Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002 00:16:00 EST
Reply-To: FrankGRUN@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Frank Grunthaner <FrankGRUN@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: gas can
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
In a message dated 1/30/02 5:39:06 PM, harald_nancy@EMAIL.MSN.COM writes:
<< About the round gas can that can be stored inside the spare tire:
No big loss. They're too dangerous for the Vanagon anyway.
The heat from the radiator heats up the gasoline in the can,
and when you open the can, the gas squirts in your face and
everywhere.
Can be very dangerous, if one doesn't think about it.
Seen it happen to a friend who has one for his Vanagon. >>
Hmmm,
To each his own! I've logged a few years with the Mercedes version. Used it
three times so far. Each time running out of gas after a long highway
stretch. Two of these were desolate night runs and one was in the middle of
the hot afternoon, central valley, summer. The cap opening mechanism goes
into a vapor release mode before it can be fully released and the transfer
nozzle affixed. The can has a flat on its base to be set on during this
operation to orient the fill spout correctly. If the spout is correctly
oriented there is no way to eject hot liquid gasoline unless the gas can has
been overfilled beyond its maximum fill level. As designed, the tank has an
air gap for gasoline expansion of more than 0.45 liters. For a 7 L fill to
expand this much, there must be a temperature change of more than 120 degrees
Fahrenheit. If the can was filled at 20 F, the external can temperature must
then be 140 F, which would be very difficult for the average person to
handle. If filled in Southern California, it would be difficult to fill at
less than 40 F, giving a 160 F can. Very hot to the touch.
In any case, I can only anecdotally report that in my field trials, the can
was at most warm. Never approached the temperature of the deck chair metal I
had in the luggage rack exposed to direct sun in the middle of the day. Also
never had the experience of liquid gasoline baths. Did hear the hiss of a
pressurized cylinder being vented. Oh, yeah, the metal cap on the Mercedes
unit has a lip all around the gasket surface to deflect material away from a
perpendicular spray, that is, liquid overspray is directed along the inlet
spout.
Oh well, to each his own. But I like it.
Frank Grunthaner
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