Inside Fuel Storage

[lovetoski]

I purchased "Four-by-four driving" by Tom Sheppard. Just digging into it and seems like a good book, lots of interesting ideas/pics/tech info/etc.

A number of places in the book he comes out strongly against fuel cans on a roof rack - tipover danger is his point. Instead, he recommends placing fuel cans INSIDE (lashed down of course). His point is that this enables the load to be low, and centered between the axles. Very stable. Also, if stuck, you can easily remove the fuel to help get unstuck. He's recommending good quality military style 20L cans of course.

So I did a bit of measuring. In my 60, with the rear seat removed (lots of storage space that way) you can place eight 5 gal cans across wise, just behind the front seats. It's easy to bolt tie-downs to the floor, so the cans could be made secure.

Fuel cans are ~$15 each at Sportsmans guide. 8 of them = 40 gals, for $120 (plus maybe $30 for tie-downs). So, $150 for 40 gals of additional fuel on board. Pretty cheap, and very easy to do.

Obvious questions though - will these leak and stink up the truck? Is it safe? Tom Sheppard seems like a credible guy, and it's his third edition so you'd think obvious "flaws" would be edited out. Still...

Looking forward to your input please.

 

[MountainCruiser62]

i read in another thread alot of people are against it because of the possibility of leaks and fumes filling the cabin, but i keep my septor 5gl. can inside and ive never smelt any fumes or spilt any fluid.

 

[cpg]

I purchased "Four-by-four driving" by Tom Sheppard. Just digging into it and seems like a good book, lots of interesting ideas/pics/tech info/etc.

A number of places in the book he comes out strongly against fuel cans on a roof rack - tipover danger is his point. Instead, he recommends placing fuel cans INSIDE (lashed down of course). His point is that this enables the load to be low, and centered between the axles. Very stable. Also, if stuck, you can easily remove the fuel to help get unstuck. He's recommending good quality military style 20L cans of course.

So I did a bit of measuring. In my 60, with the rear seat removed (lots of storage space that way) you can place eight 5 gal cans across wise, just behind the front seats. It's easy to bolt tie-downs to the floor, so the cans could be made secure.

Fuel cans are ~$15 each at Sportsmans guide. 8 of them = 40 gals, for $120 (plus maybe $30 for tie-downs). So, $150 for 40 gals of additional fuel on board. Pretty cheap, and very easy to do.

Obvious questions though - will these leak and stink up the truck? Is it safe? Tom Sheppard seems like a credible guy, and it's his third edition so you'd think obvious "flaws" would be edited out. Still...

Looking forward to your input please.

agree with heavy items low. I would not want to drive a 80 with 40 gallons of any liquid on the roof.

 

[Brian894X4]

The only fuel cans I will every buy again, is the Wedco Nato cans.

http://www.expeditionexchange.com/wedco/indexmain.shtml

They are not cheap, but if you absolutely have to carry a gas can inside, that's the one to use. They also come in 5 gallon, 2.5 gallon and 1.5 gallon sizes. I have multiples of all three. I've never used the new CARB design, so I don't know what's up with them or how well they work.

I generally carry three 2.5 gallon cans, mounted in the back. The 2.5 gallon cans are much easier to use to fill the gas tank and less gallons per can means less sloshing around.

They are pretty darn air tight. I can stick my nose right up agains the lit and not smell a thing. The bad part is, they are pretty darn air tight. Which means that the cans will expland and could explode with major pressure differences.

I had a 2.5 gallon can sitting in the back of my Honda CRX with the huge rear window and very hot temps, sitting in a parking lot for a few days. I got to witness first hand just how structurely strong the cans are. The can literally ballooned, but the welds held. However, not something I want to experience again. Just make sure the windows are tinted or shaded on those really hot days.

Good luck.

 

[MuddyOval]

I've covered hundreds of off-highway miles with 3 or 4 cans of fuel inside and never got a whiff of them. Don't fill them completely to the top to allow expansion and don't spill on them when filling and you'll never know they are there. The ones I use are military- not red, which might anger the DOT but they are Wedco with locking pin and WAY cheaper than the red ones.

