What do you use for diesel transfer storage?

[ponytug]

I have been using metal Jerry cans for diesel storage, and I am considering a transfer tank. Any recommendations? I suspect that we don't use enough per year to make it worthwhile to have fuel delivered, so it might need to be a tank that can be loaded and unloaded from a pickup easily. (I have forks)

Steel vs aluminum vs plastic? Size? (1 month? Six months?) For fuel quality reasons and for fire risks, I am reluctant to go too large, so tanks on stands are probably out.

Thanks in advance!

Peter

 

[Peter 315]

I have 2 a 100g tank for my pickup and a 275g bulk tank. Sometimes I have the oil delivery guy fill the bulk if I am home when he comes. Both are steel tanks with filters..

 

[Hay Dude]

Do you have a truck? I’d do a tank on the bed. Goes everywhere with you. Look, if you have to fill gerry cans, you have to drive to a filling station, right? Might as well have the tank on board your truck.

 

[Tinhack]

I've been using a 30-gallon barrel. I bought it new, so it came with the plugs. I thought about a 50 but this is easier for me to move around on a dolly. I use a 12v battery powered pump and it's set up on the dolly. When it's empty, I strap it down in the truck and take it to the gas/diesel station. I don't use much anymore so the 30 gallons lasts for about 3 fills or 2-3 front field mows. Before I take it to the station, I pour in measured amounts of biocide and a diesel power additive. It mixes as I fill the barrel.

I fully marked my barrel with an NFPA Diesel Fuel 1-2-0 Sign by the way.

 

[oldnslo]

What are the EPA restrictions in your area for hauling xx quantity of fuel? Does it have to be in approved containers? Hazzard cargo permits, etc.

 

[grsthegreat]

i use this setup. its on a small pallet which sits atop a base with wheels. the battery sits off to the side. holds 50 gallons and pump 10 GPM.

 

[mikester]

I rent a diesel tank from my fuel supplier. Got a brand new 500gallon double walled tank complete with electric metered pump and filter. In the good old days the tanks were supplied for free, these days it's $100/year. Your farm/property insurance company will be happier with you too.

 

[jyoutz]

I have a 30 gallon rolling transfer tank with a hand pump. I strap it to a pallet and load/unload from the truck with pallet forks. It works. A better solution I’ve been considering would be to buy a truck bed transfer tank and attach it to the front of a small trailer. These tanks are thin, so the trailer would still be usable for other purposes.

 

[rgr33]

I have a 50 gal steel tank I got from NAPA. I put an electric pump on it. It’s mounted on a heavy duty skid, and is easy to transport to the card lock fuel station. I figure I save about $25 in road taxes evdry time I fill it with off road diesel

I curse myself for waiting so long to pull the trigger on this set up. 5 gallon cans are for the birds

 

[newbury]

Steel vs aluminum vs plastic? Size? (1 month? Six months?)

Peter

C'mon, tell us what your consumption per time period is, many solutions for high consumption are not viable for low consumption.
I've :
several 5 gallon Justrite
Two 5 gallon NATO style Jerry cans
a 15 gallon wheeled tank from Northern Tools
Two 50 gallon steel cubes from tractor supply (got for $50 slightly used by a suburbanite with ~5 acres and a 20HP tractor).
I also have FEL's and plastic tubes and tend to put the containers in the bucket and siphon fuel into my tank.
I also obtained a 275 gallon IBC tote I had planned to use for fuel, but my rate of consumption dropped.

 

[RjCorazza]

I switched to a larger Aluminum tank this past year on a custom pallet for loading into my truck. I go through 400 gallons per year, so transporting a year's worth of fuel was a no go DOT wise, and I don't really use enough to justify delivery. I ended up with a 108 gallon Aluminum cube with a low point drain.

My last tank was a truck mounted 37g steel tank with no drain. When I took it out of service after 10 years, there was a solid inch of dirt, silt, and gravel in the bottom. Lesson learned.... Drain and inspection is important!

 

[ruffdog]

Low consumption I just use 5 gal jugs. High consumption I could just fill at the neighbors fuel tanks.

 

[MattB4]

Bought an L shaped tank back in '92. Used to carry it in the pickup but got tired of always hauling it about. Now I use tractor forks, or the skid steer, to load it in the back of the truck to be filled and than back on sawhorses.

 

[MTGreen]

I've got a 90gal transfer tank with a 12v pump. I'm seriously considering building a small trailer for it and my diesel 15kva generator that I could plumb in. I'm considering adding an air compressor to the setup as well. I feel like it could be a multipurpose solution:
Pull the trailer into town whenever I need to fill up, always have a substantial amount of fuel for the generator on hand, and have power/air/welder at any point on the property.

My biggest concern would be making sure that the tank center of gravity is low enough to prevent problems from sloshing associated weight shifting

 

[ponytug]

Thanks for the ideas! You all have some great set ups. Thanks for sharing.

I do have a truck, but the bed gets filled fairly regularly, so I am not sure that a bed mounted tank makes a lot of sense for me.

FWIW: The tractor uses 5-20 gallons a month, currently fed out of 5 gallon jerry cans, but I would like to have closer to 50 gallons on site for winter storms. I don't really want too much more, because I know I can't keep it turned over and fresh.

If anyone can point to California specific regulations, I would love to have it. I certainly do not know all of the local regulations, but as far as I can tell a removable transport tank has to be a) Federal DoT approved and (I think) tagged, b) be 60 gallons or less, and c) yellow in color, thought I don't think I have seen very many. In the case of bed mounted tanks, 120 gallon (actually the limit is, I think, 1,000lbs) are permitted without getting into the hazardous materials transport regulations.

Nice summary here, but I haven't found California specific regulations.

EHS Hero

safety.blr.com

All the best,

Peter

 

[WM75Guy]

Here is what my solution was to eliminate cans. It is a John Dow 58-gallon self-contained tank, pump, and hose. Added a battery with solar charger.

 

[hayden]

I've got a 275 gal bulk tank with 120VAC electric pump. Anything that's near the barn gets filled from that tank. The I later added a 36 gal Tractor Supply tank & 12VDC transfer pump that I keep strapped in the back of my side by side. That's how I refuel equipment that's away from the barn. The side by side can get to equipment in locations that I couldn't reach with a tank in my truck. Plus I don't want to give up the space in the truck bed. I get the 275 gal tank fill by a delivery truck 2-3 times per year. The whole system has worked out really well.

 

[scootr]

I use a 100 gal steel tank with a fuel pump and nozzle. Tank has a couple of 3x6 tubes welded to the bottom so I can fork it into the pickup and I set it on a custom dolly in the barn to roll it into the using place.

 

[kenmac]

I use 4- 55 gallon drums to haul my fuel. They don't bother farmers around here, so I don't worry about color, or being stopped for any violations.

 

[ponytug]

I use 4- 55 gallon drums to haul my fuel. They don't bother farmers around here, so I don't worry about color, or being stopped for any violations.

Must be nice!

All the best, Peter