Let's talk Gas Can Storage

[AdventureLab]

As much as I love our Ranger Raptor, the fuel mileage isn’t exactly its strongest feature. On longer trips, especially when we’re far from gas stations, it’s always a relief to have extra fuel on board. If you’ve watched the Trail Hero Expeditions TV show, you’ve probably seen us scrambling more than once to stretch a tank. The Rotopax cans we’ve carried in the past have saved us every time, although they trade capacity for packability. They’re great for what they are, but we’ve been wanting a better option for carrying more fuel without giving up space or usability.

A while back we had a thread discussing everyone’s preferred style of fuel container. There wasn’t a clear winner, mostly because the use cases vary so much. Still, we needed a starting point. After digging through a bunch of options, we noticed a lot of interest online around the new American-made Tuff Jug products. We brought a couple in for testing and decided they would be the first jug we support.

You can check out Tuff Jug’s site if you want to learn more about their quick-fill system - https://tuffjug.com/.

With a jug in hand, we went to work designing a lightweight but solid mount for it. That product turned out well. You can see it here - https://americanadventurelab.com/news/tuff-jug-mount/. The mount will also fit most jugs with a 10 inch or smaller footprint. The ratchet strap was intentional since it makes the system more universal.

Now we’re shifting focus to the Ranger platform and how to integrate this mount cleanly and safely into the bed.

Before I outline some early ideas, I’d really like to hear what matters most to you when it comes to carrying extra fuel. Community feedback has played a huge role in shaping several of our major Ranger products. Our Bed MOLLE Panels, Rear Seat Delete, and Bed Rack all benefited from early input from this forum, and that collaboration made those products far better than they would have been in a vacuum. I’m hoping to repeat that same process here.

Here are some of the priorities we’ve been thinking through:

• Easy removal of the jug from outside the bed
• Simple and repeatable process to drop the jug back in and secure it
• Zero movement once mounted
• Quick removal of the mount itself when you don’t need it
• Works with or without bed MOLLE panels

What else should we be considering?

What would make a fuel solution genuinely useful for the way you use your truck?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

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[superj]

All those things you listed seem like the reasons that i would want. I have never hsd to use a fuel can because we dont have off roading here but just thinking, these seem like good things to shoot for.

*Easy removal of the jug from outside the bed
*Simple and repeatable process to drop the jug back in and secure it
*Zero movement once mounted

 

[AdventureLab]

All those things you listed seem like the reasons that i would want. I have never hsd to use a fuel can because we dont have off roading here but just thinking, these seem like good things to shoot for.

*Easy removal of the jug from outside the bed
*Simple and repeatable process to drop the jug back in and secure it
*Zero movement once mounted

Thanks.

 

[BuenaRaptor]

for me I’d like to see it able to be under a tonneau cover for security.

 

[LDHunter]

Since these Tuff Jugs are truly made in the USA I think the pricing is not too high when compared to the run of the mill Chinses jugs most of us are using now.

I was a little disappointed to see that the long black hose is necessary for venting. I hope I read that wrong because then it makes the jug pretty darned tall.

I'd like to see y'all make a bracket system, or whatever you call it to accommodate 4 jugs side by side for the rear of the bed. That would make a total of 20 extra gallons, effectively doubling the range of the RR before a gas station could be located.

One more thing... The Tuff Jugs use the system that prevents overfilling your gas tank but I've seen other gas jugs that simply wouldn't allow you to dispense the gas at all unless you got everything just perfect including the angle of the jug. Can you bypass that in case it becomes awkward or impossible to put the gas in our RR tanks?

Also have you actually used one yet to determine if it will bypass the safety feature of our gas filler ports that makes it nearly impossible to use conventional cans without some type of specialty funnel which adds yet another layer of complexity and awkwardness to filling our tanks with a gas can/jug.

 

[LDHunter]

Another thing.... You can potentially get in trouble using these jugs for transport on public highways. A quick AI search revealed this.

"Are Tuff Jugs Dot approved?


AI Overview


No, Tuff Jugs are explicitly NOT DOT-approved (or ARB/EPA certified) as portable fuel containers, meaning they lack the mandated safety features like built-in vents and spring-loaded spouts required for legally transporting fuel by road, though they are great utility jugs for other fluids or for quick pouring at the track, not for road-legal fuel transport.

Key Points:

• Not for Road Transport:
  Their design doesn't meet Department of Transportation (DOT) or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for fuel containers.
  
