can take max benefit of the perk. But no way am I loosing the spare. I would switch to a doughnut spare thou. As it is I go thru a tank of fuel ever 3 days. My work truck usually has me at the station daily. Man I hate refueling.

19 Gallon Aux Fuel Tank

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