How to double a Ford F-250/F-350’s driving range with a simple fuel tank install (DIY GALLERY)

Updated Sep 30, 2014
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Most owners of heavy-duty pickups in the trades choose a diesel package over gas because it provides the best power for pulling trailers and hauling loads while delivering good fuel economy.

Better fuel economy equates to more time spent in the field and less at the fuel pump.

So the last thing you’d want to see in your new diesel pickup is a smaller fuel tank. But, alas, that’s exactly what’s happened underneath the 2011-2013 Ford Super Duties.

Even though the Powerstroke engines in those trucks get about 20-percent better fuel economy than the previous versions, Ford kept the F-250/F-350 driving range about the same about the same as the 2010-and-older Super Duties by cutting the fuel tank size from 30.5-gallons to 26.

That loss in fuel capacity just happens to be by the same amount as the 5.5-gallon Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) reservoir that now sits behind fuel tank on F-250/F-350 Crew Cab 4x4s.

For those who want to stay on the road as long as possible between fuel stops, California-based Transfer Flow has an immediate remedy: Replace the little OEM plastic fuel tank with a 50-gallon steel tank.

It’s an easy upgrade for any shop, familiar with pickups as demonstrated by Truck Supply & Outfitters. They recently installed one of the Transfer Flow replacement fuel tanks, which retail for about $800, in a customer’s 2011 F-250. Professional installer Daniel Parker completed the swap in about 90 minutes.

He also sprayed the tank with All-Pro Lining’s spray-on protective bed coating before it as installed to keep it looking good over the long haul.

You can actually perform the installation yourself. As you can see from the DIY installation gallery above, the fuel tank upgrade is simple and doesn’t require any special tools other than a good transmission jack when using a hoist, or floor jack if a hoist isn’t handy.

Never pulled a fuel tank from an F-250 before? No worries; Transfer Flow’s step-by-step installation instructions are thorough, leaving nothing to chance.

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Transfer Flow’s tank is steel, too, which adds another level of protection in off-road environments over Ford’s plastic OE tank. An extended driving range and a stouter fuel tank is a win-win in my book.