Bushtec Trailer Upgrade - Emergency Gas Stash

[Beamer Reamer]

Since I am about to embark on Alaska Adventure #3, this time around affectionately called the "Trip Through the Frozen North" I decided I needed a better place to carry extra gas. This is a 16 day, 6500+ mile trip that departs from Seattle that will touch the Arctic Circle and will visit North Pole, Fairbanks, Skinny Dick's Halfway Inn, Denali N.P., Anchorage, Kenai Peninsula, Whittier, Valdez, and a trip through the Canadian Rockies. In the past I tried a super sealed never leak gas can in my trailer - but it took up too much space and it smelled. Its one thing to sleep on a gassy pillow, its another whole thing sleeping on a gassy pillow while wifey is chirping in your ear all night because she is sleeping on a gassy pillow. I tried one trip carrying gas in a side bag, the same never leak, never smell container - it has taken a couple of years to get the smell out. But Colleen was a lot less gritchy about it. So this year - extra gas is going outside. I found a good spot, here is where it goes.

The trailer, BF (Before farkling)

First thing I did was unsnap the cooler cover and remove the cooler to expose the cooler bracket underneath. This bracket is now going to do double duty and be the main support for the Rotopax.

I then drilled 4 holes in the cooler bracket using the Rotopax to get the spacing correct. I used appropriate length stainless bolts through the bracket, through already existing cutouts in the Rotopax, and through the holes in an angle bracket on the underside, all finished with nyloc stainless nuts. Here is a view from the top followed from a view from the bottom side:

Bottom:

Finished look without the cooler reinstalled

Ready for the road:

Sorry for the large photos - someone blew up the Photobucket site when i wasn't looking and it took me a while to figure out how to do this image posting thing again. I used Imgur this time around - but it has a few challenges I need to find work-a-rounds for to make it a smooth process. I think I called the entire Northwest FJR community for support on getting these up here and some of the pics are still too big. Thanks for the help fella’s: Panman, Hudson, and AuburnFJR.

This system has a few more developments needed - in order to use the gas I would need to spin the nylocs off with a 1/2 ratchet. However - when you need gas bad enough, that extra 4 minutes will be no problem. These are 1 gallon jugs. They also make water jugs and multi-color jugs so you can carry two flavors of fluids. 2 gallons ought to be more than plenty. As my son says - if your planning was so crappy you ran out of gas, you ought to be close enough to get there on 2 gallons. Also…my riding buddy AuburnFJR has a massive gas tank and I carry a siphon hose. JSNS.

…and then there was that one time I coasted into my target gas station on fumes just to find they were closed due to pump issues. So you never know.

Cheers, David

 

[Heen]

Nice set up.

I have 2 rotopac and I'm not a fan of them. The containers are very sturdy but if you do not get the cap exactly right they leak.

 

[RossKean]

How about some strips of soft rubber (inner tube) between the metal bits and the poly tanks? I'm afraid with vibration that the metal will wear through the tanks. Same with the screws that hold the angle iron on - some tygon (flexible PVC) tubing over the shafts would offer some protection. The tanks are obviously vulnerable to rock strikes but probably no damage done other than slow loss of fuel. Short of a thin metal protective plate, I don't know what else to suggest - might not be a bad idea.

Why not use wing nuts with a locking washer instead of the nylocks. No tools and likely faster. You could drill a hole in one of the wings and use a safety wire if you are concerned about them coming loose.

Make sure that you have a few hundred test miles on the system to make sure it will hold up.

Have a great trip! I was thinking about doing Alaska this year but will likely put it off until 2019.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Plenty of fuel now BReamer...y'all have a great trip!

--G

 

[Beamer Reamer]

Nice set up. I have 2 rotopac and I'm not a fan of them. The containers are very sturdy but if you do not get the cap exactly right they leak.

Thx for the tip, I will keep an eye on them. I shook the snot out of them testing, but I know they won't leak until its inconvenient.

 

[Beamer Reamer]

How about some strips of soft rubber (inner tube) between the metal bits and the poly tanks? I'm afraid with vibration that the metal will wear through the tanks. Same with the screws that hold the angle iron on - some tygon (flexible PVC) tubing over the shafts would offer some protection. The tanks are obviously vulnerable to rock strikes but probably no damage done other than slow loss of fuel. Short of a thin metal protective plate, I don't know what else to suggest - might not be a bad idea.
Why not use wing nuts with a locking washer instead of the nylocks. No tools and likely faster. You could drill a hole in one of the wings and use a safety wire if you are concerned about them coming loose.

Make sure that you have a few hundred test miles on the system to make sure it will hold up.

Have a great trip! I was thinking about doing Alaska this year but will likely put it off until 2019.

You have some nice ideas there, I'm going to think on it. I was worried about wing nuts and I have tools handy always - but a hassle is a hassle. I might be able to build a simple sleeve of rubberish material for the whole thing and then it would be shock mounted top and bottom with the press fit - and the leading edge would then have some protection as well. That and a mud flap that AuburnFJR is working on and I hope to steal. I plan a ride your direction next year or the year after...

 

[Bugnatr]

Off topic, what's the green car? Mercury? Can't quite make out the emblem on the side.

 

[Beamer Reamer]

Off topic, what's the green car? Mercury? Can't quite make out the emblem on the side.

Ahhh....Grandpa's old car. It's a 1972 Satellite Sebring, same body as the Road Runner. Wife and I are arguing on a build to make a sweet Road Runner clone or a make it all original. 62,000 miles, runs great, all there.

Plenty of fuel now BReamer...y'all have a great trip!
--G

G - thanks for the help the other day, it was great seeing you and even better that you kept me out of trouble.

 

[PJ4863]

I was thinking a skid plate would help too. Especially if you're on unpaved roads. I'd think cresting a hill with some sharp gravel rocks have potential to rub since they are below the tongue of the trailer, Otherwise I love the idea. I 2nd the wing nuts, or if you feel ambitious, hit a junkyard. Some cars keep their spare mounted with a plastic spinner that has a metal nut insert in it. This way, you wouldn't be dependent on having a tool with you on a dark wet stormy road at night when you need the fuel the most.

 

[BigOgre]

^ What he said. I'd also suggest turning the caps inboard towards the trailer tongue. I can see some drunk arsehole thinking it funny as he walks by. Otherwise a real nice simple mod. +1!

[hijack: PJ- glad to see the posts. Sounds like you've been enjoying the move. Happy for you.]

 

[RossKean]

...I'd also suggest turning the caps inboard towards the trailer tongue. I can see some drunk arsehole thinking it funny as he walks by.

Excellent point. My first thought was that you could get most of the gas out by opening the cap and draining the gas into a jar or something without removing the cans from the bike. This would be messy and unless you also carried a funnel, it would be difficult to pour into your tank. Hiding the caps to the inboard position makes sense!

 

[Beamer Reamer]

...I'd also suggest turning the caps inboard towards the trailer tongue. I can see some drunk arsehole thinking it funny as he walks by.

Excellent point. My first thought was that you could get most of the gas out by opening the cap and draining the gas into a jar or something without removing the cans from the bike. This would be messy and unless you also carried a funnel, it would be difficult to pour into your tank. Hiding the caps to the inboard position makes sense!

I tried the caps inboard - but there was a a bit of metal that the cap would have rested on and thus an undue amount of pressure when I tightened it down.