 

[lovetoski]

I've covered hundreds of off-highway miles with 3 or 4 cans of fuel inside and never got a whiff of them. Don't fill them completely to the top to allow expansion and don't spill on them when filling and you'll never know they are there. The ones I use are military- not red, which might anger the DOT but they are Wedco with locking pin and WAY cheaper than the red ones.

Sounds similar to my cans. But, I spray-painted mine red. Thanks for the real-world input...I'm going to give it a try and see what happens. The two tips make sense - thanks!

 

[fernandol]

You can get away with carrying fuel inside if your cans are good but need to monitor any possible leaks carefully, you also have to be very careful not to spill any gas when filling them, specially if you are carring food in your rig, even if it is not next to the cans.
Bread and other foodstuffs tends to suck up any vapors even when packed inside sealed plastic bags becoming uneatable.
Also cans should be either filled to their capacity, without over filling, or completly empty.

Regards


Fernando

 

[Hltoppr]

I second the Wedco NATO style cans....especially for interior storage!

I stored 2 Wedco cans inside the rear of my 80, and never had a problem....

-H-

 

[Josie'sLandCruiser]

Hi All:

I have to say I can't argue with the negative comments on storing "Jerry" cans on a roof rack! Just does not make sense, IMHO!

I have two 1969 manufacture British Army surplus "Jerry" cans that I use to carry gasoline inside of my FJ40. As long as the gasket on the lid is in good shape you should not have problems.

X2 on the "WEDCO" brand cans and pour spouts* - they seem to be very good quality.

Regards,

Alan

* Remove the plastic flexible extension from the WEDCO pour spout before using. Ask me why!

 

[brownbear]

For expedition I don't see why a bunch weight up top would matter. I would not put 8 jerry can inside my truck with a rack on the top.

Ok for serious 4 wheeling, I would not want them on top. But if your doing serious 4wheeling to the point where you are going to tip over I would think you would do that closer to gas station. Not a 1000kms in the middle of nowhere, on an expedition.

When I am far from help I do less silly stuff.

 

[kim]

I purchased "Four-by-four driving" by Tom Sheppard. Just digging into it and seems like a good book, lots of interesting ideas/pics/tech info/etc.

A number of places in the book he comes out strongly against fuel cans on a roof rack - tipover danger is his point. Instead, he recommends placing fuel cans INSIDE (lashed down of course). His point is that this enables the load to be low, and centered between the axles. Very stable. Also, if stuck, you can easily remove the fuel to help get unstuck. He's recommending good quality military style 20L cans of course.

So I did a bit of measuring. In my 60, with the rear seat removed (lots of storage space that way) you can place eight 5 gal cans across wise, just behind the front seats. It's easy to bolt tie-downs to the floor, so the cans could be made secure.

Fuel cans are ~$15 each at Sportsmans guide. 8 of them = 40 gals, for $120 (plus maybe $30 for tie-downs). So, $150 for 40 gals of additional fuel on board. Pretty cheap, and very easy to do.

Obvious questions though - will these leak and stink up the truck? Is it safe? Tom Sheppard seems like a credible guy, and it's his third edition so you'd think obvious "flaws" would be edited out. Still...

Looking forward to your input please.

Probably not a good idea for us smokers.

 

[Mickldo]

Long range fuel tanks under the vehicle = good

Jerry cans in or on top of the vehicle = bad

 

[jzmq]

Has anyone ever made a long range tank that sits on the floor of thier cargo area (I have a 60) with a tap that runs into the original fuel gauge sneder unit? I've been trying to think of a way to do this. Anyone have any ideas on the pros and cons?

John

 

[MuddyOval]

I've seen fuel cells that are wide and shallow- Something like that would work ok, using a cheap electric transfer pump. When fitting long range tanks underneath, consider that anything outside the chassis rails on the sides would not be road legal.

 

[samba]

Has anyone ever made a long range tank that sits on the floor of thier cargo area (I have a 60) with a tap that runs into the original fuel gauge sneder unit? I've been trying to think of a way to do this. Anyone have any ideas on the pros and cons?

John

I like this idea.

