My gas container, a one-gallon "leakproof" item made by Midwest Can Co., died on me today. I've had it only for a few months, and I used it to keep an extra gallon of gas in the car. Recent I noticed that it leaked. I checked, and it seemed the gasket was crooked. I fixed that, and I thought that was that.

No such luck. Today I noticed a stranded motorist. I stopped to help, and it turned out that he ran out of gas. So I offered him some of my gas, and he gladly accepted. In the process of pouring gas into his tank, my container fell apart. I mean, the whole thing came apart!!! A piece almost fell into his tank if it weren't caught by the "valve" at the entrance of the tank. We had to fish it out.

I've had it with this container! It's hard to refill because it's hard to open. When you actually need to pour gas out, you have to pinch the cap so hard that your thumb hurts. Then you can never angle it so that all the gas comes out. And within a few months the thing started leaking, and apparently it just died. Here it is, with most of the pieces I salvaged on the side of the road:



How did it die? It seems that there is a crucial piece in the spout that is fitted with a spring on one end and a gasket on the other end. I am guessing that it got twisted from overuse (overuse being a few times), and it took on a shape that would not allow it to perform its duty:



No more Midwest Can stuff for me!

So, what do you guys recommend? It seems that people like Eagle Type II and Justrite Type II containers. I guess I should get fuel stabilizer, too. (STA-BIL works with car engines, right?) Links for the containers below for the curious:

I wouldn't carry a gas can around in my car unless it was metal. Those two both look good to me.

STA-BIL works fine with car engines; just a week ago I pumped out the gas tank on my generator, poured all the old gas into the car and refilled with fresh. Car runs fine. Don't use STA-BIL from a bottle that's been open longer than two years, and use the gas within twelve months.

I am not a fan of carrying around gas in one's car in this way. The gas in your car's gas tank is about as well protected as it can be during from collision damage. Any gas can kept in a trunk will get squashed in a collision and leak causing an extreme fire hazard at a very inopportune moment.

None of the currently available gas cans (at least in the US) are worth a hill of beans IMO. Some lunatic US federal government agency enacted idiotic regulations about gas cans that are all but impossible to accomplish with a gas can that will actually work well, so basically all gas cans currently sold in the US are all but useless.

We have one of those exact gas cans. Total trash. I would not even recomnend that piece of junk even to my worst enemy.

I wouldn't carry a gas container around inside of my car for anything other than going to the store to refill it, and even then.. I don't like the idea.

If your involved in a roll over accident or anything that causes that can to leak and your setting yourself up for immolation IMHO. That's pretty much in list of top five ways I don't want to check out of life, if you know what I mean.

Also, getting that gas smell out of your car is almost impossible...

Explosion resistant Steel Jerrycan.

http://www.jerrycans.co.uk/explo-safe-jerrycan-30-c.asp

I didn't think of the potential problem that the gas container could cause in an accident. I've carried this crappy plastic container for a few months now, with gas in it. (My fuel gauge doesn't always give the correct reading, so I got stranded once. My response was to carry a container with me.)

Now it seems perhaps the best thing is to refuel according to miles traveled, erring on the side of caution. And if I run out of gas, I guess I'll just call roadside service.

I can't find the explosion resistant jerrycans in the US. Maybe it's not sold here.

Yeah... not into routinely carrying spare gas. I fill it up, drive it to a half tank and fill it again. Gives me plenty of room for fuel gauge error.

The Jerrycan has some interesting history, a design that has rarely been bettered and much copied. Useful for a 'Blitzkrieg' Bug out Vehicles or BBOV.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerrycan

For example putting 5 20Litre Jerrycans of Diesel into the back of a modern Citroen DS3 Diesel @ 60+ mpg (US) combined would give around an extra 1500-1600 miles range.

Looking at some of the Storm Sandy photos of folks standing in line, it doesn't look like the Jerrycan isn't particularly popular/available in the USA.

Thanks for the wikireference. The history of the jerrycan is a hoot.....

The 20 liter is what I have, also called NATO style gas can, the cap has a rubber gasket and really clamps down so no leak whatsoever, some also comes with a pouring spout attached the same way.

I've been doing a little online research for the storage requirements of fuel for numbers of 20 litre Jerrycans of diesel for a high mileage diesel vehicle BBOV such as the latest Citroen model (also for fuel rotation timescale). My annual mileage rarely exceeds 10,000 miles per year.

I currently don't have a high mileage diesel vehicle such as the Citroen, but I'm thinking it might make a reasonable Bug Out Vehicle despite being a very small vehicle by US standards.

