Destination Unknown - 2022 JTR journal

[WILDHOBO]

The first task to accomplish is important, so it get's it's own post. Be sure to put the magnet next to the pickup. Fortunately I have not had the amount of metal shavings, that are seen anyway, as others have experienced. But this is a critical step. After the fact I thought of the idea to split the magnet into two so there would be a capture point on both sides of the pickup - but hopefully this will be sufficient.

And whatever you do, do NOT drop your long flat tip screwdriver down the hole!

Can I ask about the fill method? Does it passively fill after the main tank is full, or does it have its own fill neck somewhere?

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[WILDHOBO]

The first real thing I wanted to get out of the way was wiring. I am very picky about wiring and really don't trust anyone to be up to the bar. Theres a slight chance I might hire a well known shop to do the actual tank install, so while waiting another day for a return call/email, I wanted to prepare the wire. Here I was sneaking 2 wires that run to the tank through the last bit of open grommet space available. I dont think I can fit another wire through that if my life depended on it - so hopefully this is the last.

Next - I wanted to get some connectors in place. It was getting dark, and cold, fast but I didn't want exposed wires hanging since every morning everything is covered in frost. These wires run on the drivers side, and partly inside the frame rail. Same as the reverse lights and rear flood lights. This is more of a pain since there is no existing harness to zip tie wires to like there is on the passenger side. So, I want to minimize any chances of water induced corrosion.

At the same time I ran 2 wires into the bed to tie into my main bed ground bus. If you notice the colors, I have always worked hard to keep consistent with wiring themes. Today's vehicles are all sorts of complicated with crazy wiring coloring patterns - usually because theres just so many wires going on. This is much more simple of course. So there is black ground for the pump, brown ground for the fuel level sensor, orange power for the pump power, and blue 'power' for the fuel level sensor (blue usually is a 'signal' wire that may carry voltage).

With that out of the way, the sun over the hills and temps dropping, I sat inside for a minute or two. From the moment I heard about LRA I knew I wanted a tank. For me, fuel is the one thing you really can't have enough of, and an aux tank, especially for exploring and camping, just extends the fun so much. But where to put that switch?? I really don't know. But I'm leaning to seeing if there is enough space behind that little gap between the parking brake handle and the transfer case selector. The switch is about 2" long - crazy long for something so basic. If it doesn't fit there - I really don't know where to put it. Somewhere visible. I had thought about the 12v charger port - but...I really want that reserved for the MOPAR trailer brake controller.

If you like the 12v location, just use a Curt Echo brake controller. Then you’ll have nothing to mount. I’ve been using one for over 3 years now, and love it.

 

[chorky]

Can I ask about the fill method? Does it passively fill after the main tank is full, or does it have its own fill neck somewhere?

It passively fills yes. Below is a screenshot of what it kinda looks like.

Factory tank on the right. Aux tank will be on the left - not installed (not my picture). Top left is the fill tube where you put the gas nozzle. So the aux tank, being on the left and first in line, will fill up first. Once it is full, gas will overflow to the main tank on the right.

The original version actually had a totally separate fill tube, so when you open the gas door there were two holes to choose from, one would fill the factory tank and the other the aux tank. I am glad they changed to this though because that original version looked really weird and there didnt seem a way to cap them off well for dust intrusion.

If you like the 12v location, just use a Curt Echo brake controller. Then you’ll have nothing to mount. I’ve been using one for over 3 years now, and love it.

I will look into that then - I thought the only plug and play unit was the MOPAR one because apparently there is a un-used factory trailer brake control plug in behind the dash. I really don't want to run any more wires lol. Space is getting tight.

 

[WILDHOBO]

It passively fills yes. Below is a screenshot of what it kinda looks like.

Factory tank on the right. Aux tank will be on the left - not installed (not my picture). Top left is the fill tube where you put the gas nozzle. So the aux tank, being on the left and first in line, will fill up first. Once it is full, gas will overflow to the main tank on the right.

The original version actually had a totally separate fill tube, so when you open the gas door there were two holes to choose from, one would fill the factory tank and the other the aux tank. I am glad they changed to this though because that original version looked really weird and there didnt seem a way to cap them off well for dust intrusion.





I will look into that then - I thought the only plug and play unit was the MOPAR one because apparently there is a un-used factory trailer brake control plug in behind the dash. I really don't want to run any more wires lol. Space is getting tight.

Looks like a very nice tank setup.

The echo is great. It’s a zero install setup. Call me whenever and I’ll share my experience with it. I love that you can move it between vehicles.

 

[chorky]

Can I ask about the fill method? Does it passively fill after the main tank is full, or does it have its own fill neck somewhere?

If a person wanted to use this tank for something else, I dont see why you couldn't do so. It wouldn't be too difficult to make your own fill neck and route it up into the bed somewhere. So if you wanted, say 17 gallons of diesel for a on board diesel heater.