 

[Mickldo]

Has anyone ever made a long range tank that sits on the floor of thier cargo area (I have a 60) with a tap that runs into the original fuel gauge sneder unit? I've been trying to think of a way to do this. Anyone have any ideas on the pros and cons?

John

The way the 80 series twin tank system is set up is really good. The two tanks have separate supply and return hoses that go to a pair of solenoids. When you change tanks the supply and return get swapped. The fuel sender units are separate too with two gauges on the dash. The advantage of this system is if you hole a tank on a trip or get a dodgy batch of fuel somewhere you can isolate one of the tanks and still have a separate system to get home on. You will find if you just have a gravity feed to the other tank you will need a tap to stop over filling the bottom tank. Excess fuel will make its way out the fuel filler tube vent. The two separate tanks system is a lot more reliable and safer.

 

[BiG BoB]

I would never carry petrol/gasoline inside a vehicle, but I'd have no issues carrying diesel, provided it was in metal containers with good seals.

Occasionally I need to carry petrol for a honda 10i generator, and as its only ever about 5L this goes on the roof (along with the generator if the tanks not empty!)

The preference for me would be to tow a trailer or use a trayback 4wd if a journey needed more than "normal" levels of fuel (180L) so that fuel could be stored outside

Sean

 

[Brian894X4]

I just completed a recent trip in the Oregon desert, where I thought I was going to need a substantial amount of extra fuel. So, I carried 12.5 gallons. Three 2.5 gallon Wedcos up top, along with a new 2.5 Scepter that I was trying out, and a single 2.5 gallon Wedco inside.

Ironicly, I never needed a drop of extra fuel, thanks to hitting the few outpost gas stations at the right time along with better than expect gas mileage.

I'm not sure if I'd do this arrangement again or not. The tanks were rock and steady double safety strapped, and didn't really affect the stability of the vehicle, but they work a little too well as wind brakes at the upper highway speeds, caught all the branches on the trails and were ugly as sin. Just to make it so they fit nice and snug, I cut down 4 Blitz can holders and bolted them to the AO roof rack, then strapped the cans down with multiple straps. They never moved a bit during the trip. Having them on the very back of the rig, made them easier to access and put them as far as from me and heat sources as possible in the event of a roll over.

If I had a choice, I would love nothing more than a stock Toyota subtank set up. It would absolutely perfect for me as I don't need any of the bigger aftermarket 30-44 gallon subtanks, but they are extreme expensive to find parts, "if" you can find parts, here in the states.

 

[dclee]

Don't worry, Tom Sheppard is probably one of the MOST creditable guys out there as far as overland expeditions go. His points, IMHO, are valid, but also remember a few things:

1.) He is most likely referring to diesel, which is much safer to carry inside (or anywhere else).
2.) He can use the superior NATO cans, whereas some of us may be stuck with leaky CARB-compliant ones...
3.) He comes from a heavy Land Rover background, where it wasn't so easy to just strap a whole lot of weight to the roof because of the "weak" aluminum roof and body (Defenders).

I'd say if you can afford to do it his way, it would be preferred, but some people have to carry more passengers/cargo and may need that roof rack, and may use different vehicles with different load carrying and driving dynamics.

BTW, he no longer drivers Rovers, he now drives a Mercedes-Benz 290GD turbo diesel G-Wagen, with a proper steel roof (though still no roof rack!)...

 

[sandcruiser]

we carried fuel both in and above the truck all over the place for a year and more.
If we are talking about one or two cans, roof rack is fine- I doubt that 10 gallons a fuel is going to make the diff between tipping over and not tipping in the vast majority of situations.

There's no way I'd carry 8 cans right behind the driver's seat. I know that they are built tough, but in the event of a collision, do you really want 40 gals of gasoline sitting 6 inches away? I don't.

Finally: Where are you driving that you think you'll need 40 extra gallons of fuel? Thats at least 300 miles from the nearest gas station (65 gals total, 300 miles each way with another 25% or so "reserve").

I mean... I've done 300 miles between gas stations in Baja. But never 300 miles *from* a gas station.

Just curious.

edit: in my opinion, a better solution is to carry 2 jerry cans on the rear bumper, then, if needed, a third and/or fourth on the roof. 4 cans should get you an extra 200-300 miles.