Mojave Road / Fuel Carrying Question

[comp_engineer]

Hey Guys - long time lurker and frequent user of the search function.

Planning my first Mojave road run in my '13 TE with a friend (with an FJ), read the book, feel somewhat prepared for what to expect on the trip....except for the need to carry extra fuel.

I havn't done a lot of long off road trips (yet) that required carrying extra fuel, seems like a good idea to carry some extra fuel on the 140 mile unpredicatable Mojave road.

On a budget, what is the best way to carry 5-10 extra gallons of fuel? Rotopax strapped to factory crossbars? Jerry cans strapped 'insert location here', roof basket with 5 gallon containers strapped down?

Let me know your budget minded opinions! If you've done the trip, did you need more than the stock tank amount of fuel?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Jeremy556]

Nato Jerry cans or Spectre cans + super siphon. Best to keep weight as low as possible, but mine usually end up on the roof.

 

[Semi-Hex]

I've done this trip three times with my trailer. I do carry extra fuel for the off road portion only and carry a five gallon can on my trailer suited for that purpose. If you fill up at Baker (or near Zzyzx though I can't remember the name) and then Needles at the other end. You'll have plenty of fuel for the drive. The extra is just for safety. You won't need it if you stay on the route.
I do carry two spares and a tire repair kit as well as the other doodads that you might need.
It's a very fun drive with few hazards though if you go off route a bit it can change dramatically. Most of the time we see people on the route, though there was one time we saw no one for eight days.

 

[oljedi11950]

Someone just down there who was it from Bay area doh [MENTION=69441]Dawg4Runner[/MENTION] & ? They were down there a cpl of days , let me see if I can find his posts & cool pics !

 

[Intruder]

Nato Jerry cans or Spectre cans + super siphon. Best to keep weight as low as possible, but mine usually end up on the roof.

I think autocorrect nailed you - Scepter cans, not Spectre. Agree on the super siphon too. Haven't used a pour spout since I got mine.

 

[comp_engineer]

[MENTION=84268]Semi-Hex[/MENTION], I saw photos from an expedition portal article with a silver TE with a trailer....you?
Thinking of doing the trail in about a month (depending on how much rain they've gotten). If your interested in doing it again, your welcome.

thanks for the replies so quckly!

 

[TravelWest01]

You can even buy a couple of 2.5 gallon containers at auto parts store. They are squat and you can just strap on your rack. Mojave trail is great, enjoy! Get the guidebook for all the history and Lat/Lon. Author is Dennis Casebier.

 

[Jeremy556]

I think autocorrect nailed you - Scepter cans, not Spectre. Agree on the super siphon too. Haven't used a pour spout since I got mine.

I can't blame that one on spell check, just my faulty brain.


Real NATO Jerry cans with the cam lock lid and 3 handles. The US type and any new CARB compliant ones are crap.

I like the Scepters better because of less noise

 

[oljedi11950]

mikey's2010SR5

These guys just did it [MENTION=49966]mikey's2010SR5[/MENTION] & [MENTION=69441]Dawg4Runner[/MENTION] great pics in mikey's thread below :thumb3:

 

[Intruder]

Scepters also have a couple other advantages over the metal cans - lighter, float in water, and burn rather than explode. Downside to Scepter is that they seep when you gain altitude or when temperature rises.

 

[Doc_Fry]

The nato cans can be gotten at special operation equipment they also make cool nylon products.

I do like the rotopax units, you can attach to the rear tire on the fj and the roof rack on the 4runner. Get a pump type syphon. 5 gallons would be excellent. They also have one for water, get a book called wilderness medicine for your kit and follow the packing instructions in it too.

Nato Jerry Cans
These are at SOEGear.com

Rotopax
Look at there mounting options, there is something that will meet your needs. I have used both. Though the Nato cans are bulletprrof they are bulky and heavy. And can be a pain to carry/store. Another note if you ever travel by ferry the cans must be coast guard approved to have fuel in them. Lost 2 5 gallons during a trip because of this. The rotopax are easier to manipulate and handle. Plus easier to mount

Here is one mounting solution using factory crossbars.

This is there 4 gallon tank. I like the 2 gallon ones much better as they offer more nounting options and also can be linkrd like below. Plus easier to carry around. Managing fuel to refill from the roof with a hose can be easier as you have the advantage of gravity. Also like I said there are ways to mount to your friends spare tire with the Rotopax. Others have had luck with them inside the vehicle, i would use caution though.

4 gallon

 

[mikey's2010SR5]

I haven't done Mojave Road, but it is on my list. I was on the Death Valley trip and did bring two 5 gallon cans. Now I would actually say that it was not necessary because we did pass a gas station each day to top off before hitting the dirt. But at the same time it was good insurance to have since we were pretty far off the beaten path. Luckily for me I have the rear bumper where I can store up to three cans (I had a water jerry too).

