I have it figured out... I think.

Two 12 gal. Miller fuel tanks tied together and using a lawnmower gas cap fuel guage. The cork on the guage would give adequate readings and seeing it doesn't go to the bottom of the tank, it wound have plenty of reserve when the guage actually shows empty.

And instead of dual batteries, I'll use an engine battery and throw in my thousand amp jumper pack. It charges via a cigarette lighter and you can use the same outlet for accessory power. It'll be tucked up in the poor excuse of the cabin with the small cooler. The jumper pack will reduce weight and valuable space.

Though compact, this should allow plenty of room for the wife and I to enjoy a long run on small rivers.
This is looking like fun in the making.

On Tue, 20 Oct 2015 11:01:22 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

I have it figured out... I think.

Two 12 gal. Miller fuel tanks tied together and using a lawnmower gas cap fuel guage. The cork on the guage would give adequate readings and seeing it doesn't go to the bottom of the tank, it wound have plenty of reserve when the guage actually shows empty.

And instead of dual batteries, I'll use an engine battery and throw in my thousand amp jumper pack. It charges via a cigarette lighter and you can use the same outlet for accessory power. It'll be tucked up in the poor excuse of the cabin with the small cooler. The jumper pack will reduce weight and valuable space.

Though compact, this should allow plenty of room for the wife and I to enjoy a long run on small rivers.
This is looking like fun in the making.

===

I'm curious how you will hook up the two fuel tanks and/or manage the
switch over. If you draw from both tanks simultaneously, there is a
very real possibility that one tank will run out before the other.
When that happens you will draw air from the empty and the engine will
shut down even though the other tank still has fuel. What I've most
often seen is quick connects on each tank and a single feed hose. When
one tank runs out or gets low, you just move the feed hose to the
other tank.

On Tue, 20 Oct 2015 11:01:22 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:
- show quoted text -
===

I'm curious how you will hook up the two fuel tanks and/or manage the
switch over. If you draw from both tanks simultaneously, there is a
very real possibility that one tank will run out before the other.
When that happens you will draw air from the empty and the engine will
shut down even though the other tank still has fuel. What I've most
often seen is quick connects on each tank and a single feed hose. When
one tank runs out or gets low, you just move the feed hose to the
other tank.
.....
Good question Wayne. I should have clarified that I won't be drawing both sotaniously. That's my bad.
Fuel transfer solenoid a are in expensive, so I thought of running one tank for a bit. Then switching to the other and back and forth etc.
Can manually do the same with a 3-way ball valve too.
On such a small craft, carrying 150lb in in fuel, I'd like to keep even trim as much as I can. Kind of a pain but doable. Can't use bottom fed fuel tanks on gasoline marine.
I wish I could.

On 10/20/2015 3:39 PM, Tim wrote:
On Tue, 20 Oct 2015 11:01:22 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:
- show quoted text -
===

I'm curious how you will hook up the two fuel tanks and/or manage the
switch over. If you draw from both tanks simultaneously, there is a
very real possibility that one tank will run out before the other.
When that happens you will draw air from the empty and the engine will
shut down even though the other tank still has fuel. What I've most
often seen is quick connects on each tank and a single feed hose. When
one tank runs out or gets low, you just move the feed hose to the
other tank.
....
Good question Wayne. I should have clarified that I won't be drawing both sotaniously. That's my bad.
Fuel transfer solenoid a are in expensive, so I thought of running one tank for a bit. Then switching to the other and back and forth etc.
Can manually do the same with a 3-way ball valve too.
On such a small craft, carrying 150lb in in fuel, I'd like to keep even trim as much as I can. Kind of a pain but doable. Can't use bottom fed fuel tanks on gasoline marine.
I wish I could.


I love quick connects... Although the idea of using solenoid to do a
tank switch is something that should have occurred to me...

I know its nowhere near the same situation, but I have two 6 gallon
tanks in my Forrester. If I'm just out fishing, I only take one tank,
but if I'm out to play (ski, tube, just run around the lake) I bring
both tanks and switch off. Like you said, kind've a pain, but doable.

How long are you thinking your trip will be?

- show quoted text -
I love quick connects... Although the idea of using solenoid to do a
tank switch is something that should have occurred to me...

I know its nowhere near the same situation, but I have two 6 gallon
tanks in my Forrester. If I'm just out fishing, I only take one tank,
but if I'm out to play (ski, tube, just run around the lake) I bring
both tanks and switch off. Like you said, kind've a pain, but doable.

How long are you thinking your trip will be?
.........
Ryan, when the Wabash river is up in the spring, you can boat from Vincennes Indiana all the way up to Terre Haute. Which is over 50 miles. And if you really want to be adventurous you can go all the way up to Ft. Wayne Indiana close to the start of the river.
It's nothing like the Ohio or Mississippi, but it's really nice.
The Wabash flows about 10 mph when it's high. So that's a consideration too..

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabash_River

On Wed, 21 Oct 2015 06:22:20 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

Ryan, when the Wabash river is up in the spring, you can boat from Vincennes Indiana all the way up to Terre Haute. Which is over 50 miles. And if you really want to be adventurous you can go all the way up to Ft. Wayne Indiana close to the start of the river.
It's nothing like the Ohio or Mississippi, but it's really nice.
The Wabash flows about 10 mph when it's high. So that's a consideration too.

As long as you are going up river and you carry 2 tanks, you have a
built in reserve. If you run one dry and you will have plenty of gas
to get home on the other because you are not fighting that current.
I assume there are some places to get gas along the way anyhow but it
is going to be more expensive on the water than on land.

I did get low on gas once in my little flat bottom boat, pretty far
from home but I just figured I could get some at a marina on Ft Myers
Beach. Unfortunately it was closed so I ended up walking to a 7-11.
They didn't have TCW-3 oil but they did have non detergent 30w so that
was how I got home. I doubt my old 7.5 HP Merc ever noticed the
difference. I did start carrying oil after that.