Gas can kill.

[dr_r2r]

I get 420 miles a full tank of premium gas. I should be good with a lighter wallet.

 

[HSSC]

The title was simple and to the point.

Not trying to pick a fight.

Years ago two people were prerunning a VORRA offroad race course and they rolled their baja bug with a fuel can on top and died.

That thought has lived with me.

That's all.

 

[HSSC]

Ok, I got my facts wrong. I stopped by Fibercraft in Reno and talked to someone who remembers the incident. I have permission to repeat this.

The driver died two weeks after the crash and the passenger lost the use of their hands. The seatbelts melted to that persons hands.

This was a high speed event.

People can make their choices. They understand their priorities. I don't.

Sorry for the above misinformation. All I was trying to do is get some of my fellow enthusiasts to evaluate what they are doing with their extra fuel.

 

[HSSC]

The pic was a mistake.

 

[shade]

Another is getting out and back from the Dollhouse in the Maze District of Canyonlands. On the trip this past April I logged 206 miles between gas stations and it took me 23.4 gallons of gasoline, which for me is one full tank (21 gallons) and part of my spare can. The roads within the National Park are mostly done in low range and getting 8 MPG for me is actually good mileage.

This trip we skipped optional roads intentionally but even with that normally I'd use closer to 27 or so gallons because the southern most stop (Hite Marina) has been closed recently due to Lake Powell no longer reaching it and the back track to Green River, UT, adds 107 miles from this exit point. A 20L can or two is good insurance any extended time you leave pavement in western CO, WY, NV or around the Four Corners. All it would take is a closed gas station when you expected there to be one to really be screwed.

View attachment 539720

Funny, I mentioned the same here.

I agree that there's no need to haul it if it isn't needed. It depends on where you go, what you're doing, and the fuel consumption involved. I usually have to make long highway drives to get to an interesting place. During that time, I carry empty water & jerry cans, and I fill up when near my destination. Lots of fuel & water along most North American highways.

A trip to the Dollhouse in The Maze District of Canyonlands NP will stretch many vehicles' fuel endurance past their OEM limit. Another common trip that can eat up a lot of fuel & time is into the Grand Staircase-Escalante area. It's an interesting area to explore, but spending time and fuel to get to Escalante, UT just to get more fuel, only to burn more time & fuel to get back into the area isn't very smart. There are many other examples where refueling the stock vehicle tank solely at a gas station isn't desirable. Better to have some jerry cans you carry with you, or that you leave at a base camp for refueling mid-trip.

I saw some fellows with the cheapest Walmart cans available strapped to the top of their SUVs, leaving a steady trail of gasoline on their way to the Dollhouse. That was more of a concern than most of the things I've seen mentioned in this thread. If you're going to carry a jerry can, make it a good one. That's one place not to cut corners, and a good starting point for concern about transporting fuel, IMO.

 

[Curtis in Texas]

I stopped carrying fuel cans on the back of my truck years ago. On the Expo trailer, or motorcycle trailer maybe. But not on, in, or on top of my truck. I added larger or extra fuel cells between frame and with skid plates for longer range.
2 fire extinguishers too.

Never found 1 to be enough.
But that's just me.

I have a Blitz 5 gallon water can and military style food chest on the back of my truck. It's the same size as a military gas can and makes a great drink cooler. Only the lid comes completely off.

 

[Trikebubble]

I've owned a pickup that had the entire gas tank behind the seat. 5 gallons hung over the rear tail light will not be the end of me. Go worry somewhere else.

Right on. I drove an old 70's Ford when I worked at a pool place back in college. Had the auxiliary tank behind the seat. We used to call her Whiplash. I reckon she could probably hit a tank and come out on top.

 

[Trikebubble]

At the risk of this becoming a dumb forum argument, 200+ miles of range on dirt roads should not be difficult to achieve on a pretty standard vehicle in its OE tank. I drive an older, seven passenger gasoline powered body-on-frame SUV with a whole futon mattress to sleep on in the back and easily average 12 mpg loaded between paved roads. That gives me 240+ miles with two extra gallons of reserve in the tank.

There is nothing special about my equipment whatsoever except that I make a practice of keeping everything light and not carrying stuff I don't need when I don't need it.

And if you take note you'll see that I also wrote this which should pretty well cover the Mojave road if the above isn't good enough.

All in good cheer.

The Dawson City intersection to Eagle Plains on the Dempster Hwy is appx. 375km. Easily reacheable on a tank of gas by most vehicles......of course unless a forest fire, or accident, or bad weather, or landslide close the highway at the 350km mark and you have to turn around. Road conditions can also suck a ********-ton of extra fuel compared to what we think we get mileage wise during regular travel. The 150km from Inuvik to Tuk burned through a 1/2 tank of fuel in my Tundra last year. The road was so new, the gravel so deep and fresh, I had to use 4Hi for the majority and it felt like driving thru deep snow. I take extra fuel (in a Scepter MFC or two) on my Hitchgate whenever I think their may even be a slight possibility of even considering needing it. I take extra fuel when I travel the mountain highways here in BC, it doesn't take much to have to run in 4Hi for awhile or get turned around or detoured, and find yourself sweating as you look at the fuel gauge drop.

Point is, their are many reasons why a person would want to take extra fuel, over and above the regular fuel and range capabilities of a vehicle, along for the adventure.

 

[rnArmy]

We did the drive from Dawson City to Eagle Plains with a 98 Jeep GC (4.0 engine) towing a small trailer. Actually went all the way to Inuvik. Filled up before heading out. We were pretty close to empty by the time we got to Eagle Plains. We were carrying extra fuel on the trailer, so we were ok, but we wanted to see if we could make it with just what we had in the Jeep. If we hadn't had the extra fuel on the trailer, I'd have been sweating it. I think the almost-empty light was on as we pulled in to get gas.

And you know you can't run the Dempster without getting filthy.

 

[ducktapeguy]

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!

If people wanted to exercise self preservation and thrift, this forum wouldn't exist

 

[rnArmy]

View attachment 541484

Really love the new color of your vehicles! Someone should consider marketing that as a paint choice for new SUV’s and trucks. Maybe the military can look into this too. Nice matte finish, not too gray, not too khaki, not too green. Beats Coyote Tan by a country mile!

And this is really high-tech "paint". If you got it wet, it took on a different shade, so now two vehicles would ever look exactly the same. You can see the shading in the picture.

 

[roving1]

"Gas can kill". Avatar is riding an ATV.

Selective risk assessment much?

 

[gatorgrizz27]

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!

If I’m reading your argument correctly, it’s don’t carry spare fuel unless you need it. I’d be willing to wager most here don’t do that, as this isn’t a mall crawler forum. So what, exactly, is your point?

 

[pluton]

Here's how I approach spare gas on my slow speed 4WD excursions:
1. Carried on the rear in city traffic or at high speed freeway traffic is a bad idea. Once on your dirt adventure begins, where the chances of being rear-ended are nil, it doesn't matter.
2. Carried on the roof (the way I do it, IF I do it) is less dangerous than the rear bumper in everyday traffic, but in severe crash/rollover adds hazard and upsets the center of gravity, which someday, somewhere, might matter. Once on your dirt adventure begins, it doesn't matter, unless there's a center of gravity issue, as on a sidehill.
3. Carried inside the vehicle (mine's a 4Runner) has the potential of gas vapor stinking up the inside and adds hazard in case of severe crash. Again, except for the smell, once off pavement, it doesn't matter as much. (See Tom Sheppard's solo trip in Algeria in the G-Wagen with, what was it?...8 jerry cans inside the vehicle?

 

[jeff parker]

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?