I have been asked many, many times how, what, why & where about auxiliary long range fuel tanks for the WH, Grand Cherokee.
My experience relates only to Long Range Automotive from Lilydale in Victoria (the best - see link)
http://www.towingguide.com.au/towtrailer.html
Pros:
- carry an extra 110 litres of fuel (189 litres total)
- purchase fuel competitively when on trips
- extend the range of the vehicle, especially when off-road or towing a caravan
- security of additional fuel when on trips, no need to carry jerry cans
- fits neatly into the spare wheel carrier recess
- mounts onto the OEM towbar mounts
- retains the original departure angle
- solid steel tank
- retains the OEM tank
- uses a transfer pump to convey fuel to the OEM tank
- has small LED fuel gauge added to the dash with manual switch to commence transfer
- when OEM tank is full the fuel flows back to the auxiliary tank
- has dual filler below fuel cap, so you can choose to fill OEM tank only or both
- has a separate replaceable fuel filter
- LRA have a superior product and honour their warranty without exception
- available through ARB and other reputable 4WD specialists
Cons:
- you must have a tow bar
- no place for spare wheel
- no one makes a rear mounted spare wheel carrier (roof rack or basket option)
- extra weight, you will be carrying an additional 110kg plus the weight of the tank
- could need suspension upgrade (most likely)
- the spare wheel mechanism completely gets removed
- reduced resale price to a “purist”
- once done not easily undone – decide wisely
Some blurb – yes it’s all relative –
As I had a LRA replacement tank on my previous vehicle (KJ Cherokee) and I do a lot of towing, moving thousands of Km’s every few months the LRA auxiliary tank was just the ticket for me.
My suspension was replaced prior to the tank being fitted and with the constant towing of a heavy van, found the light duty OME 50mm lift springs plus “polyairs” worked exceptionally well till I factored in the tank weight and towing weight, so I exchanged them for the medium duty OME springs and polyairs, with a single axle van the light duty OME springs would be fine.
In all cases when I make a recommendation on towing a caravan, I do so with the knowledge that caravanners will understand the need to also have a heavy duty weight distribution hitch (WDH) correctly fitted and levelled to their vehicle.
I saw a couple towing their tandem axle caravan on the Hume Fwy, last weekend, yes they had a heavy duty WDH, but, it was incorrectly fitted and levelled so the rear of their caravan was nearly on the ground instead of level – a recipe for disaster – scary really!
http://www.towingguide.com.au/towtrailer.html
The downside as I stated is having the 2 spare wheels on the roof, however, I carry camping gear there also, so no issue to me, it would be to others.
How you use your 4WD, where you go & how often will dictate whether you need rather than want an additional tank.
You may decide to have a trailer that is capable of carrying your camping gear and a couple of Jerry Cans, the trailer is good for lots of other things.
If you’re into serious 4WD off-road driving, often, you’ll appreciate the tank and the lift, especially if planning a trip around Australia, Cape York or The Kimberley, again it’s all relative.
I noticed when I filled it today, the red LED fuel gauge light was on, signifying empty, it took 95 litres to fill it, in other words although it showed empty it still had 15 litres left in it.
I have been asked for photos, sorry can’t do in the foreseeable future, LRA would be the best source for these.
Good luck -
WH Long Range Fuel Tanks - Auxilary
