The Gun Counter

This is a 12-gallon polyethylene gas 'can' for $50. It seems like using flat tie-down straps to lash this container to the roof of my vehicle would be a good idea if I had to get out fast, especially if I could rig a hose from the container by which I could refill the vehicle's gas tank at a cold stop. (Clearly I'm not talking about a swap-over 'hot' second tank to use while driving.)

So, is this a good value for a functioning product and a decent plan, or am I missing something important?

Well, there is lifting 70 plus pounds of fuel up to the roof of your vehicle, and the size hose that thing takes is designed to feed an outboard motor on a boat over the course of several hours, not fuel the tank of your vehicle in any kind of expedient fashion. There is a good chance that it couldn't replenish fast enough to keep up with the rate your engine is draining the main tank. I think you would be better off buying a couple of regular 6 gallon jugs, which would be a lot more versatile. I regularly carry fuel on the roof of my Jeep, and I wouldn't want to lift more than that up at once, and you will definitely notice the effect that raising the center of gravity will have on your vehicle's handling.

workinwifdakids wrote:This is a 12-gallon polyethylene gas 'can' for $50. It seems like using flat tie-down straps to lash this container to the roof of my vehicle would be a good idea if I had to get out fast, especially if I could rig a hose from the container by which I could refill the vehicle's gas tank at a cold stop. (Clearly I'm not talking about a swap-over 'hot' second tank to use while driving.)

So, is this a good value for a functioning product and a decent plan, or am I missing something important?

This doesn't look like something you should be strapping on the roof of your car, particularly living in the Southwest, and carrying fuel. My experience has been that these types of containers don't last when exposed to sunlight and heat. You might get a year before the plastic reverts and it starts leaking.

In a bug-out situation, providing it has been kept out of the elements, and is the best reserve fuel option available? Well, it's better than nothing. I'd keep looking for something better.

Reading the description, I see where it is being marketed to the boating community. I can see it being used there as long as it was kept under shade most of the time.

This is only my opinion and perhaps the state of the art has moved on and I missed the memo.

Perhaps something like this in the trunk

http://www.jcwhitney.com/aluminum-gas-t ... 22575.jcwx

or one of these

http://www.jegs.com/pt/fuel+cell?sendro ... swodFltyHQ

Although that won't allow for gravity feed.

The would be much more stable and are designed for enclosed environs.

Many, many moons ago, I built a rally-car from a couple of wrecked '69 Novas. In the trunk I placed a 2nd gas tank - in this case from a mid-80's Chevy Luv pickup - selected for its (rectangular) shape. It was fitted with a locking, sealing cap and vented out through the floor via a pressure valve - thus avoiding vapor hazards - and filling it required opening the trunk. The attached electric fuel-pump was activated through a toggle-switch (under the dash) and relay, thus enabling on-the-go transfer of fuel from it to the car's main tank. Worked like a dream.

Were I in your shoes, I think I'd be looking for a small but sturdy trailer. An old "pop-up camper" shell would be ideal, especially if fitted with some larger wheels and run-flat tires. I'd want the ground-clearance to be equal to the towing vehicle, thus allowing off-road travel. You could put as many "bladders" as would fit under a "false floor", thus allowing loading of other material above. Given proper gasketing, the trailer's hard-top would make this an almost hermetically-sealed container that could withstand almost any hindrance the road or trail could offer.

You'd need to be VERY careful to prevent puncture of the bladder(s), but with proper plumbing it would be trivial to pump the fuel from them into your vehicle's tank. With a little "engineering" it would even be possible to rig for an "on the go transfer" as I referenced above. The bladder(s) fill-nozzles could be plumbed out the side of the trailer for ease of filling as well.

HTH...

DD

Precision wrote:Perhaps something like this in the trunk

http://www.jcwhitney.com/aluminum-gas-t ... 22575.jcwx

Just the thing to boost the range of the last of the V-8 Interceptors...

Just remember that trailers are a bitch and a half, off-road. Payload, to an extent, can help you get up something, a trailer is just pure force perpendicular pulling your ass down the mountain...

Aglifter wrote:Just remember that trailers are a bitch and a half, off-road. Payload, to an extent, can help you get up something, a trailer is just pure force perpendicular pulling your ass down the mountain...

Yeah, if you are going to off-road while pulling a trailer, don't even think about trying to do it without having a winch on the front of your tow vehicle. Having recovery points on the trailer is also a really good idea, in case you have to disconnect, and then winch the trailer out separately.