Ways to carry extra gas?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Ways to carry extra gas?

Posted: 3/14/2016 10:23:45 PM EDT

I'm gonna be taking a road trip this summer with my travel trailer. I only have a 26 gallon tank on my 1/2 ton Chevy pickup and want to be able to carry extra fuel in case I have long distances between gas stations and also be available to use in my generator. I would preferably like to be able to keep the gas somewhere in or on my truck but don't want to put it in the bed because I have a tonneau cover and don't want everything in there to smell like gas. I was thinking about picking up one of the metal gas cans they sell at Harbor Freight that are made by Midwest Can company. You can see them here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002GIL64I/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?qid=1458008008&sr=8-10&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=midwest+can
Does anyone have experience with this can? Is it any good? Also, does anybody have any ideas on good ways to transport gas on your truck? Thanks for your help.

Posted: 3/14/2016 10:42:17 PM EDT

[#1]

NATO fuel cans are what you need, and put them in the box. As long as the seal is good, should have no fuel smell.

I am going to make some fuel can holders on the frame under my Excursion, maybe there is enough room to do the same on your pickup?

Posted: 3/15/2016 12:01:53 AM EDT

[#2]

You really just need a good seal on the cans and where ever you store them. I've carried about 10 gallons in the
way-too-expensive Rotopax cans, which do seal extremely well, in the back storage area of my Jeep (so technically
it's even inside the pax compartment, though I have a steel "trunk" installed that contains the cargo.) No smell
whatsoever.

You can also double seal by placing the containers in thick industrial garbage bags and tying the bag off.

I think we're conditioned to think storing gas will make eveything smell because there are so few good gas containers
out there, and not because stored gas actually makes things smell -- it shouldn't.

Posted: 3/15/2016 1:12:30 AM EDT

[#3]

HF has some good stuff....and a lot of junk. Don't buy gas cans there. NATO cans are GTG. Buy real ones.

Posted: 3/15/2016 1:25:23 AM EDT

[#4]

Look at the top of this section for the tacked thread "Fuel Can Oracle". That might answer your questions.

I did the same thing last summer and had 10 gallons in the old Walmart gas cans in my toolbox. I didn't have any problems, but I realize you don't have a toolbox.

Posted: 3/15/2016 4:33:37 AM EDT

[#5]

I drive a SUV, and I use a hitch rack that keeps everything rear-bumper level, and I can still get access to the rear through the glass door.

Most of the time I'm just transporting to and from, so I haven't needed to secure the cans, but with a hitch lock and bike lock cables, you will prevent somebody from casually strolling off with your fuel.

Posted: 3/15/2016 6:57:21 AM EDT

[#6]

I just bought 4 NATO jerry cans from Atlantic British off of eBay. Got free shipping that way.

I will be ordering more, and there is no gas smell whatsoever. If you want something good, get the NATO cans.

Posted: 3/15/2016 11:18:03 AM EDT

[#7]

so, are the NATO cans from Lexington container company good? http://www.lexingtoncontainercompany.com/Nato-Jerry-Cans.html
Or are the Atlantic British ones better? Also, what do I need to buy with them? Nozzles and gaskets?
Sorry for all the questions. The oracle thread is 47 pages long!

Posted: 3/15/2016 12:55:35 PM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
so, are the NATO cans from Lexington container company good? http://www.lexingtoncontainercompany.com/Nato-Jerry-Cans.html
Or are the Atlantic British ones better? Also, what do I need to buy with them? Nozzles and gaskets?
Sorry for all the questions. The oracle thread is 47 pages long!

View Quote

Everything you need to know from the oracle thread is posted in the first 2 pages. The other 45 pages are folks crying why can't they use cheap harbor freight walmart cans.

Good vendors for NATO cans are:
Old Grouch
Atlantic British
and
Lexington

Posted: 3/15/2016 12:56:34 PM EDT

[#9]

Quote History

Quoted:
I just bought 4 NATO jerry cans from Atlantic British off of eBay. Got free shipping that way.

I will be ordering more, and there is no gas smell whatsoever. If you want something good, get the NATO cans.

View Quote

Those are terrific. And the spout/nozzles for them and the bracket to attach them right to the can makes for a great way to store gas. Pricey, but good quality.

Posted: 3/15/2016 7:24:13 PM EDT

[#10]

maybe get a duel tank set up from a wrecked truck and install it in your truck? not sure how hard that would be to do. but if you could make it work that should be a extra 15 gallon tank.

you could also look into a extra large replacement gas tank... 40 gallon maybe?

i used to have a tool box in the bed, that had a approx 50 gallon gas tank built into the bottom. we plumbed it into the gas line, and had a valve under the seat to turn it on when the main factory tank ran low. actually i used the 50 gallon as my main tank, and the factory 15 gallon as a " reserve tank".

