Filling larger tanks w/out deck mounted fill port

[Mopheus]

I'm replacing a couple of old 23L steel tanks with new and have the option of going with (eg) 2x 25L totes or 1x 50L tank.

The 25L tanks would presumably need to be removed from the boat and placed on the ground before filling, as I always did with the old ones, but what's the story with the larger (40L+) tanks that can't readily be removed, refilled and replaced? Can you fill them in-boat at a servo or do they have to be filled at home via jerry cans?

I'll probably go with the 25L totes but just curious.

[stevej]

most in boat fuel tanks have a non ferrous inlet to stop sparks
ive seen incidents at service stations with attendants going off about not placing totes tanks on the ground to earth them both boat and mower cans etc

not entirely up to speed on it but something's to consider

[catshark]

ive got a 45litre tote im running and i have been placing it on the ground to fill up , but just last week i left it in the boat and i just earthed out the nozzle and filled into while standing on my wheel arch , thinking about whether i have followed a safe filling procedure and is this going to flash over me in an instance , well the servo attendant didnt have a corony and i have my eyebrows still , win win

[billfisher]

There is another issue. When you fill a carry tank the fuel vapours inside the tank get displaced . Obviously it would be better for this to happen outside the boat due to the explosion risk. Underfloor tanks have vents with outlets on the outside of the boat for this reason.

[Mopheus]

Cheers, I'll stick with totes. In the absence of a fuel gauge or EFI consumption monitoring, totes have the advantage of hooking up one at a time and providing a non-ignorable fuel use warning when they run dry anyway.

Tossing up between Jaunt 25L and Nuovo Rade Hulk 30L tanks atm. The Jaunt tanks have the better tiedown system and the pickup looks more skookum, but the Nuovo Rade fits a fair bit more fuel for the same dimensions and doesn't have the inbuilt 'reserve' feature (which I don't want).

Anyone used either and have feedback? The 30L tanks are my preference and I can work out a tiedown system; just a bit concerned about whether the straight screw-in pickups are up to snuff compared with the 4-screw style pickup of the Jaunt tank.

https://www.marinewarehouse.com.au/j...arine-tank-25l

https://www.whitworths.com.au/nuova-...etrol-tank-30l

[tunaticer]

I have never been asked to remove a tote from the boat for filling and I fill at least 26 times per year and for the past 45 years....
I have had the console operator out taking pump numbers whilst I have been filling several times and nothing has ever been said.

[Dignity]

I have never been asked to remove a tote from the boat for filling and I fill at least 26 times per year and for the past 45 years....
I have had the console operator out taking pump numbers whilst I have been filling several times and nothing has ever been said.

I've had them ask me to remove them from the back of the truck but not the boat, they aren't necessarily the smartest tools.
Most tote tanks these days are plastic so no need to earth them. I take mine out only because I hate having spills in the boat.

[Mopheus]

Just to close this out - took a close look at the Nuovo Rade Hulk 30L tanks in store and the fittings are absolute junk. I actually chewed out the threads on the display tank vent screw just closing it using normal finger pressure. The cap isn't the same diameter as other common tanks so no easy way to replace it with something better.

Ended up ordering 62L Can-SB tanks with removable inspection port holes and bolt on fittings. Mocked one up in cardboard first and it fits like it was made for the space. Will run a Garmin fuel flow sensor via NMEA to keep track of usage and just half fill them on days when I'm not expecting to travel far.

Here's to hoping the local servo lets me fill 'em