Help me understand the fuel economics of gasoline containers?

[RobWTX]

That is exactly why you should mount 2 on the spare tire, and 6-8 on an overhead rack. Roughly 30 gallons of gas will get you back out safely. lol

There is a really decked out Tundra a couple streets over from me. I mean, it does look incredible, has probably every off road part/gadget you can have on it, and the stickers to match. He said it is only for show, he never off roads it.
It's like something you would see at SEMA, it literally has everything!

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[Sunday Money]

I was out to dinner with my boss - got to drive him around in my Bronco.

He sees a couple of jeeps in the parking lot - all pristine condition, with full overlanding setup. He asks “What are those red tanks for - they don’t look big enough to carry much gas”

I said “They are just there for show”

Bingo (no pun intended)! Likely 99.8% of the time

 

[JerryG]

I run E30 (70% 93 Octane, 30%E85). E85 is not available at most gas stations so carrying pure E85 in the cans allow you to mix in 'E85 Remote' areas.

 

[SeptuagenarianSasquatch]

I’ve done overlanding/off-roading in much of the western USA and I can’t really think of anywhere that is “200-300 miles away [from a gas station]”

A few places come to my mind: the Maine Northwoods, northern Canada (e.g. Labrador), the west Utah desert (West Juab & Millard counties, check Partoun and Gandy on an atlas).

I especially appreciate the poster who said to prepare for diversions. Also detours, delays, and you might meet a dumbell who ran out of gas. Painful confession: I ran low on gas in the middle of Box Elder County, and managed to make it to pavement (Utah Rte 30 near Grouse Creek), where I ran out of gas. Had to hitchhike to Snowville where I got gas and a ride back to my truck.

Serious warning: make sure your fuel receptacle's spout is compatible with the Bronco gas fill. Avoid things with springs, clips and exotic vents. For example, the (so-called) "No-Spill" cap/nozzle is very difficult--I spilled a lot trying to make it work. Required by the bureaucratic safety "experts" (HA!) in my state.

 

[BullyHayes]

You guys put fuel in your cans?

 

[Coldsmoke]

I do plan my trips to ensure I never get in a circumstance where I need to use the fuel in the rotopsx, but I am also a believer in Murpy’s law, #312: the worst that can happen will.

That aside, I also carry it for the knuckleheads, (some of which are good friends), I run into on the trail that haven’t learned the importance of prior planning.

 

[timhood]

Sorry for the noob question.

So I'm having a debate with myself about mounting gas carriers to a bronco (or any off road vehicle). I feel like if I ever offroaded far enough away from the nearest gas station and ran out of gas, I'd probably be about 200-300 miles away. An emergency gas source (Jerry can or rotopax), with the mpg on these vehicles, at best I might get me 90 miles back towards home (two 3 gallon rotopax at 15mpg in an off-road environment) and still stranded. Am I missing something?

Nowhere in the U.S. is 300 miles from gas, but there are certainly places that are pretty far away nonetheless. Actually, I’m wondering how you would get 300 miles from gas on the fuel that’s in your tank. I saw a 5 gallon container and figured that should take car of any plausible situation I would be in. As a general rule, we always fill up before each days’ trek, so I haven’t yet pulled the trigger on that extra can.

 

[Fordified1]

It’s like the high-lift jack, snorkel, and handgun most will never need. Over the top preparedness gives piece of mind. No disrespect intended for any who carry any of the above.

 

[gtabert]

True story, traveling through BC going to Alaska with my son in his '98 Cherokee, HWY 37 - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/...driving-conditions/highway-37-stewart-cassiar - decided to take this route as we like adventure, everyone takes the ALCAN HWY. we wanted a challenge and scenery through the mountains. It's October 2021, gas stations few along the way. Approach Drease Lake, have enough gas to make it to Jade City. About 30 miles farther down the road the gas gauge starts dropping quickly. Pull over, gas is running out from the line just out of the tank, electric fuel pump keeps pumping gas to feed the injectors. Turn around, fortunately the ride back was mostly downhill, coast as much as we can, restart when needed to the next down hill run. As we get within striking distance of the gas station, not knowing just how much further it will be, the engine sputters and dies. No traffic whatsoever on the HWY in either direction, out of nowhere a pickup with two hunters come by, offer help, but have nothing to give in their bag of misc items other than two screw clamps and advice. We accept the clamps and send them on their way. Crawl under the back end, rubber fuel line punctured. Dug into his tool box, by God's grace, we found a section of fuel line just long enough to make the repair, the line was slightly smaller diameter, reaming it out with larger screw driver, we were able to force it onto the tank outlet and metal line to the engine. Once the repair was made, we had a plastic two gallon gas can on the roof rack, not Rotopax, but just as capable. Put that in the tank, started up, LEAK FREE, continued down the road to the gas station, which was about 1 1/2 miles further. Son starts filling the tank, one woman and an older guy inside from a local Indian Tribe non English speaking, no automotive service parts whatsoever on the limited shelf space. Filled up, off we go onward to our nights stay over in Watson Lake, this is where HWY 37 marries up with the ALCAN. The repair took us to our Alaskan destination, to this day, he has not modified that roadside repair. We had a few other bits of excitement along the way, but that's for another time.

 

[jscherb]

It is worse than that even. From the Rotopax instructions: “we recommend venting your Rotopax at least once a day or every 10 degrees in temperature and every 1000 feet in elevation. However, depending on your location and usage, you may need to vent more than once a day, especially in areas with higher heat and elevations. …”

Gas cans leak. And need special care & feeding to vent.
Or you can do what a friend of mine did — screw that cap on hard & tight! Then his can burst from the expansion. And Rotopax wouldn’t warranty a replacement because he didn’t vent.

Here's what happens in the sun if you don't vent them:

Bulging can be mitigated with an insulated cover (sorry it's on a Wrangler)...

 

[Aonarch]

The two doors gas tank is a measly 17.4 gallons. Four extra gallons of gas can get me 70-90 extra miles. That can be a make or break moment.

Funny enough, lst year I found myself 92 miles away from the closet gas station with a little over a 1/4 of a tank left in my GX 460. I hypermilled that thing to the last drop to make it, and I did! After that I vowed to always keep extra gas on a remote excursion.

I've only run out of gas once in my life, and thankfully it was about a mile downhill from where I was. No power steering or power brakes isn't fun.

 

[Aonarch]

Here's what happens in the sun if you don't vent them:

Bulging can be mitigated with an insulated cover (sorry it's on a Wrangler)...

Do you know where to get those covers that are quality?

 

[NVCowboy]

My use case for cans involves hunting trips with a base camp that is 60 miles from the nearest pump. I also tow a 6x12 cargo conversion that takes me down to an average of about 11 mpg, so I’m roughly five gallons in the hole just getting to camp. Even if I make a run into town for fuel, I’m approx 3.5 gallons down when I get back to camp. I’ve been lucky so far because the generator I haul carries 4 gallons and the trailer hauls 8 gallons, so I can usually get enough back in the Bronco to make town. It’d be nice to have racks to haul the fuel so I could refill everything while I’m in town. I’ve been fine so far, but emotionally I’m always short on fuel.

 

[Neverowneda4x4]

Wow, thanks everyone. Loving the stories!

 

[Who iz]

In the remote high desert of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada I have needed and used a 5 gallon fuel can a number of times. Most of the time it is not required, but honestly a little extra fuel is simple insurance. Remote exploring requires forethought and sometimes others need a hand too.
Best to plan for the unexpected and prepared, ready to help others. Like your head, protect it in from the sun too.

Used more than a few times and prefer:

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