Transporting 20 gallons of gas in your trunk and storing in your back yard in the open air question

I have a typical back yard, open mostly to the sun, where I store five

5-gallon jerry jugs of gasoline for my bikes and equipment and off-road vehicles.

I don't see that it's all that much of a danger, considering we keep two cars in the garage with twice that much gasoline essentially inside the house - while this is outside along the fence.

But, my neighbor noticed the four jugs recently and asked about them. I said I never knew gas to spontaneously explode and he said the sun could cause it to happen. He also said it's illegal to transport more than a single five-gallon can in your trunk (is that true?).

Is it all that dangerous to keep 20 gallons of gas in the back yard? Is it illegal to trasnsport more than 5 gallons (California) in a car?

Reply to
Bill Murphy
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It's a local thing:

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Reply to
Frank

My concern is with all the fumes. It won't explode from the sun, but it would be better out of the sun. Less fumes and less volitable.

Reply to
willy

Storing gasoline and other highly flammable liquids at home is also dangerous if not done properly. The best way to store gasoline is in a well ventilated area separate from the house. The location should have no electrical equipment, open flames or other sources of ignition present. In addition, the location should be protected from the heat of the summer sun to keep evaporation to a minimum.

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Reply to
willy

Less expansion & contraction of the containers if out of the sun. I've seen some plastic jugs which looked like they'd been squeezed by giant hands when the temp went down.

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

Buy an old Caddie or two, fill up the tanks and park it in your back yard along with your bikes and off-road vehicles. Tell your nosy neighbor to mind his own business.

Reply to
dsi1

I'd be more concerned about the buttinsky neighbor than the gasoline.

Reply to
HeyBub

First are you using legal explosion proof container to increase safety margin? Do you smell gas when your car is parked in the garage? Better be safe than sorry applies here.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

To answer your question, I never smell fumes. I'm using those CARB EPA Blitz gasoline prisons. The gas has been tested to not lose an ounce (they test loss by weight) even after a year in the sun.

The article referenced says it's safe to store small amounts of gasoline in the garage or other well ventilated shelter.

It doesn't say anything about transport.

Any ideas what the laws are on transport?

Reply to
Bill Murphy

In theory, one could remove the 20-gallon gas tank from an automobile junker, and, assuming all the hoses and caps are intact, store 20 gallons in the single gas tank unobtrusively along that fence.

Pouring it out would be by adding 12 volts to the fuel pump, I guess.

But I'd wonder about the legality of storing gas in a gas tank. Seems like that's what it's made for, but, maybe not legal outside the vehicle.

Reply to
Elmo

How about converting a small car or a golf cart into a small tanker by replacing the rear seat/trunk area with a gas tank? A hundred gallons ought to do the trick. As far as the legality of it all, it's probably best not to ask such things. We want the option of plausible deniability. :-)

Reply to
dsi1

Hi, I often use surplus army jerry can filled with gas, propane tak say going camping. I never keep them in a space like confined trunk. If you have to keep them in the trunk while in transit, I'd keep the lid open ajar for venting in case. Worst thing happened to me was overfilled propane tank started hising releasing gas.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Your state or local laws may vary

From: Stephen D. Coan, State Fire Marshal We are receiving many calls in our office with regard to the transportation of gasoline in vehicles and whether the use of a "gas-caddy" is legal in the Commonwealth. As a result of these calls, I am issuing this information.

In accordance with 527 CMR 8.21(5), .gasoline or other flammable petroleum product may be transported without a permit in any open vehicle or in a compartment of a closed vehicle separated from passengers, in total quantity not to exceed 21 gallons, provided such flammable liquid is contained in approved containers with no individual container exceeding seven gallons capacity. We request that this information be shared with gas stations in your area. Further, the use of "gas-caddys" for the transportation of gasoline and/or diesel fuel is not allowed in the Commonwealth. The use of "gas-caddys" is confined to on-site storage at permitted locations

New York State Safety Bulletin Index - Transporting Gasoline and Diesel Fuel (Code: SB-96-2, Date: 6/10/96) Transportation of fuel shall be accomplished by portable fuel cans with a maximum capacity of 5 gallons each, or cargo fuel tanks. All containers shall be properly labeled.

Gasoline shall only be transported in approved 5 gallon portable gas cans, with a limit of four (4) cans per vehicle.

Portable five (5) gallon cans transported on any Department vehicle or equipment shall be fastened in a vented box, or lashed to the body of the vehicle with web straps, using eyebolts through the side of the body backed up by a 3 inch x 3 inch x 3/16 inch steel backing plate. There shall be two eyebolt anchor points for each can.

