Please Help, There must be easier way to fill gas

i refuse to pay marina prices for gas around here. So i fill up about 6, 5gal jugs and 2 at a time carry them down my long & steep lakeside, and procede to one at a time drag them across the boat and try to skillfully get the neck of the jug into the boat fill tank w/o spilling any, and sit and wait for a few min for each tank, and those stupid "ventless" tanks take forever to fill!

is there an easier way to fill it up? a special jug i can get or a cool way using what i have?

i saw something on the Detention DVD but i couldn't understand how they did it. the camera was too far away and it was too short of a clip.

i would like at least a faster way to fill it up rather than holding each jug and waiting what feels like forever.

(Message edited by mmobius2001 on June 28, 2004)

Something like this maybe?

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=81040

being cheap usually requires a lot of manuel work

Yeah, if you can wheel it around, there are quite a few "gas caddies" to choose from. The one in the link above is only 15 gallons though.

Here's a 28 gallon one:

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&langId=-1&catalogId=4006970&PHOTOS=on&productId=9950&categ oryId=7376

It would weigh over 200 lbs. when full though so you'd probably need a pickup and a friend to move it around.

Of course, at $280, how much Marina gas could you buy?

They also sell quick fill cans and some cans are much more ergonomic than others. Your final option, which would still require all the carrying is a pump for the individual cans. I've seen them before but I'd imagine that would be as much of a pain as anything.

It doesn't totally address your issue, but regarding the aligning-the-can-nozzle-with-the gas-fill-hole, I bought some thick rubber tubing from Lowe's and fit one end over the gas can nozzle and the fit the other end down in the gas hole. I can stand on the swim platform, tilt the can and the gas flows. It sure beats leaning out over the water trying to balance and line up the can.

A friend of mine showed me an old farmer trick that I use all the time. I have a short piece of garden hose with one end that has the brass fitting to give it a little weight to help it sink to the bottom of the tank. I set my tank on the back of the boat by the fill nozzle on a towel and one end of the hose in the tank, the other in the fill nozzle. Wrap your hand around the opening in the gas tank where the hose is to seal it best as you can. Blow into the vent side of the tank and the air pressure starts a siphon without having to swallow a mouthful of gas. Just don't inhale the fumes. Since the tank is setting above the fill nozzle it siphons until empty and the brass fitting keeps it close to the bottom to get all the gas out. No real manual labor or fancy gadgets to buy getting the gas into the boat. You still have to carry them down to hill though.

jim, i was gonna say the same thing. just to add to that method, you can wrap a small hand towel or paper towel around the opening instead of your hand to help seal it.

also, if you dont want to blow into the vent side, you can put one hand to seal the opening, take the other hand and put it on one side of the tank and use your knee on the other side of the tank. squeeze the tank and that will have the same effect. or just find a friend to squeeze the tank. you get the point.

You need 5 gallon race jugs,go to motorcycle shop or a major gas place one that sells oil,gas,grease.Any were you can get a 55 gallon of fuel may be able to find one at autozone,pepboys.They have a 1 inch 3foot hose and a air inlet which lets you fill up quick sell for around 20 dollars.

Don't buy the gas caddy....I have one and it's way to heavy

I use a 4' clear hose with a brass fitting on the end. In the brass fitting is a marble. You puth this end in the full 5 gal. container and the other in the boat. Shake the end in the can in and out and a syphon starts, its very simple. Check West Marine, or BoatUS, I have seen the in there cataloge.

How does that Gas Kart work, anyone used it before?

Here's what I would do in your situation. I would get a flat cart an tie the gas can to it. I could easily fix eight 5-gallon cans on my cart. If you're talking about a super steep drop to the lake, I would tie a rope around the handle for the flat cart and slowly guide it down that way as you slowly progress down the hill with it, walking it like a dog (Make sure you can handle the weight first so you don't drop a nice cart and 30 gallons of gas in the lake).

As far as using "ventless" cans, I make my own vent and cover it with duct tape when not in use. That's probably not the smartest thing to do, but it works.

I have some friends that ask instead of money bring 5 gallons of gas for two rides.

I have started this method, but as far as putting the gas in, I am going to try some of the methods described above.

Waterski mag had somthing a while back that was kinda cool. The dock had a vertical post and they mounted a pvc funnel to it (home-made funnel made from pvc reducers). The bottom of the funnel had a flexable hose that would reach to the boat. Put the funnel at a comfortable height and even put a notch in it to set the mouth of the jerry can to rest on. It won't bounce up and down as much as the boat and any spills will land on the dock instead of in the lake.
Kinda hard to picture, but I hope you get the idea.
B