Legal or safety issues carrying diesel fuel containers in RV

[rogerddd]

I have a Class C Diesel motor home and I like to carry along two extra 5 gallons cans of fuel. Extra fuel has been handy to have along some of the back roads we travel and on our trips to reach dry camping locations. I carry the fuel in approved diesel fuel containers and carry them in my motor home basement hatch.

If you do this too, do you know if there are any legal or safety issues I should be aware of?

[Eric_Lisa]

An additional comment regarding fumes...

Fuel vapors can cause damage to other things nearby. Store some duct tape next to a gas can in a confined space. It will turn in to a useless gooey mess. I wonder what it would do to the laminate glues that are prevalent in modern RVs? I am not sure if diesel fumes will do the same thing as they seem to be more oily in nature. At a minimum, that will attract dirt & grime to nearby surfaces.

IMHO, an outside carrier will be better than an storage compartment.

HTH,
-Eric

[ol_Bombero-JC]

IdaD wrote:
As long as the basement hatch is separate enough from the cabin to keep the smells out I don't see a problem. If it's connected somehow I'd worry about the stank. There are a ton of options for hanging it on the outside of your motorhome if the smell issue is a problem, off the bumper, spare tire, etc.

The "stank" could be a problem.

X-2 for outside.

~

[ktmrfs]

hotpepperkid wrote:
I would make sure to carry them in a well vented compartment. While not as bad as gas, the diesel fumes could build up and be explosive.
Are you kidding me. About the only way to diesel fuel to explode is mix it with fetilizer and set it off with a stick of dianomite

yup diesel must be at least 125F before you can ignite the fumes with either a spark or open flame. Now you could get above that in a closed compartment in hot weather.

[ktmrfs]

hotpepperkid wrote:
I would make sure to carry them in a well vented compartment. While not as bad as gas, the diesel fumes could build up and be explosive.
Are you kidding me. About the only way to diesel fuel to explode is mix it with fetilizer and set it off with a stick of dianomite

yup diesel must be at least 125F before you can ignite the fumes with either a spark or open flame. Now you could get above that in a closed compartment in hot weather.

[hotpepperkid]

I would make sure to carry them in a well vented compartment. While not as bad as gas, the diesel fumes could build up and be explosive.
Are you kidding me. About the only way to diesel fuel to explode is mix it with fetilizer and set it off with a stick of dianomite

[CavemanCharlie]

mobeewan wrote:
Diesel fumes venting from a fuel can are not volatile like gasoline. It ain't gonna blow up your rig. I remember when I had a diesel Isuzu pick up. Periodically I had to drain the fuel filter water separator assembly.

The first time I had some cardboard and personal papers to burn. I poured the drained fuel into the barrel wetting the paper and cardboard. I stood back and flipped lit match after match into the barrel expecting the whump of ignition and the barrel to shake. Nothing. I finally grabbed a piece of paper with diesel on it and lit it with my lighter. A small spot lit not much bigger than the lighter. I watched as the flame very, very, slowly spread and threw the paper into the barrel, again nothing. I looked into the barrel and nothing, no flame of anytime, only a smoldering piece of paper. Throwing the paper in blew out the flame. I grabbed a piece of cardboard, lit a dry spot which burned faster, held the cardboard so the diesel fuel would ignite and waited till it started burning good. Then slowly I added the burning cardboard into the barrel waiting for the explosion and the fast run to the faucet to put out my engulfed limb. It didn't happen the flame slowly spread through the cardboard and paper. The flames spread and grew faster only as the heat warmed the diesel fuel.

Diesel fuel doesn't go bang or whump unless it has pressure or heat to help it.

The next time I added a couple ounces of gasoline to the burn barrel just for a little excitement.

Good story. 😄

[cross21114]

KD4UPL wrote:
I see no legal or safety issues with your plan. Unless you are very very careful and have extremely well sealed cans you will likely make the entire inside of the compartment smell like fuel. You may even get the smell inside the MH. I would not like that at all.

Right about that. If it spills in the compartment, it will take a long time to dissipate and I hate the smell.

I had a trumpar camper and pulled a little box trailer to Alaska. I installed a steel box on the tongue of the trailer and carried 2 5 gals cans of diesel. The only time I needed it was on the Robert Campbell Hy and I was awful glad I had it. Short bed truck only had a 20 gal tank.

I loved that rig.

[WTP-GC]

All conjecture aside, use the steel safety cans. The "typical" plastic cans will permeate through the material and put out odors. The metal cans don't do this. I've carried diesel fuel around in the back of my truck (with a rolling cover) in hot temps and nary a smell of diesel when you open the tailgate. The safety cans also are "safer" and they won't fall over, bounce around, etc.

