OAUSA Net - July 20, 2023 - Extra Gas Alternatives On The Trail

[DaveK]

Extra Gas Alternatives On The Trail

For many years, I have been enjoying the great outdoors, and in the beginning, a two or three day weekend trip sufficed. In time, two things happened:

• It became increasingly clear that a short weekend trip was not enough

• Remote and off the beaten path trips were some of the very best.

With these realizations, I began the process of embarking on a journey to find the most fascinating and scenic locations where a trip of a week or more was necessary to truly appreciate what our American South West had to offer.

Logistically, longer trips require a different set of planning considerations, not to mention a great deal of research. For many, the limitations inherent in longer trips includes things such as work obligations, your vehicle capabilities for remote location travels, costly gear, family issues, and more. If you are able to resolve these issues, there is one that remains which, if not resolved, will severely limit the durations of your trip, and in most cases, limit your abilities to experience those places that the vast majority of people will never know.

That remaining issue is the ability of your vehicle to travel great distances without the need to refuel at a gas station. It has not been uncommon for our vehicles capable of traveling 500 miles on just the fuel in our tanks and in the containers we bring. This is what this net will cover, "Extra Gas Alternatives On The Trail." One of the many wonderful things about 4 wheelin' is the great diversity and ingenuity that off-roaders possess in addressing any problem that we encounter, and for this net, we will see several different approaches to the need to carry extra gas on the trail. If you have some ideas, let us know.

While we often are on the trail for a week or two, we need to emphasize that extra fuel can make for a much belter adventure for trips of less than a week. More on the net.

We will be posting information and pictures all the way up to the start of the net, so check back for all of the topics that we will discuss. Here are some of the topics we hope to cover.


1. Genuine Jerry cans

2. Jerry can racks

3. Jerry Can pour spouts

4. Roof top Jerry can racks

5. Lockable Jerry can racks

6. Gas siphons

7. Military style Jerry cans

8. Alternate gas storage

9. Gas container mounting ideas

10. Some safety tips

11. Spare parts and repair items

12. How much gas to bring

13. Trip planning for re-fueling

[DaveK]

The Jerry Can

With the advent of the automobile, came the eventual, but inevitable advent of containers to store gasoline. Without doubt, the most famous, even today, is the Jerry can. It has been copied, imitated, cheapened, and used as a basis for most similar designs, but never improved. Among its many qualities are it's strength, it's ingenious and leak proof closure, its ingenious design, and its ruggedness and ability to remain functional in the roughest environments.

The ubiquitous Jerry can has a colorful history which we intend to cover on the net. You may wonder why these containers came to be known as Jerry cans. Well, the term, "Jerry" is not one that has a "webster Dictionary" like definition, but is seems generally accepted that it is a reference to Germans, and brought into general usage during WW I and WW II. More on the net, but these pictures will be part of the discussion.


A

German Jerry Can use.jpg (242.6 KiB) Viewed 6076 times

B

US Jerry Can use-2.jpg (65.8 KiB) Viewed 6076 times

C

Flimsies.jpg (158.12 KiB) Viewed 6076 times

D

Flimsies-2.jpg (374.59 KiB) Viewed 6075 times

E

Jerry Can-4.jpg (682.96 KiB) Viewed 6075 times

F

Jerry Can-3.jpg (660.23 KiB) Viewed 6075 times

G

Jerry Can-7.jpg (729.34 KiB) Viewed 6075 times

H

Wavian Jerry Can Nozzle.jpg (52.34 KiB) Viewed 6075 times

I

Jerry Can-5.jpg (657.51 KiB) Viewed 6075 times

J

Jerry Can-2.jpg (77.98 KiB) Viewed 6075 times

K

Cheap Jerry Can Knockoffs-1 (Medium).jpg (33.55 KiB) Viewed 6075 times

[DaveK]

Random Thoughts

MOUNTING OPTIONS

There are a whole bunch of different products out there, and time and space don't allow for coverage of all the mounts that are on the market. So, we will mention a few, but you will be best served by considering what we mention, and doing your own research. Two quick rules that should never be violated:

• Never mount your gas cans inside your vehicle passenger compartment

• Select a mount, or fabricate one which is rugged and securely mounted to the vehicle. AND, check them before every trip.

