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Gasoline storage in a vehicle.
Ricci.Wright
Member Posts: 5,127 ✭✭✭✭
I am considering keeping some kind of can in my van that would hold a gallon or maybe two of extra gas. Any ideas on the safety of this or what kind of can to use. Are the fumes going to be a problem?? If I had a two gallon can and filled it half way would it be safe to have it sealed with no vent??
My gas gauge is not dependable and I don't want to drop that 31 gallon tank.
Comments
Don't do it.
Drop the gas tank. What make is the van?
Back in the early 70's many folks did the same thing. many folks went up in flames.
Eagle safety can! Get a funnel to complement the one on the can, for filling vehicle tanks. These seal TIGHT and should be fine, of course if temps get to 140 inside then.....dunno. prob be ok, but read up on em, they have one for DOT and it's prob made for higher temp storage.
we had a trail blazer and when the gauge quit working for the 3rd time we would reset the trip odometer at fill up and 275 miles later fill up again
Do not store it inside your vehicle. That's just asking for a problem. The options for exterior gas can mounts are nearly endless and this is the way to go.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
agree just reset the trip odometer and watch it put a post it on the dash if needed if your van get 15 mpg or what ever factor that fill the tank and allow a number your comfortable driving before adding gas and add a safety margin so you do not cut it so close you run out for forgetting to fill it .
also side note some do not realize the gas helps cool the fuel pump so when it gets low its hard on the pump also causes premature failure
as a kid I ran out of gas once gas gauge stuck in a 65 mustang that and lack of funds trying to run on less as I could kept my tank low any way ,
I had to walk about 7 miles and was about froze it was well below freezing all I had on was a leisure suit LOL when I got back to my GF house I was a block of ice as it had been freezing rain then changed over being 18 and young and dumb saved me
I make it a habit if I am in town no matter what I am driving if its showing 1/2 tank ( or Less if its my wifes car as normal ) I fill it up
flip side my wife still has not got that habit and running on 1/8 or less is norm
If you know how much your fuel tank holds, and the mileage your car gets there should be no reason to ever run out of fuel. Same principle you use to keep track on how much fuel you have in aircraft. I always figured when I got down to half a tank, it was time to get fuel.
Get a military 5 gal gas can and store it outside or do the trip meter thing. If you get a Military style gas can it will have a gasket to seal the cap but you will need a nozzle(donkey d!ck) that screws into the gas can to fill your tank.
I do know how to use an odometer and do but my van will vary between 13 and 17 mpg depending on how it is driven. Using 25 gal of a 31 gal tank that's a lot of variance.
Some vehicles have a access plate in the floor to get to the tank.
Some access holes are factory, other are aftermarket. 😊
go to youtube I have dropped gas tanks on my share of trucks and cars . I started just lifting the bed off the chevy trucks with a eng hoist sounds like a lot of work not as much as any would think and makes it a lot easer to have access to it . but have had several friends just make there own access door in cars trucks suv's as noted above then just seal it good when done with gasket sealer or similar a lot easier than dropping a gas tank by a mile
if me I would just do a guesstimate at say 11 MPG and base on that and be safe better to fill up a little more often then running out even once would make it worth the effort
I have a van that the gauge doesn't work. I just fill up at 200 miles, sometimes it take more fuel than others depending on the driving I've done.
Like others, I use the odometer also. My tank holds 32 gal. I get between 14-15 mpg. I usually fill it up when it starts getting close to 300 miles. I pushed it last week (went out of town) and had to put 29.7 gallons in. Had 414 on the odometer. WAY TOO CLOSE for me. Don't want to burn up the fuel pump.
If it's an older vehicle, I'd suggest just cutting an access hole in the floor. Invariably, you'll twist off some of the hanger bolts in the attempt to take it down.
I've done the tank removal w/o removing the bed (which would be similar to removing the tank from a van) and it's a real bugger. I'd never do that again.
I turned wrenches for nine years at factory dealerships and have changed my share of fuel pumps. I was just asking opinions on having an extra gallon of gas inside the vehicle which I figured was a bad idea. Thank you guys.
Ricci drink enough coffee and you can just P in the tank when it goes dry. I bet Hoppes #9 would get you down the road in a pinch.
I am surprised no one else has suggested it. It is time to trade for a newer van.
