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Steve Cooper
01-19-2009, 05:48 PM
You may have read about my earlier situation regarding the leaking supply line to the reserve fuel tank on my 97 40 footer. Well, that got me thinking the other night riding home from Tampa. When you're fueling up, how does the reserve get filled? Overflow from the main? Both tanks filled at the same time? Does the fuel gauge read the reserve level? When the main is low does the reserve drain into the main?
I've had this coach for years but it never occurred to me before.
Thanks for the help.
Steve

dreamchasers
01-19-2009, 06:13 PM
Great topic!

How do you know if you have a reserve tank? My Country Coach book states the fuel tank capacity of 213 gallons.

Hector

Steve Cooper
01-19-2009, 06:24 PM
As I understand it, only the 40's have the reserve for a total capacity of 195 gallons. Can't say about the 45's

Joe Cannarozzi
01-19-2009, 06:49 PM
I have a 40XL and it has a reserve. The main is a 160 and the reserve is 90.

They both fill together and both go down together the gauge is in the main tank. The reserve is only 2/3 as high as the main so the gauge goes down slightly quicker from full until the level in the main gets down to the height of the reserve.

There is no way to isolate them in any way they are connected at the hip.

The main is in the 3rd bay between the OTR heat and A/C stuff and the reserve is forward of it in the middle of bay 2.

Hector they are exposed from underneeth take a peek. You can clearly see that connetcing hose too.

Steve Cooper
01-19-2009, 07:01 PM
Thanks Joe. That answers so many questions. I was always wondering why the fuel level drop on the gauge wasn't consistent. Just figured it was a quirky sending unit.
Word to the wise, though, is that when the gauge shows empty, don't count on the reserve! I've never gotten close to running out and now I won't, for sure.
Thanks again.

Joe Cannarozzi
01-19-2009, 07:06 PM
I have gone down to 1/8 of a tank and filled up from there with 185 gal so at 1/8 on the gauge I know I have 65 gal left.

The way the gauge is located in the main if there was no reserve I'm guessin I would have 40 or 45 gal left with 1/8 on the gauge.

Hector I think the capacities were increased on the XL 45ers and you may not have a reserve.

One more note, YES Steve when that gauge shows empty the reserve is just as empty as the main tank.

truk4u
01-19-2009, 08:46 PM
A-1 has long range fuel in his 45' Liberty and I do on the 40', so it's just not the 40's that have that option.

Yankee802
01-19-2009, 09:14 PM
Thanks for the info Joe, I have the same setup as you and I was wondering how the tanks/fuel system worked as well as Steve.

rfoster
01-19-2009, 10:09 PM
I have a 208 gallon tank? I have put 213 gallons in it after running out and that was after the Rescue truck put 10 gallons in it. Pretty amazing ain't it. That was back in September when fuel was cheap (4 plus Lewbucks a gallon) and the pumps were accurate too? Yea, right.