1. Roof Mounted Racks

Years of carrying extra fuel, experimenting with different carriers (mounts), and looking at what is on the market and on other 4x4s, have brought me to my current gas can racks, all of which have allowed me to extend my range to about 500 miles before needing to refuel. The steel racks are bolted to the roof rack floor, and are lockable. With the gas cans mounted flat to the floor, these racks keep my height to about three inches above the roof rack, itself. Additionally, the wrap around racks protect the filler spout.

Jerry Can racks for roof top mount-2.JPG (84.35 KiB) Viewed 6052 times

Jerry Can racks for roof top mount.JPG (99.25 KiB) Viewed 6052 times

2. LoD Offroad Destroyer Jerry Can Mount for 07-21 Jeep Wrangler JK & Wrangler JL
(https://www.quadratec.com/p/lod/destroy ... rangler-jk)

Available from Quadratec, Inc. From their website:

Destroyer-jerry-can-mount-jk.jpg (30.81 KiB) Viewed 6052 times

3. Baja Racks

The Baja racks are well built, rugged, and have protection for the filler spout. From their website (https://bajarack.com/products/roof-rack ... 48fc&_ss=r)

Our brackets fit (2) 5 Gal./20 Liter fuel cans. They are designed to protect your fuel caps and are lockable. Also, our new handle makes it easy to take them off and on, and, if you have NATO cans, the handle can help you open the lock on the spouts.

Baja Gas Can Rack-2 (Small).jpg (30.52 KiB) Viewed 6052 times

Baja Gas Can Rack (Medium).jpg (54.3 KiB) Viewed 6052 times

4. Garvin Rotopax roof rack mounts

For those who choose the Rotopax gas containers, Garvin sells a mount that will attach to certain roof racks,
(https://www.quadratec.com/products/1204 ... gLn5fD_BwE)

Garvin Rotopax mount.jpg (32.32 KiB) Viewed 6052 times

Roto Pax 4 Gal.jpeg (20 KiB) Viewed 6052 times

Roto Pac on Olympic 4x4 rack.jpg (46.38 KiB) Viewed 6052 times

5. AT Jerry can holder
(https://atoverland.com/products/at-can- ... 28b4&_ss=r)

This Gas can holder just looks great, but the best part is that it has all the stuff to make it tough and versatile. Made from 1/8 inch thick metal that can be mounted in any position (except up side down.)

AT Jerry Can Holder.jpg (82.85 KiB) Viewed 6052 times

HOW MUCH GAS TO BRING / TRIP PLANNING

The short answer is, bring more gas than you will need. Figuring out how much, is where trip planning will be critical. Of course, knowing the kind of mileage your rig gets on the trail will be the starting point. On the highway, different rigs will get quite different mileage, but that is really meaningless once you hit the dirt, and the 4WD button gets pushed. While it is not always true, I have observed over many years that the trail seems to be the great equalizer when it comes to gas mileage. On our long term trips, every rig is loaded up with heavy supplies, like gas, water, tents, cooking gear, refrigerators, and the like. Your light, 6 cylinder, 4x4 that gets "great" mileage on the street, is all of a sudden lugging hundreds of pounds of stuff, and your gas mileage will show it. The smaller engines have to work harder than the bigger V8s in order to carry all the extra gear, or so I have observed. If you don't know what your rig gets on the trail, planning can get very dicey.

The next step is calculating the total miles you expect to travel. Remember, side trips, not originally contemplated, need to be considered. Getting total miles means that you need a way to calculate this number. For this purpose, I have had phenomenal success with the TOPO! mapping program, which allows me to hand draw my exact routes on a USGS Topo map, and get actual mileage for all roads traveled.

On our recent trip to the Parashant / North Rim, I used this mapping program to not only plan our destinations, but to also calculate total miles to be traveled. Here is what it looked like:

Parashant Trail.JPG (1.06 MiB) Viewed 6051 times

MANDITORY ACESORIES

Replacement Gaskets
(https://deutscheoptik.com/Set-of-Four-J ... skets.html)

For a few bucks, you can have a set of 4 replacement gaskets. Age will eventually take its toll on this part, and having a replacement, especially in the middle of a trip, can make a difference.