[Grit_dog]

True stories. Legal or safety issues? No.
Smelly or messy issues, possibly if you're not neat about it.

[ktmrfs]

rogerddd wrote:
I have a Class C Diesel motor home and I like to carry along two extra 5 gallons cans of fuel. Extra fuel has been handy to have along some of the back roads we travel and on our trips to reach dry camping locations. I carry the fuel in approved diesel fuel containers and carry them in my motor home basement hatch.

If you do this too, do you know if there are any legal or safety issues I should be aware of?

the main issue isn't flamability it is smell. you don't want any to spill, or even get on the outside of the container or it can stink up the basement or even the entire MH. It will take strong detergent and considerable washing to get rid of the smell if it spills. I'd wipe off the containers with alcohol before putting them in the basement and even put them in a small tub so if any spills it doesn't soak into anything.

[ktmrfs]

mobeewan wrote:
Diesel fumes venting from a fuel can are not volatile like gasoline. It ain't gonna blow up your rig. I remember when I had a diesel Isuzu pick up. Periodically I had to drain the fuel filter water separator assembly.

The first time I had some cardboard and personal papers to burn. I poured the drained fuel into the barrel wetting the paper and cardboard. I stood back and flipped lit match after match into the barrel expecting the whump of ignition and the barrel to shake. Nothing. I finally grabbed a piece of paper with diesel on it and lit it with my lighter. A small spot lit not much bigger than the lighter. I watched as the flame very, very, slowly spread and threw the paper into the barrel, again nothing. I looked into the barrel and nothing, no flame of anytime, only a smoldering piece of paper. Throwing the paper in blew out the flame. I grabbed a piece of cardboard, lit a dry spot which burned faster, held the cardboard so the diesel fuel would ignite and waited till it started burning good. Then slowly I added the burning cardboard into the barrel waiting for the explosion and the fast run to the faucet to put out my engulfed limb. It didn't happen the flame slowly spread through the cardboard and paper. The flames spread and grew faster only as the heat warmed the diesel fuel.

Diesel fuel doesn't go bang or whump unless it has pressure or heat to help it.

The next time I added a couple ounces of gasoline to the burn barrel just for a little excitement.

Until you get diesel liquid above about 125F there aren't enough diesel vapors to ignite, nor keep it burning. Same with oil. Once tried to use some old bottles of unused engine oil to start a fire. Nope. Now drained engine oil, another story. Even in new vehicles it will have enough (doesn't take much) other low vapor point byproducts to get it burning.

[Z-Peller]

Diesel fuel is just terrible smelly stuff and collects dirt if there is just a drip spilled. It will not evaporate like gasoline if spilled. It needs to be washed off with detergent. I would carry cans in a tub if in basement bays. If a can is filled too full it will expand and seep out if it gets too warm no matter how tightly sealed. Best to carry on back bumper if possible in my opinion. I worked with diesel bigtime on tugboats for 45 yrs. I hate the smell of raw diesel fuel!!!....ate too much bread that tasted like diesel fumes!!!

[wa8yxm]

Thanks KTMRFS.. I remember back when I wore a younger man's cloths. I was on a bus headed for East Lansing MI (UofM) and suddenly someone shouted "There's a fire back here" (well lots of smoke, no flames as it turns out) the FD was already chasing the bus cause there was LOTS OF SMOKE (electrical issue it appears) Well we were only a few blocks from the Lansing terminal so we bailed. But instead of the press of the crowd.. Fleeing what they feared (The WHOMP of a gasoline fire or exploding fuel tanks) I pressed out of the way till all but the driver was off the bus.. I had no fear of KABOOM like the others did.

We walked to the terminal. got back on the very same bus and finished the trip.

[ktmrfs]

wa8yxm wrote:
There is a major difference between "Flamable" and "Inflamable" Fuels
Gasoline is one Diesel the other

The major Danger is a leak messing up wherever you store it.

Gasoine. If you were to pour a gallon in a "Flash Pan" and toss a match into it Well I seriously do not recommend you do that cause it's going to go WHOMP and flame on

Diesel. You might as well toss -that match into water

Source: Watched it being done.

yup.

The general classification is flamable or combustible. Gas is a class 3 flamable liquid flashpoint is -45F

Diesel is NOT classified as a flamable liquid, but it is a combustible liquid. classification is class II combustible. flashpoint is >125F

flashpoint it the temperature where vapors will ignite in presence of open flame.

Chance of diesel igniting from an open flame or spark even inside a hot vehicle is pretty slim or nonexistent.

Where as gasoline vapors will ignite in almost any condition you will encounter.

I carry 10-15 extra gallons of diesel in my pickup bed in 5 gallon containers.