Email a copy of 'How To Build a WTSHTF Gas Station, by Samantha B.' to a friend
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If you live in an area with many kids or where strangers travel through, you may want to take steps to conceal or secure your storage area. Security could be a locked door, or a chain link fence around the enclosure. Concealment could be shrubbery or a crescent moon carved in the door to the shed. Or, simply an open shed with a few trash containers, in which maybe 30 gallon barrels are hidden, under a paper bag of recycle cans. Regarding pumps and hoses, steel pumps (like Samantha B got) and hoses with grounding wires in them are preferred. Slower pumping rates through plastic hoses will give time for static charges to bleed off.
While the article is about gasoline, it is very adaptable to most flammable products storage.
I have thought about this often, and this article certainly helped get my scattered thoughts in order. Thank you.
Love this article. Thank you for writing it.
If folks can afford it, I really like this pump. It does a great job filling all my containers and equipment out of a 15 gallon barrel. No mess, no funnels, no drips, no spills. The suction pipe is a bit short for a taller barrel, but you could extend it. It runs on D cell batteries.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HOXQ3GU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Out here we quit using Stabil and stick to PRI-G for gas and PRI-D for diesel. It costs less than Stabil for the number of gallons you can treat. Pri-G actualy rejuvenates gas and we re-treat stored gas every year.
https://www.amazon.com/CP122-Pri-G-Gasoline-Treatment-oz/dp/B009TWQAOA/ref=sr_1_4?crid=C1J5T9B3MPNU&dchild=1&keywords=pri-g+fuel+stabilizer&qid=1610810629&s=automotive&sprefix=pri-g%2Cautomotive%2C233&sr=1-4
Best wishes
I second the comment about the small battery powered transfer pump from Amazon. It’s perfect for transferring from 5-gallon jerrycans to generator, lawnmower, etc. I bought one recently and wish I had done so earlier.
Great article from a fellow North Carolinian. In the past I have stored (2) 55 gallon drums of gasoline for 2+ years with no problems. This was after doing some testing of course. I found that PRI-G worked better than stabil for long term storage. I also added a small amount of Marvel Mystery oil, and had no problems even in fuel injected motors.
Godspeed!
I always have a lot of respect for those who utilize what they have to make something. I’ve lived this way my whole life.
Great article! We live in a surburban area area and store gasoline in our garage.
We will be looking at garage sales this summer and buy a large plastic box for storing 5 gallon cans at the back of our back yard. We will vent it.
Thank you for this article, reminded me to get holing on our “list”.
Thank you! If you can find a used Rubbermaid storage locker or something typically used for a trash shed, that would work well too.
2003, on our ExpeditionVehicle build, I realized the factory fifty-gallon tank was barely adequate for five-hundred miles.
I like acquiring fuel in low-tax places, I like range… but I especially like the ‘low-tax’ part.
To keep me happy, I added a 140-gallon ‘saddle’ tank on the opposite side of the vehicle.
A pair of saddle tanks is usually standard-equipment for heavy vehicles such as semi-trucks and dump-trucks (aka ‘tippers’).
I acquired my tank from a heavy-truck dismantler… after foraging through piles of different size tanks.
Some of the removed tanks were rectangular steel, some were aluminum tube of different diameter and length.
I chose aluminum, my factory mounts are close and high to help avoid dragging on rocks and stumps.
With that success under my belt, I thought ‘why not…’!
So… I fabricated a rugged mount for an additional 120-gallon tank on the toy-hauler.
50 + 140 + 120.
In theory, our range — travel without stopping at a service-station — is Anchorage-to-Acapulco.
For a stationary supply, I think discarded heavy-truck fuel-tanks, engineered for a million miles of safety, are a potential alternative to upright 55-gallon drums or five-gallon cans.
Build a supporting frame, add a transfer pump, and you have home-based filling-station.
A few appropriate extinguishers is probably a good idea.
For security, instead of a delivery truck, I think I would fill my stationary transfer tanks from a mobile transfer tank in my pick-up truck.
Speaking of mobile transfer tanks:
I remember waiting at a commercial transfer station in Latin America.
The pick-up truck in front of us was loaded with 55-gallon drums.
Filling each drum lowered the truck rear bumper a few inches.
With probably close to seven or eight drums in the bed of his pick-up, he was looking at close to… a lot of weight.