Jerry Can Gaskets.jpg (21.79 KiB) Viewed 6051 times

3. Jerry Can Spout

Ditto for the spout. Lose it and good luck getting the gas from your can into your vehicle tank. In fact, GET 2.

Wavian Jerry Can Nozzle.jpg (52.34 KiB) Viewed 6051 times

[toms]

NATO Cans

To give you an idea of how rugged the Jerry cans are, in 2002, I ordered a few used NATO gas cans from Sportsmansguide (https://www.sportsmansguide.com/) out of Minneapolis. They have been in business since 1977. I really enjoy their easy to remember phone number 800-888-3006. (on sale for $12)

One can was stamped WD 1941 (I assume war department). It is still a serviceable can.
Quite a few were of German origin. I am still using all the cans. They were green and I painted most of them red.

I have replaced only one seal. They can lay on the side and not leak.

Date filled.jpg (27.67 KiB) Viewed 6074 times

Date filled - on side.jpg (119 KiB) Viewed 6074 times

Since I may not use the can of gas right away, I write a date on the lid and on the side of the can. The sun sometimes, will fade one or the other depending on how I carry the can on the vehicle.

The warning on the side of the German can means: Fuel - Highly combustible.
Treibstoff = fuel
Feurgefahrlich = highly combustible

Treibstoff Feuergefahrlich.jpg (142.77 KiB) Viewed 6074 times

The German cans came with a set of badges and a badge hold so you specify what fuel was in the can.

Holder for contents badge.jpg (109.42 KiB) Viewed 6074 times

BN or B.jpg (212.44 KiB) Viewed 6074 times

B or P.jpg (133.07 KiB) Viewed 6074 times

Badge in holder.jpg (116.44 KiB) Viewed 6074 times

StA-BIL

I always add two oz. of Sta-Bil to every 5 gal can of gas. We do not always use all the gas taken on a trip. With Sta-Bil in the can there is no reason to expend the effort to put in the tank just to use it up.

Sta-Bil.jpg (83.93 KiB) Viewed 6073 times

20230719_105346.jpg (36.15 KiB) Viewed 6074 times

According to the instructions 1 oz. per 2.5 gallons will hold the gas for up to 24 months.

Sta-Bil build-in measure.jpg (203.98 KiB) Viewed 6074 times

The bottle has this easy to use method to measure out and pour 1 oz. Just take the cap off and squeeze the bottle

[Jeff-OAUSA]

Jeep TJs are not known for great mileage or large fuel tanks. That combination makes fuel planning critical for a week and a half offroad trip to the Parashant and Arizona Strip in 2018. The trip entailed about 400 miles of dirt roads and trails between gas stations. Here is what I carried.

+On-board OEM Jeep Fuel Tank = 20 gallons

+2 Side-mounted Jerry Cans = 10 gallons

+2 Rear-mounted Jerry Cans - 10 gallons

Total Fuel Available (in theory) = 40 gallons

The side-mount and rear-mount Jerry cans were placed symmetrically for weight and balance reasons. The Jerry cans are mounted upright and are 5 Gallon Wavian cans. I did not have any leaks, even on some pretty hot and bouncy days.

Jeep TJ with Extra Fuel - Copy.jpg (1.24 MiB) Viewed 6073 times

The side-mount and rear-mount Jerry cans were placed symmetrically for weight and balance reasons. The Jerry cans are mounted upright and are 5 Gallon Wavian cans.

The driver-side, rear-mounted Jerry can placement is convenient as it allows use of a "Shaker Siphon" to transfer fuel to the Jeep without removing the Jerry can or trying to hold it up while transferring fuel.

