Jerry Can / MWC / MFC stowage box build

rayra

Expedition Leader
Pretty basic stuff, I'm sure it's been covered before. There are many solutions, this one is mine.

Finally purchased my project Suburban a few weeks ago and its inaugural outing will most likely be Death Valley in the winter. Winter or no, it's the high desert and I'm packing a good bit of water. I've had some milspec MWCs for a long time (from LCI, http://buylci.com/ItemDisplayF.aspx?D1=SKILCRAFT-Water-Can-Desert-Tan--5-gal&ItemID=906396 back when they were (3)/$50). These are very durable cans and as long as you keep the threads clean and undamaged, they seal quite well in any position. They're in effect identical to the water cans we beat up in the Marines. I've used the 7gal 'Aquatainer' cubes (make sure to get the threaded vent cap design, not the press-fit) but they are quite thin especially on the bottom. They don't last more than a year or two of regular use.

So I wanted a shallow box design that would fit the MWCs in a couple configurations. I wanted a box for potential leak containment as well as providign a means to strap down the MWCs. 50# hard objects flying about are a Bad Thing. Their dimensions are 7"x14"x19" and it turns out a box built for three upright also works great for two laying on their spines.

jerrybox00.jpg



So I knocked together a simple plywood box, 3/4", glued and screwed ever 3" or so. The base (and thus the I.D.) is 14" x 21". The side walls are 7-3/4" tall, to form a 7" high interior.

errybox01.jpg
jerrybox02.jpg
jerrybox03.jpg
jerrybox04.jpg



Originally I just wanted a snug fit to socket them in, but reconsidered and decided I'd better lash them down. I'm putting in a shallow platform / drawer system in the cargo area of the Suburban and my intent is the screw this box onto the back rear corner of that platform. I'm also putting a thru-hole in the base by which I can bolt the box down to the rear corner factory cargo tie-down location. The box can also go on the Z-71 roof rack, be trapped by its crossmembers and likewise lashed down. So I also considered a method of lashing them down to the box itself. Given the snug fit of the box, poking a tie-down strap hook thru the side of the box is problematic. So I used carriage bolts. I used a 1" forstner drill bit to make a 3/8" deep bevel on the inside of the box, so the nut and washer on the inside is sunk flush with the interior face of the box. Used a larger fender washer and set another nut on the outside to lock things together and leave enough of the carriage bolt protruding to make a good attachment point.
I also had an attack of the ridiculous and put carry handles on the box. Ridiculous in that it will weigh 100-150# when full.

jerrybox05.jpg



Some quick passes on my router table with a 1/4 radius bit to round all the edges and handles, and a dual action orbital sander to get rid of any rough edges and splinters.

jerrybox06.jpg
jerrybox07.jpg
jerrybox08b.jpg



A quick coat of flat black paint and impatiently mounting the hardware before the paint is even dry

jerrybox09b.jpg



And a demonstration / test tie-down.

jerrybox10.jpg
jerrybox11.jpg



If I don't get the drawer system in place before the trip, I can just pass the strap all the way around the contraption and hook both ends into the stock cargo tie down. That'll keep everything together and safely where I want it to be.


Anyway, a wood box. Hardly rocket science. Maybe it'll kick off other ideas for other folks.
 
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rayra

Expedition Leader
Thanks, you're welcome to it. BTW, milspec MFCs are the same overall dimensions so the same box dimensions will work for fuel cans or mix and match. Which is nice because I'm thinking of converting a couple MWCs into gas cans. Addition of viton gaskets and painting the top 1/4 of the can Red with something like Krylon Fusion. I already use a Simple Siphon with all my crappy CARB-mandated spill all the time gas cans in lieu of their crappy nozzle mechanisms. So not having a spout for the MWC is a non-issue for me. And I don't much feel like paying $50+ for beat-up used Specter MFCs. When I can even find them. I missed 'peak gas can' and regularly curse that fact.
 

Scoutman

Explorer
That is a nice box and if you weren't hauling cans could be used for just about anything. Gotta love a multi-tasker. :sombrero:

Something I discovered the other day when brainstorming on container ideas and what fits what is that an MFC/MWC is a nice snug fit into a 20mm ammo can. There is a little bit of room in the front which I guess you could use for the cap wrench or a filler neck. I thought it would be nice to cut a can and lid down and add a fold over strap to make a solid latching canister for a can. You could cut along the diagonal ribs to keep the rigidity. Anyway, just throwing that out there.

