building a fuel caddy

[dieselfuelonly]

LBrown59, do you mind me asking you how you fill up your tanks when they run low? Do you have someone deliver the fuel, or do you take the drums and fill them up yourself?

The reason I ask is that I've discovered that while a couple 5-gallon diesel jugs works great for my Yanmar, it is not the ideal setup with my Bobcat 753 which can gobble quite a bit more fuel.

Short of filling up a drum with fuel in the bed of my truck, then unloading it with my Bobcat when I get back to my place I really can't think of any other way of keeping the drum filled myself, unless I had an auxiliary transfer tank in my truck to pump it out from.

 

[wedge40]

LBrown59, do you mind me asking you how you fill up your tanks when they run low? Do you have someone deliver the fuel, or do you take the drums and fill them up yourself?

The reason I ask is that I've discovered that while a couple 5-gallon diesel jugs works great for my Yanmar, it is not the ideal setup with my Bobcat 753 which can gobble quite a bit more fuel.

Short of filling up a drum with fuel in the bed of my truck, then unloading it with my Bobcat when I get back to my place I really can't think of any other way of keeping the drum filled myself, unless I had an auxiliary transfer tank in my truck to pump it out from.

I believe he uses a second drum for fuel transfers.

Wedge

 

[LBrown59]

I believe he uses a second drum for fuel transfers.

Wedge

That's only a back up plan in case i can't get a delivery in time.
So far that's not been a problem as I've been able to get as little as 25 gallons delivered at a time.
Cost me the same per gallon to go get it as it does to have it delivered so I don't bother running after it.

 

[LBrown59]

1*LBrown59, do you mind me asking you how you fill up your tanks when they run low?
2*Do you have someone deliver the fuel, or do you take the drums and fill them up yourself?

The reason I ask is that I've discovered that while a couple 5-gallon diesel jugs works great for my Yanmar, it is not the ideal setup with my Bobcat 753 which can gobble quite a bit more fuel.

3*Short of filling up a drum with fuel in the bed of my truck, then unloading it with my Bobcat when I get back to my place I really can't think of any other way of keeping the drum filled myself, unless I had an auxiliary transfer tank in my truck to pump it out from.

1*No but I need to explain a little bit about my set up and how it works.
There are 3 drums
The first drum is 30 gallons & the main supply drum.The second drum is 55 gallons and holds a reserve fuel supply and acts as the fill drum for the set up.It's the only one I ever fill and it's always empty and gets 55 gallon every time I get fuel .The third drum is 55 gallons and is just a spare to go get fuel in if the need arises.It is not plumbed into the set up and just sets loose there in the corner.
I haven't used the third drum yet as I call the fuel man when the second drum is empty and have him bring me 55 gallon of fuel to fill it up with.
All 3 drums are empty at the moment because I just completed building the set up recently and haven't put any fuel in it yet.

As shown in the above photo there is a red shut off valve on the hoses coming up out of the first and second drums.
I will turn the valve on the first drum off and the second drum valve on and call the fuel guy to bring 55 gallon and fill the second drum .
After he fills the drum I will then fill the first drum with 30 gallons from the second drum using the set ups pump leaving 25 gallon in the second drum.Next I shut off the valve on the second drum and open the valve on the first drum .
After the 30 gallon drum is used up and empty I will then pump the 25 gallon that was left in the second drum into the first drum and call the fuel man and order another 55 gallon fill up for the second drum.This gives me 25 gallons to go on while waiting on the delivery guy to show up so I'm not likely to run out before he gets here.
It may sound a little complicated and involved but it's really very simple and easy to operate.
2*I built the system so that I can do it either way.
3*You don't need an auxiliary transfer tank in your truck to pump it out from because you use the set ups pump .
The following pictures show me doing that IE pumping fuel out of a drum in my pick up into the set ups drum.

Notice there is no pump on the drum in the truck just a hose stuck down in the blue drum..
If you go back and take a closer look at the larger photo you will see this hose curled on a green hose hanger.The hose has a white end on it.

This is the set ups pump that I'm doing the pumping with.

 

[dieselfuelonly]

Very cool, thanks for the explanation!

 

[LBrown59]

Thanks and you're very welcome.

Very cool, thanks for the explanation!