Jeep TJ with Extra Fuel 2 - Copy (2).jpg (1.31 MiB) Viewed 6073 times

The side-mount Jerry can holders are made by MORryde. I have been very happy with the holders and they can be removed very easily when not needed.

https://www.extremeterrain.com/barricad ... 02520.html

MORryde Frame Side Jerry Can Holder.jpg (36.21 KiB) Viewed 6073 times

The rear-mount Jerry Can Holders mount to the aftermarket spare tire holder made by RockHard4x4.

RockHard4x4 Jerry Can Mount.jpg (25.97 KiB) Viewed 6059 times

Here's what the RockHard4x4 Jerry Can Mount looks like mounted to the spare tire holder. Despite the "arm" needed to clear the spare tire, the mount is pretty solid. My only issue with the RockHard4x4 system is fixing the Jerry Can to the rack. The supplied straps gave out, so I'm now using tie-down straps and they seem to work fine. The RockHard4x4 Jerry Can holder includes provisions for pad-locking the Jerry Can to the rack.

https://www.rockhard4x4.com/product_p/rh-2003-lt.htm

RockHard4x4 Jerry Can Mount Detail.jpg (60.21 KiB) Viewed 6059 times

A "Shaker Siphon" greatly simplifies the transfer of fuel and they are very inexpensive.
https://www.menards.com/main/tools/auto ... c-9113.htm

Shaker Siphon.jpg (18.22 KiB) Viewed 6067 times

Here is a Shaker Siphon in action: https://youtu.be/mjVpbYDOEp8


Total Cost of Extra Fuel Storage:

+$760 for 2 side and 2 rear Jerry Can mounts, self installed
+$320 for 4 Wavian 5 gallon Jerry Cans

$1,080 which equates to $54 per gallon of extra fuel. That turned out to be less costly than a tank expansion that would have at best added 5 gallons.

[Voodoo Blue 57]

Below is my solution for carrying about 25 gallons of extra fuel. I already had the 2 RotopaX 4 gallon holders attached to my tire carrier. After some research I decided to build my own holder for 4 Nato gas cans. I purchased 2 Front Runner Outfitters Jerry Can holders (https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/e ... older.html). Then for less than $20 dollars I purchased 2 pieces of angle iron and 4 U-bolts. I had a friend weld the Front Runner Gerry Can holders to the angle iron. Mounted the holder to my existing roof rack.

On my first trip I wasn't sure how the design would hold up. It turns out it held extremely well over some very rough washboard trails.

I also wasn't sure how the FJ would handle the extra weight on the roof. The Icon Stage 2 suspension I have installed handle the additional weight without any problem.

Here is what the vehicle looks like on the trail

IMG_4288.jpg (1017.14 KiB) Viewed 6046 times

Here is a top view of the holder minus the cans.

IMG_0913.jpg (1.29 MiB) Viewed 6046 times

Here is a side view of how I mounted it to my roof rack. I installed the back angle iron behind the post going from the top roof rack assembly to the lower assemble, my reasoning was that if I had to stop suddenly the holder would not slide forward.

IMG_0914.jpg (2.06 MiB) Viewed 6046 times

Front angle iron attachment.

IMG_0915.jpg (2.42 MiB) Viewed 6046 times

My Jerry Cans are not the best. The ones I originally order for my trip were stranded in Germany because of a port strike. I had to settle for sub-par cans on short notice. The material is thin and the cans tend to swell and collapse with altitude but they did not leak.


One of my Gerry Cans.

IMG_0918.jpg (3 MiB) Viewed 6046 times

Here is a top view of the Gerry Can opening. Notice the vent tube on the upper part of the opening is rather large. My plan was to use a siphon hose to get the gas from the roof to the gas tank below but that breather tube was to larger for the siphon hose.

IMG_0917.jpg (1.65 MiB) Viewed 6046 times

[KAP]

Dave, Tom and Paul,
Please check me in. I will not make the net tonight but I wanted to post some information I thought was relevant to tonight’s topic.

To all,
My current situation is that I travel extensively for work, often with my Tacoma. I drive over the Sierra Nevada mountains at least once a month all year. While a beautiful drive, there are challenges from active fires, blowing smoke from fires, heavy snow and ice, power outages that shut down gas stations( thank you PG&E), along with other situations that can cause the 2 major highways I use to encounter delays or complete shutdowns.

