Jerry can underneath?

[Count_Fred]

I rarely need enough extra fuel to justify the cost of a bigger main, or an aux fuel tank. Has anyone looked at the space above the spare tire (with or without the tire still there) with an eye for storing a jerry can or two there?

Are there any issues about storing them there if they did fit?

My first thought is impact protection, but if the jerry cans aren't stout enough to take it themselves, I think it would be easy enough to mount a skid plate underneath them. A skid plate would also help keep some of the gunk/mud off the cans themselves for when you go to use them.

I've seen jerry cans carried on their side on roof-racks. Is there a good risk of leaking with a quality can?

I don't want the weight up high on a roof-rack if I can avoid it. I don't yet have a rear bumper, and there is never enough room inside. So I'm looking for alternate solutions...

Thoughts?
JFS III

 

[NLXTACY]

I can only give my experience, right or wrong, and it was in my 60. No bumpers and no rack. I wound up getting the original Nato gas cans (the replicas are crappy) and just secured them inside the truck. Never a spill and I never smelled gas. I also vented them out once a day.

For the LX I now have a gas can carrier but before that they went right up on the roof. Never spilled a drop.

I wouldn't try to mount a gas can above the spare tire because for the amount of work you have to do to it to get it secured and protected you might as well build something that hangs off your ARB or maybe off your rear glass, like get an 80 ladder and secure the can to it if you don't want to put it up top.

 

[wearsabrowncoat]

Safety wise it is a good location - the factory sub tank goes there. Its not like you are dealing with a problem like the pintos or late model chevy trucks had.

I think the amount of leak from placing a jerry can on its side would very from can to can.

It seems to me that if you are going to fab up the mounts you might as well do an aux tank. I wouldn't want to crawl up under there unless I had a flat or was flat out of gas. Also, your gas would go bad unless you rotated it.

NLXTACY has some good ideas for alternatives.

 

[e9999]

my metal jerry cans never leaked a drop. No smell.

I would not put an unprotected bomb underneath my truck (and no, I don't want to discuss my existing fuel tank either.... ) So a serious skid plate would be a must for me if I'd wheel the thing...

 

[1shot1kill]

A few months ago I came across pics of an 80 on this site with jerry cans stuffed underneath. I just modified my Kaymar jerry can carrier to hold three cans or 15 more gallons. That's good enough for me! Oh, I can still put 10 more gallons on top so 50 gallons is enough for my desert trips!

 

[mmuthart]

I just modified my Kaymar jerry can carrier to hold three cans or 15 more gallons.

Any pics of this mod.??

 

[1shot1kill]

Any pics of this mod.??

https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/284375-modified-kaymar-jerry-can-carrier.html

 

[lacruiser]

I bought a couple of the Wedco NATO cans for some expedition runs. I stored them inside the truck, and I never smelled a whiff of diesel. The older Jerry Blitz cans would leak, but the NATO ones don't.

 

[Brian Macgyver]

I have seen several attempts to replace the spare tire with a round gas can. One was a round gas bladder attached to an aluminum skid, made to winch up where the factory spare was meant to fit. Another was a plastic tank made to fit the same way.
Silver Creek Steel here in Prescott experimented with this idea. Brad over there made a solid aluminum 31 x 6" tank to fit on the spare tire winch.
In every case, the liability outweighs the benefit.
If the temporary can gets a hole in it for any reason, the creator is liable for a vehicle fire. Therefore, nobody with half a mind will manufacture one. This is unfortunate, because it is a good idea.

 

[Exiled]

Canadian guy with a super sweet JDM 60 series...TheDude or something like that? His name escapes me. If you search, he designed and executed beautifully on a hinged carrier for 2 (or more) jerry cans mounted to the frame, in the original spare tire carrier location. I always thought that was a nice modification, much cheaper than an auxiliary tank and it keeps the COG low.

 

[jodo]

Lookis great 1-shot,

Who makes those cans?

Jodo
coilover lx450

 

[Count_Fred]

Canadian guy with a super sweet JDM 60 series...TheDude or something like that? His name escapes me. If you search, he designed and executed beautifully on a hinged carrier for 2 (or more) jerry cans mounted to the frame, in the original spare tire carrier location. I always thought that was a nice modification, much cheaper than an auxiliary tank and it keeps the COG low.

I've searched for this a bunch, but I've had no luck, poor search skills I guess. Any further clues and/or a link?

Cheers,
JFS III

 

[1shot1kill]

Lookis great 1-shot,

Who makes those cans?

Jodo
coilover lx450

Scepter!

 

[CreeperSleeper]

I would destroy them down there... But I play harder than most of you guys.

 

[Brian894X4]

I can't find my pictures, but I did this on my pick-up, mounted a jerry can in the spare tire location, after rigging up some brackets. It worked out OK, but my biggest concern was the thing falling out or the bracket failing, since the weight of the can was basically carried by this bracket. I eventually removed it, because I wanted to put the spare tire back in place. I don't know that I would do it again. It just felt pretty unsafe. I think with a VERY well make, fully welded bracket and some protection, it could work pretty well.

The only gas can I would ever use in that situation is a Wedco UN style can with the old style filler. These seal the best of any can I've ever used, but I don't think they are in production anymore. I know I bought up some of the last 2.5 gallon cans that were made a while back. Even though I don't need them, they are so good, I figured I might need them someday when my current ones wear out.