1/2 or 3/4 ton ?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by hondasaurus

In Northen Québec, from Matagami to Radisson there is a route that offer no service for 381 km...

Dont miss that gaz station and be prepare to pay at least 0.20$ per liter more.

Yes, it is very important to plan for the specific location, such as this northern route... a good example of a place north of where the vast majority of people would ever consider travelling:
Matagami to Radisson in Google Maps
That entire stretch is 620 km; while the longest gap between station is only 381 km (within essentially everyone's range), it would certainly be desirable to have enough range to make the entire trip, and not need to worry about where the remote stations are located.

Even on routes that are routinely used by tourists, price is certainly location-dependent, and higher in remote areas (due to transportation costs, other operating costs, and lack of competition). The highest gas price I saw on a trip across Canada a few years ago was in northern Ontario, on a major highway. This is one of my reasons for wanting enough range to give me flexibility in where I fill up.

[steve dunham]

We’ve gone fishing in Canada every Spring for the past 40 years
We solved our fuel problem by filling our vehicle’s fuel tanks
boat tanks and 6- 6 gallon gas cans on the US side of the border
We use the 6 gallon gas cans to replenish our vehicles and boats
Our method allows us to get back to the Border without refueling . Depending on how much boat gas we burn we sometimes return to the US with 5 or 6 gallons left .
Only once has Canadian custom’s questioned us about having extra fuel

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

I like the concept of the bigger fuel tank but it costs a lot more to fill the bigger tank than the standard tank . Gotta watch my oennies

The only $$ difference is the cost of getting a bigger fuel tank when you purchase the truck. On a trip you will use the same amount of fuel (and spend the same $) whether your truck has a big tank or a small tank. The advantage with the bigger tank is the fewer fuel stops you have to make!

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Dave Walter

The only $$ difference is the cost of getting a bigger fuel tank when you purchase the truck. On a trip you will use the same amount of fuel (and spend the same $) whether your truck has a big tank or a small tank. The advantage with the bigger tank is the fewer fuel stops you have to make!

Dave ; Your reasoning and answer are 100% correct !
What I posted was the Wisconsin logic expressed to me on many occasions when I asked why they didn’t get the bigger tank on their new truck.
When you only buy gas $10 at a time then the size of the tank really doesn’t matter

[John in Santa Cruz]

note that you take a truck that has 2000 lbs payload in its base configuration, but then put the crew cab XLT Lariat Platinum add on stuff on it, and you're cutting WAY into your payload. I highly recommend actually weighing your vehicle at a truck scale, and subtract the real world weight from the GVWR to find your actual payload.

[padlin]

It does hurt more paying $100 to fill the tank then paying $50 twice even though the logic says different.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by padlin

It does hurt more paying $100 to fill the tank then paying $50 twice even though the logic says different.

Logic also says there's no requirement to fill the tank. IF you only want to buy $50 worth of fuel, then do. Your vehicle won't run worse for it. You CAN put 18 gallons in a 36 gallon tank. Just not the other way around. Save the $100 fill-up for long trips where you've researched your fueling stations and already know best pricing for where you're going.

[TZBrown]

We filled with fuel in Deadhorse AK at $5.00+ per gallon, 34 gallons, the most I have ever paid for fuel. It is location driven for sure. Every bit of oil from Prudhoe bay goes south in the pipeline, then to a refinery and then is trucked back up as diesel or gas for use.
There are 2 fuel stops between Fairbanks and Deadhorse though.
We were able to get to just outside of Fairbanks on that one fuel fill, and got a better price on fuel closer to town, 400+ miles on one tank.

[Perry Butler]

Aside from the initial expense:
It's just as easy to keep the top half full as the bottom.

Enjoy,

Perry

[cpaharley2008]

I always thought it was better to keep your tank full, particularly in winter, to prevent condensation inside that could result in vapor lock ice. Maybe I'm just showing my age......

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by padlin

It does hurt more paying $100 to fill the tank then paying $50 twice even though the logic says different.

That’s part of the the Wisconsin gas theory . One of the other parts of the theory is that if you buy a small amount of gas every , or every other day you wil do a better job of price / cost averaging .

[Jim Bennett]

I would guess it has been near 40 years since the last time I never did a full fill. While if you wish to do less there is certainly no harm done, but logically it makes no sense to me.

