Carrying Spare Fuel

A friend of mine just got back from north Georgia a few days ago . He said getting gas wasn’t easy. Stores were either sold out or the lines were 50 cars long . So my question is does anyone know of any fuel cans to mount on a rack that won’t leak if it’s laying on its side ?
I’ve read a lot about the Rotopax leaking. I’ve tried real Scepter MFC’s and they all leaked no matter how tight the cap is . Real Wavien steel cans ? Yep, I bought 3 brand new ones and they leaked .
Any suggestions on carrying 5 gallons on a Sherpa rack if there’s an emergency need such as a evacuation?

 

Upright, strapped down. And, packing heat.

 

Don't carry too much heat. Gasoline has a flash point of -45* and an auto-ignite temp of 536*.

 

Real wavian cans do not leak. I have several and lay them on their side all the time. have you contacted them about any issues?

 

If they leak laying flat, they will leak standing up, if they are full.

 

Who's not telling the truth?

 

I bought them about 8 years ago from Rovers North . Suppose to be Wavian . Anyway to tell exactly ?

 

Kind of a snarky answer. Are you saying myself or Toolndie7 is lying ?

 

I have heard great things about Wavian fuel cans but I don't have any personal experience with them. I do have a 3.5 gallon FuelPax and haven't had it leak yet but I don't use it laying down for any length of time.

 

Ignore. He's a shit-stirrer.

 

LOL, no, I'm not saying that. The way I read it, Toolndie7 called you a liar. Can both statements be true? If one is not true, what does that mean to you?

You bought Wavian cans and they leaked. Someone else said they don't leak.

 

That's rude.

 

A pro tip on the NATO style cans. (i.e. Wavian) Gasoline expands as it warms up. Wavian cans take this into account with a max fill line stamped into the can. When filled to this line there is adequate air space left in the can to accommodate expansion of the fuel. It is tempting to try to circumvent this feature by tipping the can back while filling it, in order to squeeze a little more fuel into the can. But without the air space for expansion, significant positive pressure will build up inside the can and fuel can weep past the seal.

 

I had to go to the garage and look. VALPRO. With a quick internet search shows this company in Latvia makes the Wavian cans .
Same can, different logo . Maybe I just got leakers . No biggie. I use them for my hurricane generator.

 

The voice of reason.

 

This is a brief history of jerrycans with the addition of a few design details. It’s really dry reading, and it’s long, so fair warning. In fact, just skip it.

The NATO fuel can has a long history. It was invented in Germany in the late 1930’s and was used extensively in WWII. It was referred to by the allies as a “Gerry can”, Gerry being a mildly pejorative term for Germans at the time. Somehow it has morphed into Jerrycan, but I don't know when or why. After the war the German Jerrycan was adopted as the NATO standard (along with the 9mm Luger round.)

My first 4WD vehicle was a 1985 Toyota Extra-cab pickup. At first I had a few plastic cans, but they didn’t last very long. I was considering getting a couple of Blitz cans. That’s what all the Jeep guys were carrying at the time. But I had heard some bad things about them.

All three styles of containers, the Wavian, Blitz, and Sceptre, share the characteristic triple carry handle, which allows the can to be carried by two men, or 4 empty cans to be carried by one man, or for cans to be passed man-to-man down a line. All three also are designed with an air space at the top to allow for thermal expansion. They are all roughly the same size and capacity. That’s where the similarity ends.

The Blitz cans routinely leaked. It was hard to achieve a reliable seal on the cap, even using a tool to tighten it. The construction of the can used a rolled seam around the bottom which was prone to rust and would split as a result of rough handling. By comparison the NATO can had a longitudinal seam that was welded rather than rolled. The seam was recessed as well. The recess protected the seam from impacts and moisture. The cam-lock lid has the advantage of merely compressing the gasket, rather than compressing and distorting the gasket with a twisting motion as with the Blitz and Sceptre containers.

So then one day at the surplus store I saw the NATO jerrycan. I bought a pair for $15 each, replaced the gaskets with new ones, and never looked back. I was lucky to find them because not very long afterwards the supply dwindled and pristine copies became rare and expensive. After almost 40 years those two surplus cans are perfectly serviceable. They don’t leak. No liquid. No vapor. Nothing. I took them on many adventures and slept with them in the covered bed of my pickup and never smelled a whiff of fuel. They can be laid on their backs or on their sides. No leaks.

Several years later, after a sizable earthquake and a days-long power outage, I decided I needed more fuel storage capacity, so I bit the bullet and sprung for another pair of jerrycans. By this time only re-enactors were shelling out the huge prices for original Wehrmacht cans. So I bought “re-pops” from Wedco. Wedco was only an importer, and the cans were made in Latvia by a manufacturer called Valpro which took over manufacture of the cans after the war. The Valpro cans are a faithful, if not exact reproduction. The Wavian cans available today are made in the same facility as the Wedco cans were, and are identical in every respect except for a brand stamping on the side. The Wavian/Wedco/Valpro cans use a lighter gauge sheet metal than the original German version. In spite of that difference they still meet the NATO specification. I have 10 cans now (some are 10 liter and some are 5 liter). They have been continuously stored full for years.

