extend driving range to 600 miles, maybe with gas cans

I want to have the option to extend my driving range to 600 miles. Currently I can get 300-400 miles to a tank. Would like to add 5-10 gallons of temporary capacity to the car in the form of a gas can or two in the trunk.

Anyone know the best way to bring extra gas with you on a long trip?

What size gas cans should I buy? Can I get 10 gallons in the trunk?

Don't ask me why. Belittle me. If you can answer, please do so.

Mid motion refueling.

Alla air force one.

They make plastic gas cans in a various sizes. Just so you know though...with gas in a convertible trunk you are going to smell fumes unless you have windows down the entire trip. Since we don't know where you are driving...this could be a problem if it's 10 degrees F outside.

reserve tanks can always be fabricated, but remember your fuel guage will be rendered useless.... you will just have to guestimate how many miles u have left before fill up

Extra weight that throws off balance. And where would you put reserve tanks?

Wait wait wait... I'm more interested in this:

How the heck do you get close to 400 miles to a tank?!?

I have no experience with gas cans. Are you always going to smell the gas? Are there ones that don't stink up the car?

Are there gas blader systems? Something like a super heavy duty flexible container that I could pump the gas out of but would conform to my trunk?

Range - I frequently get 28-31mpg which is a range of 336 - 372 miles on 12 gallons. Consuming the 13th gallon would yield a full 400 miles.

how about a custom fuel cell in the trunk that feeds into the OEM gas tank as the fuel is used.

I think that it would be dangerous to be hauling a flammable substance in a not so crashproof container. And if you take a corner hard, emergency maneouver, etc, you are going to have gas spill in your trunk.

Blow up doll in passenger seat filled with gasoline. Tube running to connector in a side of the fuel filler neck. Get to use carpool lanes and cruise for extended range.

















You might want to post additional details / budget / etc. so we can be more helpful.

If you carry extra gas in cans, you still have to get out and fill'er up. And it takes longer to gravity fill your tank from a can than pumping from a station. So unless you're in the middle of nowhere and want extended range for that reason... but then you'd probably want the extra room for baggage.

If you want to spend enough money, you could get a reserve tank (fuel cell) installed.

Budget $400
Will be in the middle of nowhere. Filling up slowly doesn't matter to me.
Extra baggage not required.

What I'm really interested in is the temporary use nature of the extra fuel. Every day I don't need to drive with all the capacity. A few times a year I will need it.

I tried searching for a fuel bladder system and got nothing.

So it sounds like my options are as follows:
- install extra fuel cell
- get gas cans that fit in the trunk

10 gallons of extra fuel would be 60lbs in the trunk. Well within the 400lb safety limit of 2 passengers plus extra fuel I will be driving with.

Best way I can describe my needs. Think of thunder run but without the need to drive at crazy speeds. I need the gas on hand to allow me to keep driving and increase the range. I would fill up when we stop for food, using the reserve fuel. Then find gas filling up the reserve tank plus say half a tank in the car.

You might want to get military grade fuel cans. You can find a five gallon can at www.cheaperthandirt.com. I think they are about $20 each. You will also have to buy a nozzle for about $5. I use the cans to transport diesel for my tractor. The cans do not leak sliding around the back of my Integra. To fill the tractor you do not need the clip-on nozzle, but you will for a standard vehicle.

best idea ever

This post has been edited by PyMpShYt on Oct 29 2009, 01:13 PM

Gumball rally!!!

Go to various autoparts stores near where you live (Pep Boys, Oreilly, NAPA, etc.) as well as WalMart or whatever. Measure your trunk, and compare that to the gas-cans you find. For sure you can fit a single 5gal tank in the trunk. I have no idea about a second. You'll just have to experiment. The interior WILL fill up with gas fumes if you don't do something to bring fresh air in. (Just put the recirc button to bring in outside air.) The interior will stink after the car sits still and turned off.

Why would the interior fill with gas fumes? Are gas cans not air-tight? (You'd think they would be...)

Also- to the OP, you regularly fill up your tank with 12 gallons? Wow, I lose the final bar on the gas gauge around 11.5, and have never driven much past that.

nope they are not are tight, gas needs to vent as it expands and contracts with temp. like on a hot day when mowing the lawn and the gas can bows out because you left it in the sun.

No I don't regularly run to empty, but when getting the max out of a tank on a first car I do try. Or when needed.

I am exploring the gas tanks. I'm wondering how much the fumes will be an issue and since I always run the cars fan with fresh air maybe not an issue.

oxihixo - I ordered a can you recommended. From my measurements it seems I could get 3, or 15gallons of extra fuel in the trunk with room to bring extra stuff.

Are you planning on running top up or down?

I recall once driving top down with some fried chicken in the trunk, and still being able to smell the chicken at freeway speeds. I'm guessing some sort of air pocket was pulling air from around the trunk and circulating it into the passenger cabin.

Just something to consider.

I guess I'll have to see if the gas smell enters the cabin.

Better MPG with the top up tho.

You might want to get one of these.

How do you get almost 400 miles in an ap2? Is mine defective? I've never been over 310 miles per tank.

It seems I have a gift. Every car I drive gets better then posted mpg.

It's likely your driving style.

Just filled up 245miles, 8.1 gallons. Mixed driving. 80% freeway. If I pused that to 12 gallons that would be 360 miles.

this should be easy to do, pickup trucks do it all the time. You need to find yourself a speed/racer type shop and have them fabricate a fuel cell for you, they should easily be able to weld one that will fit your trunk with only 10 gallon requirement. Then you have fuel pump refill the OEM tank with a switch on the dashboard.

By the way I really question that you can't find a pre-made fuel cell that will fit in the trunk.

Should not be too expensive, welding up a gas tank is super easy (that is a NEW tank, welding on a old tank is suicide without proper precautions), you then can use the tank as is or better yet put a bladder in it to prevent the gas from sloshing around when its half full, baffles also work but I much prefer the bladder.

1/8" aluminium and a day and you have a tank, nothing hard, no I wont weld one for you

This post has been edited by mikeyr on Oct 29 2009, 09:10 PM