Storing Fuel in Container in Car Trunk

[mikem317]

I searched, but didn't pull up anything.

What's the legal/right way to store gasoline in a separate container in your car? Is it ever too hot to store in a car? When does gasoline gunk up? If it's for long term storage (over a year) should it be treated first?

 

[hminsky]

It sounds like a bad idea, why would you want to do that?

Everything I've read says to keep it outside of the car, like on a roof rack or something, if you must carry it at all.

 

[appraiser]

Gasoline has a very short shelf life, even when treated with SeaFoam, STABIL or other fuel stabilizer.

I keep about 30 gallons on hand but I rotate out 5 gallons a month so nothing is ever more than 6 months old.

you are dealing with a fluid that gives off explosive vapors. the vapors will also peel paint in an enclosed space, soften the insulation on your wiring, etc.. Unless you were under extreme duress I would not make a habit of keeping gasoline in the trunk of your car, even in an approved container.

 

[Bob J]

It sounds like a bad idea, why would you want to do that?

Everything I've read says to keep it outside of the car, like on a roof rack or something, if you must carry it at all.

+1 on it being a bad idea..... Vapor could create a problem when trapped in the trunk and ignited by accident...

Any gas storage should use a stabilizer to keep it from going bad...

 

[goofycj7]

Prestone used to make a gas substitute in a sealed container which you could safely keep in your car and it would last years. Just enough to get you to a gas station if you ran out.
Not sure if they still make it. A 1/2 gallon container was around $10 though.

 

[mikem317]

It sounds like a bad idea, why would you want to do that?

Everything I've read says to keep it outside of the car, like on a roof rack or something, if you must carry it at all.

To be able to have another 80 to 100 miles in range in case gas stations are out of service due to mandated evacuation, EMP, etc.

 

[Twigg]

You'd be better off caching a couple of gas cans along your bug out route.

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

To be able to have another 80 to 100 miles in range in case gas stations are out of service due to mandated evacuation, EMP, etc.

If EMP is your reason, I doubt your vehicle will be running to consume the gasoline.
If for any other reason, you should have enough warning to toss a can in the trunk for temporary use. Long term carrying of spare gasoline isn't a real good idea in a closed trunk, nor practical in any area where there is a gas station within a mile in every direction.

Now, if you were out in the boonies in some of the larger states, there might be cause to carry a can, but around here I'd say its more risk than necessary.
Watch your gas guage and keep your tank full.

 

[strangenh]

To be able to have another 80 to 100 miles in range in case gas stations are out of service due to mandated evacuation, EMP, etc.

Maybe you should look into getting an old diesel. Like Finalygotabeltfed said, if you're worried about EMP, most modern cars wouldn't survive it anyhow. You're still going to have to rotate stock, but diesel's going to be a lot less dangerous to store in a confined area.

 

[mikem317]

You guys are right about the EMP thing. I guess I'd have more to worry about in this situation. However, I'm trying to mitigate the chance that a hurricane or some other natural disaster causes a service disruption in gasoline delivery, etc.

 

[kriggity]

Before ethanol was added you could safely use your gas that was less than a year old. Now with ethanol moisture collects faster. You get approximately 3 months out of your fuel before it start to "break down". Also I can assure you that if you keep gas in a container and it is filled to the brim it will bust open and dump all that fuel all over your car on a nice sunny day. Seen it happen! If you can ventilate your vehicle and you are in it to make sure vapors are not forming then it is safe (ie: just picking up some gas and going straight home or to the boat). Hot car/truck + gas + no ventilation = BAD.

 

[FhvnLT4A]

the very simple answer to this is DONT DO IT !!! if you dont have a pickup, just dont do it. Gasoline vapors have an extreme flamable range (% of vapor in air that will sustain Combustion) and require almost no heat to ignite ( I think its like 300 degrees or something) Most static electric sparks are hot enough to ignite vapors, and cause a flash fire. Forget about the idea... its just BAAAD. If you MUST, make VERY SURE not to put it in the trunk... put it in the car with you, with ALL THE WINDOWS DOWN~.

 

[Len-2A Training]

You guys are right about the EMP thing. I guess I'd have more to worry about in this situation. However, I'm trying to mitigate the chance that a hurricane or some other natural disaster causes a service disruption in gasoline delivery, etc.

A very serious question . . .

How on Earth would you bug out (over roads) in Eastern MA in any emergency. Serious grid-lock occurs during every rush-hour on "normal days". A real emergency and there would be dead cars and bodies everywhere in one massive traffic jam.

Better plan to bug-in, unless you live in some desolate part of any state.

