Dual gas tank or extra gas in Rotopax or cans?

[Jose]

Hey guys curious as to how much extra gallons of gas do you all carry on a weekend or long expedition wouldn't want to be stuck out their with out gas especially with the family. As I was looking on FB earlier a Genright pop up came up with there dual gas tank for Jeeps that from 20gls it bumps it up to 45gls with a 600 mile travel tank of gas. Don't know if it would be worth bumping up the gas tank or just carry the 10-15 gallons extra.

Here's what the dual tank looks like and it would sit towards the rear of the jeep and not interfere with any clearance issues.

 

[4xFar Adventures]

What provisions do you have to carry extra fuel now? Where will you be going, and for how long? And, how often do you foresee needing more than 10 gallons of fuel?

While cool to have, I don't think a super extended range fuel tank is needed in the US. If you're going on an expedition in Africa you'd want one for sure. What other parts are needed to install the extra tank, and what's the cost vs. going with Rotopax/Jerry cans?

 

[Jose]

What provisions do you have to carry extra fuel now? Where will you be going, and for how long? And, how often do you foresee needing more than 10 gallons of fuel?

While cool to have, I don't think a super extended range fuel tank is needed in the US. If you're going on an expedition in Africa you'd want one for sure. What other parts are needed to install the extra tank, and what's the cost vs. going with Rotopax/Jerry cans?

I'm just starting out with a stock JKU-Rubicon. The tank comes complete with dual fuel pump and switch up on the dash to switch over tanks when needed. As of right now I have nothing yet but will be getting a roof rack, a 2.5"-3.5" lift with either 33" or 35" tires. I'm also in the work of building me an OffRoad trailer to carry gear and stuff for a family of four. This will be kind of a slow build as I'm doing research and asking for info and advice so that I'm on the right track as I'm a newbie to the overland scene. I don't plan on going to Africa anytime soon, but that would be a sweet expedition for sure. I'm talking more along the line like Georgia, North and South Carolina and planing on doing a trip up to the west coast. I'm just trying to plan it right for the wife and boys. Thanks for the info and any advice given much appreciated.

 

[4xFar Adventures]

Ok. Well typically you can get by with just one or two 5 gal cans. The Rotopax option is becoming pretty popular. I see them more often than Jerry cans now. As they say YMMV, and it really depends on your setup and how remote you go.

The trailer sounds like a good idea and should incorporate fuel storage on it. Also, go for the same bolt pattern, and tire size, for the trailer.

 

[stoney126]

You figure two 5 gallon Rotopax or Jerry's will give you a 100-130 mile range. I average 13ish mpg on the trail.
The thing with that much extra fuel, wife two kids and gear your gvwr will come pretty close or be exceeded.

 

[Jose]

You figure two 5 gallon Rotopax or Jerry's will give you a 100-130 mile range. I average 13ish mpg on the trail.
The thing with that much extra fuel, wife two kids and gear your gvwr will come pretty close or be exceeded.

Yea I see what your saying with the weight and all, plus as soon as I saw the price of $1,999.00, I was like yea forget it I'll stick with two Rotopaxs or jerry cans and just mount them on the OffRoad trailer and hopefully if I ever get in that situation I'll have 10 gallons to get me to the nearest gas station. Lol. Thanks guys for the advice and help on this.

 

[MOAK]

Our first couple of times off grid up in Canada we were carrying 3, 5 gallon jerry cans. That was overkill. We have settled in on 2 extra 5 gallon cans and that works out really well. That gives us a baseline of 330 miles off road till we need more... Those remote secondary tanks are nice, but I just cannot justify the cost/benefit factor for any North American trips.

 

[Jose]

Our first couple of times off grid up in Canada we were carrying 3, 5 gallon jerry cans. That was overkill. We have settled in on 2 extra 5 gallon cans and that works out really well. That gives us a baseline of 330 miles off road till we need more... Those remote secondary tanks are nice, but I just cannot justify the cost/benefit factor for any North American trips.

I'm glad I asked this here cause of the advice and info I get from you guys that have been on long expeditions or experienced something similar. I'm looking into the Rotopaxs and jerry cans now as we speak waiting to start work. Lol

Again thanks guys very much appreciated.

 

[Toyotadirtdevil]

If you're building a trailer you could just put an external fuel tank in your trailer that could hold 20 gallons and use a universal electric fuel pump to transfer between the trailer and your jeep. I've been looking at doing the same thing as you can pick up a universal fuel tank for under 300 bucks.

 

[Jose]

If you're building a trailer you could just put an external fuel tank in your trailer that could hold 20 gallons and use a universal electric fuel pump to transfer between the trailer and your jeep. I've been looking at doing the same thing as you can pick up a universal fuel tank for under 300 bucks.

Thanks for the info and heads up on that Michael! I'll do a little research on those universal tanks and see what I end up doing with the trailer. Much appreciated.

 

[dstock]

We carry (2) 4 gallon Rotopax on our trailer. While they are a bit pricey, they seem to be very durable, and can be mounted in a variety of ways. Before the trailer, I had them lying flat on the Gobi Rack on my Jeep, much better then 2 5 gal Jerry cans on your roof! No issues with leakage.

