There are moments on every journey that quietly change the way you travel.
For us, it wasn’t a breathtaking mountain overlook.
It wasn’t a spectacular campground.
It wasn’t even one of those unforgettable meals we still talk about around the dinner table.
It was twelve lonely miles.
That’s what our dashboard said as we pulled our 2024 Rogue Armored 373BS13 through the mountains behind our 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD Duramax.
Range: 12 Miles.
I’ve never enjoyed watching numbers count down quite that slowly.
Every mile felt longer than the last.
Would the next station have diesel?
Would there be enough room to maneuver a forty-five-foot fifth wheel?
Would we even make it?
Thankfully, we did.
But somewhere between that fuel gauge and the diesel pump, I made up my mind.
I never wanted another trip dictated by fuel stops.
Travel should be about discovering new places—not constantly searching for the next gas station.
That decision sent me on a journey I never expected.
The Hidden Cost of a Small Fuel Tank
Anyone who regularly tows a heavy fifth wheel understands something that isn’t often discussed.
Your fuel tank gets smaller every time the road begins to climb.
Our Silverado carries a factory 34-gallon tank.
Pulling nearly 18,000 pounds through mountain country, we typically found ourselves looking for diesel after about 250 miles.
On paper, that may sound reasonable.
In reality, it often meant stopping when we didn’t want to stop, paying whatever price happened to be posted, or pulling into stations that weren’t exactly designed for trucks towing large RVs.
It also meant spending far too much time watching the fuel gauge instead of enjoying the scenery around us.
I finally asked myself a simple question.
Was there a better way?
Searching for the Right Answer
Like most of us do today, I started researching.
Review after review.
Forum after forum.
More YouTube videos than I could possibly count.
Most solutions involved auxiliary tanks mounted in the bed of the truck.
They certainly work.
But they weren’t right for us.
One of the things I appreciate about owning an eight-foot bed is having every inch available whenever the B&W fifth-wheel hitch isn’t installed.
I wasn’t interested in giving up valuable cargo space.
Eventually I discovered the Titan 60-gallon replacement fuel tank.
Unlike an auxiliary tank, the Titan replaces the factory fuel tank underneath the truck while continuing to use the original fuel pump and sending unit. Nothing changes in the bed, nothing interferes with towing, and from the outside, you’d hardly know anything had changed.
The more I learned, the more it seemed like exactly what we had been looking for.
Choosing the Right People Matters
Finding the right fuel tank solved only half the problem.
Now I needed someone I trusted to install it.
That search led me to STE Truck in Almont, Michigan.
From my very first conversation with their team, I knew I was dealing with professionals.
They answered every question patiently.
They explained the installation process without trying to sell me something I didn’t need.
Most importantly, they treated our truck with the same care I would have.
In today’s world, that kind of customer service deserves recognition.
The installation was clean, professional, and exactly as promised. Thousands of towing miles later, I haven’t had a single regret about trusting STE Truck with the job.
I’ve learned something over the years.
Great products are important.
Great people are unforgettable.
One Frustration Still Remained
There was only one obstacle left.
General Motors doesn’t currently offer dealers a way to reprogram the truck’s computer for a larger replacement fuel tank.
Owners of some Ford and Ram trucks can simply have the ECM updated to recognize the additional capacity.
GM owners don’t have that luxury.
The truck still believes it has the original 34-gallon tank.
Some owners simply reset the trip odometer after every fill-up.
That wasn’t enough for me.
When I’m towing eighteen thousand pounds through the mountains, I want to know—not guess—how much fuel remains.
The ScanGauge III Completed the Puzzle
That’s when I added a ScanGauge III.
Honestly, I expected it to be a temporary solution.
Instead, it became one of the most valuable pieces of equipment in our truck.
Once programmed for the larger tank, it accurately calculates fuel remaining, miles until empty, fuel economy, fuel used, trip mileage, average speed, and much more.
After well over a dozen fill-ups at Love’s Travel Stops and thousands of miles towing our fifth wheel, it has proven remarkably accurate.
Instead of wondering…
I know.
That confidence has completely changed the way we travel.
More Than Extra Fuel
Most people assume adding fuel capacity is about driving farther.
They’re only partly right.
For us, it became about driving smarter.
We no longer feel pressured to stop at the first available diesel station.
We can wait for larger truck stops with easier access.
We can bypass expensive fuel stations.
