what do you do for fuel storage?

[Short Game]

I once put one of my 115 gallon tanks on a small boat trailer and strapped it down and drove 40 miles to the fuel depot and had it filled with off road diesel and dragged it home. Not long after that, I learned the same company that I drove to did free delivery of 100+ gallons.

It was fun being a fuel tanker for a day, though.... not.

 

[TripleR]

I have to answer the OP's question for myself, once we get the property (Tues AM, fingers crossed) AND I figure out which tractor to buy AND figure out how much fuel I'm likely to use in a year so I don't either over or under size. Gonna be a crap shoot that one, but the other option is 5 gallon jugs in the back of the car 'cause I don't have a truck and (sorry guys) I DON'T want a truck. I know that gives me like minus 10,000 redneck points .

As for designs, my Dad had a 275 gallon oil tank he put up on stilts so it was higher than his tractor. No pump needed. Not sure how he knew when to stop, by sound I guess.

Actually, there are no points deduction, it is a clear disqualification. In some areas, you can skate by without owning one, but not "wanting one" is an automatic lifetime disqualification and they take your land and tractor away.:laughing:

I lived without a truck for a few years and bought a 5x8 trailer with which to haul stuff, used ones are pretty reasonable.

As an aside, there is a difference between living in the country and country living. The descriptor of Rednecks can be used as a term of pride or derision, so know your audience. Country boy and Redneck are not synonymous; you can be one and not the other.

We use gravity feed and my wife can tell when to stop by the diesel pouring on her shoes, I use the sound method and occasionally fuel gauge.

 

[K5OIT]

Got 3 methods for storing/handling diesel fuel. First is a 400 gallon steel skid tank, second is a 100 gallon pickup tank on a small trailer to move fuel to my whole house generator and third is a 100 gallon aluminum tank (normally empty) that I can wrestle onto my pickup and go looking for fuel 50-100 miles away or wherever fuel is available. All this was brought on by hurricane IKE where we did without power for 8-1/2 days. We are also at the end of our co-op line so repairs are not swift. Since I only buy taxed road fuel it is also used in my pickup. All this is transferred by 3 Fill-rite pumps to eliminate can handling by this tired old body with a bad back. I have only used it a very few times, since IKE, but it sure works good for me. Of course, all the stored fuel has (Pri-D) stabilizer and biocide in it. Best of luck to all

 

[bruceha2000]

Actually, there are no points deduction, it is a clear disqualification. In some areas, you can skate by without owning one, but not "wanting one" is an automatic lifetime disqualification and they take your land and tractor away.:laughing:

Can't, I have neither a tractor nor land to take away. The land is supposed to be Tuesday as long as nothing goes wrong. Had to wait 2.5 months for them to excavate the buried fuel oil tank, which of course HAD leaked, then do the clean up, testing and have the state approve. Anyone selling property with a buried fuel oil or gas tank would be WELL SERVED to take it out and clean up BEFORE you list. Even if you are in the middle of cleanup/testing when people come by, they know there is no potential for an EXPENSIVE environmental problem coming their way. We would have been at our new property mid August and the sellers would have been in THEIR new property.

I lived without a truck for a few years and bought a 5x8 trailer with which to haul stuff, used ones are pretty reasonable.

I may end up the same way if a NEED arises, but I have a 2004 Prius, my wife has a 2006. I think going from 50+ MPG to 15 MPG would about kill me.

As an aside, there is a difference between living in the country and country living. The descriptor of Rednecks can be used as a term of pride or derision, so know your audience. Country boy and Redneck are not synonymous; you can be one and not the other.

Hopefully I did not offend anyone. I was not using the term redneck derisively, just joking that you can't be a redneck if you have no truck and don't want one.

 

[Mechanos]

With owning a piece of land, I don't see how I would get by without owning a truck. I am constantly needing to haul something to or from the property. For me, it is not about whether or not I want a truck... it's an outright necessity.

