I was planning on filling a 10lt jerry can and keeping it on the passenger floor (just for the Oodnadatta track, just in case as I'm doing a few little detours) then using it up as soon as I get to Marree. I know it's not recommended but thought I could get way with it, but now I'm not so sure. The other option (as I don't have a roof rack) it to tie it on top of my 2 maxtrax which are attached to the roof rails by their own bracket. Unless I get a bracket made specially to fit on the roof rails.
A standard "Jerry Can" normally fits snugly behind front and rear seat (s), a lot safer place to carry fuel than on roof or on rear bumper. Remember full Jerrys are much less dangerous than empty ones.
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It stinks in the car even if you are fanatical with cleanliness.
I have attached some photos, please plagiarise, hopefully you can improve or at the very least adapt for your prototype.
What I would do is make a flat board with two blocks on the bottom that key into the sand track to stop it sliding around.
Then a frame on the board to stop the container from sliding around. Then strap the container, board & sand tracks together.
Bolting things together, use M6 304 (316 if you are always in sea water, but it's not critical, 304 is cheaper) stainless bolts with Nyloc nuts & washers where necessary. All the aluminium I used I tapped threads as well. I just like overdoing everything.
A couple more photos. My 4 large containers are 4 litres & the two in the wheel are 5 litres.
They expand a lot when full and when warm. So when you get a new container. Stick it in the fridge for an hour, take it out & put the cap on instantly & tightly. When it warms up you can design your holder with the container in its expanded state safely.
A 10 litre container with petrol weighs about 9kg.
A container full of petrol vapour is a bit more of a risk. So if you have emptied a container into the car. Treat it with the same respect as if you have a full container of petrol.
The 10 litre container I use I got from Whitworth Marine.
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Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
I've already bought a 10lt plastic jerry can and now realise I would be struggling getting even the smaller ones off the roof. Hay I can't even use my awning cos my arms and back are buggered. In fact I will struggle to get the maxtrax down but they are only for emergencies (the one time they were used my hubby was with me).
So although your brackets look great the roof is out of the question. Thanks anyway
Hmm, I'll have to think about this, and quick as we are supposed to be going away on the 1st Sept.
Coober Pedy, Painted Desert, Pink Roadhouse, William Creek, Marree do I REALLY need to carry diesel.
Ideally yes, for future trips probably not as I'll be off road leas as I'll be alone.
No, plenty of fuel along the Oodnadatta Track. We came down in 2019. The top end 120km has a lot of stones over the road so take your time, let tyres down, some short sections we were only driving at 40kph. Take it easy. We passed a Toyota twice due to flat tyres, but the idiot over took us at 120kph.
We also drove out to Lake Eyre North, it's worth the drive. The track is quite undulating but it is mostly sand which is mostly firm.
You will have no issues with your car. We have never actually used our sand tracks, they just give you options. Letting tyres down first will solve most problems.
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Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
Marree 202km > William Creek, William Creek 70km x 2 to Lake Ayre North & back, William Creek 198km > Oodnadatta, Oodnadatta 206km > Marla.
They all have fuel. Look at Petrolspy.
Up to Marree is sealed road. My Freelander is the same size as your car. I always buy 98 where I can as it gives longer range. In general it works out at the same price per km as 91.
For soft dirt, like Lake Ayre North, but dry roads I factor 14L/100km for 98.
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Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
I've already bought a 10lt plastic jerry can and now realise I would be struggling getting even the smaller ones off the roof. Hay I can't even use my awning cos my arms and back are buggered. In fact I will struggle to get the maxtrax down but they are only for emergencies (the one time they were used my hubby was with me). So although your brackets look great the roof is out of the question. Thanks anyway
Hi Wannabe
I carry a small amount of spare diesel fuel in containers in our Sprinter van. Over the years I have down sized the containers from 20 to 10 and now to 5 liter size due to my ageing. The small ones are so much easier to handle and pour and you can tuck them in much easier in those odd small spaces. I have 4 but normally only carry one or two. They are the old style black ones like the ones in the pics above, which are really tough thick material and good lids.
I just gave the bigger ones to my farmer mate for use on the farm He is younger and fitter than me.
Jaahn
-- Edited by Jaahn on Sunday 14th of August 2022 09:36:10 AM
It's why we went with 10L containers & two 5L in a more difficult position. Specific gravity of fuel is a lot less than water.
The holder we made was to make life easy so we actually rotate fuel containers.
Just use a couple of 5L containers, no point making life difficult. We stand on the rear tyre, hold the roof rack with one hand & can pack & unpack a container more or less one hand but lift out of the cradle with two hands as your weight is over the car.
Doing up a ratchet tie down is more difficult than a well designed holder.
Tip: if you use ratchet die downs, put half a twist in the webbing & it won't vibrate as you drive, because the twist spills the air. Same principle as Burj Khalifa tower.
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Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
I might take the 10lts back to shop and see if they will exchange it for two 5lts for the future.
I really already knew I would be OK without a jerry for Oodnadatta, but I panicked because when I went away with the 4x4 club (queens Bday weekend) I was amazed how my fuel consumption went up.
But in retrospect, now I've had time to think about it. The terrain was loose sand hills and much lower tyre pressure, in fact it was really low range (which I don't have) territory so my foot was flat to the floor going up the hills and there was a lot of them (which is bound to use the juice). The x-trail did well considering it was small fry compared to my companions vehicles.
It is nice to be able to use this forum to get 2nd and 3rd opinions rather than thoughts just going around in my head.
Wannabe nomad,
We found three cars ago that driving on even an inch of sand on a firm road drags the fuel out of the tank. I got into Innaminka from Diamentina NP Ranger's station with the fuel gauge on empty but I had one of those 10L plastic jerries featured above but with 11L of diesel squeezed into it (on a camper trailer & not on the sun).
I should have taken more but I thought I had plenty with about 140L in the tank - I could have taken more but then at the Ranger Stn, it was $1.40 a litre - a lot less back at Winton where I had filled up. It was a close shave!
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If you don't get it done today, there's always tomorrow!
A top quality sealed road with a strong headwind 12L/100. Strong tailwind 7.8L/100. My car has the aerodynamic finesse of a brick!
On a wet muddy road in western NSW trying to get out before they close the road & we slid off the road a few times. 25L/100
My car has all the computer data for fuel usage but what I do every time we fill up, I write on the back of receipt trip data, total km, trip km, average speed, L/100 distance to empty. Then reset each tank full.
Once you have a range of roads, even if you only do part of the trip on a dirt road you can subtract the good road from the percentage of bad road on that tank full.
You will build up a road surface type fuel efficiency estimate pretty quickly. Then be conservative & add a safety margin. The last thing you want is stressing over fuel in a remote area.
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Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
Even though you may see pretty pictures of fuel containers fitted to roof racks, this does not mean that you may just ignore the safety regulations with a secure load and the obvious one of the actual exceeding the maximum weight permitted on the roof rack or rails.
A quality Jerry can will seal and wont have fumes, but if it does then go and get a good one.
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and you can tuck them in much easier in those odd small spaces. I have 4 but normally only carry one or two. They are the old style black ones like the ones in the pics above, which are really tough thick material and good lids.
