Hauling gas to the pier

[jdlough]

I've got a 130' pier, boat lift, but no marina gas station within 30 miles. I don't want to drag the boat out of the water just to bring it to a gas station, so what are my options?

Many 5 gal gas cans? (OK if no other choice)

Some 15-20 gal gas tank on dragable wheels (like a golf-bag walking cart wheel dragging thing?

How do you guys who have a boat on your own boat-lift refuel (assuming you don't want to haul your boat to a land-based gas station)?

The boat will be on a lift, so I'm assuming I could use one of the dragable 20 gal gas containers, lower the boat until it's lower than the pier, then just fill it downhill from the 20 gal container, right?

Any other smart ideas? Or any brand name/model numbers for the dragable gas hauler things?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[slasmith1]

Re: Hauling gas to the pier

here you go take your pick.
http://www.iboats.com/Portable_Gas_Pumps/dm/*******.821674783--**********.404553850--view_id.360488
I have thought about that because of the higher fuel prices at the dock but it would take ten trips with the largest fuel caddy to fill my boat once.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Hauling gas to the pier

I had a 20 gallon gas caddy, the problem I found was that I needed two of them to fill the boat. Their also hard to get in and out of the truck. I had my boat docked on a lake with only one fuel source, and that was a 12 mile ride and the prices there averaged as much as double that at the road pumps.
I finally put in a tank on the property, I bought an EPA safe fuel storage tank, used, and would get it filled by the same guy that sold me heating oil. It was not at the water's edge, there was no way that was going to get by the EPA, but it made filling the caddy and running it across the yard to the dock a lot less of a hassle. It saved my back and my wallet. It was only a matter of time before the gas caddy either leaked in the truck or fell and spilled trying to get it down on the ground. I did consider getting one of those hitch mounted platforms on which I could carry two gas caddies but the tank on site was cheaper than even one gas caddy. (The fuel supplier supplied the tank, plus gave me a discount on fuel in quantity). Back then I was using about 250 gallons per month and there was no issue of alcohol in the fuel either. Today, I suppose the storing of gas for a month or two could pose an issue as would having to pay for that much fuel at today's prices.

 

[jdlough]

Re: Hauling gas to the pier

Reelfishin, your idea is intriguing. I had not considered my own gas station. I will look into that.

If not, smiths's idea of
http://www.iboats.com/Moeller_Wheel...8497704--**********.034470387--view_id.368417

may work for me. I'm thinking any gas hauler over 15 gallons would be too heavy to safely unload from a truck bed. So, 15 gal hauler is about the max. Then maybe a couple of 5 gal cans to reload the 14 gal hauler, using it's 10' long hose to refuel the boat.

This may be hard to explain but, I have found that the MODERN 5 gal gas containers, that don't have a vent in the can but DO have a weird spring/vent nozzle, are a PITA to use and are probably unsafer than the old style gas can. These new gas cans are always red. I have found that you can buy the old style cans (with a normal nozzle but a vent in the can itself) if it's labeled for "diesel only", but the can is blue (I think). I hate the new 'safer' gas cans. I'm surprised I haven't killed myself or burned up my lawn tractor with the stupid spring vented nozzle. It just doesn't work. Dribbles and drools gas all over a hot tractor motor.

So, I think the plan is to get the 14 Gal transfer container, and a few blue diesel containers, to refill the bigger container & transfer that to the boat.

Has anyone use the 14 gal Moeller Wheeled Fuel Transport container system? Does it leak at all?

Thanx
Jim

 

[dvan1901]

Re: Hauling gas to the pier

Does your dock allow you to fill your boat while docked? Mine does not, by order of the Fire Marshall.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Hauling gas to the pier

This may be hard to explain but, I have found that the MODERN 5 gal gas containers, that don't have a vent in the can but DO have a weird spring/vent nozzle, are a PITA to use and are probably unsafer than the old style gas can. These new gas cans are always red. I have found that you can buy the old style cans (with a normal nozzle but a vent in the can itself) if it's labeled for "diesel only", but the can is blue (I think). I hate the new 'safer' gas cans. I'm surprised I haven't killed myself or burned up my lawn tractor with the stupid spring vented nozzle. It just doesn't work. Dribbles and drools gas all over a hot tractor motor.

AAAAAA-friggin'-MEN. I HATE those damn things. I did a search 2 years ago and was able to buy what seemed to be last couple regular cans in existence on Amazon. Those spring loaded nozzles are the worst and like you said I think they are more dangerous.