I would not want to use this for water. Even if you found a company willing to make a plastic one for potable water, it sits way too close to the exhaust I think.

 

[WILDHOBO]

If a person wanted to use this tank for something else, I dont see why you couldn't do so. It wouldn't be too difficult to make your own fill neck and route it up into the bed somewhere. So if you wanted, say 17 gallons of diesel for a on board diesel heater.

I would not want to use this for water. Even if you found a company willing to make a plastic one for potable water, it sits way too close to the exhaust I think.

I completely agree. It’s nicer to just leave them half full for days where you’d prefer to be lightweight. If you only fill one of them, I agree that you’re going to get debris and condensation, more than you would by using both tanks every day. We had a boat years ago that had gunnel and belly tanks with separate fill necks. We chose to fill the gunnels only, so they would drain into the belly tanks.

 

[chorky]

t’s nicer to just leave them half full for days where you’d prefer to be lightweight.

Trade-offs I guess with a single fill. It would be super slick if someone came up with a switch controlled deal where you could just choose what tank to fill. But another option would be to fill the aux tank full, then pump half of that to your main tank so each tank would be half full.. But that wouldn't last long as you would use gas in the main tank as soon as you start driving.

The one downfall here is it's not 'easy' to just fill the main tank with say 10 gallons of gas.... Because the aux is first in line, it will always receive gas.... I guess that could be a bummer for a lot of people living in 15 minute cities or something and who don't normally keep their tank fuller than necessary (which has consequences). For me, I can easily go through 3/4 of a tank of gas just going to town for the Dr, errands, etc....so by the time I get home, I'm almost empty already, so just throwing 5 gallons in the tank to get to the store does not apply here - for me.

 

[BourbonRunner]

Trade-offs I guess with a single fill. It would be super slick if someone came up with a switch controlled deal where you could just choose what tank to fill. But another option would be to fill the aux tank full, then pump half of that to your main tank so each tank would be half full.. But that wouldn't last long as you would use gas in the main tank as soon as you start driving.

The one downfall here is it's not 'easy' to just fill the main tank with say 10 gallons of gas.... Because the aux is first in line, it will always receive gas.... I guess that could be a bummer for a lot of people living in 15 minute cities or something and who don't normally keep their tank fuller than necessary (which has consequences). For me, I can easily go through 3/4 of a tank of gas just going to town for the Dr, errands, etc....so by the time I get home, I'm almost empty already, so just throwing 5 gallons in the tank to get to the store does not apply here - for me.

Wait, this doesn't have a transfer pump from the aux to the main? I thought that was kind of the idea.

 

[chorky]

Wait, this doesn't have a transfer pump from the aux to the main? I thought that was kind of the idea.

Yes it does have a transfer pump. Thats really the only way you could get gas over to the main tank. Here's a screenshot. Not my photo.

What's cool about it is the pump has an auto shutoff after I think 2 minutes of not recognizing fuel. So you don't have to worry about the pump just pumping away all day. I am considering a way to make the pump run on my auxiliary batteries though so I could fill it up when stationary.

 

[chorky]

Also - don't drill a hole in the body like those instructions say. Run another wire to the battery if you have to. No need to introduce another potential rust spot. My ground will go to the aux battery ground buss - which runs back to the main battery via 4ga cable.

 

[BourbonRunner]

I must have read it wrong. Thanks.

In an ideal world, I'd think the aux transfer pump would automatically top off the main as you're going down the road, detect the level and auto shut off accordingly as the level gets topped.

 

[chorky]

I must have read it wrong. Thanks.

In an ideal world, I'd think the aux transfer pump would automatically top off the main as you're going down the road, detect the level and auto shut off accordingly as the level gets topped.

Yeah that's a neat idea and I bet it could be done. Although I like knowing when my main tank is going empty to gauge how much further I can go on the aux before needing to find gas. Mileage estimates off highway dont seem accurate. What would be even better is if these came with two tanks from the factory! I'm sure theres some type of regulation against it though.

 

[BourbonRunner]

Twin tanks exist in the full size market but you're probably right- there's likely either a regulation that is preventing it or worse its a classic weight (and cost) saving measure to get under a certain GVW for emissions purposes. GM was notorious for that in the malaise era. Shave weight = more efficient. Had a Cutlass that didn't have rear windows that lowered because of it.

Off road I carry a few extra gallons in jerry can if I know I'm going way out because... well, you just don't know where the closest gas station is.

 

[chorky]

This colder weather sure is making projects take longer now. Today I finished the Genesis system overhaul. If you recall post # 192 (https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/destination-unknown-2022-jtr-journal.66430/page-13) I removed the Genesis tray and went back to a factory configuration. The reasons are many, but primarily wanting a more stock friendly setup should the dealer have to make repairs requiring removal of the battery tray, and due to realizing longer trips than initially planed resulted in needing another battery in the bed anyway.

