How do you fuel your bu'?

[CLOUT1]

I usually pull the BU out of the water multiple times during the summer for vacation and what not so I usually fill up then...every once and a while the old 5 gallon can does come out. I'm with Baddog...how does it start???

[ride_everyday]

I bought this 14-gallon gas caddy:

I like it, but it's kinda slow to siphon out. I was thinking about buying one of these battery-powered pumps and installing it in-line:

Anybody use something similar? Got something better? (I need something portable, so if you're lucky enough to have your own fuel farm at your dock, I don't want to hear it! )

thanks,

Mike

I have two of these (the flow-and-go tanks), they are slow, I have had one of the pump handles start leaking after 1 year and the plastic hose kinks easily. I have replaced the hose with a rubber gas hose and use a standard fuel nozzle. We just lower the boat (on the lift) into the water and put the tank on a milk crate on the dock. It takes about 15 minutes to empty both 14 gallon tanks into the boat.

Just keep an eye on the nozzle and hose, I was using the nozzle and the hose just popped off, dumping about a gallon of gas out before I noticed. Luckily this happened on land, not at the dock.

Otherwise the flow-and-go works well, just the nozzle and hose is kinda cheep.

We do have gas available on the lake, but it is close to 2X the price at the pump. We fill after the day of boating, while the boat is being cleaned and dried.

[MadDogMike]

I have two of these (the flow-and-go tanks), they are slow, I have had one of the pump handles start leaking after 1 year and the plastic hose kinks easily. I have replaced the hose with a rubber gas hose and use a standard fuel nozzle. We just lower the boat (on the lift) into the water and put the tank on a milk crate on the dock. It takes about 15 minutes to empty both 14 gallon tanks into the boat.

Great minds think alike. I was just about to buy a second caddy and a couple of milk crates to elevate them. My thought is to put both nozzles into the boat together and have them both drain simultaneously. The most frustrating thing is having to hold the handle the whole time. If I can rig a way to clamp the handles to keep them open and in place, then at least I can do other stuff on the boat while it fills.

[REW]

I keep my boat on the lift. I use a gas caddy and 5 gallon jugs. I have a cargo rack for the back of my suburban and it works great for transporting the caddy for fill ups. It's easy on and off(when full) b/c it's so low to the ground. I can just pick it up and slide it off onto the wheels.

We do the very same thing. We have a 20 gallon caddy and load and unload right on the cargo rack. We like the 20 gallon because it comes with large air filled tires and rolls great across the yard. The smaller ones tend to cheap out on wheels.

See you on LKG.

How do you ground the tank when it is in the truck bed being filled? I have always understood that it is a HUGE no-no to fill a plastic container with gas in a truck bed wothout it being grounded.

Filling a plastic can in the bed of a truck is not the problem, plastic will not spark. now to fill a metal can in the bed of a truck that is a different situation and the static built up while pumping can/will cause a spark and can start quite a fire. Best bet would be to ground the tank to the truck and when at the pump ground the truck to ground. My questions is how many of you/us have grounded our cars/trucks prior to inserting the pump nozel? When I get the plane refueld the Jet A (kerosen) the plane is grounded to the truck, truck to ground and plane to ground. keep in mind jet A (kerosen) is not as explosive as gas.

[Pruis6]

We use the 5 gallon cans too but don't pour. We use the "Magic Siphon":

They make 2 sizes. The larger diameter hose drains a 5 gallon can in about 60-75 seconds. This is the best invention for a long time!

How do you start the siphon?

You stick the brass end into the gas tank and give it a few shakes and it starts the siphon. Continue shaking it until the siphoned fuel gets below the gas level in the fill tank and gravity takes over. It's more of a push-pull than a shake with the hose. Like I said before "amazing and fun!"

[Pruis6]

We go the 5 (6) gallon can route. Our boat is in dry storage. We have the white plastic containers with a hose rigged to the cap. No spills.