IMG_20140905_215830_583.jpg
 

Roaddude

Long time off-grid vanlife adventurist
Would love to see these images restored. . . sounds like a good solution and I love that the box fit two upright or three on their backs. Sounds like the boxes would make for great multi-purpose storage, too, for off-road rigs.
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
Guess I missed this topic when I arranged new hosting. Fixed now.

/shakes fist at Photobucket


eta I also subsequently in another topic posted pics of the Scepter 'civilian' jugs. They are about 2/3 the wall thickness of a milspec MFC / MWC but they are deliberately made with a wider base, a trapezoidal / squatter shape and they do NOT fit in NATO-spec carriers. They are good cans, as good as any 'civilian' plastic jug out there and the best part is they are typically priced $20-26. If a person is starting with nothing and no carriers, they're a fine place to start.

scepterciviliancan01.jpg
scepterciviliancan02.jpg
scepterciviliancan03.jpg
scepterciviliancan04.jpg


scepterMFCvsCiv00.jpg
scepterMFCvsCiv01.jpg
scepterMFCvsCiv03.jpg
scepterMFCvsCiv04.jpg



eta this was the other related topic - http://forum.expeditionportal.com/t...-brackets-for-Scepter-military-fuel-canisters
 
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Roaddude

Long time off-grid vanlife adventurist
Guess I missed this topic when I arranged new hosting. Fixed now.

/shakes fist at Photobucket

Ohh awesome Rayra, yeah, I like the boxes. Multi-purpose indeed. Easy functional design, the way things ought to be.

Sucks that photobucket disallowed remote posting. It's affected a lot of places like this in a big way, and can't be anything but negative for photobucket.

Thanks for re-adding the images.
 

mizedog

Observer
Hurricane Harvey reminded me of this thread. This evacuation would justify building your storage solution. I wonder how many people ran out of gas on the way out and are, stranded. ..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
yep, timing and synchronicity of driving right past a Tractor Supply store yesterday afternoon led to my stopping and picking up 2 more Scepter 'civilian' 20L fuel jugs. They were $25ea. The 'water' / kerosene blue jugs are still $19.
I'll go check later today before I fill the red jugs and verify that the caps / mouths are the same size / thread. They look the same and/but the red fuel cans now features a CARB-style ratcheting cap, but seem to have the same yellow nozzle insert.
 
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rayra

Expedition Leader
The caps are the same but the 'potable water' container has a simple yellow spout and the vent cap. The gas container has a CARB-adulterated spring-loaded POS nozzle and no vent.


Today I went ahead and built a new 'MkII' box for transporting (3) of Scepter's 'civilian' jugs, since they are such fat-bottomed girls.

jerryboxmk2-01.jpg
jerryboxmk2-02.jpg
jerryboxmk2-03.jpg


The Scepter civ jugs are ~8" wide, whereas the milspec type are 7". The interior dimensions of the new box are 24-1/2"L x 14"W x 7"H. The original box was 21". I decided to forego making the new box so (2) scepter civ jugs can lay down, as with the MWCs. I figure if I really need to load up, BOTH boxes are going in and will be standing room only. Watching Harvey and now Irma unfold, I want max capacity.



4037
 
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rayra

Expedition Leader
Hurricane Harvey reminded me of this thread. This evacuation would justify building your storage solution. I wonder how many people ran out of gas on the way out and are, stranded. ..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

I also did another topic suited for the hurricane situations. Not a great solution, but a workable one, especially if you are trying to drive out of a huge disaster zone -
http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/163927-500-lb-capacity-hitch-rack-from-Harbor-Freight

hitchrack04.jpg


But one darn well better conceal all those gas cans under a tarp or something. And not uncover them in front of a huge mob. These boxes (bolted atop my storage platform / drawers) will let me carry 6 containers inside my vehicle, out of sight.

Laying down they don't stick up much, but even with my platform / drawers in place and the cans upright, there's still vertical room and I can wrap them in a black moving blanket, make them tought ot notice.

storagebuild056.jpg


I've got (8) each of both fuel and water jugs and two 4wd SUVs to put them in, after the next big quake in L.A. and have plans to buy more of each type. In fact I need to build a bigger and more squat storage cabinet before I buy any more jugs.
 
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