Side-mount Jerry can holders

[jscherb]

Looking for an alternate solution to hanging heavy full Jerry cans off the back of my Jeep, I've designed a side mount Jerry can rack. I know this mounting position might not be ideal for every type of Jeep usage, but for my usage it's perfect. Here are some photos of the prototype.

It's a complete bolt-on to the Jeep frame rail; no drilling required. And even though the frame rails are angled inward at the point where the receiver mounts, because of the design of the reciever, it's universal and the same part can mount properly on either the left or the right side of the Jeep. Similarly, the Jerry can holder that plugs into the receiver is the same part for both sides of the Jeep.

Here's a view without the Jerry can. I'm not sure if I'll stick with these sheet metal Jerry can mounts or if I'll fabricate something; the sheet metal ones do flex a bit more than I'd like.

This next one isn't a good photo, but it shows the receiver without the Jerry can holder inserted in it. In addition to the standard hitch pin through the receiver, there's a 1/2" bolt through the bottom of the receiver into the Jerry can holder shaft. This serves as an ""anti-rattle" bolt, and since the head of the bolt requires a 3/4" wrench, the stock Jeep lug wrench is used to tighten/loosen it (so no extra tools are required that wouldn't already be in the Jeep).

BTW the bottom of the receiver is higher than the bottom of the frame rail, which will help keep it out of harm's way off road.

This is still a prototype, I'll be making a few minor tweaks to it before I finalize it, but so far I'm very happy with the design.

 

[goin camping]

The M37/M43 Military Vehicles use side mounts albeit much higher up. The issue is putting the cans out where they can be "sideswiped" by trees or rocks and the can ruptured and a five gallon potential fire bomb in an auto accident that is next to the driver and passenger.

That was the negatives on the positive side it allows another ten gallons and in the grand scheme of things is probably no more dangerous than low mounted rear cans. If you are a desert guy like me the odds of hitting a tree or rock are pretty minimal.

Can you open your doors without wacking them into the cans?

Please post a few more pics of the actual frame mounting, Thanks.

 

[Nigel Caffiene]

I like it. It is far better than some I have seen that mount them to the body sides there. That has always worried me.

Since, I have a slider that blocks access to the frame, I personally, have been thinking of just using my slider as a base for the mount.

All in all, I am interested in what you come to in final design. Afterall, you have the coolest projects going for Jeeps!

 

[onebowtiedguy]

Why do you want side mount ? I think roof mounted 2x10L scepter runts or rear mounted is way better idea. That metal can would not be used by me. On my hummer that area your mounting it is always the dirtiest part of my truck from front and rear tire spray

 

[bat]

It is kind of hanging out there to be hit or something could fly off your tire

 

[VegasUnderworld]

I saw side mounts were popular in South America, but I only saw them mounted on the driver side. Probably so the driver could keep an eye on clearance.

 

[jscherb]

That was the negatives on the positive side it allows another ten gallons and in the grand scheme of things is probably no more dangerous than low mounted rear cans. If you are a desert guy like me the odds of hitting a tree or rock are pretty minimal.

For the type of off-pavement driving I typically do (not rock-crawling), there's pretty much no chance the cans would be hit by an obstacle. Maybe this design wouldn't be good for some people, but it's perfect for me.

Can you open your doors without wacking them into the cans?

The doors do not hit the cans. I've been asked that by other people, so it may be that my door straps are shorter aftermarket straps (I bought the Jeep used, I don't know if they are the original straps). Even if shorter straps than factory would be required, that's not really a big deal as far as I'm concerned.

 

[jscherb]

I like it. It is far better than some I have seen that mount them to the body sides there. That has always worried me.

Agreed - no way I was going to drill into the tub or fenders to mount something, this is designed to mount directly to the frame with no drilling and no changes to the Jeep. It takes only a few minutes to bolt the mounts to the frame.

Since, I have a slider that blocks access to the frame, I personally, have been thinking of just using my slider as a base for the mount.

Sounds like a good place to secure the mounts.

All in all, I am interested in what you come to in final design. Afterall, you have the coolest projects going for Jeeps!

Thank you .

 

[jscherb]

It is kind of hanging out there to be hit or something could fly off your tire

The Blitz mount is thick sheet metal and protects the bottom of the can from debris flying off the tires.

 

[jscherb]

Why do you want side mount ? I think roof mounted 2x10L scepter runts or rear mounted is way better idea. That metal can would not be used by me. On my hummer that area your mounting it is always the dirtiest part of my truck from front and rear tire spray

Jeep is way tall enough without putting tall cans on top.

 

[OverlandZJ]

Pic of the mount to frame?

 

[jscherb]

Pic of the mount to frame?

Haven't taken any yet, sorry.

 

[onebowtiedguy]

Jeep is way tall enough without putting tall cans on top.

The ones I mentioned are NOT tall at all, in fact they are 11" even when in the blitz holders compared to a 20L like you have at 20"+- here is a pic
the green and red are fuel and the black and blue are for water. A lot of fj guys put them on the factory rack after moving the bars in and still have overheight clearance for most low overhead park lots. :safari-rig: I see your idea and not knocking it...... just showing maybe safer alternatives.

 

[Dan Grec]

Hi Jeff,

I love the concept - great work.

-Dan

 

[jscherb]

The ones I mentioned are NOT tall at all, in fact they are 11" even when in the blitz holders compared to a 20L like you have at 20"+-

Thanks, those are pretty nice.

But as it is, between my lift, tires, the tall Safari Cab hardtop and the XJ roof rack bars I've got on top, I need more clearance than many parking garages already (the tires in the next two photos are smaller than the ones I'm currently running)...

Adding my fairly low profile rack basket basically prevents me from going in any parking structures, and that basket is lower than the cans you're talking about.

I have done several other jerry can designs though...

This one mounts on the spare carrier. I took it on a 5000-mile trip this summer that included 250 miles off-pavement in Colorado, and it did fine. (Because of the Exogate, there's enough strength in the tailgate and hinges to carry this).

I also did one that mounts between the tire and the tailgate; this prototype holds one can but the full design is for two, side-by-side (again, the Exogate provides the strength that makes this possible):

I took that one on a 5000-mile round trip NY-Portland, OR in January and it did fine too. I haven't yet built a two-can version of it, before I did any more with that design I wanted to try the side-mounts.

For carrying one can, I like the one that hangs off the spare pretty well, but for carrying two cans I think I'm going to prefer the side mounts.