Gas Storage...

[MistressSybs]

We're gonna be bringing in gas for our rv - 5 gallon containers... any advice on storage? Can this be stored in the compartment below the rv? Is there any special thing we need to do to not catch ourselves on fire?

[Token]

Storing of fuel is well documented on the main BM site.

Do not store fuel of any kind under your RV ever!

Best bet is to take the cans 20 feet away from sleeping areas. It is good to put them on a tarp of some kind and berm the tarp to catch any spill.

A hefty ABC fire extingusher should be near but not with the fuel.

Cover the fuel with a small camo netting scrap or somesuch and a few cones with signs can't hurt.

Locking the cans with a cable lock is also a good idea.

[motskyroonmatick]

I find it necessary to vent the gas can a bit by leaving the cap just a little loose so that pressure can not build up and rupture the can. I always make sure the can can not tip over under any circumstance when doing so.

[Captain Goddammit]

I've stored a lot of fuel out there and will second the need for good venting.
I'll also second the DON'T store it under your RV advice. Lets say some cheese head does toss an errant cigarette, or some flame effect thing gets a little out of hand, and your fuel did catch fire... under your RV...

[dragonpilot]

Well...waiddaminnut...I understand the deal about not storing it under the RV in one of the compartments once you get to your destination...but how are ya going to get it there? It's gotta be transported, right? So, that means it's gonna be carried in one of the undercarriage compartments, right? Or carried with the passengers?

I'm thinking that it's OK to transport it wherever ya got room for 1,2 or 3 5-gal containers...what with air circulating around it and all while you're moving.

Once I'm at my destination, BRC in this case, I just go ahead and pour it into my gas tank. I allow the empty gas cans to air out...

[ygmir]

yeah, but, what about fueling an MV......you gotta have extra in cans for that.........

[Playa Foot]

Keep it where nobody can see it.


Like in the oven.

[oneeyeddick]

Cigarettes can't ignite gasoline.

I saw that on mythbusters, which is far more reliable than the internet for hard facts.

[AntiM]

Cigarettes can't ignite gasoline.

I saw that on mythbusters, which is far more reliable than the internet for hard facts.

Isn't the spark from a lighter what ignites gasoline fumes? Because we lost a local gas station that way.

[MistressSybs]

Sorry Token I must have missed that... thank you for help.

Thank you all for the advice about venting! AND excellent advice on the Fire Extinguisher!

AND yes it will need to be driven there in our RV - I'm guessing in the under compartment... vented but maybe wedged so they don't fall over? If they rub together (metal ones) then there might be a spark right? I should consider something between them correct?

Ok, so we're going for the full week... I hear on the RV, under a gallon per hour, 8 hours a day comes out to about 55 gallons... so we're bringing out like 11 5-gallon jugs (size and ease of dealing with). Does that sound about right? My thoughts are, even if we buy a little too much, let's face it we still have to drive back to Vegas.

How long do they take to dry out if emptied and left open? Any ideas?

[ygmir]

if you have a trailer hitch/receptacle on the rear of your RV, you might consider the luggage racks that go in them, to carry that many cans......
that's a lot of cans of gas.........I might worry about that many, under in a single compartment. I don't think there is that much chance of a spark from rubbing together.....but, if you worry, put a rag or cardboard between each can.

oh yeah, Anti M:
he's referring to a cigarette, only, not lighting it......I've seen a friend throw a cigarette into a can of gas, and, it just went out...........

He did that after, I yelled at him for walking in smoking, to a workshop where gas had just spilled.........it still didn't make me feel any safer.

He also told us (I was a teen working at his gas station), to clean the oil spills on the floor with gasoline and a broom........I'm so luck there was never a spark or anything.......Jeeze......

[MistressSybs]

if you have a trailer hitch/receptacle on the rear of your RV, you might consider the luggage racks that go in them, to carry that many cans......
that's a lot of cans of gas.........I might worry about that many, under in a single compartment. I don't think there is that much chance of a spark from rubbing together.....but, if you worry, put a rag or cardboard between each can.

Its a rental... no hitch or luggage racks...

Are we carrying too much gas? Was my logic faulty?

[ygmir]

are you going to run the genny 8 hours per day?...........

it's not so much bringing "to much", as you say, you can always use it. Mostly, just, being safe.
Do you have any friends going with a pickup or truck, with an open rear that could haul it for you?
It's just, gas, enclosed, can be problematic, due to fumes.
more cans equals more chance of one , or more, making fumes.

