Spare fuel in the car

[Broch]

A couple of years ago, in Suffolk, so not exactly the middle of nowhere, I couldn't find any fuel anywhere. There were no deliveries being made, fuel stations had run out of diesel, it was scorching hot and infirm dog in the car (so couldn't have walked any distance). After searching for over an hour, now desperately low, I sat in a queue of six or seven cars hoping that by the time I got to the pump it still had fuel in. It filled to less than two litres of the tank capacity (so I had about 10 miles of fuel left). I'd have given a lot to have been carrying spare fuel

I'm used to carrying spare diesel in the Landy when trekking abroad - 20 or even 40 Litres. partly because there is no telling where the next fuel station with fuel in will be and partly because in North Africa some fuel can be pretty dodgy. I don't carry any in the UK.

However, I do carry 5 Litres in my Westfield - the tank is diddy, the fuel efficiency is not exactly high, and the fuel gauge is undamped (i.e. useless)

 

[slowworm]

Petrol, you can have hundreds of litres of 28sec fuel or diesel provided it's in an approved tank.

What's an approved tank? Would a jerry can count? I also thought you had to notify someone over 30l?

Having said that I was referring to car insurance but it could also apply to house insurance, some are likely to not cover you if you are carrying/storing petrol for an emergency.

 

[Broch]

No, sorry, a slightly ambiguous wording in my post. You can only store a limited amount of petrol - steel jerry cans designed for the purpose up to 30L without license.

Diesel on the other hand is treated like heating oil.

 

[Damascus]

Not sure this is true. I lived there for 10 years and even took an HGV test there in the 1990s, never heard of such a thing.
Anyway back on topic, always had a can in the back of the Landy because you never knew if the gauge was working properly and those things are a pig to push even to the side of the road and boy were they thirsty, also those days if you did run out you had to manually bleed the air out the system with a spanner at the roadside if you did run it dry.
The habit continued as I live fairly rural and there is always the possibility of an "Ooops forgot to fill the car again" moment.
This year I bought a much newer car and a few reasonably priced petrol stations have opened on some of my most travelled routes. ( Remember when the rural stations used to cost an arm a leg and a kidney for half a tank?)
Haven't really decided if I need a can in the back but I have one in the shed just in case I ever make up my mind.
At some point someone will work out how much fuel is actually used carting a full tankfull and a jerrycan full around (maybe 60 or 70 kilos total) compared to limping from petrol station to petrol station on a max of 20 liters a time. Am fairly sure over a year it would make financial sense but can anyone really think, say, running out of fuel while stuck in a traffic jam for 4 hours for example an acceptable risk?

Things may have changed, I refer to late 70’s and early 80’s in Germany.

 

[Tantalus]

Why do you need extra fuel? If in doubt stop and fill your tank to the brim. If you have a dodgy gauge then replace or learn how it's dodgy. Our seat developed a dodgy gauge. It kind of stuck at quarter full then suddenly jumped down to red. Simple to fill up on hitting a quarter tank.

Perhaps because the nearest garage is 20 miles away so a 40 mile round trip.

Perhaps because you are not the only one using the vehicle.

Perhaps because you are sick and tired of replacing bits on the farm Landy that isn't yours in your own time and at your own expense.

There could be dozens of reasons, above are just a few of mine.

 

[Tantalus]

Things may have changed, I refer to late 70’s and early 80’s in Germany.

They definitely have, there is no requirement to carry a can of fuel but if I remember correctly there is a hefty fine for running out of fuel on the autobahn.

 

[Damascus]

They definitely have, there is no requirement to carry a can of fuel but if I remember correctly there is a hefty fine for running out of fuel on the autobahn.

That’s right, you had to carry an approved first aid kit, tow rope, warning triangle and spare bulbs. Failure of a light bulb meant the vehicle wasn’t road worthy, no bulb, fine, and vehicle impounded. Always carried 100 mark note in the car, again no funds to pay car impounded! No messing!

 

[Tantalus]

I loved the way the German criminal system treated people as responsible adults. If you didn't want to behave responsibly, you got a hefty fine until you got tired of paying through the nose and started acting responsibly.