Leaving the concrete apron of the station, his dragging bumper tossed a delightful shower of sparks.
So, there is that.
Marge, gas weighs about 6 pounds/gallon. With 7 barrels he was carrying 385 gallons of gas, so at 6 pounds/gallon he was carrying about 2,300 pounds of gasoline. I once saw a statistic about the stored energy in gasoline being compared to that of a stick of dynamite, I have forgotten but I am sure it was not less than a 1:1 ratio. The OKC federal building was destroyed with a diesel fuel+ammonium nitrate fertilizer mix concealed in a U-Haul truck, and I believe the 1993 WTC bombing was a similar homebrew.
It’s not the same as straight gas, but any stored fuel can be dangerous, and might attract the kind of attention most people don’t need from either government agents, thieves, or malcontent miscreants.
A good informative article. Makes me want to build a gas station. Great writing as always.
Sorry, instead of holing I meant working. I have to proof read better!
Beware, in a pre-shf environment there are local, county, state, and federal regulations dealing with storage of fuels. Most require a containment means in case of a leak. An epa required cleanup could bankrupt the average home owner. There are even regulations on how many 5gal cans of gasoline you can transport at one time.
+1
Also, be sure to review your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if it has any clauses that would allow it to escape paying claims if you have more than ‘X’ quantity of fuels stored on your property, whether within a flammables cabinet or not. For example, here in SoCal you can have no more than a total(!) of 25 gal of fuel on your property without a special permit, which would include expensive storage upgrades and inspections. I learned this because I had six 5-gal containers, which raised questions about a potential citation.
Thanks for the concise, well written article. It lit a fire under me to finish my own fuel station!
I hope other SB readers with practical experience will expand on not only gasoline storage, but diesel as well.
Will the poly plastic drums work with diesel? What about venting and, in my neck of the woods, big humidity and temperature changes?
I know I’ll need a Cetane booster preservative and an anti algal…
Thanks for sharing your practical experiences!
I use the poly barrels from the car wash-type sources.
There are several caveats:
Eliminate all oxygen possible (fill all the way up).
Treat with PRI-D.
Ensure anti-microbe treatment before sealing container.
Bung container tightly to prevent loss of volatile components, other wise fuel won’t burn well. So DO NOT VENT storage containers.
Keep out of sun.
Use good seal on cap and use a bung wrench to close tightly.
Later on, if you smell fuel smell, you haven’t sealed containers.
This site has a 77 minute interview link that describes the process the Engineer Steve Harris taught me to do it.
http://www.solar1234.com/
Look for the Long Term Fuel Storage link
I’ve gone to storing our gas in Jerry cans with lids that screw in tightly against rubber gaskets. This prevent the escape of vaporized gasoline. I add stabilizer. There are zero emissions.
I highly suggest a concrete pad under the storage area and in front of it where spills may occur. To make our air clean the “Do-Gooders” changed for formula of gas by add a chemical that supposedly makes it cleaner to burn. Problem is now that chemical is the #1 ground water contaminant in the country. Putting down some cement/concrete will help stop any spills from entering your ground water. I live in an area that is glacial till (basically gravel) and very little clay. My well is 45’ deep so anything spilled/leaked will probably end up in my drinking glass. In theory the cement will not allow the gas to get into the soil and will evaporate before permeating the cement.
Definitely something to think about . . . . worst case scenario, a tree falls on your storage area and now you have 110 gallons of gasoline soaking down towards your water supply.
Great article, thanks for posting.
My county limits fuel storage to 5 gals under dwelling roof, with no restrictions outside of that. Right now, most of the stored fuel is in the pre-built shed out back. I worry about wildfire, & the Summer heat & humidity. Long term planning is for facility like yours, using concrete block, thin shell dome, aircrete lean too or lift lid, or earthbag. Maybe an IBC, to go with the 55, 30 and 5 gal storage I have now. If you have an enclosed building, you might want to add a 12v blower fan, like for boats, to clear the air before entering.
I have been slowly replacing gasoline powered tools with battery operated ones,
but I still have gasoline powered generators, though one is duel fuel. Gasoline
rotation is beginning to be a problem with no power outages in a couple of years. I have started buying E00 93 oct, at the local Murphy station, just for the storage life.
Folks should research alternative powered transport: electric, diesel, etc, even if
it is just an UTV.
An Ebike powered by solar might be a good low cost alternative, compared to a Tesla and might be safer during a fuel shortage with fewer vehicles on the road.
