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Non-leaky petrol can? - Harmattan
The aroma of 95 octane is rising from the keyboard as I type this. Where can I get a decent petrol can that won't leak down the side of the car or a hotlawnmower engine or on my hands? I invariably end up chucking away the plastic type which don't have proper threading or the plastic seals are just not up to the job of sealing after a couple of uses. I can't seem to find the flat Paddy Hopkirk metal safety ones that used to be around and may have been better made.

Do any of the prestige car makers have a high quality one as an accessory that can be relied on not to leak or topple over on every corner? I used to have a Volvo metal can that fitted inside the spare wheel but even that leaked at the side seams after a while. Or should I be trying a marine chandler although they are a bit thin on the ground in the middle of England?

Any suggestions/brand names would be much appreciated to end years of frustration.
Non-leaky petrol can? - james_60
Hi

do you mean a small can that you can get from halfords

James
Non-leaky petrol can? - Harmattan
To be specific. I ideally want a 10-litre can in a flat design so it doesn't topple over in an empty boot. My local Halfords only stocked cheap plastic containers last time I looked. I probably have 3-4 different plastic types lying around the garage gathering dust because they are useless for their intended purpose. However, any legal size will do as long as it doesn't leak. Surely Porsche or Mercedes owners don't want petrol slopping around on their boot carpets? Or do they just call the AA when they run out of fuel?
Non-leaky petrol can? - Crinkly Dave
Any minute now HJ will be along to nag you never to carry anything but an empty can, to carry to the garage. He base this on the ageing of petrol and the hazard of carrying unsecured fuel.
5litres would get you to the next filling station, anyway
Non-leaky petrol can? - Ben79
Why don't you just fill up before you run out of petrol?

If you use a petrol lawnmower, secure the petrol can when in your boot, use bungee straps, bricks or anything.

Ben
Non-leaky petrol can? - Blue {P}
I was just gonna suggest that, my soloution is always to fill up before I run out! :)
Non-leaky petrol can? - Cyd
I have one of the PH cans to which you refer and think it's great. I'm sure PH still do them. Demon Tweeks (www.demon-tweeks.co.uk or 01978 664466) stock PH products and PHs proper jerry cans (military style) in 10 & 20 litre sizes are available from their motorsport catalogue. The cat no for 10l size is JER10L and was £14.64 +vat in the 2001 catalogue. Don't buy the 20 litre size - garages can refuse to allow you to fill it.
Non-leaky petrol can? - Simon
Why can garages refuse to allow you to fill the 20 litre cans then, but not the 10 litre can?
Non-leaky petrol can? - Ben79
I believe the law allows 5 litres in a petrol container and 10 litres in a metal container.

Ben
Non-leaky petrol can? - Cyd
Not just any old containers. They have to be designed for petrol and carry markings as such. You're allowed to fill 5 litre plastic and 10 litre metal containers. You can, of course, fill more than one.
Non-leaky petrol can? - Dynamic Dave
You can, of course, fill more than one.


Isn't there a law about how much Jo Public are allowed to store though? Remember that taxi driver who stored 60 gallons or so in his house during the "ditch the pump" protest a couple of years ago - whole load of fuel leaked through his floor boards in his house.
Non-leaky petrol can? - Paul Mykatz-Tinks
"Remember that taxi driver who stored 60 gallons or so in his house during the "ditch the pump" protest a couple of years ago - whole load of fuel leaked through his floor boards in his house."

Oh dear, yes. He kept it in a wheely bin. I laughed for a week.
Non-leaky petrol can? - Paul Mykatz-Tinks
"You can, of course, fill more than one."

Not according to the nag at Sainsbury's. I think she said max two, before she bit my ankles.


Non-leaky petrol can? - Phil I
Chandler at marina in Stourport on Severn sells 5litre can with proper metal screw cap. Cannot recall price but memory says
v. dear.
Non-leaky petrol can? - CMark {P}
Hi David,
I was just looking through the Demon Tweeks catalogue yesterday and saw the Paddy Hopkirk jerry cans but Cyd beat me to it (no, really).

Also, if your German is any good, try www.daerr.de which has a great catalogue with pages of jerry cans (excuse the pun) amongst other first class expedition kit.

In fact, I still have the first plastic 5 litre spare can I ever bought in the back of my Jeep. I had to buy it the first time I ran out of fuel, which was 17 years ago in the south of Germany. I got it at a BP station (ironically) and it never leaked all these years. I never saw another one as good in the UK.

A couple of months ago I was carrying 120 litres of 4-star in 6 used 25 litre plastic oil cans (the type used for heavy plant maintenance) in the back of my Jeep 30 miles to the rally re-fuelling zone!

best wishes,
CMark
Non-leaky petrol can? - Paul Mykatz-Tinks
Machine Mart sell 10 and 20 litre jerrycans, with rigid or flexible spouts.

A full 20 litre one's heavy, and a pig to pour when full. The flex spout is corrugated plastic, push fit onto a metal flange. Inserting it into a car tank pushed the plastic bit into the flange, releasing fuel all over the place. I find it better to forget the spout and use a big funnel but, if the filler's on a vertical surface, it's a two man job.
Non-leaky petrol can? - Peter D
Go to a boat Chandlers and look at the boat type feul cans that are low profile and seal well. Do you carry fuel around in your car all the time. Not a good ideal. There are regulations on storage of fuel at home I think the limit is 10 ltrs.

Peter
Non-leaky petrol can? - Cliff Pope
Proper cans, of the jerry-variety, have a secondary air-pipe inside the main fuel neck. This lets air enter the can as petrol is poured out. It eliminates the 'glugging' effect.
Non-leaky petrol can? - Harmattan
Thanks for the info, especially Cyd. It seems the 10-litre plastic can I've been using for the last six months is illegal for filling up at a petrol station as well as leaky. I will look harder for the Paddy Hopkirk cans or order from the internet.
Non-leaky petrol can? - BrianW
I have a 10 litre plastic can which I bought in France (but it was made in the UK).

Maybe French petrol is less flammable than British!

The perrenial problem with cans is that the spouts are always of poorer quality than the cans, so they break years before the cans wear out.
And it is rare that the spouts are interchangeable, even if you have a second can.
Non-leaky petrol can? - Rich Mixture
My local branch of Motorists Discount Centre carries both the 10 and 20 litre Paddy Hopkirk jerry cans (think they were about £16) and sells the PH spouts to fit at £5. All in a nice military green too!

RM