Carrying extra fuel

JBThompson

Adventurer
I'm trying to figure out the best solution for spare fuel. The tailgate doesn't swing, it lifts. So mounting a carrier on the tailgate is not an option. I considered a carrier mounted to the hitch receiver but the ones I've found all ride too low to have any ground clearance, too high opening the tailgate. Is there a carrier that would sut up high, perhaps with a swing out, that I just haven't found yet? Carrying fuel inside the cabin just seems like bad mojo and a trip to the nearest burn unit just waiting to happen. Seems like the roof rack is going to be my best bet, but is it? I'll already have the spare up there, that's about 60 pounds. Ten gallons of fuel, that's roughly another 65 pounds including the cans. Add in a couple water cans and that seems like a lot of weight to put up there, but maybe I'm just overthinking this.
 

JBThompson

Adventurer
Yep, fair enough. It's an 05 Explorer. Not exactly a popular expo vehicle so there's basically zero aftermarket support. I'm going to be mounting a safari rack to carry the spare for increased clearance and to protect it from rocks and such (it's normally underneath). So there's probably 70 pounds or so. If I throw let's say ten gallons of gas up there that's another 65 pounds, give or take. Probably another 20-30 pounds of other misc gear (guessing here) puts me over 150 pounds, and I have no idea what the rack itself will weigh but I can't weld aluminum so it'll be steel. The truck will handle it, I am really just worried about making it too top heavy.
 

fiddypal

Adventurer
Already sounds waaaaay to top heavy to me, spare tire and 2 jugs of gas AND maybe some water jugs? Keep in mind those liquids are going to slosh around too, do you really want close to 100 lbs of liquid sloshing around your roof?

Try and keep the heavy stuff low on the truck, if you need to pack the roof up due to space limits keep the lighter stuff up there. Hoisting full water /gas jugs on the roof of a truck is not fun either :)
 

JBThompson

Adventurer
That's what I'm thinking, too, just too much moving around. I can rearrange things and move the water inside, it's just a couple 5 gallon jugs. The tire pretty much has to go up top, not enough room next to the cooler/fridge so there's no way around that one.
 

proper4wd

Expedition Leader
Fuel in a proper can is much safer inside the vehicle than outside. (NATO steel can or Scepter). What happens to that fuel on the roof in a car crash? Or on the rear bumper? At least in the vehicle, it is protected from impact and the two above containers will not leak or vent.
 

JBThompson

Adventurer
Makes sense, and all of those things are what I'm trying to take into consideration. I've never used NATO or Scepter but if they're safe to store in the truck I'm totally willing to go that route. Certainly that's going to be cheaper than any carrier I could buy or have built. Thanks for the advice.
 

outback97

Adventurer
I haven't crawled around under an Explorer, but why do you feel you need to move the spare to the roof? Is it really hindering your clearance, and really that vulnerable down there?

Not a fan of putting a spare tire (or anything with a lot of weight) on a roof, but maybe that's just me. I have put 8 gallons of fuel (2 x 4GL Rotopax) up top but only because I needed them for a particular trip. They don't stay up there.
 

PTB

Observer
I have a couple of the wavian metal jerry cans. In my experience they seal very well. I have no where else to put them, so I put them in the vehicle. No leaks, or smell of gas even with substantial elevation and temperature changes. You can even get them with carb compliant nozzles now.

I don't have any experience yet travelling with the scepter mfc yet, so I can't speak to travelling with them in the vehicle.

I was nervous with putting wavians in the vehicle at first but have had a good experience so far. I also make sure they are very well secured to tie-downs.
 

proper4wd

Expedition Leader
Wavian is a manufacturer of the NATO steel cans - which as you've experienced dont leak or vent fumes even inside a vehicle. NATO or Scepter cans are the only ones worth considering carrying fuel in - anything red plastic is just going to create a dangerous mess.

NATO steel can (only buy real ones not knockoffs):
green-nato-utility-jerry-can-5-gallon-20-liter-3.gif


Scepter plastic can:
fuelfeilddrab.jpg
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
Unless you're doing some heavy-duty rock crawling or driving roads plagued with erosion ruts, you don't really have to worry that much about CG. Just take it into account and slow your roll.
There are several rack designs that will hold water and fuel containers laid on their backs. That will help a little with CG and total height issues. And also be a little easier to handle things. And with a tool like a SuperSiphon and its 1/2" PVC hose, you won't even have to take those fuel cans down to refuel. You just can't them in the rack so their cap is the highest, open them up, get the siphon hose going and go screw off doing something else for 5mins / can.

Hell there's a featured article at the top of the page right now, featuring a similar-sized vehicle with a roof rack full of goods and fuel.
http://expeditionportal.com/field-tested-baja-rack-expedition-roof-rack/
That sort of layout is done all teh time all over the world. But it's been inculcated into western ninnies that it's 'unsafe'.


Another option is a custom rear swingaway mount for both spares and 3-4 5gal cans. If the op can weld steel it's a straightforward project to make your own and there are several kit vendors for the essential elements, pivots, bearings, specialty latches and such. I'd strongly encourage the OP to consider such a design.


I've also read of folks buying the Harbor Freight hitch racks, they're pretty sturdy and easy to modify. The typical modification for clearance being to invert the bar / gooseneck that goes in the receiver, flipping it raises the whole platform 6" or more. But you'd have to empty the rack to drop a tailgate or raise a whole liftgate.
 

JBThompson

Adventurer
I haven't crawled around under an Explorer, but why do you feel you need to move the spare to the roof? Is it really hindering your clearance, and really that vulnerable down there?

Not a fan of putting a spare tire (or anything with a lot of weight) on a roof, but maybe that's just me. I have put 8 gallons of fuel (2 x 4GL Rotopax) up top but only because I needed them for a particular trip. They don't stay up there.

The simple answer is fitment. I plan to run 285/70/17s and the spare carrier just isn't big enough to hold one without it hanging down too far. A 265/70 will just barely tuck up all the way underneath, depending on the tire. A 285 will end up hanging down where it'd be begging for something to rip through the sidewall.

As for the jerry cans, I've read up on them a bit and seen mixed reviews on the CARB compliant cans. Any thoughts on those?
 

outback97

Adventurer
A 285/75/16 (basically the same diameter and width you're proposing) tucks up pretty nicely on my vehicle, so I'm spoiled I guess. I can see why you'd have to move it up there if it doesn't fit under. Pretty sure my spare weighs more like 80 pounds though, not 60.

I don't have jerry cans (have rotopax instead) but I opted for the simple pour spout because I have heard the CARB ones are a PITA.
 

NatersXJ6

Explorer
I don't have jerry cans (have rotopax instead) but I opted for the simple pour spout because I have heard the CARB ones are a PITA.[/QUOTE said:
I have the Wavian Cans with the CARB spout. They seem pretty easy to me, if you can lift the weight, you simply invert the can and the weight pushes the nozzle down to activate it. The can drains quickly. I also carry them inside most of the time. I've never had a whiff of anything. I just strap them down in a row with my water cans.

if I was moving my spare to the top, I would think about building a custom tank/fuel cell to occupy the space freed up. Crash protection could be a concern, but I think that could be dealt with.
 

Trophycummins

Adventurer
I use the 5gallon "utility jugs" that are used for ohv's. They're made by hunsaker and tons of us desert guys run them. But they're not carb compliant if that matters to you.

You can see the nozzles poking out of my bed.
4a9f39b03e7222a225591ab9823a1d67.jpg



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

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