His van is nice. It is one of those conversion vans the kind you would not want to see your daughter getting in on a date😁 A real shagin wagon.
just fill up a black garbage bag with gallon or two, you can zip tie it and if worried just wrap end in duct tape, I'm sure it will be fine for a few years in back.........
Who in their right mind would give up a 1999 Chevy van in great shape for the junk they build now?? The Chevy trucks of this era were some of the best GM ever built.
"The Chevy trucks of this era were some of the best GM ever built."
That aint sayin much! LOL
Well I guess I could get one of the Fords. Let's see, do I want the one that you can not change spark plugs without breaking them off in the head, or maybe the one that blows them out while you are driving?? I worked for an old dealership in a small town in the 1990's that sold Dodge and GMC trucks. I worked a lot more on Dodge than GMC. A lot of electrical and drivability stuff. The drive trains were pretty good. They all break, so buy something you like. This old van has 144,000 and drives and rides like new. I like the 350 engine.
@KenK/84Bravo and @Ricci.Wright
This is a cool way to pack gas.
Here is a video of it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWAq7TvOYgs
LMAO, i have one of those where you have to be careful changing the plugs. Everyone misses green font i guess, was just poking fun. my bronco ii has over 300,000, just fill it up with oil and check the gas!
Ford completely lost my business because of their modular engine. For over 40years I have driven Ford & Lincoln products, but no longer. The last 3 F150 trucks I have owned gave lots of problems from plugs, transmission, heat & air diversion valves, and mostly the cam phasers. Just two weeks ago I went to Toyota of Dalton, Ga, and purchased a new TRD Ltd Tundra. Today it turned 1000 miles and so far I am really enjoying my San Antonio, Tx assembled truck.
I drove a 2020 red F150 for a week and man that thing was fast. Those ten speed tranys and turbos scare me on something I plan to drive every day. I bought a new Broncho II in 1984 from West ford in Reno.
I've owned 4 full size Chevy vans over the years and liked them all. The last one was a 1989 model. The only brand new vehicle I ever bought was a 78 fully customized like a camper. All had 350 engines and were relatively easy to work on for basic tune up type stuff. Gas mileage was always around 15 mpg on all of them give or take for light and heavy loads. Great rigs for kids, dogs, and sleepy wives!
Only problem with them and just about every vehicle owned here on the great salty roads of Michigan was the bodies went south way before the engines and drive train gave up!
A quick story; On my camper van there was a built in cooler in the floor that would hold a 12 pack of beverage and a few food items. We were going to my BIL's that lived 30 miles away for a kids birthday party. I filled the cooler and away we went. Upon arrival I pulled off the top door to the cooler and it wasn't there!!!!😯
IIRC the potential power of a gallon of gas is equal to 14 sticks of dynamite. YMMV.
They don't make those anymore...😉
Combat Vet VN
D.A.V Life Member
Raised on Chevy and GMC vehicles. Bought a new F-150 Ford in '82. Had Fords until 2018. Had all kinds of problems so sold it for a $6000 loss last fall and bought a Toyota Tundra. So far it has been great.
bad thing about exterior can is the new alchohol mix draws moisture add the heating, cooling in outside can and the chance of someone putting something in it would be a big no-no for me nowdays, reset mileage and use lowest mpg and refill then.......
No matter what - Have the can completely full. The fumes from a half-filled can create a huge explosive danger. The Fumes are what will burn/create high pressure.
Just bite the bullet i will bet there is a few back yard mechanics who would do it for you for way less than a dealership or a "regular garage " and contrary to urban legend a lot of the shade tree back yard wrench turners are good mechanics
granted the new cars /trucks that need a 20k computer to tell some one the car has a loose gas cap is out of range for most do it your self repairs but a fuel pump float change is a long way from rocket science
I talked to Ricci and he is going to put a kiddie pool in the back of the van with about 2 inches of gas in it. When he needs gas he is going to dip it out with a coffee mug and pour it in the tank.
Problem solved.😁
did you talk him out of driving around in his speedoooos ??????????
I have never seen him in speedos but I have only seen him with shoes on one time. He usually wears flip flops and I think it is illegal to drive a vehicle in them so I assume he takes them off and drives barefoot.
I am going to see him tomorrow so he will have some of my guns for sale soon.