Secondary Fuel Tank for Red Diesel

[Lyons]

We have 25 or so pick ups on site that are all running on white. 80% will never leave the site (its off the road in a forest) apart from MOT time.

I've proposed running them on red to save some money, but our plant department are a bit apprehensive about what will happen come MOT time and that there may be traces of red still remaining.

Has anyone any experience with the likes of a secondary tank like this?

Universal Lightweight Aluminum 15 Gallon Fuel Cell Tank + GM Sending Unit

I assume it would be fairly easy to install with an additional pump and a couple of change over v

 

[chris_b]

I could be wrong on this but I thought if a vehicle is registered for the road it cannot be ran on red regardless of where it is used ?

Vaguely recall a conversation about it not long ago

 

[brendy]

Too much hassle, can you not run them on red then pump out the tank a week before mot and run a couple of small amounts of regular to clean the tank out?

 

[brendy]

I could be wrong on this but I thought if a vehicle is registered for the road it cannot be ran on red regardless of where it is used ?

Vaguely recall a conversation about it not long ago

If thats the case how do tractors have number plates? I honestly dont know, just asking.
I'd swear Ive seen some modern big things with plates.

 

[Boabybooster]

If thats the case how do tractors have number plates? I honestly dont know, just asking.
I'd swear Ive seen some modern bit things with plates.

I thought they ran on Nathan Carter and red bull.

 

[Nicky]

You'd need a valve block job the engine bay to isolate either fuel when you wish to use the other, and run a feed and return pipe from both tanks to ensure the red doesn't return to the white tank and vice versa.

It's been done plenty, and is very common, and when you do one and figure out where to mount pipes and what you need, the rest will be simple.

Are they all the same make/model of pickup?

 

[Boabybooster]

Would it not take a while to recoup the the cost of fitting all this.

 

[chris_b]

If thats the case how do tractors have number plates? I honestly dont know, just asking.
I'd swear Ive seen some modern big things with plates.

Oh I could be way wrong ! It's a complicated area to figure out.

 

[brendy]

I thought they ran on Nathan Carter and red bull.

I acrtually had to google Nathan Carter...

 

[Lyons]

Nope, L200's, Navaras and Hi-Lux's

 

[Coog]

Road registered = no red diesel apart from 'excepted vehicles', which I assume includes tractors.

I also remember hearing something about farmers using it in their Defenders but only allowable up to a couple of miles from their land.

 

[Antoin]

Can you not run them on red all the time and then declare your on road usage and pay the tax accordingly?
Proving how many miles you do on road is the problem I suppose.

 

[Coog]

Can you not run them on red all the time and then declare your on road usage and pay the tax accordingly?
Proving how many miles you do on road is the problem I suppose.

You would need to get an approved exception and put someone in charge of recording and administering it all.

 

[Antoin]

It could be worked out by how much red & white the company are buying and how many miles each pickup does each year (checked at MOT). Based on mpg figures over the whole fleet that would be an accurate way of calculating the usage split. Probably not accurate enough for Customs & Excise though.

Surely farm contractors must do some version of this as they will definitely not be running white all year round?

 

[Lyons]

Would it not take a while to recoup the the cost of fitting all this.

We're spending £8k a month on white.

 

[chris_b]

There has to be a way of making it work. Can you not call someone ?

 

[Lyons]

The A-Team?

 

[Boabybooster]

We're spending £8k a month on white.

Well maybe it wouldn't take that long to recoup then.

 

[pablo]

is it an offence to drive a car with clear fuel in it but with traces of red?

if not then just drain the tank and put clear in before setting off on the road. MOT won't care so the only problem is getting dipped and even then you've got a reasonable excuse.

technically you're probably just supposed to pay the tax and get on with it.

 

[Coog]

It's illegal to use it off road on the red full stop. You mightn't get caught but the fears from the transport team are well founded. You'd get absolutely shafted if caught.

 

[pablo]

thats that then

 

[Lyons]

It's illegal to use it off road on the red full stop. You mightn't get caught but the fears from the transport team are well founded. You'd get absolutely shafted if caught.

That's the concern because it's the company.

From what I can gather a secondary tank shouldn't leave any traces of red?

 

[pablo]

still has to go through pipes, filters, injectors etc

 

[Coog]

It could be worked out by how much red & white the company are buying and how many miles each pickup does each year (checked at MOT). Based on mpg figures over the whole fleet that would be an accurate way of calculating the usage split. Probably not accurate enough for Customs & Excise though.

Surely farm contractors must do some version of this as they will definitely not be running white all year round?

They may have an approved exception or are just risking it? I'm not sure the spending split would work either but it would all be part of the approval process I guess.

Get the ball rolling with the approval and once that's in place and HMRC have approved the 'exception' and way of delivering the fuel, etc then you could work towards how to install the hardware.

still has to go through pipes, filters, injectors etc

I think they also analyse exhaust gases. So pretty much any trace can be picked up.

 

[chris_b]

No there has to be a way that's totally above board.
Surely some gov department can advise?

Alternatively don't rule out LPG. I know of a few transport companies using LPG for trucks successfully and it offers major savings.
Plus there is a 'red' version of LPG for off road use