carrying fuel

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Team Fountain

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Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
61
How do you generally get fuel to the job site? Most guys I see use multiple 5 gallon cans or have a truck mounted tank. I'm thinking of adding a tank to my truck. Right now I use a 30 gallon portable tank on wheels. It would be nice to have an electric pump.
 

500K_773

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Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Messages
342
I can't believe I didn't see this post earlier. I currently use 5 gallon cans, which works well because I burn about 15 gallons a day. It's a pain in the butt since I have to stop and fill the cans every day. I just filled a 60 gallon poly drum that I will carry on the trailer and will use a hand pump to fuel with.
I want to have a custom steel tank made to mount underneath the deck of my trailer (bumper pull). There is plenty of room underneath the deck and I have good ground clearance. I was thinking of mounting it just ahead of the axles. I was thinking of tapering the bottom to a place to plumb in a 12 volt fuel pump (also mounted underneath the trailer). Since it will be sucking off the bottom of the tank I will have a in-line filter and water separator after the pump. I was going to mount a deep cycle battery (will charge through the trailer harness) in the tongue area of the trailer. I would also store the hose in the tongue area. Every thing should be out of the way and secure. I was thinking about a 100 or so gallon sized tank. This would be about 7' wide (inside the frame rails), 1' deep, and 2' long, but may have to be shallower for ground clearance (volume easily made up in length). Diesel is about 7# / gallon, the tank full of fuel, will add about 1000# to the trailer.
If you have a gooseneck trailer, a similar setup would work well in the gooseneck area. It could even be gravity feed and you wouldn't need the pump.
 

500K_773

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Messages
342
I can't believe I didn't see this post earlier. I currently use 5 gallon cans, which works well because I burn about 15 gallons a day. It's a pain in the butt since I have to stop and fill the cans every day. I just filled a 60 gallon poly drum that I will carry on the trailer and will use a hand pump to fuel with.
I want to have a custom steel tank made to mount underneath the deck of my trailer (bumper pull). There is plenty of room underneath the deck and I have good ground clearance. I was thinking of mounting it just ahead of the axles. I was thinking of tapering the bottom to a place to plumb in a 12 volt fuel pump (also mounted underneath the trailer). Since it will be sucking off the bottom of the tank I will have a in-line filter and water separator after the pump. I was going to mount a deep cycle battery (will charge through the trailer harness) in the tongue area of the trailer. I would also store the hose in the tongue area. Every thing should be out of the way and secure. I was thinking about a 100 or so gallon sized tank. This would be about 7' wide (inside the frame rails), 1' deep, and 2' long, but may have to be shallower for ground clearance (volume easily made up in length). Diesel is about 7# / gallon, the tank full of fuel, will add about 1000# to the trailer.
If you have a gooseneck trailer, a similar setup would work well in the gooseneck area. It could even be gravity feed and you wouldn't need the pump.
OK, I finally tired of the 5 gallon fuel cans and bought a 12 volt electric pump (capable of 15 GPM) to use with 55 gallon drums. I don't want to leave the pump in the drum, so I was removing it after use. The pump fueled the loader in no time at all, but what a pain. It's messy and now I risk contaminating the fuel with dirt and debris. 55 gallons is not quite enough at provide much convenience either, I burn almost 20 gallons a day. Now I am looking to buy about a 180 gallon retangular tank to mount in my truck bed or on the trailer which I can leave the pump permenatly mounted to. This will offer convenience, but will add about 1300# to my load.
I am almost thinking that the 5 gallon fuel cans were easier and definately cheaper, the pump was $300. Just stop at the truckstop on the way to or from the jobsite.
 
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T

Team Fountain

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
61
OK, I finally tired of the 5 gallon fuel cans and bought a 12 volt electric pump (capable of 15 GPM) to use with 55 gallon drums. I don't want to leave the pump in the drum, so I was removing it after use. The pump fueled the loader in no time at all, but what a pain. It's messy and now I risk contaminating the fuel with dirt and debris. 55 gallons is not quite enough at provide much convenience either, I burn almost 20 gallons a day. Now I am looking to buy about a 180 gallon retangular tank to mount in my truck bed or on the trailer which I can leave the pump permenatly mounted to. This will offer convenience, but will add about 1300# to my load.
I am almost thinking that the 5 gallon fuel cans were easier and definately cheaper, the pump was $300. Just stop at the truckstop on the way to or from the jobsite.
Do you have a hazmat endorsement on your CDL? Anything over 119 gallons requires placarding.....
They take this way serious, too. It's some sort of blowing up buildings thing.
 
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