Portable Fuel Tanks

[Rick D]

I have to replace a fuel tank in a jointly owned pontoon boat. For the rest of the season, we will use a portable five or six gallon tank.
Does anyone have experience with the new-ish non-vented tanks? I read reviews on Amazon and it made no difference what brand or how much money, reviewers were complaining about bulging, leaks, permanent distortion, etc. What's your take?
Should I be concerned? The boat is on a high desert lake and it gets hot. Should I look for a used one? Is there a fix or hack that lets it vent?

 

[Brian S]

Hahahaha! Yeah, one commenter pointed out the curious cognitive dissonance of completely sealing up the tank to prevent air pollution from gas vapor, versus the problem of a pressurized tank causing leaking of actual fuel out of the hose fittings going into the water causing hazmat water pollution.

 

[Maine Sail]

I have to replace a fuel tank in a jointly owned pontoon boat. For the rest of the season, we will use a portable five or six gallon tank.
Does anyone have experience with the new-ish non-vented tanks? I read reviews on Amazon and it made no difference what brand or how much money, reviewers were complaining about bulging, leaks, permanent distortion, etc. What's your take?
Should I be concerned? The boat is on a high desert lake and it gets hot. Should I look for a used one? Is there a fix or hack that lets it vent?

Don't even get me going on this sheer stupidity.

I have written over a dozen letters to my Senators and Representatives both Federal and State yet nothing is being done... The new law is a complete and utter failure and is creating more of a mess than it solves.

I have well over 30 customers with small center consoles, dinghy's or fishing boats using these new tanks, and they blow up in the sun like a balloon and then begin leaking out of every orifice, pick up tube, fuel gauge or flooding the carb etc., but not the vent port. It can also create a real fire hazard.

As a result of the 2012 legislation we are spilling actual liquid fuel, as opposed to just venting fuel vapor, directly into the bay as most of these boats have self bailing cockpits.. Buy your gas cans in Canada and sneak them over the border.....

One Band-Aid for the motor is an FDV or fuel demand valve which is a pressure blocking device to the carb but it still allows the tank to blow up like Rosie O'Donnell and leak into the bay so it only solves the motor part of the problem not the tank....

If you have a newer Scepter brand tank flip the cap over and you'll see the closed end of a redish-orange "duck-bill" vent. It allows air in, but not out. Take a pair of side cutters and snip just a bit of the duck-bill end off, and now the tank will vent old school into the air instead of into the lake or Ocean...

 

[Meriachee]

Buy your gas cans in Canada and sneak them over the border.....

Unless it's really old stock, they're already on to you.

What's next, propane cylinders that don't open?

 

[Rick D]

When the came out with CARB gas cans a dozen years ago, I went nuts. They would not seal, they leaked, they ballooned up and worse, didn't pour. They were downright dangerous. I wrote everyone including each of the CARB board members. Never a reply. I found some vented spouts in Canada and ordered a dozen of them. Gave many to friends but I still have a few.

(CARB = California Air Resources Board who's regulations are often adopted by other states and because of the large market, dictate construction even where not adopted due to the cost of multiple construction and distribution lines.)

Anyhow, it looks like this is another regulatory mis-step. It looks like I will have to shop used. As I said, it gets really hot on the lake.

Thanks for the input.

 

[BudGates]

The new gas cans and all the California gas pumps all have the same issue of creating more fumes from spilling than the old fashioned (vented) fuel systems. Please don't sick the EPA on me but I drilled and tapped a hole in the cap and added a barb and hose to vent the tank.

 

[vizwhiz]

I recently purchased a 3-gal version for my Mac26S. Trying to keep it small so it doesn't take up space. Using it in the Florida sun. Not only does it not vent as the pressure builds inside, even pushing the button on top (which is supposed to manually relieve the pressure) doesn't relieve the pressure. I just unscrew it, vent the can, screw it back on loosely to "not quite tight", and go on, hoping i never knock it over on 'that' side.
Then, if i do have the cap on tight, and run the motor for a period of time, it creates a vacuum, starving the motor and shutting it down. There is no winning with these new tanks/caps.
I will probably come up with a revised venting option eventually...

 

[Rich Stidger]

Not to worry Rick, just wait a few years and the politicians will legislate a new can that will make the present cans look like the greatest thing since sliced bread. The pols are famous for creating a problem and then finding a billion dollar solution. BTW, we are the ones that pay the billion dollars. They will be exempt and permitted to continue using the old vented cans.
Uh oh, I hope this doesn't ship me off to the War Room........

 

[DAVA390]

I have seen videos of how to install a vent in a gas can using a tire valve, looked easy enough but leaves me wondering how well the rubber valve would hold up against gasoline.

 

[vizwhiz]

I have seen videos of how to install a vent in a gas can using a tire valve, looked easy enough but leaves me wondering how well the rubber valve would hold up against gasoline.

Well the new caps all have a button of sorts on them that should do the same thing as depressing the little valve stem on a tire valve... but they don't seem to work worth a flip. Not sure anything like that would work any better.

 

[JimInPB]

Here's a funny one for you. Using one of those new tanks in a small motor boat, here in the hot Florida sun, hid a weak fuel pump from being found, until the boat encountered a cloudy day that was a little on the cool side. Unfortunately, heavy seas were present when the motor died & would not restart.

Not fun.

The motor would run fine on a vented tank, but not run with a tank full of suction. Cracking the gas cap & manually pumping the primer bulb eventually got the motor to go again & got us back to shore.

I'm not at all happy about the new "better" designs that are being shoved down our throats. I think that people belong in jail for forcing them upon us.

 

[vizwhiz]

Here's a funny one for you. Using one of those new tanks in a small motor boat, here in the hot Florida sun, hid a weak fuel pump from being found, until the boat encountered a cloudy day that was a little on the cool side. Unfortunately, heavy seas were present when the motor died & would not restart.

Not fun.

The motor would run fine on a vented tank, but not run with a tank full of suction. Cracking the gas cap & manually pumping the primer bulb eventually got the motor to go again & got us back to shore.

I'm not at all happy about the new "better" designs that are being shoved down our throats. I think that people belong in jail for forcing them upon us.

We had the same experience motoring along the ICW in Little Gasparilla area. Motor would die. I would crack the cap to release the suction, pump the bulb a couple times, crank the motor right up. Run 30 mins, motor dies. Repeat procedure. Grrrrr...

 

[Michael Davis]

Bought three new jerries in June. All had big stickers on them saying vents are back!!! Maybe some politicians are boaters???

 

[T_Cat]

I took the sailboat out Wednesday. Fresh gas in the portable tank. I connected it to the engine at home. 800 ft elevation and 10deg temp change. I'm rigging the boat and smell gas. The pressure from the tank had leaked through the fitting at the engine. Big puddle of gas on the ground in the parking lot.