As for gas in a trunk, I opt to pay more to fill my gas cans (for snowblower/lawn mower) at stations that are only ~1 mile from my home. Even with the approved containers, caps on tight, there are noticeable fumes in the trunk after the 5-10 minutes it takes me to get home. No way I want to travel any distance with a gas can in the trunk or leave it there for more than the 5-10 minutes from fill-up to removing it when I reach my driveway.

 

[NavyRedneck]

Prestone used to make a gas substitute in a sealed container which you could safely keep in your car and it would last years. Just enough to get you to a gas station if you ran out.
Not sure if they still make it. A 1/2 gallon container was around $10 though.

I keep some of that in the trunk of the family van. It was pretty expensive and you can only run it in a hot engine as the octane level is too low to start a car on it. But I love the fact that I don't have to worry so much about my wife running out of gas. Whatever it is, it is sealed good and emits no vapors, smells, etc.

After I searched the internet I couldn't find it anymore which is maybe a bad sign...

 

[RI_John]

I keep some of that in the trunk of the family van. It was pretty expensive and you can only run it in a hot engine as the octane level is too low to start a car on it. But I love the fact that I don't have to worry so much about my wife running out of gas. Whatever it is, it is sealed good and emits no vapors, smells, etc.

After I searched the internet I couldn't find it anymore which is maybe a bad sign...

http://www.canadiandriver.com/2002/03/21/pennzoil-roadside-rescue.htm

That link was the best I could find. Pennzoil Rescue. They say it's no longer sold.

 

[dsm]

I have a similar concern. Our vehicles sometimes get pretty low on the gauge sometimes and I would not want to have to try to buy fuel before evacuating. That idea of always keep the tank half-full just doesn't work for us.

I accepted that if I was ever going to have to bug out, I would most likely be starting from home, so I keep 10 gallons of gas on hand at home to top-up before heading out, in two five-gallon safety cans. If I was low, it wouldn't top off the tank, but it would give me 200 miles range plus whatever was in the car already, which I judged was probably far enough away to either stop, or to be able to get some more fuel.

It's a compromise, but I'm ok with it. I might add another five gallon can this year.

 

[K-DUB]

In addition to the other responses you got, here's my $0.02:

Never let the fuel guage go below half.

 

[Jamie]

In addition to the other responses you got, here's my $0.02:

Never let the fuel guage go below half.

Funny. When I read the OP this was the first thing I was thinking. That, and my little Polish grandmother throwing a fit if there wasn't at least 3/4 of a tank in whatever vehicle she was a passenger in, even if you were just driving a mile down the road!.

 

[K-DUB]

Funny. When I read the OP this was the first thing I was thinking. That, and my little Polish grandmother throwing a fit if there wasn't at least 3/4 of a tank in whatever vehicle she was a passenger in, even if you were just driving a mile down the road!.

Your little Polish grandmother is a wise woman. I don't like anything I'm driving (or riding in) to get low.

 

[mikem317]

Funny. When I read the OP this was the first thing I was thinking. That, and my little Polish grandmother throwing a fit if there wasn't at least 3/4 of a tank in whatever vehicle she was a passenger in, even if you were just driving a mile down the road!.

I usually drive until there's 1/8 to 1/4 of a tank. The reason being is that the reduced weight in the car helps enhance the fuel efficiency. I know it can come at a huge cost whereas in the event of an emergency, my range is cut down by a few hundred miles.

But to each his own...

 

[K-DUB]

I usually drive until there's 1/8 to 1/4 of a tank. The reason being is that the reduced weight in the car helps enhance the fuel efficiency. I know it can come at a huge cost whereas in the event of an emergency, my range is cut down by a few hundred miles.

But to each his own...

I get lousy mileage (9-11 mpg, depending on how much I hammer down) anyhow, & I'd rather be able to go a long way in case of an emergency, instead of saving a couple of dollars here & there.

Each his own.

 

[strangenh]

Hmm. The gas in a full tank is only about 5% of a vehicle's total weight. Gas is about 6.5lbs per gallon (varies by mix and type). Driving until the tank is down low shouldn't improve mileage more than about 1MPG averaged over the course of the tank. There are a lot of other things that can be adjusted to improve mileage more than how much gas you have in there.

 

[DrEvil]

I keep 2 1 gallon cans in my truck... 1 is mix for my saw and the other straight for emergencies. Normally neither will last more than 3 months and they are in the bed mounted aluminum toolbox secured in a crate.

Not to mention the truck gets driven about once a week in the summer when I go shooting, and daily in the winter so normally the tank is full.