Posted: 3/15/2016 8:01:42 PM EDT

[#11]

Our trailer has a hitch mount on the back. I'll be using one like shown on the SUV above for packing extra gas.

Our neighbor just bought a bunch of the NATO gas cans to replace his plastic cans. They're very nice. I picked up his old ones for cheap.

Posted: 3/15/2016 8:24:15 PM EDT

[#12]

I'm a big fan of external fuel cells.

I have a 90 gallon tool box/fuel cell combo in our dually that is very handy, is piped in the filler hose, and has a ball valve. I am considering putting an electric pump with a switch in the cab to refuel on the fly.

Posted: 3/15/2016 10:36:40 PM EDT

[#13]

NATO cans work beautifully with the Smittybilt gas can carrier, which is pretty cheap on Amazon. (This particular Smittybilt product isn't Shittybilt)

This carrier doesn't work as well with Blitz's or NATO cans, the strap on top is for NATO cans.

I have 2 on the side of my trailer for extra fuel. Those carry NATO's. The Jeep carries (usually) another gas can and an MWC.

Best pic I have, you can see one tan MWC and 2 NATO's. This was Cola Warrior West last year, IIRC. It appears I was carrying a second MWC on the Jeep, but you can barely see it.

Posted: 3/16/2016 12:32:05 AM EDT

[#14]

Scepter now makes a 'civilian' HDPE2 fuel can, 20L, but it's different dimensions from their MIL-STD design. Wider at the base, narrower at the top, taller overall, and it has a civilian cap, not the wide mouth mil design. The real nice part is that they are much thicker than usual 'civilian' plastic jugs. By weight they're about 2/3 the thickness of the mil design, and at least twice as thick as regular civilian cans. Some Costcos have them for under $20. They're $30 at my 'Pep Boys' chain automotive store.
By accounts I've read online, they work fine. Any plastic jug should, if it's in decent condition. And if you get gas fumes off them then something's leaking or you spilled on the outside of the container when you filled them.

Posted: 3/16/2016 11:13:39 AM EDT

[#15]

I have 4 cheap NATO cans in a tool box in the back of thee truck and they haven't leaked at all with a lot of off road bouncing around.

Posted: 3/17/2016 2:00:44 AM EDT

[#16]

This goes on the back of the BOV. Ratchet-strapped down until I decide to weld actual locking gas can brackets as shown above.

I would have liked something like this, but I like the rise the WP hitch rack gives me. Maybe I'll have a cage welded on to it instead of locking individual racks in the future.

Posted: 3/17/2016 9:16:16 AM EDT

[#17]

I have a bunch of plastic cans around the house but for doing trips, especially long distance, I will use nothing but metal, particularly NATO cans.

With other cans you are either venting leaving a dangerous trail of fumes or having to deal with either bulging or collapsing. You get enough temperature shift even venting won't work sometimes. Fill the back of your truck with gas just once, you won't want to do it again.

It's not just a design thing either. It's inherent. Rust at least you can see and address it while polymer leaching or UV degrades you won't.

Tj

Posted: 3/17/2016 11:02:46 AM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
NATO cans work beautifully with the Smittybilt gas can carrier, which is pretty cheap on Amazon.

View Quote

Going into Canada fishing (NOBODY wants to buy gas at a Canadian marina) I've seen guys build
carriers.

One thing I saw that worked well on a trailer was a tray built to the dimensions of the can and bolted down in
the "Y" fork of the trailer.

That works quite well with a boat (plenty of room for cans under the nose of the boat). Don't know whether it
would work with a travel trailer OP, but it might be worth a look.

Posted: 3/19/2016 12:46:32 PM EDT

[#19]

I've carried gas in NATO gas cans (from British Atlantic) IN the extended cab part of my truck with no issues of smell. I carried gas this way for sometime during the Texas summer. I wanted to see if there would be any issues.

Posted: 3/19/2016 2:36:30 PM EDT

[#20]

The back bumper on our 32' had a hitch. I put the hitch rack carrier with a cooler and two MFC. No cooler 4 MFC'S. A few straps across cans. A strap or two over the whole things back to bump for rigidity.

Posted: 3/21/2016 3:09:20 PM EDT

[#21]

I have one of the midwest cans from harbor freight. It sucks. I had to get a replacement spout for it and install a vent just to make it usable. Atlantic british is good to go but if you buy from them you can get free shipping if you buy from them on ebay instead of their regular website.

There is just no comparison between a decent metal jerry can and the CARB compliant plastic crap. They are far cleaner, safer and easier to use, they seal tighter store better and last longer. They even make small ones that are handy for lawnmowers that use the same spout.

If there is a down side to metal cans, it's that the spouts are separate and could be lost.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Ways to carry extra gas?

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