If we discover an interesting historic town, scenic overlook, or local restaurant, we don’t find ourselves thinking,
“We really should stop for fuel first.”
We simply enjoy the moment.
Ironically, the greatest benefit of carrying more fuel is spending less time thinking about fuel.
Command Central
Friends occasionally climb into our truck and laugh.
My bride calls it Command Central.
Our Garmin RVCam 795 safely guides us around low bridges and tight roads.
The TPMS monitor continually watches every tire on both the truck and fifth wheel.
The Furrion monitor lets us keep an eye on all three trailer cameras.
Our Rugged Radio makes backing into campsites simple and stress-free.
And tucked neatly into its own little corner sits the ScanGauge III.
Some might think it’s just another screen.
I see it differently.
Each display reduces one more worry, allowing us to spend more time focused on the road ahead and the memories we’re creating together.
Five Hundred Miles of Freedom
Today, we’re comfortably seeing more than 500 miles from a tank while towing.
Do we always drive that far?
Absolutely not.
That’s not the point.
The point is having the freedom to choose.
Freedom to stop because we’re tired instead of because we’re nearly empty.
Freedom to fuel where it’s convenient rather than where it’s necessary.
Freedom to enjoy the drive instead of watching a countdown on the dashboard.
That’s something no factory option could ever measure.
A Pleasant Surprise at the Pump
Before making the purchase, I read several reports from owners who experienced fuel overflow while using commercial truck pumps.
That certainly gave me pause.
Fortunately, our experience has been entirely different.
After more than a dozen fill-ups—including many at Love’s truck lanes—we’ve experienced no significant issues.
Every truck and fueling technique may differ, but our experience has been consistently positive.
Looking Back
If I could change one thing…
I would have made this upgrade years ago.
Not because I wanted another sixty gallons of diesel.
Because I wanted fewer things competing for my attention while traveling.
The mountains deserve my attention.
The scenery deserves my attention.
My bride deserves my attention.
The fuel gauge shouldn’t.
Around the Campfire
Whenever we pull into a campground, it doesn’t take long before someone wanders over to admire the truck or ask about the fifth wheel. Before long, someone spots the ScanGauge III on the dashboard, and the questions begin. These are the ones I hear most often.
Did you lose any bed space?
Not at all, and that was one of the biggest reasons I chose the Titan replacement tank. Because it occupies the same location as the factory tank underneath the truck, our eight-foot bed remains completely open whenever the fifth-wheel hitch is removed. That was a major deciding factor for us.
Why didn’t you simply reset the trip odometer?
Many owners do exactly that, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with it. Personally, I wanted more confidence than an estimate could provide. The ScanGauge III gives me accurate fuel information every time we travel, allowing me to spend less time watching the fuel gauge and more time enjoying the road ahead.
Has the ScanGauge III really been accurate?
It has exceeded my expectations. After well over a dozen fill-ups at Love’s Travel Stops, I’ve found it to be remarkably consistent. It’s become one of those pieces of equipment I rarely think about anymore because it simply does its job.
Any trouble filling the larger tank?
I had read reports from a few owners who experienced overflow at high-flow commercial pumps, so I paid close attention during our first several fill-ups. Fortunately, we haven’t experienced that issue. Your experience may vary depending on the pump, but ours has been trouble-free.
Would you do it again?
Without hesitation.
In fact, if I could change one thing, I would have made the upgrade sooner.
Final Thoughts
Travel has taught me many things over the years.
Some upgrades make a truck look better.
Others make it perform better.
A few simply make life easier.
This one did something different.
It gave us peace of mind.
Looking back, I didn’t purchase a larger fuel tank.
I purchased the freedom to enjoy the journey without constantly wondering where the next diesel pump might be.
The Titan 60-gallon replacement tank has exceeded every expectation we had, and the ScanGauge III solved the one challenge General Motors has yet to address.
Just as importantly, the outstanding team at STE Truck in Almont, Michigan, gave us complete confidence before we ever pulled out of their parking lot. Good equipment matters, but good people are often what make a great decision even better.
The purpose of an RV isn’t simply to take you farther.
It’s to help you enjoy every mile between here and there.
This upgrade has done exactly that.
“We’re not trying to get there first. We’re trying to enjoy getting there.”
Another Cooper Shortcut worth remembering.
Happy travels,
The Cooper Shortcut Camping Journey Trio 😊 PlusOne!
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