[Fire_Moose]

Does any one know about carrying 10-15 gas cans into burning man in the back of a truck? They'd be filled in gerlach (hopefully) then driven in, i'd like to avoid flack at the gate

[ygmir]

I usually arrive with 40 gals of propane, 20 gals of diesel, and, 10 gals of gas in my truck.....they say nothing at all......

[mudpuppy000]

Curious about the venting... Have you ever seen problems with containers breaking? Seems like you'd be boiling off alot of gasoline like that. I'd definitely keep them sealed when you're transporting them, lots of gas fumes would be really dangerous.

[AntiM]

Gas expands in the heat, don't fill the containers full. Also, you must vent the storage compartments thoroughly, don't let the fumes get a chance to build up!

MyLarry just went through his Hazmat certification and he winces at the thought of enclosed compartments. He suggests you don't fill the containers until Fernley or Sparks, of better yet, Nixon or Gerlach. But then, he's super-cautious when it comes to potentially blowing shit up.

[ygmir]

gas can expand a LOT when heated.......and, especially if sitting on the playa, the temp changes drastically, expanding and contracting the container......Usually, if it's a container in good condition, it's made to withstand some of this.....but, leaving the cap a little loose, ends that concern, and, you don't lose a ton of fuel.......

I've had old or compromised cans develop leaks over the years......I just mostly, if I think temperature, and/or elevations will change dramatically, I leave the cap just a little loose. Not so much it can leak, but, fumes and pressures can equalize.

but, that's just me......others may may have other thoughts.

[MistressSybs]

are you going to run the genny 8 hours per day?...........

it's not so much bringing "to much", as you say, you can always use it. Mostly, just, being safe.
Do you have any friends going with a pickup or truck, with an open rear that could haul it for you?
It's just, gas, enclosed, can be problematic, due to fumes.
more cans equals more chance of one , or more, making fumes.

We're mostly day sleepers and I need a cpap mask. We're shooting for 8 hours a day but will probably sleep less - say drop it to 6

Mon6, Tues6, Wed6, Thu6, Fri6, Sat6, Sun6 - 42 hours - 8 5-gal cans
Mon8, Tues8, Wed8, Thu8, Fri8, Sat8, Sun8 - 56 hours - 11 5-gal cans

Even if we whittled it down it would only be whittling it down by maybe 3 cans max... do you think 3 cans would make the difference?

How do other people in RVs do it? Anyone?

[ygmir]

I don't see whittling, like you say, making a lot of difference.....I'd say, mostly, it's not allowing fumes to build, like AntiM says.........
it'd sure be nice to be able to carry them open to the atmosphere, not in an enclosed compartment.......maybe, RV'ers, or dealers, have a solution for this, like, some sort of special cans or something?
I'd potentially check RV chat groups or sites.....this has to be a fairly common concern.

[Fire_Moose]

cut a couple holes in the storage compartment it will go in...

[MistressSybs]

Ya and kiss those deposits goodbye... lol

[tevo]

[quote="AntiM"]Gas expands in the heat, don't fill the containers full. Also, you must vent the storage compartments thoroughly, don't let the fumes get a chance to build up!

MyLarry just went through his Hazmat certification and he winces at the thought of enclosed compartments. He suggests you don't fill the containers until Fernley or Sparks, of better yet, Nixon or Gerlach. [/quote]

I've heard there's a gas station in Gerlach...is it generally hard to get in and out of with all the traffic? I'm towing a travel trailer and a little concerned that (a) it's a small station and tough to get into for a truck and trailer about 40+ feet in length, and (b) I'll end up sitting and waiting forever while everyone gets the same idea to fill up right before going to the playa. Any thoughts?

[AntiM]

I've seen big RVs in there, but yeah, it is small. I suppose it would depend on the timing.

[Lord Of Ruin]

We're mostly day sleepers and I need a cpap mask. We're shooting for 8 hours a day but will probably sleep less - say drop it to 6

Mon6, Tues6, Wed6, Thu6, Fri6, Sat6, Sun6 - 42 hours - 8 5-gal cans
Mon8, Tues8, Wed8, Thu8, Fri8, Sat8, Sun8 - 56 hours - 11 5-gal cans

Even if we whittled it down it would only be whittling it down by maybe 3 cans max... do you think 3 cans would make the difference?

How do other people in RVs do it? Anyone?