Six cylinder vehicles generally get poor mileage and mine is no different. While I have been outfitting the truck for camping trips longer than a weekend, the reality is that I also want the security of extra fuel and other supplies if I encounter delays during on road travel.

Carrying jerry cans poses an issue for me for several reasons. I stay in many hotels during my business travels that often have height restricted parking structures. In addition, I often travel to less than desirable locations with high theft or vandalism so carrying extra fuel cans is not a good option.

In addition, I don’t have the ability to mount extra fuel on my rear bumper.

My solution was to replace the standard 21 gallon fuel tank with a larger or auxiliary tank.

This provides some great benefits including low center of gravity compared to externally mounted containers, safety and security of the having the extra fuel hidden and the fact that the extra fuel is always there when I need it. One of the most important factors is that the fuel is in the absolutely safest place it can be for both off-road and on road travel!!!

Challenges or warnings
1. May be illegal in some States. Often can’t be installed in California.
2. Vehicle warranty issues?
3. Added weight- just don’t top off tank if extra fuel not needed on a daily basis.
4. Expense- this tank was about $3400.00 installed.
5. Generally require professional installation.
6. Fuel gauge will very likely be inaccurate. *See below.

Fun data:
2020 Tacoma TRD Off-road
OEM tank - 21 gallons
LRA tank- 33 gallons, 57% increase in size
Stock approx. range 350 miles
New LRA tank approx. current range up to 575 miles based on below numbers. Your mileage may vary. Off road miles will severely lower these numbers.

Fuel tank topped off and tank drained to the “Full Mark”- 7 gallons used.
At 1/4 tank left I have approx 12 gallons in tank. That’s a nice “reserve”!

1/2 tank used got me 300 miles at 18.6 mpg
3/4 tank used got me 390 mpg in stop and go traffic at 17.9mpg
Severe headwinds at 75 mph on hwy 80 from Elko, NV I used 25.6 gallons and drove 352 miles with 7.4 gallons left in tank for a low of 457 miles per tank at 14.7 mpg.

Oh by they way, the speedo has not yet been corrected after the 255/80- 17” tires(true 33”) were installed so these are change the numbers still.
Still the numbers are useful.

Companies that sell fuel tanks:

https://longrangeamerica.com

https://titanfueltanks.com

https://www.transferflow.com

I chose the Long Range America brand due to suitability for my vehicle and installers in my area.

Some additional useful info is that some makes of vehicles require a complete tank replacement like the Tacoma, others provide an auxiliary tank. From the LRA website a Forerunner or Lexus GX use an auxiliary tank that would “double” your range. All else equal, count me in!

[KAP]

Tanks are available for a wide range of vehicle makes and model years.

My tank had to be dropped in from the top after the truck bed was lifted!!! Consider details like these when choosing a brand and model.

LRA Tacoma 33 gallon tank

IMG_8109.jpeg (28.3 KiB) Viewed 6037 times

A great example of an auxiliary tank and the possible increase in range! This takes place of the spare tire so you will need to add a new carrier. Still a great option.

IMG_2493.jpeg (469.31 KiB) Viewed 6021 times

Tanks utilize every nook and cranny to maximize volume.

IMG_8105.jpeg (2.41 MiB) Viewed 6036 times

Despite the increased capacity, the new tank tucks up nicely. Tank is all steel compared to the plastic OEM tank.

IMG_2488.jpeg (195.42 KiB) Viewed 6035 times

OEM tank

IMG_8108.jpeg (2.86 MiB) Viewed 6033 times

[KAP]

Other options.

I purchase a couple of these collapsible bags, just in case! They are not sold as “Fuel Bags” due to regulations. They are also designed to be used for an emergency. Fill it up, mount in safe place and empty as soon as space is available in your main tank. No long term storage. Then just make sure it is dry and roll it up.

https://www.giantloopmoto.com/product/a ... gIVo_D_BwE

IMG_2489.jpeg (250.1 KiB) Viewed 6031 times

This is the 5 gallon size. 1lb propane cylinder for comparison. Each comes with a detachable pour spout in its own compartment.