Top Photo: my first Jerrycan purchased surplus in 1985. Detail: the label can be changed depending on what fuel,is stored in the can.


Next:OG and Valpro NATO-style cans, the Blitz can, and the military version of the Sceptre can.


Next: 4 photos of the Wavian/Valpro can, with details of the cam-lock lid. Note the stamping of the date on the hinge. Also note the detail of the recessed welded seam.


Finally: Valpro and Wavian logo stampings.


Epilogue: Sceptre is the Glock of jerrycans. Wavian is the SIG Sauer. Sceptre dint replace Wavian because it was an improvement. Sceptre replaced Wavian because it was the low bid.

 

Nick, I have a bunch of these cans and none of them leak. I’m at a loss to explain why yours would. Maybe try swapping the gaskets out for new. I’d get them direct from Wavian.

https://wavianusa.com/2325-retail.html?cgid=wavian-accessories

Be sure to select the gaskets for the can and not the spout. Evidently they are slightly different.

 

Awww. Are your widdle feelings hurt?

https://youtu.be/FFMKEMY698g?si=2T8Jg_KCmfCqNy0p

 

No, I only have one, not plural, and it isn't widdle. It's also buried so deep you could never touch it. I appreciate the Youtube video, but I don't have internet so I can't play it.

 

Yeah, the gasket for the spout is the same shape but thinner than the one for the can. My Wavian doesn't leak either if I don't overfill it and leave it in the sun.

 

I've had similar results with my Wavians. I've owned 5 of their cans (four 10L and one 20L) and not one has ever leaked. One of the 10L cans lives inside my 4Runner, full of fuel, and has for almost two years now. Never a drop, and never any odor. I know that storing gas inside a vehicle is not recommended, but I've changed my attitude on it thanks to Wavian. They are outstanding.

 

To be fair, I don't recall ever reading a single post from you, on any thread, on any subject, that did not come across as snarky/ rude/ argumentative. I'm not trying to dogpile; I'm merely pointing it out in case you are unaware of how your posts come across.

 

How do you secure the one inside ?

 

When I'm just driving around town, where the speed limit is 30, I keep a 10L Wavian gas can and a 10L Scepter water can wedged in the rear passenger footwell, with the front seat moved back far enough to prevent them from moving. When I go on a road trip, I move them to the back and use a tie down strap to one of the rear attachment points.

 

I’d be interesting to know that myself.

So Nick, if you’re serious about getting some Wavian cans let me give you a couple of more pieces of advice.

When I was a young man I would think nothing of hefting a 5 gallon gas can onto the roof of my vehicle. But as I’m older I give it more consideration. It takes a little mental preparation and I have to do it just right so as not to tweak something. Although it will double the cost, you might consider 10 liter cans. They are so much easier to handle, and not just when putting them on the roof rack. They are better than 20L cans when you are bent over a generator or yard equipment and trying not to spill fuel on a hot engine with your face directly overhead.

There are jerrycan holders available that will allow you to mount your fuel cans to the roof. They will accept a padlock.

You can get Wavian cans in black if you want to be less obvious about having fuel on your roof.

Your Wavian can will probably come with the stupid carb compliant spout. I think there are legal reasons that compel Wavian to include it. Do yourself a favor and get the “international” version of the spout on eBay.

 

@Jedi5150 you once considered storing fuel on the roof. Did you ever get a setup for that?

 

I started off with a dual 20L carrier that I believe was made by Victory 4x4. The 20L cans were way too heavy when loaded for me to climb up and down the rear hatch ladder with, and I got rid of the carrier (and the cans). The 10L cans for water and gas are way handier to use, both for lifting onto stuff and for filling a tank with or pouring some water (in my opinion), so I use them exclusively now. My next setup is what you see in the photo below, which I took when I "moved" to Mexico. The truck carried all of my worldly possessions, so I needed all the cargo box space on the roof. After living out of it for some months, I settled down roots again and got an apartment, so I got rid of everything on the roof rack except for a pair of traction boards that I still keep on it. These little 10L mounting brackets in the photo I got off Amazon, but I had to drill holes in the bottom of them to line them up with the roof rack crossbars. It was quite the hassle, but it worked very well when completed.

Amazon.com: Valpro GJC004 Jerry Can Holder, Fits Wavian or NATO European Military Cans, for 2.5 Gallon (10 Liter) : Automotive

 

Intrepid! A setup that would make any of us green with envy. Does that shovel have a split wood handle?