 

[me0418840987]

All of the trucks and equipment I own are gas. My fuel supplier supplied my 500 gallon above ground tank free of charge, as long as I have a fuel delivery at least every three months. I pay 4 cents above current pump price, but having the gas station at home is great, it keeps my employees from "having to stop" at the gas station on paid time. I forgot to mention that I have it filled from empty every 3 weeks or so with 475 gallons at a time- fun check to write out every month.

 

[Glen Watkins]

With owning a piece of land, I don't see how I would get by without owning a truck. I am constantly needing to haul something to or from the property. For me, it is not about whether or not I want a truck... it's an outright necessity.

So true! Even if it's just hauling a couple cans to the station for diesel. I thought about a storage/haul tank but just don't use enough yet.

 

[TripleR]

Can't, I have neither a tractor nor land to take away. The land is supposed to be Tuesday as long as nothing goes wrong. Had to wait 2.5 months for them to excavate the buried fuel oil tank, which of course HAD leaked, then do the clean up, testing and have the state approve. Anyone selling property with a buried fuel oil or gas tank would be WELL SERVED to take it out and clean up BEFORE you list. Even if you are in the middle of cleanup/testing when people come by, they know there is no potential for an EXPENSIVE environmental problem coming their way. We would have been at our new property mid August and the sellers would have been in THEIR new property.
I may end up the same way if a NEED arises, but I have a 2004 Prius, my wife has a 2006. I think going from 50+ MPG to 15 MPG would about kill me.
Hopefully I did not offend anyone. I was not using the term redneck derisively, just joking that you can't be a redneck if you have no truck and don't want one.

All in good fun. Hopefully you will be able to get everything lined out and take possession before long.

I can sure identify with the fuel mileage as for all but a short time that I worked, I drove small 4 cylinder cars/trucks and even motorcycles as hybrids weren't available. I pulled my trailer with my VW air cooled.

When I was assigned to a rural area, I had to buy a truck as my cars would bottom out on the country roads and fields. I later had to go from the compact trucks to full size 4WD for hauling and towing when I had to be more involved in the farms; sure hurts when I fill up.

Good luck in your transition to your country home.

 

[Builder]

I've bought 2 different fuel cells off CL with electric pumps for about $200 each.
One is a fuel "cube" (2'x2'x2' 50 gallons). It has about 15' of lead with battery clips. I mounted it to 2 3' pieces of treated lumber skids and use my pallet forks to move it around the jobsite. I just clip the gator clips to the battery of the unit that needs fuel and it works great.

I bought a 2nd one that is narrow profile (4'x18"x12" 38 gallons) and I mounted it up against the headache rack on my F-550. That way I have enough fuel for at least 1-day of cutting with the M-7040. I wired it directly into the aux switches in the Ford.

I missed out on a CL listing where a guy took a nice 5'x8' single axle trailer and mounted a cylindrical aluminum tank to the floor of it and plumbed in an electric pump. He was practically giving it away, but I was too busy to go for it.

 

[Maxamillion]

I store my diesel fuel in a 50 gallon tank that was in a pick up that I bought. It came with a handpump that leaked. I bought a 12 volt electric pump at a auction sale for $25.00, bought some hose, nozzle and an inline filter. Installed the pump and started pumping fuel. I will take it in to town to fill it and alway add some Howes fuel condtioner to the fuel. I will hook up the pump and recirculate the fuel to mix up the Howes with the fuel. It works good and I have about $120.00 into a fuel tank.

 

[Builder]

I used to have a 500 G tank & gasboy back in the 90's, but when I reduced the size of my business, I let it go.
I found in the end it wasn't worth it unless we were really going through a ton of fuel. The tanks did tend to get condensation in them, too. Todays diesels are really sensitive and expensive to fixt if they get dirty fuel, too.

