Fuel Tank Aux Switch - Which Tank is Which?

[robbielaw]

Hi I ha e just acquired a 1978 about a 28ft winnie I have a switch on the dash for aux and main fuel tank which tank is which? A big tank at the back wich the genie runs off of and a smaller one near the front on the drivers side

[LJ-TJ]

Next time you get gas just fill up one tank. You'll know real quick. D:oH!

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Are you sure you have a Dodge 440?  Dodge tanks are on passenger side.  GM P30 454 main tank is at rear.  Do you have a coil spring or straight axle front suspension?

Dave

[Elandan2]

Not necessarily.  Ours (Dodge M500) has the "main" tank at the rear between the frame rails and the "auxilliary" tank on the driver's side just behind the front wheel.  Rick

[robbielaw]

I dont have coil springs on the front it has a large bar going across. The stamp says its a dodge 440. I have a large tank at the rear between the frame which the generator is also plumbed into and then there is another one just behind the driver next to the battery draw. The thing has been sitting in our neighbours garden for 15 years. The tanks smell of paint thinners not petrol!! I have tried pumping the old gas out of the tanks but because of the baffles in the tanks I cant get it out. Why did they not put drain plugs on  gas tanks!? Any way I have got the rear tank off from between the frame at the rear and am going to give a real good clean out. The other small tank near the front I just cant get off so I need to know which is which so I don't start pulling dirty fuel from the front tank that I cant get off. Once I get the thing running I can pump out the front tank and then re fill it. So after all that what is the tank at the rear main or Aux? One way I think I can work it out is is fiddle with the sender unit in the tank I have got out. If I lift the arm right up as though it was full of gas and then fiddle with the switch on the dash, when the gauge reads full that is the tank I have selected?
keep the opinion coming all is helpful

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Thanks for bringing that out about the M500 (RM400) chassis Rick.  Not that many of the larger M500 chassis around and even I get too focused at times.  Rick's answer should answer your question Robbie.  M500 would have 19.5 size tires/rims also.

Dave

[burt6666]

The aux tank should be the smaller of the 2.

[robbielaw]

Thanks for all your help. Had another look today and mine is a M500 frame (big bugger) so I'm going with, when the fuel switch on dash is saying main its the rear large tank.

[junkyarddogfan]

Are you sure you have a Dodge 440?  Dodge tanks are on passenger side.  GM P30 454 main tank is at rear.  Do you have a coil spring or straight axle front suspension?

Dave

mine is a 1978 dodge 24' winnebago, not an M500 chassis as mine has 17.5 tires on it, and it has its main tank at the back and its aux tank just behind the front axle also, and i have the dodge I-beam front axle as well, along with a 440 and 727 that was sold long ago, so i am assuming that both dodge and gm put main tanks in the back, or basically wherever they will fit.
   

[jkilbert]

I think that each model has it's quirks. My '77 brave has both tanks, 30 gal ea, on the curb side running along the outside of the frame from the entry step almost to the front spring hanger for the rear axle. On Glenn and Tammy's (gpratt) '74 the main is on the curb side by the entry door while the aux. tank is tucked between the rear frame rails.


john

[73dodgeTitan]

My '73 dodge (440-3) Titan has the main tank on the passenger side and the aux tank on the drivers side. The original tank switch is on the dog house just below the drivers seat. The switch has an arrow, pointing at the tank being used.