So, this idea came to me quickly but I pondered it for a while. Unfortunately I busted the battery combiner a few weeks ago, so had to reach out to Genesis. Sean ended up answering, and we talked about my situation. He was kind enough to explain the system operation to me a little better, as well as being willing to sell me a replacement combiner. So Sean, if you read this, thank you! Though the dual battery tray was removed, I still wanted to retain the Genesis operational system.

Fortunately I had a little sheet of aluminum lying around that was not being used. So after test fitting some things and making a few measurements, I realized it was going to fit perfectly. Then, finding a plastic box on good 'ol Amazon again, to secure the electronics, I went to rewiring everything. Since the Genesis tray was removed, I no longer had the lugs to attach fuses to. So here I a Blue Sea safety fuse block with a 100a fuse for the 4ga wire going to the bed. Additionally, I used the input side (left) of the fuse block to also attach the main wire feed (6 ga) for the Switch Pros system via the Power Tray mount. In doing this, I can be assured that no parasitic draw from the main battery will occur when the engine is off, even though the switch pros has an engine on signal to power-up. Also with this, is the ability to run in-cab lights that I installed that are always hot (Post # 134 https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/destination-unknown-2022-jtr-journal.66430/page-9). These lights are powered via the switch pros system, but this is the only circuit that is 'always hot'. However, in this situation, now the power will be provided by the house batteries when the engine is off and the battery combiner is in an open state. So if I accidentally leave those cab cargo lights on, they will drain the house battery and not the main vehicle battery. The result is fully functional, and very clean.

The setup is designed to be quickly and easily removed should I need to for more warranty repairs or battery replacement. On the back side of the box closest to the engine is two grommets that feed wires from the combiner lugs as well as the combiner electronics. On the right side by the air filter is a port for the factory Genesis G-Screen to plug into, and a dual wire output - one being ground, the other being the 'engine on' signal. Both standard set-up's for the main Genesis system. So nothing is different other than the layout. I left the plastic box on for this photo as I dont want Sean or anyone else think I am trying to steel or redesign their system. But this was needed for my particular situation and desire.

Now I will just have to rewire the bed electrical to rearrange a few things and the system will function normally.

Also, a shout out again to Genesis being willing to chat with me about their wiring and operation. They also have a new product specific to the Diesels - however, you can probably purchase just the diesel tray and use it here. Their new design includes a tray that attaches on top of the factory fuse box - so no removing the factory battery tray. I checked measurements and with some slight modification it will fit the gaser version of the PDC cover. So, that is another option as well. I went this route as I already had started wiring things when I found out about the new diesel tray.

 

[chorky]

With temperatures outside being just too cold for work, and darkness coming around 1600 each day, I decided to prepare the aux tank as much as possible for install. All of the brass elbows are wrapped with teflon tape as per the instructions - which I wish there was a petrol stable sealer. I angled all the hose clamps to be accessible, within reason, with the tank installed or partially installed. Taking a few minutes to think about this before tightening should make any necessary future repairs easier. Hopefully that won't be a thing though... For some reason LRA includes a plastic tee for the evap system instead of brass like everything else. I'm not sure why this is, and I really don't like it - at all.... So maybe I will replace it in the future. I don't expect it to last very long without cracking. I also am not at all a fan of standard hose clamps. But it would be a pain in the butt to get good quality clamps here in time. Also note the direction each brass elbow is facing. The instructions sorta kinda talk about this, a little. But it's not too terribly difficult to figure out if you just imagine how everything fits up when installed. I also was disappointed to see they only included one piece of wiring loom. And it was the hard plastic kind. I'm not a fan of that style so I used some 1/2" expandable sleeve instead. Hopefully it offers appropriate abrasion protection, but I have never had one rub through on any of my wires before so it should be ok. When fitting the hoses to their respective location, it is a pretty darn tight fit. So, I noticed there was some type of oil in the fuel pump after spilling a bunch on myself when removing the end caps. I used that on my pinky, and spread it inside each of the hoses. This massively helped slide the hoses on to the barbed fittings. Otherwise you probably won't get it fully on each barb. Also note the position of the brass elbow going in the filler neck tube. The directions would have you point it down more so it is totally parallel with the ground when installed, but seeing as how gas will go through this area when filling at a gas station, I angled it up slightly, maybe 15 degrees or so, so that gas doesn't inadvertently try to go through this elbow when at the gas station. Not that it will cause any harm as it will just run into the outlet side of the pump. Another consideration for others in the future is to get your own screws for the evap FLVV. The ones in the kit I am pretty confident are NOT stainless - which will be a problem in time. The lock washers included are also not good quality. I totally crushed and broke one, so opted to dab a touch of blue lockte on them all just for good measure. They are also a standard Phillips head machine screw - which is pretty terrible if they ever rusted in place. The electrical connectors LRA includes in this kit are also pretty terrible quality, so I will be ditching and rewiring everything with heat shrink options. But, the tank is prepped now and ready for it's new home.

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