How much gas to carry? Well that depends, we make trips into Death Valley where we may be 60 miles from pavement and then another 30 from the nearest station. While we only used a 1/4 or so on the way in, (and didn't explore much) we came across a couple that had broken down in their full size pickup on the way out. This was prior to our trailer, but being that it was over 100 degrees, we certainly couldn't leave them so we ended up towing them to the nearest services. Throw in a mountain pass or two and by the time we hit the gas station (5+ hours later) with them in tow, that 3/4 of a tank was down to fumes. Knowing I had the extra fuel if needed was great piece of mind.

 

[Jose]

We carry (2) 4 gallon Rotopax on our trailer. While they are a bit pricey, they seem to be very durable, and can be mounted in a variety of ways. Before the trailer, I had them lying flat on the Gobi Rack on my Jeep, much better then 2 5 gal Jerry cans on your roof! No issues with leakage.

How much gas to carry? Well that depends, we make trips into Death Valley where we may be 60 miles from pavement and then another 30 from the nearest station. While we only used a 1/4 or so on the way in, (and didn't explore much) we came across a couple that had broken down in their full size pickup on the way out. This was prior to our trailer, but being that it was over 100 degrees, we certainly couldn't leave them so we ended up towing them to the nearest services. Throw in a mountain pass or two and by the time we hit the gas station (5+ hours later) with them in tow, that 3/4 of a tank was down to fumes. Knowing I had the extra fuel if needed was great piece of mind.

That's what I was thinking, I've been back and forth with the wifey and I got the green light to build me an OffRoad trailer and was just looking into the Rotopaxs. I know I probably won't be doing long 1 month expeditions but you never know so I'd rather have and not need the need and not have. [emoji106][emoji106]. Thanks for the info dstock

 

[dstock]

That's what I was thinking, I've been back and forth with the wifey and I got the green light to build me an OffRoad trailer and was just looking into the Rotopaxs. I know I probably won't be doing long 1 month expeditions but you never know so I'd rather have and not need the need and not have. [emoji106][emoji106]. Thanks for the info dstock

Sadly most of our trips of late have been long weekends! Still I prefer to be a little over prepared, just in case, whether it's for us or to help someone else. I was trying to post a photo of the Rotopax in the trailer but it's not linking for some reason.

I have a very large and slightly long winded trailer build thread on Expedition Portal if you are interested. Hopefully cross forum posting isn't an issue, too many pages to copy to here.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/131919-Dstock-s-M101-build-or-the-reality-I-needed-a-new-project!

 

[Jose]

Wow!!! dstock I just saw your build thread what an amazing job you did with that M101, I was looking for one of those for a while here in Florida but it's like they want an arm and a leg for those trailers or the M416 also. So I found this trailer manufacture that's called dinoot and found an M416 tub made out of fiberglass and will be building it off a welded trailer. Here is what it looks like.

 

[dstock]

Thanks, I got lucky and got a deal on mine but they are getting harder to find for sure.

The Dinoot is great little trailer, the guy who designed it in on Expedition Portal as well. Have fun with the build, I tell you it's totally addicting, not sure I will ever "finish" mine! Ha!

 

[Jose]

Thanks, I got lucky and got a deal on mine but they are getting harder to find for sure.

The Dinoot is great little trailer, the guy who designed it in on Expedition Portal as well. Have fun with the build, I tell you it's totally addicting, not sure I will ever "finish" mine! Ha!

Thanks bud! I'll make sure to post up a build thread on it. Or what ever type of trailer I come up with. Lol.

 

[chris90]

I'm in the process of getting a 55L auxiliary tank at the moment as it is pretty much a necessity here, especially as I am planning a solo trip which will involve multiple legs of over 1000km without anywhere to fill up. I will also have to stick a couple of Jerrys on the roof for peace of mind but now I think I might have to invest in some of the flat ones dstock posted. They look a lot nicer to lug around on the rig than bulky jerry. How do they go when filling? Does the shape make it awkward to do by yourself?

 

[dstock]

I'm in the process of getting a 55L auxiliary tank at the moment as it is pretty much a necessity here, especially as I am planning a solo trip which will involve multiple legs of over 1000km without anywhere to fill up. I will also have to stick a couple of Jerrys on the roof for peace of mind but now I think I might have to invest in some of the flat ones dstock posted. They look a lot nicer to lug around on the rig than bulky jerry. How do they go when filling? Does the shape make it awkward to do by yourself?

Easy to fill, not awkward at all.

 

[stainlessdoctor]

I went with a couple of these.....

 

[bee_CO]

Rotopax/jerry cans are nice because they are removable, and that makes it easy to a) use to fill someone else's tank, toys(atv/dirt bike), generators, etc, or b) remove entirely if you don't want to carry them with you every day and just for trips
That said, playing Devils advocate now, it also makes them a bit of a target for theives when you're parked in the city. Same goes for hi lift Jacks, etc mounted in highly visible locations. Yes, there are ways to lock all these things, but I still think it would make your truck more of a target.

Just thoughts