Early 73-79 Fuel Tank Relocation

74 Stepside. Wanting to relocate my fuel tank to the rear between the frame rails. Who has done it and which tank did you use?

While mine wasn't a stepside , I swapped in a same year ramcharger tank back when I had my '76 Club Cab. Had to swap a few cross members, but not really difficult. 35 gallons that far back really helped the ride.

This would have been about 25 yrs ago. I used what was available to me. I don't know what is a common swap nowadays.

I bought a Ram Charger to use for parts on my 74 crew.

I seem to remember reading on hear someone was using a tank from a Mustang.....don't remember what year though. And several have used the Ramcharger tank.

When I built my 50 Dodge 4x4 on the 80 1/2 ton frame, I used the 18 gal optional extra tank tank that was available on Dodge trucks from the mid 70s up through about the early 80s. I suspect those tanks might be pretty tough to find these days.
I believe my son has a Ramcharger tank he wants to sell. Gene

From what I remember, if you find an early RC with a metal tank, it's a 21 gallon tank. If it's plastic, it's 35 gallon, and that's the most common of the two. Same cross members, just different straps.

I'd like to move mine back there too (1979 W150 short bed standard cab). I guess having someone build one would be pricey. And where would the fill be? I hate to cut the bed side. I had dual tanks, but the plastic under bed one was cracked, so I removed it and since I added dual exhausts there is not room for another there. I'm strictly running off in cab tank now but would like to eliminate that one.

I have a 36 gal Ramchareger tank in my 73 W200 along with the original 28 gal saddle tank.
Dang John, I just sold a Ramcharger tank setup and delivered it to the Fling. Had it in the for sale ads for years.

Yeah, saw that. I’m leaning on an aluminum tank.theres a shop here that has done several Dodge trucks.

Moparmarks, were the strap bolts difficult to arrange, being that your truck never had them from factory? Where do they mount? Also, where's your fill?

Thanks!

Larry

I'm not Mark, but having done the tank swap myself, I can tell you, you have to swap in the RC cross members too. You remove the spare tire cross member(s) and install the RC parts in their place. The hardest part is removing the factory rivets. I installed the rear most tank cross member first, put the tank in position, and that told me where to mount the forward cross member. With everything in place, the straps mount as they would in the RC.

Yup, what he said.
My bed had a channel for a rear filler tube so I used that.
Here is the tank with cross members.

Thanks for info and pic guys!

Don't know how successful I'll be finding that tank and straps here in Florida. I'm going to keep my eyes open for one though and if shipping isn't too bad (if I find someone willing to ship too) I'll snatch it up.

I'm guessing I'm probably going to have to go the route of having a tank made and figuring out something for fill tube. I'm tired of smelling gas with this behind the seat tank. It doesn't leak, but I guess it's a vented gas cap? So with the window down, which is how I drive (no a/c) and with about a half of a tank or more, I frequently get a big whiff of gas. I must get the fumes from the cap? Plus, I know it's not the safest location.

Thanks again!

Is Florida the same as TX in that junkyards cannot sell gas tanks? (I bought mine in CT).

You might watch for a wrecked/rotted RC that can be had for CHEAP, snag the tank and whatever else you can and scrap the rest.

I *think* the only real difference with the later RC tanks is that they have an in tank pump for the FI.

And, don't ask me why I was stuck on '35' the other day, correct size is 36 gallon.

Oh, I don't know about the law on selling tanks. Had not heard of that. I just don't think I'll ever find a Ramcharger in a yard around here. Humidity and rainfall levels are so high here that it's rare to see something like that in a yard here. Very rare!

Keeping my eyes open.

Thanks.