A BIT MORE INFORMATION :
Click photo to enlarge.
Notice the 2 green shut off vales right next to the red fuel pump.
These valves are what allows me to pump the fuel out of the blue drum in my truck into the setup.
The green valves are one of the reasons the pump sets on a shelf instead of right on top of the drum like in every other set up.
What's so profound about this is the simplicity of the idea.
Thanks to the 2 green valves I can pump fuel out of any container in to any other container.
Putting the extra valve and hose on the set up is one of the slickest simplest ideas I've ever come across.
~~~~ Wish I could take the credit for it but that has to go to fellow TBN member _______ bialecki
________

at Link _____ http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/oil-fuel-lubricants/114239-my-diesel-storage-transfer-set.html

I read his post over and over several times before I fully realized the full potential of his idea of the extra valve & hose.
As far as I'm concerned any system that doesn't have this feature is an incomplete and very limited setup.
One of the great features of the setup that I really like is the fact that there is no handling of drums of fuel involved, whether I go get fuel or have it delivered.

L . B .

 

[LBrown59]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/1312387-post1.html
Here is a post from an excellent thread about the subject.
The thread is chock full of information concerning storing and transferring of fuel.

I'm thinking on making a fuel caddy for diesel for my tractor. There has been more cons than pros on the 15 gallon blizz, northern's caddy and todd's look like they are what i need. however they are a little pricey. i have a piece of sch. 10 20'' stainless pipe 2' long i'm thinking on using,I'll set it up for gravity feed or to hand pump, is there anything i should be aware of or carefull of on this. it should hold 33 gallons full i don't know how much it will weigh.

 

[LBrown59]

Would it not be simpler to get a 35 gallon or 55 gallon metal drum and add appropriate fittings to do what you desire? Drum grabbers are readilly available to handle them at fairly inexpensvie prices.

In my estimation
The 15 30 and 55 gallon white / clear plastic drums can't be beat for building low volume fuel storage set ups.
My system utilizes a 30 gallon and a 55 gallon drum and is the ideal size for my 10 to 15 gallon a month average usage.
`````````
For a person with a 5 to 10 gallon average monthly usage A set up with 1 15 gallon and 1 30 gallon drum would probably work out good.
L . B .xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This info isn't directed just to the OP but is for any other party who may be insterested
or to whom it may other wise benefit.

 

[AlanB]

In my estimation
The 15 30 and 55 gallon white / clear plastic drums can't be beat for building low volume fuel storage set ups.
My system utilizes a 30 gallon and a 55 gallon drum and is the ideal size for my 10 to 15 gallon a month average usage.
`````````
For a person with a 5 to 10 gallon average monthly usage A set up with 1 15 gallon and 1 30 gallon drum would probably work out good.
L . B .xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This info isn't directed just to the OP but is for any other party who may be insterested
or to whom it may other wise benefit.

And the counterpoint to the other interested observors is that Plastic drums are NOT reccomended for storing of fuels.

While it is often done, I believe you will be hard pressed to find a drum manufacturer that will state his drum is suitable for fuels storage.

The industry standard (if you agree with it or not) is for fuels to be stored in metal containers for a variety of reasons.

Plastic certainly works, and is done by many, but there are also some problems with storing fuels in plastic containers and one problem will outweigh an awful lot of the benefits that you have mentioned.

To the OP, I meant to add earlier that I meant no offense on my welding comment, and am not used to seeing many others here set up too TIG, and find people often underestimate the difficulties in getting an airtight weld.

Sounds like you have it well in hand and will make an excellent tank if you choose to go that way.

 

[wedge40]

And the counterpoint to the other interested observors is that Plastic drums are NOT reccomended for storing of fuels.

While it is often done, I believe you will be hard pressed to find a drum manufacturer that will state his drum is suitable for fuels storage.

The industry standard (if you agree with it or not) is for fuels to be stored in metal containers for a variety of reasons.

Plastic certainly works, and is done by many, but there are also some problems with storing fuels in plastic containers and one problem will outweigh an awful lot of the benefits that you have mentioned.

To the OP, I meant to add earlier that I meant no offense on my welding comment, and am not used to seeing many others here set up too TIG, and find people often underestimate the difficulties in getting an airtight weld.

Sounds like you have it well in hand and will make an excellent tank if you choose to go that way.

Anybody have metal gas cans.. Mine are all plastic. I know they aren't 55gal, but I've had fuel in some for over a year.