Carrying some extra diesel fuel ????

[TSchleff]

There was another thread where the question was asked about difficulty of refueling your diesel while pulling a 30' Airstream. I didn't want to hijack the thread with my question so I started a new thread.

I have a 2009 Chevy 2500 HD Duramax which I love but it only has a 26 gallon tank. I really don't want to drop hundreds of dollars replacing the tank and was thinking of just getting a couple of 5 gallon yellow plastic "cans". The question that comes to mind is how safe is that to have in the back of the pickup, which has a cover, when traveling? I'm sure it is best to secure them, but other than that is there any other issues to concerned about?

I would be happy if the truck just had 10 more gallons.

Thanks.

[GeocamperAS]

Thanks for starting this thread TSchleff. I have the same question but with unleaded.

[perryg114]

Get an in bed tank. I had a 90 gallon one in my F-350. You can go a long ways on that.

Perry

[GeocamperAS]

Originally Posted by perryg114

Get an in bed tank. I had a 90 gallon one in my F-350. You can go a long ways on that.

Perry

In bed tank $$$$$$$$$
The older I get the gas stops are a welcome break.
I plan to not miss a gas station but wanted 5 or 10 gal's just in case.

[sandlapper]

Reach out to "Just Retired '' here on the forums. He just added a big tank and may be able to share some info.

Fueling up is always an adventure. Truck stops are probably the best option but are usually busy with big rigs, some not too happy to share their work space with us "vacationers".

Gas stations are layed out contrary to trailering, it is often hard to find the diesel pump, and they are nearly all crowded.

Fueling up is a necessary evil.

John

[justretired]

I did just install a 52 gal. titan tank in my 2009 Silverado it was not inexpensive. I had a 26 gal factory tank and didn't like to fill up twice in the same day. I plan to keep this truck for a few years so I hope it was worth it. I need all the bed so it had to be a new tank. A five gallon container would be nice but I can't think that I would use it unless it was an emergency. Probably to heavy for me, I could help Bonnie do it. Greg

[Midnightmoon]

I don't have one personally, but a few of our friends have Transferflow aux. tanks in their trucks. They seem to be very high quality.

[SteveH]

We've been to Alaska twice, once with a gas truck, and once with a Diesel. Each time we carried two five gallon containers of fuel in the bed, and we have a camper top on the truck.

It's not something I enjoy doing, but the need trumped the safety concerns. Each time I had containers that did not leak, and tied them in the back of the bed to insure they would not slide around, or tip over. We had no problems as result, and if needed, I would do it again.

[Foiled Again]

Gasoline is explosive. Diesel is flammable. Diesel is much safer to carry in Gerry cans than gas. (BTW - "Gerry Can" came into being because they were designed for the German Army). All things being equal I'd prefer a heavy duty WWII Gerry Can to either the cheap tin or plastic cans one can generally get now. Finding them is difficult, so If you're going plastic may I recommend a 3 gallon can which full only weighs about 25 lbs. Much easier to handle particularly in a hurried roadside refill. They also have a low center of gravity compared to the five or six gallon cans.

About all you can do is strap them down in the bed of the truck. I have found that plastic milk crates are handy to carry both these tanks and 20 lb propane tanks without tipping over.

Happy trails, Paula

[Phoenix]

We carry extra gasoline for our generator(s) in a portable fuel tank for a marine outboard motor. A 6-7 gallon tank is relatively inexpensive (around $35-45), doesn't leak, and is designed to take a lot of abuse. See link to example below, provided for example purposes only:

Attwood 6-Gallon Fuel Tank - Walmart.com

(Note: Insert 1/4" NPT plug in fuel fitting as a stopper, if generator extended-run hose is not used.)

[AIR-Quarius]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

Gasoline is explosive. Diesel is flammable. Diesel is much safer to carry in Gerry cans than gas. (BTW - "Gerry Can" came into being because they were designed for the German Army). All things being equal I'd prefer a heavy duty WWII Gerry Can to either the cheap tin or plastic cans one can generally get now. Finding them is difficult, so If you're going plastic may I recommend a 3 gallon can which full only weighs about 25 lbs. Much easier to handle particularly in a hurried roadside refill. They also have a low center of gravity compared to the five or six gallon cans.

About all you can do is strap them down in the bed of the truck. I have found that plastic milk crates are handy to carry both these tanks and 20 lb propane tanks without tipping over.

Happy trails, Paula

Those milk crates are the greatest. Use them to haul those five gallon water jugs - no tipping over. Not the subject but imagine the structures you could build with those milk crates! They ought to start a thread bout em. lol

[Florida 55]

To carry extra fuel in the bed of the pickup I use Rotopax for safety. They are very expensive but extremely well built and have the extra advantage of being able to be fastened together in a variety of ways. Off roaders and motorcyclists use them. Buying in multiples helps some on the price and there are occasional sales if you watch the website frequently. I've also seen them in a few motorcycle shops. Here is a link to the website's diesel page: Diesel Packs : Fuel Containers : RotopaX.com Spend some time on the website to truly appreciate the variety of ways they can be fastened together and attached to vehicles.

I have two diesel and one gasoline Rotopax. The gasoline is for the generator. When I'm traveling on the east coast I rarely carry them as fueling locations are usually not too many miles away even in wilderness areas. Plus I tend to take frequent rest stops so when traveling from point to point on the interstate highways I'm usually refueling when the gauge drops slightly below 1/2.

I bought the Rotopax to carry with me in the west where I figure there is more likelihood to get in a situation where I run out of fuel. The two 2 gallon diesel containers will provide enough extra fuel to take me a little over 50 miles towing. The 2 gallon gas will run my Yamaha generator about 22 hours.

[Protagonist]

I use this kind of 5-gallon can to carry spare fuel for hurricane evacuations. I prefer these because the multiple handles make it easier to pour from.

[TSchleff]

Thanks everyone for the comments. I just want to clarify, that I have no issue refueling at stations or truck stops, I was just thinking about carrying some extra fuel in case of emergency. And I do think the fuel tanks on the 2009 Silverado HD are too small. I notice that now the tanks are 36 gallons.

If you average 10 mpg, (I actually average 13.1 mpg) with a 26 gallon tank you can't go 300 miles on a tank. And I would like to have that flexibility of knowing I have enough fuel to get 300 miles down the road. I know going to Alaska the "major" towns are about 300 miles apart.

I just wanted to know if there were any secrets about the safety of having two "cans" of fuel in the back of the truck.

[perryg114]

If I were going to any place out west or remote I would have an extra in bed tank. If you had a 90 gallon tank plus your 26 gallons you would have a range of at least 1000 miles. Now that is piece of mind.

This is what I had. I could still put my slide in camper on the bed with this in there.

RDS Vertical Diesel Fuel Transfer Tank — 90 Gallon, Model# 72118 | Auxiliary-Transfer Tanks| Northern Tool + Equipment

They have a kit that lets you hook it to the fuel filler neck. This allows you to get around the EPA regulation of not hooking it directly to the fuel system. Filling up is a pain and many times they gouge you. Having the luxury of filling up when and where you want is priceless.

Perry