Oil and anti-freeze storage

[mep1811]

I came home the other day and found my truck dripping anti-freeze from the roof. In my Zarges box , I had two gallon containers of anti-freeze that were leaking . No holes just seeping from the plastic.

I found a 10 liter NATO can ,at Walmart, that I will now store my anti-freeze in.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Biltek-J...0070&wl11=online&wl12=190448038&wl13=&veh=sem

Looking at my oil bottles I can see the plastic wearing while bouncing inside the box. I am going to look at a plastic ammo box and see if that will work for oil storage.

 

[jeegro]

You carry around 2 gallons of anti-freeze? Dang. I have a 16oz plastic water bottle.

 

[proper4wd]

Seriously why do you carry antifreeze? Let alone on the roof? Wow. Water would seem a much better option, at least you can either drink it or put it in the truck if necessary.

 

[mep1811]

Been doing this for over 40 years. I blow a hose. I replace the hose, refill the cooling system and continue on my trip. If I only use water, I'll have to limp back back to a town.

 

[Hillbilly Heaven]

What about the 5 and 10 litre nato version metal cans?
http://www.roverparts.com/nxt/?Category=ACC.+-++OFF-ROAD&Subcategory=Jerry+Cans

 

[mep1811]

I bought a 5 litre can Fits perfect in my Zarges box.

I keep the antifreeze up top as anything I will rarely need goes in the box. Besides the antifreeze, I have extra hoses, Belt, Fuel filter, Oil filter, Alternator, u joints and exhaust air jack.

 

[Robert Bills]

Been doing this for over 40 years. I blow a hose. I replace the hose, refill the cooling system and continue on my trip. If I only use water, I'll have to limp back back to a town.

There is no need to "limp" back to a town if you refill with water after blowing a hose - plain water has better cooling properties than coolant. Your only issue would be if you are in extremely cold temperatures and need the lower freeze point provided by coolant, but you are likely to have enough coolant left in your system to handle that contingency. Finish your trip and deal with it when you get home. There is no need to take up precious space and weight carrying capacity with 2 gallons of coolant that has only one purpose vs. 2 gallons of water that can serve many purposes.

As for leak proofing oil and other fluids - I carry mine in a Blue Ridge Overland Gear "Overland Oil Bag," double bagged in ziplock bags for some extra peace of mind.

blueridgeoverlandgear.com

Before I acquired the Blue Ridge Overland Oil Bag I used a military surplus canvas satchel which worked just as well but had worn out after 40+ years of use.

 

[jeegro]

I believe coolant also lowers the boiling point. Water boils at 212F, and a lot of cars run hotter than that

 

[mep1811]

Sorry I confused some by using the generic term "antifreeze" It is antifreeze/coolant.

 

[Robert Bills]

I believe coolant also lowers the boiling point. Water boils at 212F, and a lot of cars run hotter than that

Antifreeze/Coolant raises both the freezing point and the boiling point from that of plain water. However, while water boils at 212 degrees F at 1 atmosphere (sea level), the boiling point is raised approx. 3 degrees for each pound of pressure provided by the radiator cap. For example, a 13 lb. radiator cap will raise the boiling point 39 degrees, from 212 to 251 at sea level, which is greater than the temperatures of even the hottest running modern engines at normal operating temperatures. The boiling point would be even greater than that if there is any residual coolant in the system before water is added after a field repair.

My point is simply that it is unnecessary to carry coolant for emergencies. Water will work just as well to get you home, even if home is hundreds of miles away.

 

[jeegro]

Arg, I meant raises. Good point about the pressure - I didn't think of that. Sounds like carrying distilled water is the way to go.

 

[mep1811]

Good luck with your plan.

 

[Robert Bills]

Carrying plain potable water rather than coolant hasn't failed me in 53 years of offroading, nor has it failed anyone I offroad with. I also don't need a special coolant container because I don't have factory sealed plastic jugs of coolant bouncing around in my rig that are wearing through from abrasion after long periods of non use.

But please don't misunderstand me - there's nothing wrong with carrying extra coolant if you have the room and weight carrying capacity for it and satisfying the occasional obsessive/compulsive urge brings you comfort. I'm just saying it isn't really necessary.

 

[rayra]

Been doing this for over 40 years. I blow a hose. I replace the hose, refill the cooling system and continue on my trip. If I only use water, I'll have to limp back back to a town.

That's not quite true. And frankly backwards, in the desert. Your truck can run on potable water. You cannot run on antifreeze.

and too, how about some preventative maintenance, instead of planning to fail. Cooling hoses are cheap. Change them BEFORE they fail. Rockauto.com has both a lower and upper radiator hose for an '85 Landcruiser for less than $20 combined.

And lastly, if your stored plastic is wearing thru or getting fractures, you've packed your **** too loose. Don't give it room to jostle around and get damaged or overturned. Pack better. One trick that works real well is tape those fluid containers together, Note I said tape, not bungees, tie down straps or rope. The idea is to hold them fixed in relation to each other, not squeeze them into premature failure.
And other loose junk can go in bags and the bag slack can be rolled up, further compacting the items and limiting incidental damage from travel.

 

[another_mike]

I came home the other day and found my truck dripping anti-freeze from the roof. In my Zarges box , I had two gallon containers of anti-freeze that were leaking . No holes just seeping from the plastic.

I found a 10 liter NATO can ,at Walmart, that I will now store my anti-freeze in.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Biltek-J...0070&wl11=online&wl12=190448038&wl13=&veh=sem

Looking at my oil bottles I can see the plastic wearing while bouncing inside the box. I am going to look at a plastic ammo box and see if that will work for oil storage.

Well, you didnt really find it at Walmart, you found it on Walmarts website, being shipped and sold by https://www.kapscomoto.com/