The Citroen DS3 eHDI 90 quotes a combined fuel Economy of 78.5 miles to the imperial Gallon. It has a 10.6 imperial Gallon fuel Tank.

To stockpile enough for for say 3 months in a Emergency were fuel becomes difficult to get hold of would require enough fuel for 2,500 miles. Assuming a full tank topped off at the beginning of the fuel shortage would give 832 miles. Stored fuel would be needed for 1668 miles. i.e 21.2 Gallons.

Each Jerrycan holds 20 litres or 4.4 Gallons i.e 4.82 or 5 Jerrycans

So extrapolation, Storage would require;

3 Months - 5 Jerrycans
6 Months - 12 Jerrycans 10 Jerrycans could get you from one side of the USA to the other without refueling!
9 Months - 20 Jerrycans
12 Months - 27 Jerrycans

6 months of use of Diesel fuel storage may worth be while and not too unrealistic in terms of storage space. (although being realist even 3 months of fuel shortages i.e. such as Storm Sandy, things may have already gotten a little wild, I'm thinking more than 12 days )

Did you consider getting the fuel gauge fixed on your vehicle?

It is ill-advised to carry gasoline in any type of container inside the vehicle or trunk. Of course it is a necessary evil at times to transport gas for the lawn mower, but extra care should be taken when doing it.

That's a $600-$700 repair according to the shop. The problem is not with the gauge mounted on the dashboard, but with the sensor in the tank. Such an expensive repair is not really worth it on an old car. But thanks for the suggestion.

Look up your model on the internet. Some have an access panel under the back seat making it a 15 minute job with $50 in parts.

The reason shops charge so much is they drain the tank and replace the sensor and pump and strainer all at the same time. Maybe $200 in parts.

Scepter http://www.scepter.com/

Make US military cans, but they're out of plastic. Think so they do melt and burn, and not explode in a rain of shrapnel in a sudden failure.

+1 on Scepter gas cans. I have several and have been using them for 4-5 years, winter and summer. They are quite tough, and they seal very well. If I'm careful while filling, I don't get that gas smell in my trunk. Hint: leave room for expansion to avoid gas-stink; only fill 3/4 full and squeeze the sides in with your legs before you tighten the cap.

That said, I only transport gas from A to B. I would echo the concerns expressed here about having a can of gas in the trunk at all times.

Scepter jerry cans aren't sold in the US anymore. You can find used, but they command a price. Alternately, you can buy the "water" cans (from them, or from LCI). 1 handle, not three, but available in some colors. Don't know if the plastic is actually different, or if the fire standards are the same. I have 2 blue water and 2 OD gas cans.

or you could mosey across to Canada and try to bring some back. Not sure the legality of that, however.

I share the reservations noted about carrying gasoline in the car , but if I had to do it...I think I would borrow a page from the management techniques for lab specimens, and provide primary and secondary containment: store the gas in MSR fuel bottles, and contain the fuel bottles within GI ammo cans. Just a thought. OTOH, I ran out of gas in my truck on one occasion in my youth, and emptied most of a case of dry gas/gas line antifreeze into the tank, which mixed with the residual gas in the tank and got the truck running well enough to get me to a gas station. No apparent long term harm to the vehicle, a 75 dodge pickup.

Bingley - there was a really nasty accident a while back - in CA I think. the person had a couple of plastic jerry cans filled with gas in the back of their car. Not the trunk - it was actually in the back compartment of a wagon. Static electricity ignited the gasoline fumes - which erupted into a fireball INSIDE the vehicle. The driver was killed because of severe burns plus the inhalation of burning vapors into their lungs. It's very nasty.

always carry gas outside the compartment of your vehicle, and best in a metal jerry can that can be grounded.

Pete2

I would agree that carrying gasoline inside a vehicle should be avoided so far as possible.
If in doubt about the accuracy of the fuel gage, then top off every xx miles so as to ensure that the tank is allways at least 75% full.

In an emergency, you may need to carry spare fuel inside the vehicle, the benifits arguably outweighing the risks in such cases as fleeing an emergency with little chance of re-supply en route.

I would not carry spare gasoline routinely.
If you need to take gasoline home for a generator, lawnmower, boat engine etc, I would take the shortest sensible route, in daylight, in fine weather and drive with extra caution.

If considering a new vehicle, there is much to be said for a diesel one, not only is the fuel mileage better, but diesel fuel is much safer to store, and if needs must even to keep in a vehicle.