Making gas cans great again

[sixdogs]

My vent hole needed to be an odd size that I didn't have a drill for so I drilled undersize and used a hand reamer to get exact fit. Worked better.

 

[Blue Mule]

I discovered that Buc-ee's sells 5 gallon "liquid" containers (since they can't market them as gas jugs) with traditional nozzels and vents on them. So I bought one of those. It's nice, but I wish it wasn't so tall. I can't fit it in my pickup with the bed cover closed.

 

[CalG]

I vent my plastic cans with a schrader valve like you you use for air etc. Drill the hole a little smaller and screw it into the can with a little silicon. Remove the valve core and put the cap on it. No leaks. Remove the cap when you need to vent. My main problem is misplacing the cap so I keep extras on hand.

I fitted schrader valves to a couple of 5 gal fuel jugs. Both broke off in less than a month. The rubber "groove" broke at the base. I did not expect that, I guess I'm hard on them.

So I wittled a couple of wooden plugs, and tye the pegs to the jug handle with string so they don't get lost.

With temperature change, I have had the wooden plugs loosen, but it's easy enough to check them before handling the jug.

 

[RayIN]

I fitted schrader valves to a couple of 5 gal fuel jugs. Both broke off in less than a month. The rubber "groove" broke at the base. I did not expect that, I guess I'm hard on them.

So I wittled a couple of wooden plugs, and tye the pegs to the jug handle with string so they don't get lost.

With temperature change, I have had the wooden plugs loosen, but it's easy enough to check them before handling the jug.

This made me recall using a potato for a stopper on kerosene or coal oil cans when I was a kid. Seems the metal screw-on cap got lost soon after purchasing a can.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

I avoid the new gas can spouts by taking the entire lid off, and using an 8 inch wide funnel.

 

[RayIN]

See post #125 in this thread, where they said they dislike lifting 5 gallon cans.

It's not so much the total weight (5 gal diesel = 35.5 lbs). It's the awkward position they have to be in to fill some of my equipment - combine that with the slow pour from crappy modern nozzles which means staying in that awkward position for more time and I can see why some are looking for other solutions. between a nagging upper back injury and a left shoulder that occasionally has problems, I suspect it won't be that many more years before I'm partially filling my 5 gallon cans.

Also, where does it say a 5G can must be filled with 5G, I put 4 in mine, makes pouring into small tanks much easier. I simply bought a few more fuel cans, right now I have 15 fuel cans; 1 kerosene, 3 diesel, and 4 gasoline, with 7 unused in reserve. Oh, 3 of those in reserve are safety flame proof cans; I dislike them but got a great buy about 30 yrs ago. When we camped in a trailer and carried a portable genset I did carry them in the truckbed.

 

[steve tym]

I bought 4 of the new environmentally friendly cans. They leak raw gas all over the place. I would think a few fumes in the atmosphere would be better than gas on the ground. Stupid idea.

 

[bsekf]

Steve, that's what happens when you have morons making the rules.

 

[steve tym]

Steve, that's what happens when you have morons making the rules.

They make a rule, then just let industry figure out how to abide by it. How long have they been trying to figure out how to make a gas can? 20 years?

 

[Rockbadchild]

That’s a pretty good deal, MM. Are they selling a yellow diesel version? Or just red?

Yes you can get these exact model in red, yellow and blue... they work even better if you oversize the breather hole.

Sounds like you guys need to cross the border to get descent Jerry cans

 

[ranger13256]

No-Spill 1457 Diesel Fuel Can, Yellow, On Amazon and elsewhere.​

These work great

 

[gstrom99]

A drill and filler bolt/plug have worked well for me, for years.

 

[ning]

No-Spill 1457 Diesel Fuel Can, Yellow, On Amazon and elsewhere.​

These work great

I had a plastic fuel jug - the type you flip upside down and it rapidly dumps fuel, super convenient and I loved it - in the back of my truck, and something slid into it and cracked the jug. Leaked a couple gallons.

I still have one of them, but I'm super careful with it now; I also have 4 of the nato cans that I'm a bit less concerned about getting a leak.

I won't buy another 5 gallon plastic jug if I can help it.

 

[John_Mc]

The real NATO cans are top notch. They take a beating and just keep on going without issues for decades.

There are some imitation NATO cans that just suck in terms of avoiding leaks, resistance to internal corrosion, and/or just general overall durability.

If I remember correctly Wavian is the manufacturer of the real cans.

 

[ning]

The real NATO cans are top notch. They take a beating and just keep on going without issues for decades.

There are some imitation NATO cans that just suck in terms of avoiding leaks, resistance to internal corrosion, and/or just general overall durability.

If I remember correctly Wavian is the manufacturer of the real cans.

Yes, those are the ones. Not exactly inexpensive... but I decided after the one can got cracked that I wasn't going to f around and figured these would last and last.

I have spouts for them that aren't spring loaded (they do have "carb nozzles"), though they still gurgle a bit (has a bit of accordion plastic at the end for flex). I'd consider them medium-speed in dumping the fuel out - the plastic upside-down one with a breather tube that goes all the way to the bottom (or top, when dispensing fuel?) dump five gallons really fast.

This is interesting:

https://www.reddit.com/r/overlanding/comments/1osog78/psa_wavian_left_an_easter_egg_in_their_new_epa

Apparently you can easily de-CARB the spring-loaded spouts...

 

[shooterdon]

I checked on the Wavian. $400 for 15 gallons of storage. Not a good value IMO.

 

[ning]

I checked on the Wavian. $400 for 15 gallons of storage. Not a good value IMO.

yeah I paid 60 each for 6 a few years ago. Doubt I'd buy that many now...

 

[CalG]

Does anyone know where to get the replacement sealing rings for the spouts?

They are "c" section rubber. I haven't found them at the hardware store/

 

[not2old]

In the late 1970's I threw out a 5 gallon galvanized can because it developed a leak that I was scared to solder shut. I bought a plastic jug that I still use along with the fifteen used jugs my wife bought me at a garage sale for $20.00 about twenty years ago. On about 1/2 of them, the flex spout has broken so I just grab another spout when pouring. I've spent too many years being thrifty that it's difficult to change now that I have more than sufficient funds for my needs.

 

[John_Mc]

Does anyone know where to get the replacement sealing rings for the spouts?

They are "c" section rubber. I haven't found them at the hardware store/

I used these on the Wavian NATO Jerry can on my antique truck. I notice the description says that it fits "NATO European military spec non-CARB jerry cans and spouts, including VALPRO and Wavian brands". I'm not sure what's different in the gasket for a CARB vs a non-CARB can. I can say that one has been working well in my non-CARB Wavian can for several years now.