Okay, whoa there. Is this your first burn?

Let's talk about a couple of things first. Do you really NEED to be asleep only during the hottest parts of the day?

Let's say you stay out until...say.....4 a.m. most days. Maybe every day you go later, but let's just use that.

That gives you 6 full hours before you'd get too hot to sleep in your RV (10 am or so). That's 6 full hours without needing to run the genny one bit.

You can add to that time if you shade your RV creatively, but that will take some planning.

Most people I know that use CPAP masks use them off and on. I understand there is some medical risk, but do you need to be on that every single night for the whole time? If so, I'd find out whether you can get it to run off an inverter/battery setup.

The best advice is to dump the idea of a "night of sleep" and instead grab what you can when you get home until it's too hot....then another nap before dinner time.

Also, for reference, are you renting an RV or travel trailer? Most RVs that have internal gennies have very, very large gas tanks. So much so that simply topping off in Gerlach and carrying empty containers along as a backup plan might work fine.

[tevo]

The inverter suggestion is a good one. I use a CPAP and run mine off a small 200 watt inverter in my RV. I don't use the humidifier because it draws too much power, so the power draw is relatively low.

[Playa Foot]

Bruno's Shell Station in Gerlach is easy to pull in, pull out. There may be a pretty good line waiting though. The Empire Store may or may not have gas. Your best bet is to fill up in Fernley.

[MistressSybs]

We're mostly day sleepers and I need a cpap mask. We're shooting for 8 hours a day but will probably sleep less - say drop it to 6

Mon6, Tues6, Wed6, Thu6, Fri6, Sat6, Sun6 - 42 hours - 8 5-gal cans
Mon8, Tues8, Wed8, Thu8, Fri8, Sat8, Sun8 - 56 hours - 11 5-gal cans

Even if we whittled it down it would only be whittling it down by maybe 3 cans max... do you think 3 cans would make the difference?

How do other people in RVs do it? Anyone?

Okay, whoa there. Is this your first burn?

Let's talk about a couple of things first. Do you really NEED to be asleep only during the hottest parts of the day?

Let's say you stay out until...say.....4 a.m. most days. Maybe every day you go later, but let's just use that.

That gives you 6 full hours before you'd get too hot to sleep in your RV (10 am or so). That's 6 full hours without needing to run the genny one bit.

You can add to that time if you shade your RV creatively, but that will take some planning.

Most people I know that use CPAP masks use them off and on. I understand there is some medical risk, but do you need to be on that every single night for the whole time? If so, I'd find out whether you can get it to run off an inverter/battery setup.

The best advice is to dump the idea of a "night of sleep" and instead grab what you can when you get home until it's too hot....then another nap before dinner time.

Also, for reference, are you renting an RV or travel trailer? Most RVs that have internal gennies have very, very large gas tanks. So much so that simply topping off in Gerlach and carrying empty containers along as a backup plan might work fine.

LOL No this is NOT my first rodeo LOR. Flipside 08 & 09; Decomp 08 & 09; Orfunner 08 & 09 – all in Texas – Nevada desert I’m sure is different as is planning for Monday through Monday.

As far as the hours we choose to sleep… like I said we’re night people… and I plan on using the morning hours to do cool stuff like visit the art in the distance – or morning camps. Yes we’ll probably use one or two days as day time adventure days but I suspect we’ll mostly be up at night.

As far as the cpap mask, what you’re describing is people who’ve had them for a while… I’m being fitted today because I stop breathing over 293 times a night with a cumulative lack of oxygen for about 22 minutes. I’m sure during the first 6 months while my systems right themselves I’ll be wearing it nightly.

Hell I’ll be wearing it nightly at the burn to ensure my campmates don’t have to figure out what to do with my fucking body… talk about harshing someones mellow! “oh what are you guys doing?â€

[oneeyeddick]

What is whinetitting ?

[tevo]

What I do with my CPAP is fill the humidifier with water but don't turn on the heat. That way it acts like a passive humidifier by passing the air over the water. It works, though it does seem to evaporate the water at about 1/3 to 1/2 the rate of using the heat. So it's not like you're not going to be getting some humidity if you do that. It may even run just fine on your battery with the humidifier on with a big enough inverter. Check your machine's specs and then you'll have a better idea what size inverter.

That said, this is my first burn so understand this advice comes with the caveat that I may not know wtf I'm talking about. You may indeed be right that you need to have the heated humidifier going due to the dryness. :D