I am having a professional install a RDS aux tank on my long bed F350 2000 7.3l diesel. I am in Lubbock, escaped Port Aransas for a few days and came to our friends out until they get food and fuel back to southern texas.

My question is, I have a Palmino Truck camper back home in Montana. If I installing this 10" wide fuel tank, will this upset the center of gravity for the camper? Camper only weights 2700 wet, but its COG would be shifted back 10 inches on the 8 ft bed.
My TC has big rubber "stoppers" that I would have to be away of when loading it, just barely touching the tank.

 

My hunch is the weight of the tank and the fuel it contains will balance out the shift of the camper to the rear. If you CAT scale before and after you can calculate the shift, but that may be overkill.

Steve

 

Thanks, hadn't thought of that. That tank should be 315 lbs with 45 gal of diesel but naturally it would continue to drain down while driving.

 

You are planning on doing something that is not all that rare and I haven't seen a lot of blow back on any of the forums about doing it so I don't think you will have a problem. It has often seemed strange to me that so much is focused on the COG laterally when I think the COG vertically has a lot more effect on handling. Just my opinion with that.

Steve

 

Thanks guys!

 

What the matter of concern would be is shifting too much weight behind the rear axle and in turn possibly causing the front axle to unload some weight. I am not very familiar with the pickup bed campers...how is the weight distributed on the camper? Where are the holding tanks? If the camper carries most of its weight in the last couple of feet, then it could cause more of an issue than if it carries its weight front heavy. Of course the full tank of diesel will help, but you are correct that it will get lighter as you go down the road.
If you don't mind me asking, how did you tie in the auxiliary tank? I just installed a tank a friend built for me and am not totally happy with what I have right now for a tie in.

 

TC manufacturers all provide cog measure so it is pretty easy to know what a shift rearward will do, but this situation is common and not known to produce problems.

 

Follow up;
I've not had the truck camper on yet, we're still in Southern Texas with our 5th wheel, but the new tank is awesome! My tool box still fits behind it and shows no interference from the 5th wheel hitch or the RV!
Naturally the tool box will be removed for the truck camper this summer for short fishing trips with the truck camper.