Gasoline is the Achilles heal of private transport in the USA.
If an entity wanted to reduce private travel, all they would have to do is limit gasoline production, either through regulation or direct action.
Society would still run on Diesel, with gasoline being a thing of the past and that is the stated goal of some of the country’s leadership.
New private diesel vehicles are illogically expensive, the new Jeep 4dr Wrangler is $60K, and their are no low cost alternatives. I have been looking for an 25 year old truck for years now, but they are expensive and sell quickly.
If you have an airplane using 100LL, you might want to consider changing to JP or diesel powered engine when feasible, or electric if practical.
Gasoline will probably become expensive and scarce in the coming months.
https://www.indexmundi.com/energy/?product=gasoline&graph=consumption&display=rank
>>”If an entity wanted to reduce private travel, all they would have to do is limit gasoline production, either through regulation or direct action.”<<
Or, they could destroy our national ability to produce fuel independently of OPEC and subject Americans to steep price increases – as forecast as a result of the Biden administrations proposed policies ($10/gal).
Just a heads-up: Treated lumber in contact with steel will inevitably result in rusted steel.
I use the five gallon cans she spoke of to transport gas, but I also use them on a covered outdoor rack for storage. Mine are metal. I acquire them at farm auctions and have several, along with some two and one gallon cans to carry emergency gas in. Stabilizers and octane enhancers are always good ideas if you have stored the gas for very long.
Excellent piece.
That thing is dangerous, in my professional Inpression
You need a tub under the building large enough to hold at least one barrel,
is your punp is non-arcing ?
Have you nonarcing light and an earthing system for this place
Always vent a tank when it is being emptied. I was present when a 55 gallon barrel was being emptied with a simple hand operated pump. At about the half way point the barrel suddenly imploded with enough force that it jumped 6 feet into the air and then split open when it landed on the concrete floor. Quite the mess to clean up. Vacuum pressure can be powerful. A broken nose and a dislocated wrist was the damage, but it could have been much worse. Always vent.
Remember one of the last Mythbusters’ shows a giant steel railroad tank car imploding from just atmospheric pressure vacuum. We live at the bottom of a sea of air.
Is known the 17th century when an Experiment was made with the Magdeburg Hemispheres
Understand that HEET and most octane boosters are ethanol. It is counter productive to search and buy higher priced ethanol free gas to then just add ethanol to it.
The biggest issues with gasoline storage are tanks and cans that “breathe” or are vented. Yes, gasoline evaporates but more importantly the lighter, smaller chain hydrocarbons evaporate first and that is what kills the ability for an engine to start or keep running with “old” fuel. Also as the lighter hydrocarbons evaporate some of the additives precipitate and they gum up the fuel system.
Breathing cans and tanks also allow water vapor to enter and then when it condenses it sinks to the bottom of the tank and is entrapped. If the fuel has ethanol it will dissolve into the alcohol and make the gas more corrosive.
Sealing your steel drums is very wise and is of far greater benefit than any gas stabilizers.
I dug into stabilizers a good while ago and could find no peer reviewed research that they are effective. Looking at the chemistry of say PRI-G for example it is mostly a basic mineral oil made by Shell called Shellsol D-60 . Maybe they help, maybe they don’t but if you shell (no pun intended) out some hard earned bucks for them, of course you’ll be absolutely certain they work. They certainly won’t hurt using them, just don’t expect miracles, especially if the gas container is not sealed well.
I use plastic 5gal cans. I’m not thrilled with them, but I can carry them to the shed, fuel rotation is easier, containers are cheap, and they are easy to empty with a simple syphon. I watched my cans expand to bulging and contract as if collapsing. A few years ago I reached out to a Chem E I knew from college who built refineries for a living for more information about fuel. Gasoline is actually a mixture of different length hydrocarbons, including some that light ones that are actually dissolved in the fuel being gases at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. These extremely light distillates are important for cold weather starting and should help with any starting. As you mention, sealing the metal can is so important for trapping the light weight distillates for winter starting. I worry I’m losing the light weight distillates through my plastic cans or their lids.
As for PRI-G, I’ve read that at least some of the fuel stabilizers have biocides in them, though I don’t know what kind of chemicals are used. I believe military fuel has both biocides and de-icers in them.
Holy Moly!
