"Usable" fuel capacity????

[dieselrealtor]

My burb has a 42 gallon tank, the most I have put into it has been 37+/- gallons before the fuel gauge made me too nervous to go any further.

Maybe a poll is better suited for this but I am curious how much "usable" capacity (before sucking air) there is in these tanks?
I really don't want to find out the hard way.

Burb?
Pickup big bank?
Pickup small tank?

Duramax big tank?
Duramax small tank?

Thanks in advance for your help, hopefully this will answer the same question for many of us.

[DennisG01]

I've got the same set-up as you. I've filled up a hair under 40 gallons...once. Same thinking as you, though - I don't want to make a habit of it.

[Robyn]

Hello
Well We have two Burbs here at the ranch and that 37 gallon figure is real close. Considering the PITA it is if you run it out. When the old gauge needle says FILERUP PARD better just go tank up and be happy. I ran my Blazer out a few months ago after the sending unit stuck at 1/2 tank. I use the rig sporadically and did not really pay any attention to the fact that it had been on the 1/2 mark for a long time. Ran out right in town in the middle of an intersection. I shut it off as it started to fade but it was still a tussle to get going again.
We have had 5 Burbs with the 42 Gallon tank and that 37 number seems real good. I have filled mine up once or twice that it took 39 but I dont like going there. The fuel sloshes a lot and any steep hill could get you into real issues with that little fuel left. Caugh wheeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzz sputter,saggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg This series of events will be followed closely by a loud barage of colorful expletives. Or if its your wife/sweety that gets caught in traffic with it there will be dire consequences.
YOU WILL BE ON "THE LIST" and doomed to sleep in a ditch under your Burb for a week.
Hope these words of wisdom find a smile and are useful.
Good luck with a zillion smiles and millions of miles
Robyn

[ronniejoe]

I've put over 41 gallons into my Burb on a couple of occasions...

[jspringator]

RJ, you're a risk taker! Yesterday I put in 39.1 and it was at the very bottom of the red. I was mighty nervous. The $117 bill was the most unpleasant part.

[john8662]

Yeah, I'm with the crowd that's gotten 40 gals into the tank when empty. Seems that the square tanks that the suburbans and 2 door tahoe's use, you can really get more of the fuel out, or it runs longer (more volume at the bottom of the tank due to size) than what's measured on the gauge.

I usually push the needed on those rigs till it's sitting right on the "E" and bobbles a little on the running on fumes side. Not recommended now days!

Trucks, no way! You'll run out! My two 80's pickups you better be sitting at the pump if you're any where near the empty, it's like the 1/8 tank and you're empty rule with those (don't ask how I know, many times).

J

[rabt]

There was a large law suit agaist GM over the 2 door Tahoe's and Yukon's in the 93-98 range about the fuel tanks, they did not hold as much as the book said ... my dad just so happened to have bought 4 of them over those years so he got a $750 credit per truck to use on any new gm product

[DmaxMaverick]

On every vehicle I've ever had, I have ran them dry, but not without a full fuel can handy and a fuel station nearby. Why worry about it, when it's easy to confirm.

"A man's got to know his limitations"

[noelb]

My 98 burb lists a 159 litre(40.7 gallon) I think the most I have put in is about 38.5 gallons. I assumed there was fuel left in the tank. I believe you would be risking it to take it any further than this. It only leaves just over 5 litres (1 1/2 Gallons).

By the way it cost me something like $210 AUD to fill my tank. The Landcruiser has two tanks totalling 67 gallons and cost me $275 to fill last time I used it on a trip.

Even though your fuel prices are high over there, ours are higher even though we produce all our own oil. The powers that be base the price we pay on the Singapore Barrel price. The government over here make more money per litre than the oil producers. We pay two taxes, a fuel excise plus a tax on a tax the 10% goods and services tax on top.

Check out this site to see what price we pay per litre and multiply by 3.9 to get the price we pay per gallon. May not be any prices yet for today.

http://www.motormouth.com.au

Cheers,

Noel

[Dihrdbowti]

Well I know I have read on here that our injection pumps are cooled by the fuel running through them and when the tank is getting low the fuel doesn't have a chance to cool down. I have the two door Yukon and always fill up when the tank is between 1/2 and 1/4. It's usually about 22-24 gallons..

[Hubert]

Well I know I have read on here that our injection pumps are cooled by the fuel running through them and when the tank is getting low the fuel doesn't have a chance to cool down. I have the two door Yukon and always fill up when the tank is between 1/2 and 1/4. It's usually about 22-24 gallons..

Ditto

Yeah also I just feel better thinking it keeps any crud diluted in the tank not to run it all the way down And recirculating fuel keeps it clean enough not to run it all the way down except periodically. It takes air or oxygen for the tank to "rust" keeping fuel covering more of the tank surface helps protect it from deterioration at least a little. I really don't like to park it with a low tank for more than a couple of days.

I still haven't figured out rock bottom but I think I squeezed 22-23 ish gallons in a shortbed pickup I think its a 24 or 26 gallon tank. And my fuel gauge has 3 speeds full to half is relatively slow, 1/2-1/4 is quicker and 1/4-Empty goes really quick don't know why. I get nervous if I don't know accurate distance to fuel under 1/8th of a tank.

[JDave]

I have put over 25 gallons in my short bed tank at least twice. I start to get nervous when the needle rests on the stop and won't bump up around corners or under acceleration. I haven't yet run out, knock on wood.

[JohnC]

... I start to get nervous when the needle rests on the stop and won't bump up around corners or under acceleration....

Don't trade up to a Duramax!

They have "range" on the Driver's Information center, a fuel gauge and a warning light. When the calculated range gets down around 30 miles the gauge drops to zero, the light comes on, the "gong" goes off and the DIC posts "range low". That's all you're going to see from then until you either run out or fuel up. Sort of to say "You have been warned"...

The most I've ever put in is about 23.5 gallons...

[rabt]

I have a 04 gasser long bed with a 36 gallon tank that i have put 36.5 gallons in more than once. I also had a 01 gasser shortbed 26 gallon tank that i put 26 gallons in just about everytime. I always run my gassers down to the last drop. In my 04 i go about 100-125 miles after the low fuel light comes on. :D

I know one of these days its gonna get me, but so far i have been one lucky dog:rolleyes:

[moondoggie]

Good Day!

95 pickup, 35 gallon tank, max purchase: 35.023 gallons. (I have complete records since I purchased this truck 2 Jan 00.)

What's a little discouraging is the large number of 33+ gallon purchases - I thought I wasn't ever running it that low.

What's very encouraging is that I haven't put any fuel in this truck since 20 July. She's empty now, but I used to fill weekly. Ah, the joys of a home office. ;)

Blessings!