  
• Quick-Pour Design:
  They excel as "quick-pour" devices for racing or workshop use, allowing rapid transfer of water, oils, coolants, and even race fuel (at the track).
  
  
• Material:
  Made from multi-layer HDPE, they resist chemicals but lack the safety features (like flash arrestors and specific spouts) of approved cans.
  
  
• Usage:
  Use them for non-transport purposes, or for race fuel where local rules allow, but avoid using them for fuel transport on public roads where approved containers are required. "

 

[Steeliegreen]

For those of us with a canopy on our Ranger I would like to be able to put the container in its holder from the side or end.

 

[zedder]

Classic cheap jerry cans with frontrunner mounts and frontrunner jerry can funnel: https://www.amazon.com/Front-Runner-Double-Jerry-Holder/dp/B084G7SD5G https://offroadandmore.com/products/front-runner-jcfu006-jerry-can-spout-jcfu006

 

[LDHunter]

WOW.... Nice setup. Zambia eh?

Interesting. I bet you could tell some stories.

 

[josephsixecho]

Under tonneau cover mount.

 

[stavok]

If I were carrying extra gas I would want to be able to pump/siphon it directly into the main tank without having to pickup/move the jug.

 

[DutchRanger]

I know Australia's aftermarket has a much bigger tank, maybe you guys can bring that to the US market?

 

[AdventureLab]

for me I’d like to see it able to be under a tonneau cover for security.

That may be tuff, small pun intended.

I'll check those jugs today and get some measurements with the cap on and see if they'll fit under a tonneau. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[AdventureLab]

Since these Tuff Jugs are truly made in the USA I think the pricing is not too high when compared to the run of the mill Chinses jugs most of us are using now.

I was a little disappointed to see that the long black hose is necessary for venting. I hope I read that wrong because then it makes the jug pretty darned tall.

I'd like to see y'all make a bracket system, or whatever you call it to accommodate 4 jugs side by side for the rear of the bed. That would make a total of 20 extra gallons, effectively doubling the range of the RR before a gas station could be located.

One more thing... The Tuff Jugs use the system that prevents overfilling your gas tank but I've seen other gas jugs that simply wouldn't allow you to dispense the gas at all unless you got everything just perfect including the angle of the jug. Can you bypass that in case it becomes awkward or impossible to put the gas in our RR tanks?

Also have you actually used one yet to determine if it will bypass the safety feature of our gas filler ports that makes it nearly impossible to use conventional cans without some type of specialty funnel which adds yet another layer of complexity and awkwardness to filling our tanks with a gas can/jug.

The jug does not have venting built into it, but you should only need the venting when using a spout. If you're pouring from the jug w/o the cap on, you will have plenty of venting since the cap is large.

I'm hoping multiple of our adapters could be used together to mount four cans. I'll definitely take that into account when developing the product. The Chase Tire Racks are out of the truck now. I'll get some photos of 4 cans back there so we can visualize that.

To address your very valid concern about filling, Tuff Jug created this product, which we already have in stock - http://americanadventurelab.com/product/tuff-jug-spout-adapter/. I'll do some video showing that in action in the Ranger to answer your question in detail.

 

[AdventureLab]

Another thing.... You can potentially get in trouble using these jugs for transport on public highways. A quick AI search revealed this.

"Are Tuff Jugs Dot approved?


AI Overview


No, Tuff Jugs are explicitly NOT DOT-approved (or ARB/EPA certified) as portable fuel containers, meaning they lack the mandated safety features like built-in vents and spring-loaded spouts required for legally transporting fuel by road, though they are great utility jugs for other fluids or for quick pouring at the track, not for road-legal fuel transport.

Key Points:

• Not for Road Transport:
  Their design doesn't meet Department of Transportation (DOT) or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for fuel containers.
  
  
• Quick-Pour Design:
  They excel as "quick-pour" devices for racing or workshop use, allowing rapid transfer of water, oils, coolants, and even race fuel (at the track).
  
  
• Material:
  Made from multi-layer HDPE, they resist chemicals but lack the safety features (like flash arrestors and specific spouts) of approved cans.
  
  
• Usage:
  Use them for non-transport purposes, or for race fuel where local rules allow, but avoid using them for fuel transport on public roads where approved containers are required. "

I reached out to Tuff Jug about this. I want to get you an official answer. I'll post it here when I hear from them. Valid question, for sure.

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