SO.... My VX will be here tomorrow morning, and I am already thinking of things that I want to mod on it. Depending on whether the CNG fueling station gets added into the Military Exchange gas station near the Pentagon as planned, one of my desired mods is to set the vehicle up as a bi-fuel CNG vehicle. My question is about tank placement. The easiest thing would be to mount a tank into the cargo compartment and call it a day. This would, however, limit me to a tank that would only provide about an 8-9 gallon equivalent capacity, limiting me to about 120-130 miles between fill ups, at 15 mpg, ans would also eat up the entire cargo area. In order to come close to the driving range of the gasoline tank, it would require tanks that are 16-18" in diameter and about 48" long, nessecitating a roof mount. From an aesthetic perspective, I actually think this will enhance the kind of "Moon-Buggy" look that attracted me to the VX in the first place, if done correctly.
My real concern is with structural integrity and handling. I assume that I will be adding 200-300 lbs + to the top of the vehicle, as well as making the truck at least 20-24" taller, which I assume could have serious effects on the center of gravity. Not to mention my concerns about what it could mean if I were involved in a bad accident and they turn into missiles.
Do you guys think that the roof rack mounts would be strong enough to hold that kind of weight, or would it need some kind of reinforcement (exoskeleton)?
