# Vehicle with the largest gas tank? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 7, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740 "2006-09-07T02:19:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/1 "2006-09-07T02:19:45Z")
Which vehicle other than Mack truck type vehicles and other heavy equipment in America has the largest gas tank? In other words, which SUV (lol) has the largest gas tank? ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/2 "2006-09-07T02:25:58Z")
You should factor MPG into the equation. The longest range SUV is probably the Ford Expedition with the turbocharged Diesel (AKA powerstroke) option…worthwhile for the power (esp. at altitude) alone, but also for range and slightly less pain at the pump. My mid 90’s vintage F-250 has two tanks, of 21 and 19 gallon capacity. I was fairly empty at my last fillup and dropped $111 **(OUCH!)** ---
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/3 "2006-09-07T16:00:24Z")
Cool, thanks ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/4 "2006-09-07T16:37:12Z")
1993 Chevy C1500 pick-up One 34 gallon tank. I did not know that fact till I filled up for the first time. I no longer wait till empty. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/5 "2006-09-07T16:43:16Z")
[QUOTE=Kevbo] The longest range SUV is probably the Ford **Expedition** with the turbocharged Diesel (AKA powerstroke) option… **(OUCH!)** [/QUOTE] Meant **Excursion**. Curse ford form having all thier SUV names start with the same two letters. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/6 "2006-09-07T16:51:30Z")
Apparently the [Hummer H1](http://www.automotive.com/2006/12/hummer/h1/specifications/index.html) has: “28.5 gallon main diesel fuel tank , 24 gallon auxiliary diesel fuel tank”. And the [International CXT](http://www.internationaldelivers.com/site_layout/XTFamily/cxt.asp) has a 70-gallon tank, if you’re willing to call that a pickup truck / SUV. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/7 "2006-09-07T16:54:14Z")
Space Shuttle. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/8 "2006-09-07T16:59:51Z")
Honorable mention for the 1990s Chevy Caprice— a car with a 23 gallon tank. ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/9 "2006-09-07T23:16:08Z")
[QUOTE=Kevbo] Meant **Excursion**. Curse ford form having all thier SUV names start with the same two letters. [/QUOTE] Ford Escape? ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/10 "2006-09-08T12:28:37Z")
[QUOTE=Baffle] Ford Escape? [/QUOTE] You could argue that since it’s not body on frame, it’s not a real SUV. On the other hand, if I wanted to agree with you, then I’d add “Ford Edge” to the pie. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/11 "2006-09-08T15:35:09Z")
[QUOTE=Baffle] Ford Escape? [/QUOTE] Im sure they meant to call it the Excape and some proof reader changed it. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/12 "2006-09-08T18:56:52Z")
My friend just bought a 1967 Ford F100 with three gas tanks. Central and two side tanks. If we’re reading the manual correctly the main tank is 17 gallons while the optional tanks are 25 gallons a piece, but we don’t know the story with the two other tanks so we can’t say for sure. ---
**Author:** ![BusDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@BusDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BusDriver)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/13 "2006-09-08T19:53:41Z")
I’m pretty sure the [Lamborghini LM2002](http://www.heritageclassics.com/lamborghini/87redlm002/A.jpg) was available with an optional 80+ gallon fuel tank. That is an incredible machine. ---
**Author:** ![JERRYMCGOVERN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@JERRYMCGOVERN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JERRYMCGOVERN)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/14 "2012-09-20T00:24:54Z")
Sure the LAMBO LM002 has a large gas tank. Top speed of 125 MPH in Desert Terrain. 73 gallon fuel tank. 6 Mile-per-Gallon “Fuel Economy”. However 73 x 6 = 438 miles on one tank of gas. Today at $4.099 per gallon is $299.227 USD… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/15 "2012-09-20T05:28:43Z")
An _Iowa_ class battleship has a 2,500,000 gallon fuel tank. ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/16 "2012-09-20T06:41:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > An _Iowa_ class battleship has a 2,500,000 gallon fuel tank. And probably takes the better part of a week to refuel from empty. (Though I seriously doubt the navy ever let the tanks anywhere near empty. ) ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/17 "2012-09-20T12:05:22Z")
I found [this MS thesis](http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA201208) (.pdf, scroll to page 16) in Operations Research which dealt with Underway Replenishment. From his figures analysing UNREPs in 1983 and 1984 in the USN Pacific Fleet, he came up with an average fuel transfer rate of 2500 to 3000 barrels per hour. You’ll need someone like **Snipe70** to double-check this, but at a conversion rate of 42 gallons per barrel, I get a fuel transfer rate of 105,000 to 125,000 gallons per hour. Divide by 2.5 million gallons (~60,000 barrels) and I get somewhere between 20 and 24 hours for one modern oiler to fully fuel the USS _Iowa_ from bone dry. I don’t know if WW2 oilers could refuel at the same rate. The figure depends on the pressure the oiler’s pumps can provide, as well as what the receiving vessel can handle. A typical end of [WW2 oiler](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Chicopee_(AO-34)) had a fuel capacity of 131,600 barrels So, 20-25 hours-ish (to fuel it with BRAAINSS!). Longer than I thought. ---
**Author:** ![phxjcc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phxjcc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phxjcc)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/18 "2012-09-20T16:58:07Z")
I think my 1985 Chevy Suburban with a 7.4L had a 42 gal tank. Took regular (not unleaded) gas. Remember complaining when it took almost $40 to fill up. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/19 "2012-09-20T17:04:59Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > An _Iowa_ class battleship has a 2,500,000 gallon fuel tank. Since this zombie is being kept alive by others, I just feel the need to point out that the battleship gets terrible highway MPG. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Dord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@The\_Dord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Dord)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740/20 "2012-09-20T17:12:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > An _Iowa_ class battleship has a 2,500,000 gallon fuel tank. And you’ll need all that fuel if incase of a Zombie Apocalypse! I mean.. Zombies can’t swim and all.. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vehicle-with-the-largest-gas-tank/371740.md?page=2)