Gas can kill.

[shade]

I was amazed at the number of rigs carrying fuel on the trails around Silverton/Ouray. You are never more than 20 miles from gas station in that area. Did they all drive through the Yukon to get to Colorado?

Maybe they were empty. Hard to say, but I know people that display them on their daily drivers because Overland!

 

[UnfrozenCaveman]

Sure, gasoline / petrol have always made me a little nervous to carry...for me, extra fuel carried along is ONLY diesel and ONLY in NATO cans.

YMMV

 

[krick3tt]

I carry two NATO cans under my LR where the spare used to go. Now I have a custom rear bumper with the spare on a swing away carrier. I have carried extra petrol on the roof on occasion but prefer to carry things on the roof rack that are non explosive like extra water and clothes in a low profile surplus medical box. I do carry my 10 pound propane tank up there though.
I am aware that the COG is somewhat compromised by the water weight but I do drive with that knowledge foremost in my mind. The weight of the vehicle does, I feel confident, help keep the greasy side down. I had the weight checked at a vehicle inspection station, fully loaded for a week excursion, it came in at a surprising 7800 pounds.

 

[lilkia]

Low on the list until it happens.

It's at the top of my list.

Again, most people will never roll their vehicle, or so they think.

In sixty plus years of off roading I've seen more than my share of death. It's my observation in this new classification of camping called "overland ". I see fuel carried in dangerous ways.

I'm just trying to help others think about what they are doing.

Im more concerned that you think this is a NEW style of camping than I am with my external tanks rupturing. This "overlanding" has been around since the advent of the car. The only new thing about it is the stupid word "overlanding". Its called driving. Some people just choose to "drive" off of paved roads and then sleep outside of a hotel, either on the ground, in the vehicle, or in a tent. I saw someone on here call driving up the beach on South Padre Island in their full size SUV "overlanding". Cheese and rice Ive driven our Legacy sedan all the way to the east cut its not difficult, hell its not even adventurous. Its roughly 30 miles of hard packed sand its no different than driving on Miami beach.

It seems that word "Overlanding" has been appropriated by thousands of those that throw a rack on the roof of whatever and drive down dirt roads smoother than the driveway to my farm. Someone please explain why every kind of activity has to have some weird kitchy new name for it? Is that the so the vendors and manufacturers can get the hipster millenial types interested? They make it the new cool edgy thing to do and youre so cool if you belong?
Sorry for the rant. Im just tired of seeing these stupid things running around with racks and lights driven by peole who never leave the city with "overlanding" stickers everywhere.

 

[shade]

They make it the new cool edgy thing to do and youre so cool if you belong?

Yes

 

[Mike W.]

My best buddy of 50 years is an all in type guy..what ever is the new fad he's all in..he built his Tacoma full bore..Roof tent, all the right goodies from the solar panels to fuzzy dice and a ham sandwich. I mean radio .

His wife finally asked what the hell that thing on the top of his truck was.. Excited he popped the tent in his driveway..She laughed and told him toss the old tent In the back..No F'n way am I sleeping in your treehouse..

We overland today but for the last Three decades we just went camping..I cook over an open fire.. prefer my trips on horseback..my bears spray comes in 12 gauge slug form..but I did buy my boots at Eddie Bauer..does that count?

Oh and I carry gas cans on my roof rack..always more than I might need..

 

[craig333]

Running Sierra Trek I've run out of fuel on a trail that is only 13 or so miles long in my Jeep. I sit on top of ten gallons of gasoline. Two Jerry cans in the rear. I know its dangerous. Heck, the Jeep is dangerous. No doors, no anti lock brakes, no airbags, no shoulder belts etc. Its a risk I willingly take. Staying home isn't all that safe either.


Pretty sure I won't see these views from my car though.

 

[lilkia]

Running Sierra Trek I've run out of fuel on a trail that is only 13 or so miles long in my Jeep. I sit on top of ten gallons of gasoline. Two Jerry cans in the rear. I know its dangerous. Heck, the Jeep is dangerous. No doors, no anti lock brakes, no airbags, no shoulder belts etc. Its a risk I willingly take. Staying home isn't all that safe either.


Pretty sure I won't see these views from my car though.

Youre gonna shoot your eye out!

 

[pluton]

Im just tired of seeing these stupid things running around with racks and lights driven by peole who never leave the city with "overlanding" stickers everywhere.

Similar to the shiny, never-been-off-highway mall cruisers or faux monster trucks that teenagers love[ed?] so much.

 

[shade]

If Instagram would just release an Overland filter series, a lot of that nonsense would end in the real world.

 

[Desert Dan]

I wish off road type 4x4 vehicles were made with larger fuel tanks or extra fuel tanks. I think an extra tank is a safer way to carry more gas.

Jerry cans make it easier to fuel another vehicle if needed.

 

[NatersXJ6]

I like to think there are other options in this world apart from expect to die and wait to die!

Of course... you can pay taxes while you wait...

 

[Regcabguy]

I guess the op has never looked at a real truck! All the fuel is carried outside the frame.

My real truck's tank is inside the frame as was my last one.
The only truck's I have driven with externally mounted tanks was a 85' Chevy dually which had saddle tanks and my '64 F-250 which had the suicide tank behind the seat.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

My real truck's tank is inside the frame as was my last one.
The only truck's I have driven with externally mounted tanks was a 85' Chevy dually which had saddle tanks and my '64 F-250 which had the suicide tank behind the seat.

He was probably referring to a big truck, pretty much all of which have saddle tanks either behind or below the cab.

Dads old L700 had the step to get into the cab made into the fuel tank.

 

[BigSwede]

It's weird how much argument seems to arise from something that should be pretty simple.

It is self evident the fuel is a nonzero safety risk due to flammability. It is self evident the fuel is a nonzero hassle to carry. It is self evident the fuel is a nonzero weight penalty which has nonzero consequences on the kinetics and longevity of the vehicle to which it is mounted. It is self evident the equipment with which to carry additional fuel bears a nonzero financial expense.

So if we want to exercise self preservation and thrift, we should desire to not carry fuel unless it is strictly necessary for the action we intend to take. This is an objective conclusion.

And yet somehow it's controversial!

Hey, no fair trying to bring facts into the discussion...