Only steel or aluminum Type I or Type II safety cans shall be used to transport gasoline.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

If you are referring to 5 gallon metal jerry can's, that's about all you can do for them. I would put them in the shade, though. Leaving any breather opening is an invitation for condensation from the can "breathing" by getting alternately hot and cold. I would make an effort to "hide" these from this neighbor, or move them to an area that does not abut his property. These aren't inherently dangerous or unstable, but scary. Gasoline combusts at +260C. It would be damn hard to reach that temperature. But, any spark, slight brush fire, or lightning strike could be disastrous.

I was standing in a screen porch area of my house one time, and lightning hit the pecan tree out side. It came down the tree, jumped to my truck, blew off diagonal hubcaps on my truck, jumped to a cow, killing it, fried the dryer I was standing beside, and killed a TV in another room. So, I can say, after having lightning strike within 10 feet of me then and three other times in my life, **it happens.

Is this spot on the fence away from structures, or out in the country, a hundred feet away from structures? Or is it in a neighborhood, close to the houses?

For me, it would almost be better to keep it in the garage. And do you use enough to justify keeping 20 gallons on hand? Do you have a backup power generator that you need to keep a supply for? And what about Stabil? I know it's a hassle, but how about filling up the night before the ride?

I used to poo poo the stories of gas catching fire at filling stations, then I saw videos, and then a guy two aisles over at the gas station did it. Man, was that scary. So, the guy does have some valid concerns.

And if you DO have a spark and a gas fire/explosion either in your car, your yard, or in your garage, it's going to be nasty, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT MIGHT NOT BE COVERED BY YOUR INSURANCE DUE TO IMPROPER STORAGE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. Whatever the hell that means. They do have fires at gas storage yards all the time in the industry, so essentially, there's no safe way to handle this stuff, and when it's your turn to have an "event", it's just your turn. You can argue all you want that they were in OSHA MSHA DOT approved containers, but the fact that there was a fire proves right there that something was not right.

I wouldn't want my neighbor to put twenty gallons along my fence. Especially if it is within 100 feet of any structures of mine. **it does happen. He may be a royal PITA, but he does have somewhat of a point. And you have to live next door to him. I also personally wouldn't carry that much gas in the trunk. Too many idiots on the road, and if they rear-end you, it's going to be nasty. Or there's just a spark from the lights ..............

Steve

visit my blog at

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Reply to
Steve B

Whatever you do, don't ask a govt agency!

When I still lived in CA, my buddy wanted to buy av-gas for his stroked HD. The airport, jes down the street, wouldn't sell it to him until he a).... b).... c)... etc. He then tried to comply with those requirements and called the Fire Dept for info. It got real regulatory and really expensive very quickly. Only if stored in yada yada...! He finally went with low compression heads for his stroker. CA is real anal about that kinda stuff. I went one better and moved to CO. ;)

nb

Reply to
notbob

On Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:30:14 -0700, "Steve B" wrote Re Re: Transporting 20 gallons of gas in your trunk and storing in your back yard in the open air question:

+1 on that.
Reply to
Caesar Romano

I do not think it will explode without someone lighting it, but in the sun gas tanks expend and contract and that can eventually damage the containers.

Since this is California, the state which has more laws than the whole rest of the country combined, it might be illegal to haul more than one 5 gal. can in your trunk. Call your D.O.T and ask, then tell us all. Heck, I often haul 3 five gal cans for my tractor in the back of my pickup.

You could get a 55gal drum with a hand pump and put all the gas in that can. That's an approved method on most farms, but who knows in Calif. Plus, if you're in a city, that means more laws. Calif is a nice state, but the laws are rediculous.

Reply to
jameswaters

Yea, take an example from BP. After all, they are experts at blowing up gas and oil.

Reply to
jameswaters

Local grocery store has advantage card program, every month or two i earn a free tank of gas up to 30 gallons.

I ALWAYS get 30 gallons my van holds near 20 but i dont like to run it low, gas pump in tank, the gasoline cools the pump. so i try to never need more than 17 galllons.

which leaves 15 gallons or less to bring home.

i buy gas at nearby station and drive directly home. gasoline goes in my shed it has power but its well vantilated.and in a fenced in yard.

i have stored over 30 gallons in those 5 gallon plastic cans.

you could use one of those tiny yard storage buildings or a garbage can over a couple of 5 gallon cans but a weight on top.

life is full of risks its imposible to avoid all of them, far better to not stress so much.....

Reply to
hallerb

There is a world of difference between carrying gas cans in an open pickup bed and an enclosed car trunk.

Reply to
snotty

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