New Fuel Service Trailer

You may have seen the low-profile Thunder Creek fuel trailers out in the field feeding fuel-hungry tractors and combines. Thunder Creek has upped its game with a new Fuel Service Trailer (FST) line.

The FST line is three, fuel service trailers with the capacity for 500, 750 and 990 gallons of diesel fuel. The tanks are built with seven-gauge steel and double welded. The tanks include full height, offset baffles. Baffles improve trailer stability as they control the "slosh" of the fuel in the tanks as the trailer is pulled down the road or across a field.

The FST units top out at six feet in height and are seven feet wide. The FST500 is 13 feet long and the FST990 is 17 feet long.

More, the FSTs are of a modular design, meaning that options such as a 100-gallon DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) delivery system, with a pump and 35-foot delivery hose, and a rear utility box can be added as need. The trailers also can be fitted with a solar battery charger and WorkSight light tower, with its own battery. The light unit sends light out 75 feet out over dark fields.

"[With those options] you don't have to overspend or underutilize the FSTs," said Tim Worman, sales leader for Thunder Creek, in Pella, Iowa (www.ThunderCreek.com). "You can configure these trailers the way you want them, over the life of the trailer. It can grow as the [operation] grows."

The trailer's 40-gallon per minute, gas-powered fuel pump can greatly reduce morning fuel service times in fields a long way from the shop and bulk fuel storage area, Worman said. Buyers can add a 50-foot hose reel upgrade to the fuel system.

The DEF tank unit is a particularly efficient add-on. The 100-gallon poly tank is designed to deliver clean DEF in field conditions. It features a two-in-one pumping system, with auto shut-off. The system includes a 35-foot auto-retracting hose (a 50-foot hose option is available).

The Thunder Creek pumping system fills and dispenses DEF without exposing it to contamination. Dirty DEF can damage an implement's exhaust system.

Because DEF freezes at 12 degrees F, Thunder Creek's DEF system allows the tank to freeze without damaging it. An optional, 110-volt DEF heater package is available for the colder climates.

The DEF tank enclosure and a separate diesel pump enclosure have 75 cubic feet of space (about 49 cubic feet in the front DEF enclosure, and about 21 cubic feet allotted in the diesel pump area). Both the front and pump enclosures feature positive pressure dust control systems. Those systems control dust accumulation in enclosed spaces by keeping the air pressure inside the areas higher than outside the unit.

An optional, five-drawer tool chest can be added to the front enclosure, as can the upper portion of a 7,000 pound electric, hydraulic jack.

The lockable, hatch-style access doors lift upward for convenience in situations where space is tight. Both areas include LED lighting.

One add-on is the rear utility box. It can be fitted onto the fuel unit after purchase, adding only three feet of length to the trailer and 650 pounds to its weight. The utility box is built to carry a three-in-one welder, generator and compressor unit, or a compressor and generator unit. It has space for a five-drawer tool, a 50-foot air and electric reel, workbench with a vise, and even a can and towel holder. The box is 55% larger than previous models.

The price for the base model FST 550 model begins at $10,000. A well-equipped FST 990 costs about $20,350. Prices depend on options added to the units. The units can be delivered with a number of custom color options.

Dan Miller can be reached at dan.miller@dtn.com

(BAS)

Copyright 2016 DTN/The Progressive Farmer. All rights reserved.