Has anyone used a 35 gal ram van tank in a similar year ram truck? I honestly want to do the opposite and change the 35 gallon tank in my 99 ram van to a 26 gallon out of a truck, but I'll bet it's much more common for someone to want to do the opposite... From the bottom it looks like it might work (I also have a 96 1500 truck) Thanks!

 

Straps are different it seems, so, I wouldn't hold out much hope of them being interchangeable.

 

the straps look to be pretty easy to relocate a little bit if need be. They might even work where mounted based on the quick measurements from my 95 4x4 with a 26 gal tank. The top of the tank and the hoses fitting is what I have no idea about... I suppose I can make anything reasonable fit, but any help ahead of time that will make it easier would be appreciated. :-) The other option is to move the stock tank back about 18" and relocate the left shock mount (van has them both forward...) more like the truck, but it looks like I'd have to move a cross support on the "frame" to do that and if I can get away with I'd very much like to use the stock fuel fill and other tank hookup / locations...

 

On the trucks, the larger tank is just longer, it isn't any taller, so, if they look to be shaped the same, you could probably get away with it.

 

Do you know off the top if there were any b-series vans offered with smaller gas tanks? Or if perhaps there is an earlier year one that I could mount where the spare tire is on my 1999? I need 18 or more inches where the front of the factory tank is to make room for a transfer case.

Thanks in advance for any insights you might have. I have significant experience in modifying and making all sorts of things, and I'm not afraid to break out the mig, tig, plasma curtter etc. ...but I'd like to avoid doing so where possible.

 

I have a 34 gallon tank on my CC/SB truck..... and it's 4x4. Is it really going to be in the way??

Could fabricate a tank? Just needs to be the correct depth for the fuel pump module. Or, you could custom make that too....

 

yes regarding in the way... The van fuel tank is longer and further forward than the tank on my short bed 95 ram 4x4. If I moved the van fuel tank back, I'd have to cut / move a cross support, the tank close to the rear end and relocate the drivers side shock mount to the rear (like it is on the truck), relocate all the tank connections, etc... and that's before dropping the tank and making sure its not too tall anywhere to do that. The difference in length between the 35 gallon tank in the van and the truck 26 gal tank is almost exactly as room as would be needed for the transfer case to fit (I have a second np231HD transfer case and am waiting on parts to finish putting together another 46re and overdrive unit to install). from what I've read about the trucks at this point, 34/35 gallon tank is too long for the shortbed 4x4 (26 only) but is an option in the 2wd and longbed trucks. soooo.... I was wondering if the shorter 26 gal truck tank would fit at least for now and avoid having to make moving the fuel tank into it's own major project......

Searching around online thinking about the best way to approach this, I also read somewhere that Quigley stopped doing 4x4 conversions on dodge vans because dodge moved the fuel tank to where it didn't leave any room for a transfer case and it wasn't worth the effort at the time to deal with relocating or replacing the fuel tank...

I've never made a fuel tank... but seems like a high cost / high effort option if there's a chance of identifying a plastic OEM tank that'll work without major surgery...

Anyhow, enough rambling...

 

Think I might be tempted to grab a 26 gallon tank from the junkyard, and test fit..... should be able to get one relatively cheap......

 

That's kind of what I was leaning towards... although... I think in a couple weeks when I have the time, I'll run it most of the way out of gas, then go ahead and drop the fuel tank to have a closer look and measure carefully before spending an afternoon at the "pick your part" place in town measuring and dropping fuel tanks :-). Or who knows, maybe I'll get it down and decide that moving it wouldn't be that bad... 35 gallons will be even more welcome when / if it gets thirstier...

I measured more carefully this morning. Since the 4wd overdrive unit I have for the van is a few inches shorter than the one in my truck, it looks like I need 10-11 inches more space at the front of the tank to be safe... and the rear shock mounts are pretty wimpy anyhow so flipping the drivers side and putting it in back will be straightforward as well...

Thanks for the input!

 

Post up some pics of what you find. You have me curious.