At 7-8 gallons per hour and 400-500 hours per year, we save at least $1.20 per gallon over buying gas on the Delta. $4000-$4500 savings

per year. It's worth a little bit of legwork to save the $$$.

We are also in dry storage on the delta so we do the same. I use a super siphon to transfer the gas it's awesome. Looks and works like a magic siphon. Amazing and Fun!

Sounds great...I can see it being amazing perhaps, but FUN??? Interesting...filling g as = fun. Just pulling your chain, it struck me as funny...FUN???!!!

You're right it's not really fun after the first time or two. It's still amazing however, I said it was fun so that I might get a few laughs.

[Baddog]

I bought this 14-gallon gas caddy:

I like it, but it's kinda slow to siphon out. I was thinking about buying one of these battery-powered pumps and installing it in-line:

Anybody use something similar? Got something better? (I need something portable, so if you're lucky enough to have your own fuel farm at your dock, I don't want to hear it! )

thanks,

Mike

I have two of these (the flow-and-go tanks), they are slow, I have had one of the pump handles start leaking after 1 year and the plastic hose kinks easily. I have replaced the hose with a rubber gas hose and use a standard fuel nozzle. We just lower the boat (on the lift) into the water and put the tank on a milk crate on the dock. It takes about 15 minutes to empty both 14 gallon tanks into the boat.

Just keep an eye on the nozzle and hose, I was using the nozzle and the hose just popped off, dumping about a gallon of gas out before I noticed. Luckily this happened on land, not at the dock.

Otherwise the flow-and-go works well, just the nozzle and hose is kinda cheep.

We do have gas available on the lake, but it is close to 2X the price at the pump. We fill after the day of boating, while the boat is being cleaned and dried.

That electric pump is only going to move 5-6 QUARTS per minute?? That'll take a long time to fill. And the 14 gallon rolling tanks take 15 minutes to empty into the boat??? I've got better things to do with my time.

I have two 6.5 gallon cans that I added 2" "Tygon" Tubing to (~2' in liength). I can empty each can in about 45 seconds and then it is off to skiing.

I bought the tubes at Lowes. I added a plumbing rubber coupler to connect the tubes to the can. The ID of the coupling is the same as the OD of the threaded part of my gas can. Standard hose clamps hold everything tight. On the other end, the OD of the tube is slightly smaller than the ID of the fill hole on the boat. Works slick, it's quick and I don't spill a drop.

[Kingfish]

My boat sits in the water alot so I fill from the dock using 20 litre jerry cans and a shaker siphon; never spill a drop.

[MadDogMike]

That electric pump is only going to move 5-6 QUARTS per minute?? That'll take a long time to fill. And the 14 gallon rolling tanks take 15 minutes to empty into the boat??? I've got better things to do with my time.

I have two 6.5 gallon cans that I added 2" "Tygon" Tubing to (~2' in liength). I can empty each can in about 45 seconds and then it is off to skiing.

I bought the tubes at Lowes. I added a plumbing rubber coupler to connect the tubes to the can. The ID of the coupling is the same as the OD of the threaded part of my gas can. Standard hose clamps hold everything tight. On the other end, the OD of the tube is slightly smaller than the ID of the fill hole on the boat. Works slick, it's quick and I don't spill a drop.

Yeah, I don't actually use that pump, was just throwing it out hoping someone would throw back some better suggestions. Can you post some pics of your tubing / coupling setup?

[Baddog]

That electric pump is only going to move 5-6 QUARTS per minute?? That'll take a long time to fill. And the 14 gallon rolling tanks take 15 minutes to empty into the boat??? I've got better things to do with my time.

I have two 6.5 gallon cans that I added 2" "Tygon" Tubing to (~2' in liength). I can empty each can in about 45 seconds and then it is off to skiing.