I have military surplus aluminum gas & diesel tanks (600 gal each) that I found for about $300 each sitting in a purpose built concrete storage area. I will tell you that the initial pump installation was easy, however, my gas pump has now just quit. This happened right after filling it. Can’t find anyone crazy enough (including myself) to replace it while sitting on 600 gallons of gas. My point is to not skimp on the quality of the initial pump purchase and to have a backup hand pump just in case. It’s not going to be fun pumping 600 gallons of fuel by hand but I guess it will help me with my most lacking part of preparedness which is physical fitness. I’ll report back in a few months with a new measurement of my arm girth. Please let me know if anyone has any suggestions.
I think the pump should pull from the top of the tank.
Inside, the ‘drop tube’ connected to the pump fittings leaves a space at the lowest part of the tank.
In that space, moisture and debris can safely settle.
Draining — gravity flow — from a valve at the bottom of the tank risks polluting your post-tank filters with that settled moisture and debris.
*****
We acquire our diesel transfer pumps at Coastal Farm And Ranch in Oregon.
The brand is Fill-Rite, and they run from:
* a) light-duty plastic 12vdc 6gpm to
* b) extreme-duty all-metal rebuildable ‘continuous’ rated 12vdc and 24vdc 35gpm.
Our filters are standard Racor brand on a dual in-line manifold with moisture separation.
To simplify stocking, we use identical filters on the boat.
Using brass tools will help to eliminate sparks but they are expensive and will be softer than the materials that you are using them on, so finesse is better than force. Good nonferrous stainless steel tools are second best. If the tanks are outside, doing the work on a windy day will help to eliminate fumes/gasses from accumulating thereby reducing ignition if a spark should happen. Actually an empty tank leaves more explosive fumes than a full tank. I would be crazy enough to do it, as it can be done safely. If you do pump all the gasoline out of the tank, you should leave it open and ventilate it to remove all fumes before starting work.
It’s important to keep plenty of fuel stabilizer on hand.
But keep in mind that fuel stabilizer itself has a shelf life and can go bad, unless treated with a product called Stabilizer Stabilizer (TM).
I started storing gasoline back in the 70’s during the energy crisis. I buried 2 open top 55 gallon steel drums in the ground, leaving the top of the drum sticking out of the ground by about an inch.
I was able to put 4- 5 gallon plastic gas cans in each barrel, and then secure the cover on the barrel with the ring clamp. I’m able to store a total of 40 gallons.
The barrels lasted about 25 years before they rusted out. I replaced them with plastic barrels.
I treat the fuel with Sta-Bil and I store it for 2 years, I then use it up and replace it.
Having the fuel in the ground keeps it at a fairly steady temperature.
I recently built a pressure treated platform out of 4×4’s and 3/4″ plywood to go over the barrels to hide them. I keep some firewood on it so that no one will think that it is hiding something.
Thanks for the letter! So glad to see attention called to this issue again. As we enter the third term of Obama bureau-rats and oil demand returns and the prices rise (remember $4 fuel) and who knows what else is done to us fuel storage will be useful on several levels.
I live in a single-family residence neighborhood, and have a full time job. There’s no room and no time for me to make my own gas station. So I choose the easy alternative: whenever my car’s fuel gauge shows 3/4, I refuel my car. That’s cheaper, less time-consuming, and safer. Of course, the tradeoff is that this won’t last long. Still, I can get at least a few days of traveling if I’m careful about how I drive.
I was fascinated by how closely the author’s fuel depot construction mirrored the method I used to build my “poultry palace”. I used 4 pallets – measure to make sure they really ARE the same size – on a bed of gravel, and then in-filled the pallets with more gravel. The sides are the same leftover steel siding sheets that were cover sheets to my shop’s metal, I was lucky to have several of each color but each side is a different color. I even had a boatload of screws left from the shop’s construction. My biggest cost was the expense of 4x4s for the corners and 2x4s for framing the walls and roof.
Aviation 100 LL fuel remains stable for well over a year. It is not suited for anything with a catalytic converter on it due to the fuel’s high lead content. If you run it, expect to clean your spark plugs more frequently to remove the lead boogers from the electrodes. Some FBO’s will not be willing to sell it to you unless you are putting it in an airplane. Tell them it is for your race car and give them a wink and most will sell it to you. Develop your relationship with the FBO by dropping off treats on Saturday mornings. Avgas is going for around $5/gallon these days.