 

[JSparky]

I've carried jerry cans using factory rails before with cam-straps.. I wouldn't want to do it again lol. My fear is you're gonna have to be re-tightening everything constantly with all that washboard. What's your friends FJ setup like? Could he potentially carry extra fuel for the two of you? Not exactly self-sufficient but it'd solve a problem.

If you're set on carrying your own fuel I'd probably look into either a roof basket like a yakima megawarrior or rotopax with the big universal mount. I've seen people slide their factory rails close together to make the rotopax mount work. Sounds like a great trip!

 

[comp_engineer]

The advice from the more experienced guys is appreciated.
my co-workers FJ is stock, no where on the roof for both of our extra fuel.
Probably will go with a Thule or Kuat roof basket and tie scepter cans to it.

I'll post the dates of our trip once we finalize plans - would be great to meet some T4R.org members out there!

 

[Dawg4Runner]

Hey Guys - long time lurker and frequent user of the search function.

Planning my first Mojave road run in my '13 TE with a friend (with an FJ), read the book, feel somewhat prepared for what to expect on the trip....except for the need to carry extra fuel.

I havn't done a lot of long off road trips (yet) that required carrying extra fuel, seems like a good idea to carry some extra fuel on the 140 mile unpredicatable Mojave road.

On a budget, what is the best way to carry 5-10 extra gallons of fuel? Rotopax strapped to factory crossbars? Jerry cans strapped 'insert location here', roof basket with 5 gallon containers strapped down?

Let me know your budget minded opinions! If you've done the trip, did you need more than the stock tank amount of fuel?

Thanks for your help!

Hi comp_engineer,

I just got back from Mojave about 3 weeks ago. You're right, its a good idea to always have extra fuel, water and food because you never know what the desert will throw at you. Top off the gas tank in Needles and you should be set for the entire stretch of the Mojave Road. Also get whatever fire wood you're gonna need before you get there since gathering of wood is prohibited in the preserve.

Like others have posted. Scepter is the way to go. I've been using them for about 5 years now and they've worked out perfectly. I've taken them from 280' below sea level to 7,200' a few hours later. No leakage at 7,200' but the did look like they were gonna burst. Unfortunately they're pretty hard to find here in the states. CARB pretty much ruined that for us. Take a look on eBay or for sale sections on the forums. If you do find them they could be a little pricey for new ones. Also make sure you use Viton seals (usually indicated by red straps on the caps). The regular rubber seals (OD green or yellow straps) are for diesel and will break down with gasoline. I'm thinking for your situation, Rotopax mounted to your roof rack would be the best bet.

Here are some Mojave/Scepter pics.

Bunch of pics from Mojave here:

Mojave Dec 2014 - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum

If you haven't done the rear diff breather mod (http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/150158-rear-diff-breather-mod-complete.html)on your 4Runner, now is a good time to do it. Since you'll be doing a couple of river crossings, the last thing you need is water getting sucked into your rear diff. Also, it's nice to have comms when you're out in the middle of nowhere. If you're not already licensed for Ham Radio, you might wanna look into getting one. Its a good idea to have communications when you're out in the boonies (like Mojave or Death Valley). While we were out there, we hooked up with a group of 4 FJ's on the airwaves. It's nice to be able to share info on trail conditions and such. We did have occasional verizonwireless service in some spots (not very strong but enough for some emails and text messages to pop through)but most of Mojave was no-service. AT&T was completely no-service.

 

[470SNC]

I've done the Mojave Rd. trip more than a handful of times, and in my old FJ, I never needed more than 5 extra gallons. Nato jerry cans or rotopax are nice options, but I just used a 5 gallon plastic blitz can on the rack with straps and it worked fine.

 

[Semi-Hex]

[MENTION=84268]Semi-Hex[/MENTION], I saw photos from an expedition portal article with a silver TE with a trailer....you?
Thinking of doing the trail in about a month (depending on how much rain they've gotten). If your interested in doing it again, your welcome.

thanks for the replies so quckly!

No, just a black trail with a black trailer. The drive is awesome but maybe stay off the lake this time.

 

[diverscale]

wow so much complications.

I did a 10 000miles road trip last september and went through nevada.

Just filled up a 5 gallons plastic gas container, screwed the cap tightly and left it in the cargo area. Never smelled gas.

The 4Runner has a pretty good range anyway, so I never even went near needing it.

 

[JB.]

wow so much complications.

Just filled up a 5 gallons plastic gas container, screwed the cap tightly and left it in the cargo area. Never smelled gas.

I'm a minimalist, too, and use a 5-gallon red plastic can when I think extra gas might be warranted, but it definitely goes on the roof and I always rig the cap to ensure it doesn't leak.

I'm pretty amazed you never noticed any smell.