RDS Fuel Transfer / Storage Tanks

joeyd · Jul 9, 2016

I know there have been MANY threads about fuel storage here but I have never seen any that fits my need. I want to store around 100 gals of gasoline for emergency generator use. This last winter we had some heavy snow and high winds that left the area without power in some areas up to a week ( 3 days for us). I prefer to have a tank that I can transport to the gas station and top off when needed. I anticipate using the fuel occasionally in my truck to keep it fresh. ( Yes I know about Stabil or PRI G). I think I have found one that meets my needs by RDS, it is rated for gasoline, is aluminum so less worry about corrosion and it has internal baffles. I was thinking about mounting it to a pallet for easy loading into my truck for when I have to top it off, full it should only weigh about 850 lbs.

So to make a long question short does anyone have any history with the RDS brand of fuel transfer / storage tank?

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200318087_200318087

bdog · Jul 10, 2016

I have a RDS 90 gallon tank mounted on my truck. It is not the exact one you linked to mine is diamond tread but otherwise very similar. I have had numerous transfer tanks of various brands over the past 15 years and the RDS is by far the best I have ever owned. It is very well made and never had any leaks or other issues. Other tanks I have owned developed cracks over time, had the baffles break loose, etc. Granted a lot of this is due to being mounted on a truck that travels rough roads daily but still the RDS holds up much better than any other I have tried. If it vanished tonight I would go buy another just like it tomorrow.

All that being said how big of a generator do you have? 100 gallons is a lot of fuel for a generator. My old gas powered 6,500 watt Honda would run 24 hours on ten gallons. Are you expecting outages that long? I know there are treatments and such but my experience is long term storage of gas does not go well. Diesel seems to last for ever with biocide but gas gets old fairly quickly. Are you planning on rigging up a gravity feed or using a pump? Unless you plan on other uses for the gas I think you will be doing a lot of cycling it in and out into your truck or whatever. If it was just for generator I would probably just buy some five gallon cans. Much cheaper. With a three day outage possibility you would only need six or so.

joeyd · Jul 10, 2016

bdog -

Thanks for the info on the RDS tank. I know a 90 gallon tank seems like overkill but the idea of six 5 gal cans of gas in my shop doesn't appeal to me. The price of a 50 gal tank is not that different from a 90 gal tank. I was preparing for a week long outage as a worst case scenario. I plan on using a hand pump for the tank and topping it off in late fall before the snow flies and "dipping" into during the nice months to keep it fresh. I also plan on buying a 30 - 50 gal steel storage tank for diesel for my tractor. It seems I am always running to fill a 5 gal container for diesel especially in the winter when I am clearing snow.

FTG-05 · Jul 10, 2016

90 gallon RDS tank owner since 2006. Buy with confidence. If you doubt that, give RDS a call, very friendly and very helpful people. If I was in the market right now, I wouldn't even bother going elsewhere.

Call them anyway and find where their local dealer is located near you. Call the dealer and have your tank delivered there on the next scheduled delivery from RDS. I saved +$100 in shipping doing that when I bought my tank. They got deliveries every 2 weeks or so, so the wait wasn't too bad at all.

Good luck!

bdog · Jul 10, 2016

I would strongly suggest a 12 volt pump over the hand crank with a tank that size. You will be much more likely to rotate the fuel if the pumping it out doesn't involve thirty minutes of cranking.

joeyd · Jul 11, 2016

bdog said:
I would strongly suggest a 12 volt pump over the hand crank with a tank that size. You will be much more likely to rotate the fuel if the pumping it out doesn't involve thirty minutes of cranking.

:thumbsup:

RPW · Jul 27, 2016

I use 2 55 gal drums. One for Diesel and one for gasoline. I'll usually use 2 drum worth of diesel a year and 1 of gasoline a year. My gasoline requirements are Skidsteer (OLD) and for my welder / generator. Other uses are small motors like pumps etc. To keep the gas fresh I use a stabilizer and haven't had any issues with keeping gas for a year. After that it will get pumped into one of the trucks and used up. So far no issues. Keep the tanks sealed when not in use. And yes get the 12v pump. Your arm will thank you.

joeyd · Jul 28, 2016

RPW said:
I use 2 55 gal drums. One for Diesel and one for gasoline. I'll usually use 2 drum worth of diesel a year and 1 of gasoline a year. My gasoline requirements are Skidsteer (OLD) and for my welder / generator. Other uses are small motors like pumps etc. To keep the gas fresh I use a stabilizer and haven't had any issues with keeping gas for a year. After that it will get pumped into one of the trucks and used up. So far no issues. Keep the tanks sealed when not in use. And yes get the 12v pump. Your arm will thank you.

RPW

Do you have a 12v pump for each drum? Can you use the same one and alternate between tanks? Any cross contamination of fuel?