Date:         Mon, 27 Jul 1998 14:18:56 +0000
Reply-To:     Karl Bloss <blosskf@APCI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
Comments:     Authenticated sender is <blosskf@relay.apci.com>
From:         Karl Bloss <blosskf@APCI.COM>
Organization: Air Products & Chemicals, Inc.
Subject:      Storing gasoline-a don't
Comments: To: vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

A while back I caught some list chatter about where to store spare
gasoline in and around the van.  Here's a story about how NOT to do
it.

I needed a place to store a small (1 gallon) 2-cycle mix container
for our generator during our recent trip.  Someone (I can't remember
who; doesn't matter anyway) suggested flipping the spare tire
concave side up and putting the gas can in there.

We started smelling gas very badly, pulled over, and grabbed the fire
extinguisher.  To make a long story short, while traversing
Smuggler's Notch in VT, the coolant pipes in that area got warm
enough so that the vapor pressure built up in the plastic fuel
container and blew the rupture disk, spilling fuel all down the spare
tire and below.  I quickly dropped the spare and cleaned all the
sprayed gas up.  This could have been catastrophic since ignition
sources abound (e.g. spark from coolant fan kicking on).

So don't try this at home (or on the road), kids.  The only good part
is that the spare wheel is now very clean and lightly oiled.  :-)

-Karl

'87 Vanagon GL Weekender "Beverley"; Trexlertown, PA
http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/
VW shop list: http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/vwshops