I bought the tubes at Lowes. I added a plumbing rubber coupler to connect the tubes to the can. The ID of the coupling is the same as the OD of the threaded part of my gas can. Standard hose clamps hold everything tight. On the other end, the OD of the tube is slightly smaller than the ID of the fill hole on the boat. Works slick, it's quick and I don't spill a drop.

Yeah, I don't actually use that pump, was just throwing it out hoping someone would throw back some better suggestions. Can you post some pics of your tubing / coupling setup?

Unfortunately the "Glass Seeker" is 640 miles away, as are it's gas cans. I will take some photos next weekend when we reunite.

[Soon2BV]

The lakes where we usually go are near gas stations and gas is usually $1.00 - $1.50 less per gallon.

Since i am usually taking the boat out each night anyway, we fill up at the stations, then add as needed at a marina during the day.

[Big Mac]

Local oil company keeps my 150 gallon tank full...non-oxygenated premium. I fuel it right at my dock.

[Baddog]

Local oil company keeps my 150 gallon tank full...non-oxygenated premium. I fuel it right at my dock.

Didn't know a John Deere need a 150 gallon tank but then again I don't know everything.

[Lee52]

How do you ground the tank when it is in the truck bed being filled? I have always understood that it is a HUGE no-no to fill a plastic container with gas in a truck bed wothout it being grounded.

Filling a plastic can in the bed of a truck is not the problem, plastic will not spark. now to fill a metal can in the bed of a truck that is a different situation and the static built up while pumping can/will cause a spark and can start quite a fire. Best bet would be to ground the tank to the truck and when at the pump ground the truck to ground. My questions is how many of you/us have grounded our cars/trucks prior to inserting the pump nozel? When I get the plane refueld the Jet A (kerosen) the plane is grounded to the truck, truck to ground and plane to ground. keep in mind jet A (kerosen) is not as explosive as gas.

Plastic and metal cans are both safety hazards if you don't take them out of the truck, especially if the truck has a plastic bedliner. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hid2.html

[jshap]

I use 2 of these Hunsaker racing fuelers modified with a 1" ID spout. I also use a 6 gallon red can modified with a 2" hose. I can empty all 3 cans (usually 30 gal) in less than 2 min. It saves me a ton of time. The only hard part is lifting the 12 gallon cans in and out of the wagon, but even then it's not too hard. Once they're on the dock, the design of the can makes it a lever and the weight is equally distributed, so not hard to use at all. It creates a lot of conversation on my way to/fro the boat from the gas station...

[MadDogMike]

Is this topic too old to resurrect? I'm tired of hauling my gas caddies up & down the hill from my house to the dock. So, I thought I would leave the caddies at the top of the hill and run a hose down to the dock. This way, upon returning to the house after filling the caddies at the gas station, I would just hook up both caddies to a long hose via a Y-connector, then I could just go down to the boat and fill it up. (Yes, there is plenty of vertical drop so I shouldn't need a pump.)

I'm currently using this hose with the caddy and this nozzle. So far, despite extensive Googling, I can't find anyone who sells 3/4" fuel hose in long enough lengths or by the foot. (I would need about 150' - 200'.) Thing is, it's the exact same size (fittings and all) as a common garden hose. Is there any reason why I can't just buy a heavy-duty garden hose and use it?

Thanks,

Mike

[srintx]

Local oil company keeps my 150 gallon tank full...non-oxygenated premium. I fuel it right at my dock.

Awesome, I would expect this from Pete as well!

[SurfgateBob]

Awesome, I would expect this from Pete as well!

Nice - who made the trailer? How'd you get such a long hose on it as well? Love it.

[SurfgateBob]

Did some digging on the environmental rules. According the hazmat folks in Contra Costa County California (California!!!!!!) there no (no!) regulations as long as you use it for personal use. Now the question is how to get a 100 foot hose attached to the tank, and what kind of a surface do I have to put it on, and oh yeah, how do I get somebody with a forklift to put it into position for me?