 

[Moondog55]

It depends on circumstances but from the Aussie perspective anytime I have an intention to travel away for any of the major freeways I'll take a 20litre jerrycan of supergrade petrol, if traveling outback I'll increase that to 2 or 3 jerry cans. The car only has a 60 litre tank and I only get about 500 kilometres to a tank when loaded with camping and comfort gear and a jockey . But note that I'll also carry about the same in water in hot weather and I always keep some substantial amount of water at all times. No separate boot either but I do have a roof-top pod for the camping gear. But I'm also the feller who keeps an axe, saw and shovel in the car as well as jumper leads, a snatch strap and tow-rope and snow chains and a full back-up set of clothing including waterproofs in with the spare wheel and jack.
The fuel cans do get tied down well, you don't want jerrycans flying around when you hit a cattle grid at 100k

 

[Moondog55]

Just a note on safety. Does anybody here remember the Paddy Hopkirk explosion proof squat jerrycans? Designed to be carried in the boot but from memory only 10 litre and 5 litres capacity. They were excellent apart from the very limited capacity.

 

[Athos]

Pepper mentality! What about total global collapse? What about... risk vs reward. As I said it's personal choice even personal view of the risks but I just do not see the risks being sufficient. I have experienced maybe 10 cases where there was a doubt about having enough fuel. One was after a fuel gauge started to stick at a certain level, others were when there was a fuel shortage more recently and others were in the 70s. I think also a Welsh issue with shut stations on our way home as a kid. Got towards Chester and found fuel was available. Never had a situation when I had run out of fuel or needed to carry any.

One situation it looked that way but an issue with the ecu being faulty and my tank was actually 1/4 full.

So despite travelling into more rural areas of Britain (including NI and the Republic) I've never found a single need for carrying fuel. I've been close due to fuel delivery strikes, etc. I wonder how I manage to plan for this?

It’s a difference of mindset. I like to have things that I don’t necessarily need, because it’s better that I have them in the rare eventuality that I need them.

I carry a spare jerry of diesel in the truck. Have I ever needed to use it? No. Does keeping it in the back of my truck inconvenience me in any way? No. If I find myself in a situation where I need to use it, will I be thankful that I have it? Absofuckinlutely.

 

[Decacraft]

Only have a normal sized car, my boot is usually crammed with extras (some outdoors kit/spare clothes/tools/jetboil/food&water). Have thought about getting a roof rack fitted so I can keep some surplus up there.

I would like to get a more rugged, and off road capable vehicle in the future (for getting onto the farm in the winter and other remote locations). If I do I would like to have a jerry can holder installed on the exterior with some spare fuel.

 

[Broch]

Only have a normal sized car, my boot is usually crammed with extras (some outdoors kit/spare clothes/tools/jetboil/food&water). Have thought about getting a roof rack fitted so I can keep some surplus up there.

I would like to get a more rugged, and off road capable vehicle in the future (for getting onto the farm in the winter and other remote locations). If I do I would like to have a jerry can holder installed on the exterior with some spare fuel.

Ah, that's where you do have to be careful with your insurance. Mine wouldn't cover me for external jerry cans mounted on front or rear of my Defender when trekking

 

[Decacraft]

That hadn't even crossed my mind. I see so many overland style 4x4s here with them I didnt even realise. Good shout!!

 

[lou1661]

Just out of curiosity how many ltrs of fuel do your main tanks hold?

 

[Decacraft]

Just out of curiosity how many ltrs of fuel do your main tanks hold?

I think around 55L in the car. Its not the most efficient, and as others have pointed out I would rather not rely on the gauge and have some form of backup if I were to run out.
I do use fuel on a regular basis for a strimmer, chainsaw and generator, so it wouldn't just be Sat there going to waste really.

 

[lou1661]

I think around 55L in the car. Its not the most efficient, and as others have pointed out I would rather not rely on the gauge and have some form of backup if I were to run out.
I do use fuel on a regular basis for a strimmer, chainsaw and generator, so it wouldn't just be Sat there going to waste really.

Ok, makes sense. My main tank is 110ltr.

 

[Broch]

75L Defender
28L Westfield
17L T100

 

[Moondog55]

Still made in the UK and not at all expensive

Explosafe Paddy Hopkirk Steel Fuel Can - 10 Litre

Leading UK Supplier of Grounds Maintenance & Landscaping Tools & Equipment.

groundsmantools.com