Extra Fuel on the Boat! Where? How?
 

Hey All,
We are generally out all day and sometimes run out of gas just before dark. We usually keep a small two gallon plastic gas can under the bow seats which just barely can get us home from almost anywhere on the small lake we are normally at.

We are planning a week long trip to Lake Powell in about a month and am trying to figure out how to take extra fuel with us in order to get us back to camp or the marina. How do people do this?

While at Powell I generally bring a Todd Gas Caddy (28 gallons) and strap it behind the driver's seat until we get to our camp. We then leave it at camp. If we have a houseboat we leave it on the houseboat deck.

http://www.toddusa.com/productimages/P93-2400.jpg

I have been thinking about getting a couple of these 4 gallon gas cans from Rotopax and putting them under the observer's seat.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_91zsGDEllAo/Sp...0/CIMG1177.JPG

What do others do? What about standard motocross or jetski five gallon gas cans?

We just used a ratchet strap and strapped them to the swim deck. Ran the strap through the hooks on the back for the trailer straps then through the handles on the gas cans. Ratcheted it down and rolled.

Sam, I keep a 5 gallon in the boat for longer trips or outtings for that just in case moment you are talking about. I put mine in the rear locker. Have the cap with the spout faced in. Since our fills are on the side, I went to Academy Sports and Outdoors and got one of those easy siphons, clear tube brass fitting, sold with the gas cans near the trolling motors and fuel accessories, no spill. Set the gas can on the battery hatch cover, mine is HDPE so I am not worried about any damage to the floor, I also keep my tool box there to act as a buffer to our jackets.

Siphon looks like this: http://www.jerry-cans.com/jerry-can-...sfer-in-stock/
Stupid easy to use.

I'm not one to usually give advice; however, for the obvious reason I would recommend keeping your gas cans as far away from your battery as possible. That being said, I just started using a siphon to fill and it definitely beats holding a five gallon can.

I knew someone would say it, fuel/battery. I see your point. Sam I think you also have the same HDPE door in the other locker, use that one. :)

Like I said just stating the obvious and don't want to see anyone get hurt. Forgive my ignorance, but what's an HDPE door?

There are several manufacturers of bladder style tanks for fuel. Just like a ballast bag, they conform to the space you have for them.
They are expensive, and I'm not sure if they are all certified for use in the US. Search 'flexible fuel tank'.

I actually have four of these "pillow tanks", but they are super hard to get all the gas out of!

http://www.water-storage-tank.com/im...anks_small.JPG

I'm mostly just curious what everyone else does, because I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem.

Sam,

Use one of these with your pillow tanks and you'll get everything out easy. Best $10 I ever spent.
http://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-FloToo.../dp/B000EH0ORI

Running out of gas is really hard on your (expensive) electric fuel pump.

Read the PCM service manual... the secondary pump shuts down and the fuel cell stops when pressure is no longer available...

Also, who waits to add the fuel until the engine stops... we add when we are low...

In the EPIC's there are 2 plastic hatches in the floor of the lockers. One holds the batteries and the other is mostly empty with the steering cable running through it. Space management.

I referred to them as HDPE doors for some strange reason. I think my blood sugar was low. HDPE is a plastic.

Sam you're in Dallas right, go to Academy or Bass Pro to get these. Most carry them in stock for the same price or less. I think I paid 7bux for mine.

I have been thinking about this for a couple of years now, I have a 89' Supra Comp with a 18 gal tank and 1000-1600 lbs it last about 3/4 of the day. i was thinking about putting a 12 gallon outboard motor tank under the front and piping it to the fuel line SOMEHOW?? I think it will be easier for me since my boat Isn't fuel injection?? You can do the same thing. Any help on this guys, can you pipe it into the fuel line and it just will suck until both are dry or use a fuel cock valve and flip it over when almost empty?? Jet

like this:
http://www.iboats.com/GAS-TANK-BATTE...-view_id.62658

How worried is anybody about the gasoline fumes that will escape from an onboard portable fuel can sinking into the engine compartment? (Gasoline fumes like the gas carbon monoxide are heavier than air. Most other gases are lighter than air ... and rise.)

The OEM hard fuel tanks most (all?) major-brand boats vent out to the side.

i guess they don't have many marinas at your lakes or on your rivers. i use 5 gallon cans but never get so low i can't get back to marina to get more. i wouldn't recommend storing gas in compartments that get heat from engine as all day storage with expansion of gas from heat won't be pretty.as for fumes in the engine compartment thats always dangerous. just one little spark and kaboom!

Most newer gas cans don't vent unless the pressure gets really high. The tanks just expand and collapse as the air in the tank expands and contracts. I wouldn't use an older style tank that wasn't sealed up tight. Put one outside and look at it at noon. It will probably be really swollen. Look at it the next morning and it will probably be caved in.

For those talking about using an outboard style fuel tank you can generally open the vent while in use and close it when not in use. It still would be a good idea to vent one of those somewhere other than into the bilge.

Hey Sam,

We go to Powell every year and here's what we do. We are always have our houseboat which has a 200 gallon toy tank with pump on it for fueling toys, but we also bring about 5 - 5 gallon MX gas cans per large boat and strap them to the swimstep. My boat already holds 50 gallons so that really helps. But we usually go to 'Dangling Rope' Marina around mid-week which is up the lake a ways from wahweap, I believe it's buoy marker 39 or 40-something. Here's a map of marinas on the lake: http://www.canyon-country.com/lakepowell/marinas.htm