 

[David Greer]

Re: Hauling gas to the pier

I hate the new cans too. Tempted to install vents my own self with an ice pick!
I just learned that the only nearby marina has water in its gas, according to a local mechanic; the marina insists it's within "tolerable levels." The mechanic is making a living off that tolerable level.
I looked at the gas caddy but at $200 I'd need to burn a lot of gas for it to pay for itself v. 4x5 gallon cans, plus the lifting out of the vehicle, which is a SUV not a PU. Luckily my pier is short--can you bring your boat in closer to fuel it?
At our hunt club we keep a 500 gallon tank w/ an electric pump; it used to be at the dock but due to regulations it was cheaper to move it up to the house. You can get to it while the boat is still on the trailer, too. A good set up but it would be expensive if it were just me.
If you have your boat at a vacation home factor in your time of hauling gas around as a cost against the high price at the marina, adn think of the distance to get there as a boat ride. Fill up at the end of your stay so (a) it's ready to go when you arrive next weekend and (b) your tank stays full to combat condensation.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Hauling gas to the pier

Jim, Years ago my friend had a 25 footer in a marina with no fuel dock. He put a standard 50 gal drum on it's side, on chocks in his Ford Bronco. He filled the drum at a gas station thru the top threaded opening. The drum had a tap on the bottom end of the drum with a long hose to the boat. He let gravity feed the gas to the boat. When the drum was empty it was light enough to take out of the truck.

 

[Splat]

Re: Hauling gas to the pier

My buddy bought a refilling tanklike you see in the back of many contractors trucks. Theey are meant for refilling heavy equipment.

Anyways he mounted in on a old what I think was a jet ski trailer with a battery to run the electric pump. All he does is un hitch it from the truck and using the jack wheel rolls it down the pier to the boat and re-fills. The trick is making sure you use a trailer skinny enough that it can be wheeled down the dock.

Bill

 

[jdlough]

Re: Hauling gas to the pier

This is my pier at my house, so the only Fire Marshal I have to worry about is my wife. (see pic. I have a new boat lift on the right of the pier, not in the pic)

I like the 14 gal Moeller Wheeled Fuel Transport
http://www.iboats.com/Moeller_Wheel...9354422--**********.419030535--view_id.368417
but reviewers weren't too impressed with the hose quality.

For twice the price I found this 28 gal "Gas Caddy". The hose looks much more substantial.

http://www.scottiescanvas.com/products/boating_products/diesel_gas_caddy.php

At the same site, they have a 16 gal "Gas Buddy", with the beefed-up hose, but the hose is only 5' long.

I like the longer hose because my boat's gas filler cap is on the far side of my boat, not the pier side (from the way I'd usually be parking my boat on the lift)

I don't mind paying extra for quality when it comes to flammables.
If anyone knows a really good quality 15 or so gal gas transfer system, please post.

Thanks
Jim

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Hauling gas to the pier

This one has handles built in on both ends, and fills laying down.
http://www.globalindustrial.com/gcs/prod/30113044/i/productInfo.web

This one is built similar to the 20 gallon I had, it too had a short hose, only about 5' or so. I ended up having a custom hose made, and used a regular gas fill nozzle from a gas station to speed up the fill time. I made the hose about 12' long to reach my then bow mounted fuel fill. The one I had was one of the first of this style in plastic, back about 12 years or so ago. The first time in the sun its capacity increase by nearly 2 gallons, it swelled up so much I had to re engineer the wheels and axle, which weren't holding up nearly as well as they should have.
If I were to buy one today, I'd buy the larger size and just don't fill it all the way. The better quality axle, hose, and nozzle are well worth the extra money.
One of the issues I had was that I was docked to floating docks, so my weight and the gas caddy combined would really tilt the dock. I had considered building my own caddy but using a barrel would make hauling it to the gas station an issue. You could just build a custom, narrow trailer with barrel or fuel tank just for that purpose that you could tow to the station and then wheel out to your boat. Any size you wish.

I really liked having the gas right there on hand, the company also kept it full, just as they did my heating oil. They also maintained it and the filters.
The convenience and cost savings were great. But, nowadays, I just don't use enough gas to justify it and I no longer keep my boat docked all season.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Hauling gas to the pier

Getting a on site gas tank is a good idea. Then to save costs, use the 5 gallon cans and make a cart or modify a hand cart to haul 4 of them around. Get some 1" vinyl hose and you can siphon them right into the boat from the dock rather quick.

 

[abj87]

Re: Hauling gas to the pier

I have the 28 gallon gas caddy it works great. I have a small utility trailer i used to haul it to the gas station so i don't have to haul it in to the back of the truck.