Bringing Extra Fuel Along...

manyman297

On our last trip we went to BLM land basically in the middle of nowhere. Due to my lack of planning we nearly ran out of gas and I had to travel 55 miles back in town almost on fumes to refuel...then drive all the way back to camp. 

A lot of the problem is guesstimating the amount of fuel we have left because of towing. We average maybe 12mpg towing so the fuel can go quick. I'm by no means an overlander but I've been looking into some creative ways to always have at least 5 gallons of fuel with us at all times but also not have it get in the way.

My tongue platform is full already so I can't haul it there. I've considered molle panels in the bed and then attaching a rotopax jerry can to it (probably the best option). Sure I could just throw a 5-gallon can in the bed and call it good but when I've done this in the past it really gets in the way and I have to keep it tied down so it doesn't roll around.

Anyway, just looking to possibly get some ideas on this from the community. 

bergger

I’ve used a rotopax can for years and they are great. No leaks at all. You can stand them up or lay them flat, it does not matter. Check their website as they frequently have blemished items for half price. I just got two more at half price. 

I have a mount in my truck bed that I use. Or I just strap it down in my roof rack. 

manyman297

@bergger Thanks for the tip! Yeah, paying full price for those is a bit much to stomach but if I can snag them for half price, I'm in! Amazon has a lot of knockoffs but I don't know how sturdy they are. 

AnOldUR

I'll second the Rotopax option. Saved our butt on a long stretch in Canada coming back from Alaska that had no cell service. Even after topping of with the gas from our Rotopax we still limped into town on fumes. Scary stuff!

manyman297

@AnOldUR Wow! After our scare I’ve committed to always bringing fuel regardless of where we go now. And to double check where the nearest gas station is relative to our camp. 

Passport

I bought a couple of so-called  5 gallon Jerry cans off of an "online warehouse" and filled one up and secured it to my pickup bed.  With the summers heat it expanded and contracted and now it's a wrinkled tin can.  It never leaked but it shouldn't have done that.  A real Jerry can wouldn't have expanded with the heat and contracted with cooler temps.

bergger

Yeah I do not recommend getting cheaper knock off fuel cans or just cheap ones in general.  Nobody likes leaks or fumes when hauling fuel in their truck.  Stick with Nato, or Scepter jerry cans or Rotopax and you won't have any complaints.  

MuttonChops

@manyman297 ; Your TV is a Tacoma . . . so just add a 'jerry can' to your truck bed camping stuff.
Of course these days that jerry can will be something made of heavy duty gas rated plastic.

I'm frequently out on BLM land and carry one; it will hold up to 6-gallons while generally it is filled to 4-5 gallons for easier lifting

Before any BLM/Forest adventure I estimate the Towing Miles of gas used (based on my worse case documented towing MPG) from nearest gas station, add in my non-towing sight seeing MPG, then decide how full the jerry can should be.  These adventures generally include one non-towing day back to town to get fresh veggies and top off the gas which is made part of the sight seeing routing.

When on BLM land I also carry extra water, another jerry can style water can (different plastic color). And of course a black water tote; my tote is five gallons so when the holding tank has ~4 gallons in it {based on SeeLevel's accurate % full} I do a transfer . . . with a quick short blast of grey water to rise the waste hose knowing the tote has about a gallon of available capacity.

Carrying these style cans is easy with a pickup plus they are less $$ and hold more volume than those fancy overland packs.

manyman297

@MuttonChops I have a regular jerry can but securing it is no elegant solution. I just tie it down with ratchet straps but it’s cumbersome. I do love the low profile design of rotopax. Combined with a molle panel it would sit sleekly to the side and not get too much in the way. 

bergger

Jerry cans are great, I've had a few in the past.  You can still get new ones that are made of steel.  If I wanted a steel one this is what I'd get.

https://atoverland.com/collections/fuel-propane/products/carb-compliant-nato-fuel-can

However I've had a few Scepter Jerry cans and they are great.  Not metal be honestly they are stronger and more durable than the steel ones.  Also made in Canada for the military. 

But since getting Rotopax I like them even better.  Thin and very strong.  I have two 2 gallon cans and one 3.5 gallon can.  Taking both 2 gallon cans are easier to store than one 5 gallon jerry can.  They are also much easier to lift and pour into the truck than the 5 gallon can. That is a big plus for me. 

Denny16

I also prefer steel cans for fuel storage over plastic.  Rotopax Containers are nice, but are still plastic.  I plan on getting a NATO type steel fuel container for the Jeep.
 Cheers