Chris,
I trust you now-when I first got my diesel Westfalia in 1995, I hooked up the
vacuum evap system lines up wrong to the charcoal canister, (evap system was
added when converted to gas engine).
It sucked the tank down to a size that would take only 5 gallons (18.9 liters)
With my one gallon can in hand, I walked to the station, got a gallon, went
back to the van. I drove down to the same station, and started to fill the
tank. I hadn't yet looked at the tank. One of the vent lines somehow came
loose and gasoline began pouring all over by the bucketful under the van,
then downhill towards the store. Luckily, a pump repairman was there with
stuff to absorb the spill. There was a lot of gas on the ground- I saw the
tank-it was half of it's normal size.
To make the experience worse, the store manager came out yelling that I was
losing him customers that were waiting in line (there were none)
Nothing I could say to him did he respond to- I wasn't about to start the
vehicle above all of that spilled gasoline. When I went in the store, his
wife had to interpret to him what I was saying. ( I think) He just kept on
yelling.
If that ever happens again I am just going to call the fire department.

Robert

1982 Westfalia
1983.5 Sunroof Vanagon
1980 Westfalia