why jerry cans?

[soenke]

Hey Michael, I have always driven all the 4x4 as daily drivers, with a fuel capacity from 160l up to 450l (LandRover last edition :elkgrin, 250l (BJ45) or 350l (HZJ78), taking additional jerry cans along if demanded...but I changed from the NATO cans to PE cans or foldable tanks as back up. Unfortunately it seems that the foldable jerry cans or tanks are not longer available.
During daily driving I used just one tank or filled all up when diesel was cheap...

I tought that´s the question: metal Nato style ore PE ?

made good experience with Hünersdorff water and fuel cans.
Even had one mounted under the car (with 10l oil) for years with no problem...

but it seems you guys just love the look of the metal jerry cans :elkgrin:

 

[michaelgroves]

...

but it seems you guys just love the look of the metal jerry cans :elkgrin:

Funnily enough, it's not about the look at all - or maybe I just forgot to list "good looking" as one of the features of a Nato can?

If the exact same design (self propping lid, triple handle, self-venting spout etc.) were available in PE, I'd jump at it, but otherwise, I still prefer the Nato jobs compared to the plastic type - for the reasons I touched on in my previous post. (BTW, it's not that hard to ensure that good quality Nato cans don't leak!).

Black wouldn't be my choice of colour, though!

 

[hillbillyjake]

just wanted to let everyone now that i recieved my wedco cans today. thank you gentlemen for the sound advice.

jake

 

[cruiseroutfit]

just wanted to let everyone now that i recieved my wedco cans today. thank you gentlemen for the sound advice.

jake

So now that you have your Wedco's and can compare them side by side with your Walmart can... Why don't you tell us "Why Jerry Cans"? :victory:

 

[CanuckMariner/Nomad]

There is an old saying... "If you have to ask... "

Others have put it in perspective, but you have to start by not coming out of the hole with radical assumptions about the price of a decent fuel container. They are not all $80, in fact up until the ban on Scepter cans they were selling new for ~$50. Compare that to the average price of a 5 gallon Blitz can, $10 (Amazon had listing ranging from $11-16 each, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say $10, can you get them cheaper, sure but you can't benchline prices on anomolies).

The Scepter is 5+ times stronger, 5+ times better sealing surface, 5+ times better puncture resistance. The price is all relative. The same comparison could be made with the Wedco or NATO cans... you get what you pay for. You can still get new Wedco's in the $50 range, and used anything in the $10-25 range at surplus stores, eBay or here on ExPo.

x2

 

[CanuckMariner/Nomad]

Something I had not considered until I read Tom Sheppard's "Vehicle Dependent Expedition Guide:" He points out that if you get bogged down in say, sand or mud, you can remove significant weight and ease a recovery by offloading your jerry cans. You can't offload a built-in fuel tank.

Very true, but Tom also said that if you check out your route by foot when you suspect a problem you might not get stuck at all! Check out Tom's rig and you will find an aux tank in it!

 

[CanuckMariner/Nomad]

I also much prefer a built-in tank (for fuel, but not for water). However, as others have said, it's not always a practical possibility.

One issue with any large-tank solution is that once you've decided how big it should be, that's it. There's no altering things to suit any particular outing or purpose. For those who use their vehicles as daily drivers or for other multiple purposes, having the ability to carry fuel in several smaller containers gives a lot of flexibility - leave them at home most of the time, take a couple when you go on a long trail, and a few more if you go on a longer jaunt. It's a lot different if you tend to use your truck more or less solely for long expeditions in remote places - then having a good built-in tank makes perfect sense.

For city driving, to save weight, don't fill the aux tank or replaced bigger tank completely full, say half only!

 

[CanuckMariner/Nomad]

Couple of things about plastic Scepter cans that make them worth a bit more:

* strong like you have never imagined, a tank can drive over them empty or full and they still work, try that with a NATO! (from Scepter's site and from the Kanukistani/US military in Afghanistan).

* self contained breather, no extra cap to loosen

* two different sized spouts, 3/4" for diesel (larger fuel opening) empties in less than 30 secs. and 1/2" for gas

* water and fuel cans are all the same size (quantity that is), good packing/storage

* various colour codes (yellow, red, blue tags) as well as can itself.

* will not blow up when punctured (no spark)

Need I say more?

 

[Ruffin' It]

factor in whole cost

I started with crap cans too. At first I thought that I couldn't afford to buy (at the time) $50 cans to hold gas in. It turns out, what I really couldn't afford was the hazard to my physical and mental health that resulted from me watching the cheap cans vent gasoline all over my roof (attached to the rack) of my brand new Land Rover and then all over my face, chest and crotch :Wow1: as I tried to pull it down to relieve the pressure. A gasoline car wash and shower (especially when I was two days out from a place to bathe) was not worth the $35 bucks per can I saved. It is just one of those instances where you are better off taking your time and doing it right. I honestly consider my jerry cans right up there with my AT's and my SPOT in terms of items that are more than worth what you pay for them.

 

[soenke]

...Need I say more?

not to me...:sombrero:

 

[charlieaarons]

An advantage of Wedco/NATO cans over Scepters: They can be semi-permanently mounted and used with a siphon mounted on the long side, lowering the height from 20" to 14". When 8 are mounted on my roof in this manner, it lowers my total height by 150mm and CG by 1.2mm.

Charlie

 

[off-roader]

The #1 reason?? Chicks dig em. LOL

 

[tag187]

Couple of things about plastic Scepter cans that make them worth a bit more:

* strong like you have never imagined, a tank can drive over them empty or full and they still work, try that with a NATO! (from Scepter's site and from the Kanukistani/US military in Afghanistan).

you know I was gonna mention that somewhere I have a pic of a HMMV with a tire on top of a scepter can then us fueling up with the same can and still no leaks. but I think a tank tops my story. :Wow1:

 

[Martinjmpr]

We used plastic cans in the military for years. Not the cheapo- wal-mart type but the real heavy duty type of plastic cans (don't know what they're called.)

Only thing I'm not sure about is whether they'll work for gasoline. The US military has been all diesel for at least 20 years (with the exception of a few generator sets) so it wasn't an issue with us.

 

[Bighead]

We used plastic cans in the military for years. Not the cheapo- wal-mart type but the real heavy duty type of plastic cans (don't know what they're called.)

Only thing I'm not sure about is whether they'll work for gasoline. The US military has been all diesel for at least 20 years (with the exception of a few generator sets) so it wasn't an issue with us.

They were Scepter-style cans (not sure what brand)...at least the ones we used were after they started phasing out the old metal jerry cans. We used them for both Diesel and Mogas without issue.