IMG_2492.jpeg (2.24 MiB) Viewed 6032 times

[NotAMog]

Custom Swing Racks

Pinzgauer 710M Custom Swing Rack

Owning a Pinzgauer means that you can't go to 4 Wheel Parts for bolt on accessories. Pretty much everything has to be custom fabricated. Fortunately there are a few shops such at Fat Fabrications in Winnsboro, Texas that specialize in custom Pinzgauer accessories. I was planning on going on a long expedition style trip and had the swing gate spare tire and Jerry can holder fabricated a number of years ago.

Normally, the spare tire is attached to the rear door on a Pinzgauer M or K series truck. To make room for the swing gate the spare tire is relocated to the swing gate and space is provided for 4 Jerry cans and a hi-lift jack. This swing gate was the original prototype and others with additional improvements have been fabricated since.

The two lower cans can be secured by locking the gate to closed on the truck. Unfortunately, the upper cans are held in place with ratchet straps and can be removed without opening the swing gate. I think this has been improved in later versions.

hyXZlpGkT66qUm4YgUi+Pg.jpg (2.38 MiB) Viewed 6012 times

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2004 Toyota Tacoma

This swing rack was fabricated by Demollo Offroad in Riverside, California. They are one of the primary suppliers of custom Toyota offload accessories. The original idea was to move the spare tire out from under the truck to improve the departure angle and to protect the spare tire from off road damage. It also allowed space for 2 NATO Jerry cans. The can holders are from Adventure Trailers, now AT Overland, in Prescott, Arizona. These now have an improved design where the removable part of the holder is specifically designed for various types of fuel cans.

Attachment of the rack required reinforcement of the Tacoma frame since the rear section is not fully boxed.

In addition to the swing rack, I've also carried NATO style fuel cans inside the camper using logistics track or L-track attached to a custom made floor in the camper. It's a little disconcerting sleeping with 4 fuel cans in the back of the camper but these NATO style cans seal very tight so there are not fuel odors and I'm not smoking or cooking directly in the back.

AwSFVAXmRziJkvmjeD+jgg.jpg (2.7 MiB) Viewed 6012 times

me9YeqJWTM2pET2Ybh9V8A.jpg (2.86 MiB) Viewed 6012 times

NATO Jerry Cans

I was first exposed to NATO Jerry cans after purchasing my Pinzgauer in 2006. It came with with an original Swiss army fuel can shown below with embossed marking in German for "Fuel" or "Propellant" and "(In)flamable". The contents markings are in Swiss German, French, and Italian (3 of the 4 official languages on Switzerland) -

7OQaiLVbRg+ykf7IcvQ%Lw.jpg (2.89 MiB) Viewed 6012 times

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Interestingly, the can also has colored tabs to indicate the contents. They are for leaded regular, unleaded regular, leaded super, Diesel, and Petrol (probably kerosene).

These cans seal well enough that the original location for the spare fuel can is shown below. The mount with storage is custom fabricated but this is the original location and position of the spare fuel can.

6vOBt5jYQnm6Pb3DaQO1nw.jpg (2.04 MiB) Viewed 6012 times

NATO style cans have a standardized opening where the lid or nozzle attaches. Here is a 20l and a 5l can both with the same opening.

rcmX15wkT6WuC%GQ8BNNXQ.jpg (2.69 MiB) Viewed 6012 times

Here is a can with an aftermarket Chinese made nozzle compatible with modern US cars that have restrictors for unleaded fuel and anti syphon baffles -

TCoyg+knRxq3jrelKHyFbw.jpg (2.35 MiB) Viewed 6012 times

This is an original Swiss army nozzle that includes an air breather. With this nozzle it's possible to empty an entire 20l fuel can in a little over 30 seconds by inverting the can NASCAR style. Unfortunately, this will not work on US cars. The Pinzgauer has an unrestricted 3" fuel filler that allows very fast flow into the tank.

izjlX2fcR4Sos3rVNjCgXw.jpg (3.88 MiB) Viewed 6012 times

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Other Liquids

Only the French army -