 

[KYDan]

I use the 50 gallon transportable tanks from TSC for diesel and for aircraft and equipment fuels. I load them in the back of my pickup with the boom on my tractor. I rigged bottom supports and hook eyelets to lift them. Since they are emptied fairly regularly condensation has not been a problem. However, I do use water separating, micron, fuel filters on them and a fuel stablilizer in the winter. It has worked for me for 10+ years. I use 93 octane ethanol-free gasoline for the aicraft and various mowers, blowers, chainsaws, ad infinitum small engines. It appears to work quite well as some of my equipment is approaching the 30 year mark and still functions.

 

[mlauk]

I bought a small boat trailer, shortened the tongue, welded in a few crossmembers and put 14 ga plate on top. I bought the 100 gallon fuel tank from TSC and put on a rotary hand pump with an automatic shut off nozzle. I just park it between my tractors and fill up at the end of the day.

 

[LBrown59]

I bought my first truck a 1957 International PU. back in 1968.
I have always owned at least one ever since.

With owning a piece of land, I don't see how I would get by without owning a truck. I am constantly needing to haul something to or from the property. For me, it is not about whether or not I want a truck... it's an outright necessity.

I have A 55 gallon set up.
I never have to haul it anywhere to fill it as it is self filling.

I store my diesel fuel in a 50 gallon tank that was in a pick up that I bought. It came with a handpump that leaked. I bought a 12 volt electric pump at a auction sale for $25.00, bought some hose, nozzle and an inline filter. Installed the pump and started pumping fuel.
I will take it in to town to fill it
I will hook up the pump and recirculate the fuel to mix up the Howes with the fuel. It works good and I have about $120.00 into a fuel tank.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Plastic 5 gallon yellow diesel jerry can in the garage, at least until I get a shed built for the tractor.

 

[IndyIan]

Plastic 5 gallon yellow diesel jerry can in the garage, at least until I get a shed built for the tractor.

Me too! A good weekend uses up about 5 gallons so I just put the can in the trunk of my car and fill it up on the way home on Monday, and I try to fill it up on Monday so the tractors tank stays mostly full most of the time. I find the diesel doesn't really smell that much at all anymore? Did removing the sulfur get rid of the smell?
I see some big trucks filling up at my regular gas station so I think they go through diesel at a reasonable rate

 

[jbrumberg]

"I see some big trucks filling up at my regular gas station so I think they go through diesel at a reasonable rate"

I go where the "Big Boys", contractors, and school buses are regular patrons, and I use a 5G yellow jerry can. Fuel stays fresh and the station is on top of seasonal "mix" adjustments.

 

[lduren]

I saw this company at the Moultrie Georgia Sunbelt Ag Expo: Fuel Trailers and Service Trailers by Thunder Creek Equipment

If I remember correctly a trailer that hauls around 400 to 500 gallons of diesel costed around $5000. The salesman said that people can use it to store diesel in it. If you divide $5000 / 500 gallons, that equals $10 per gallon storage. It costs about $22 for a 5 gallon jug to haul jugs of diesel fuel like I do currently (if I remember correctly). CORRECTION: The cost for the jerry jugs cost 44% per gallon of what it costs using a fuel trailer on a per gallon basis, only considering the cost of the storage container jerry jug versus the storage container fuel trailer.

I would really like one of those being it had electric trailer brakes on it. These trailers can come equiped with a pump that runs off of the power from the car or truck.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

I don't know what the tank trailer cost vs 5 gallon Jerry can cost is trying to show.

My Jerry can cost about $5 at Lowes; and since that was on the way home from work, cost for transportation was less than 50 cents of gasoline.

Cost to fill the Jerry can is only the cost of diesel fuel since there are at least 10 stations on the direct route between work and home.

 

[lduren]

I don't know what the tank trailer cost vs 5 gallon Jerry can cost is trying to show.

My Jerry can cost about $5 at Lowes; and since that was on the way home from work, cost for transportation was less than 50 cents of gasoline.

Cost to fill the Jerry can is only the cost of diesel fuel since there are at least 10 stations on the direct route between work and home.

I will have to check it out sometime at Lowes the next time I am there.