Long Range fuel tank
Although I have options to carry extra fuel via jerrycans/rotopax cans e.g. on the roof rack, permanent on the car fuel storage is really nice. Fortunately the Long Ranger 80L fuel tank is available for the JB74 Jimny.
This tank is exactly twice the size of the standard tank and is a great addition.
I didn’t fit mine, I had ARB Osborne Park fit mine. This means I have zero pictures or info on fitting it.
It’s worthwhile paying someone for three reasons:
- Fuel tanks in and out of underneath the car in your driveway sucks;
- Exhaust rerouting is required, and with my aftermarket exhaust that was beyond what I wanted to do at home; and finally,
- Since it changes the base weight of the vehicle, a modification permit is needed.
The mod permit is not a huge thing, it’s really routine and a minor modification, but annoying paperwork to do yourself to do it all legally.
The exhaust modifications for mine was done by Custom Exhaust Specialists, who happen to be one of the best exhaust shops in WA and also right next door to ARB Osborne Park.
Some caveats/considerations to getting this tank:
As mentioned, the exhaust needs rerouting.
Some aftermarket exhausts are compatible with it, but others are not. The kit from Long Ranger includes some basic parts to modify the standard exhaust but even with a standard exhaust I’d probably get an exhaust shop to make up a complete midpipe replacement. Not a huge problem but it is something to be aware of.
The distance to empty reading will need to be doubled.
There’s no way to edit the tank capacity in the instrument cluster (at least noone appears to have worked one out). The car only thinks the car has 40L not 80L of fuel so you just need to double it. The fuel gauge, however, works perfectly: half a tank left on the gauge and it’ll take 40L of fuel. The distance to empty thing really seems to annoy some people but I really don’t think it’s a big deal at all.
If you fill the tank really fast, right when it’s basically full you might get a bit of fuel splashed back.
I just listen to how the tank is going getting filled up and it’s fine. Not at all a problem practically I think.
If you run out of fuel, you need to fill in at least 10L if not more to get the tank to pick up the fuel.
When driving it’ll splash fuel over to the pickup side but once you fill it it’ll fill away from it, and without moving the car it won’t splash over. Again, not a huge drama, but don’t run out and expect to put 5L in and get moving again.
Overall it’s been one of my favourite things to have done for the car. It just makes life easier. It isn’t essential except for some really remote tracks, but it does make life simpler and easier. Even just the commute is easier with 800+ km between refills instead of 400km or so.
I know of one other tank for the JB74 but it is a 30L auxiliary tank and pumps into the main tank instead of being one large tank. This tank sits where the back muffler does and appears to be incompatible with some if not all towbars. It might be useful if you’re after a different option but it needs at least as much complex exhaust work/modification as the Long Ranger for less capacity. There is also always the risk of burning out the transfer pump if you leave it on and forget about it, which then is an issue next time you want to transfer some fuel from this tank. On the flipside, it might be a method if you need a heap of fuel capacity to add 30L to having the Long Ranger installed too – 110L in a Jimny is going to get you a reasonable distance anywhere in Australia!