I guess if you plan to sell a vehicle right away there is no need to fill, though when I have sold vehicles I always do so with a (near) full tank, as otherwise you look like you are cheaping out.

Or maybe the fuel station attendant is cute, and you want to visit them often.

[cpaharley2008]

I think only 2 states, Oregon and New Jersey have fuel attendants, other wise you will run out of gas waiting for someone to pump your gas. This is extremely hard on seniors, I know my mom had a hard time after my dad passed in finding a gas station that will pump the gas for you. Ironically, when I was growing up, fuel attendants were in high demand and a good way to get some pocket money in the summer as well as cutting grass for seniors. Winters was sidewalk snow shoveling, mainly senior neighbors.

[Donna D.]

Oregon is currently looking at making it a choice if you wish to pump your own fuel. I'm fine with it. But I prefer to NOT fuel up my truck. It's nice to sit inside, warm, dry with clean hands, while someone who's getting paid wages does the work. Especially where I live and the cold wind blows the rain sideways in the winter.

What I find most interesting about the possible policy change, is there are people who complain LOUDLY about using self-checkout at a grocery store (they don't want to be a grocery clerk and think others should be paid to do the job), but when it comes to purchasing fuel... they flip the scenario. IMHO that's hypocritical. YMMV

[Farther]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I always thought it was better to keep your tank full, particularly in winter, to prevent condensation inside that could result in vapor lock ice. Maybe I'm just showing my age......

Yes to keeping it full and yes to showing your age. With modern vehicles and "sealed" fuel systems, condensation is less a problem. But I have memories of three vehicles in my distance pasted that would get gas line freeze when the tank was below 1/2 in the South Dakota & Maine Winters.

[John in Santa Cruz]

if you don't fill the tank, its impossible to calculate your MPG

what *I* hate is, the 38G tank on my F250 diesel longbed, if I run that down to sub 1/4 tank, and I need 30+ gallons to fill, at left coast fuel prices, its often over $100, and the credit card resets at $100, so you have to swipe a second time if you actually want a full tank. and then my credit card company chokes, and I have to unblock the card. then add both fuelups to enter into fuelly.com to keep my running MPG...

OTOH, having a 500+ mile range is awesome on long travel days. btw, the 14.4 average MPG has been a bunch of round-town tanks dragging that down. on the open highway I've gotten as good as 22 MPG, but more typically see 15-16 towing the escape 21, which isn't bad for a 12000 lb combined rig.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I think only 2 states, Oregon and New Jersey have fuel attendants, other wise you will run out of gas waiting for someone to pump your gas. This is extremely hard on seniors, I know my mom had a hard time after my dad passed in finding a gas station that will pump the gas for you. Ironically, when I was growing up, fuel attendants were in high demand and a good way to get some pocket money in the summer as well as cutting grass for seniors. Winters was sidewalk snow shoveling, mainly senior neighbors.

That’s one of the many reason we love visiting Oregon . What amazed us was that self service gas at home was no cheaper than full service gas in Oregon
Oregon has so much to offer but I don’t want to make Donna blush by going on and on

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I think only 2 states, Oregon and New Jersey have fuel attendants, other wise you will run out of gas waiting for someone to pump your gas. This is extremely hard on seniors...

While only those two states (and no provinces) require fuel attendants by banning self-serve, there are lots of "full service" fuel stations elsewhere. I avoid them, but some people like them (as has been discussed in this forum previously).

It would be difficult for a person with a severe mobility limitation (such as a someone who must use a wheelchair) to put in their own fuel, but simple age doesn't seem like an issue. If you can get in and out of a car, operate the standard controls, and see and understand the instruments, why wouldn't you be able to pump your own gas? My parents used self-serve stations until they stopped driving, in their 80's.

Steering back toward the thread topic... climbing in and out of a large pickup seems to me like a vastly greater problem then flipping open the filler door and sticking in the nozzle.

[John in Santa Cruz]

re: mobility limitations and gas pumping, California requires the gas station attendant pump your gas if you are legally handicapped, even if he's there alone and has to lock the store.

[Farther]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

re: mobility limitations and gas pumping, California requires the gas station attendant pump your gas if you are legally handicapped, even if he's there alone and has to lock the store.

I don't know this to an absolute certainty but I think that assistance is legally required to be provided at the discretion of the customer. The handicapped customer is not required to use assistance if they don't want assistance.