Refueling out on the trail

[avslash]

Well, after evacuating from Houston about 20 years ago and spending literally 17 hours doing what is normally a 4 hour drive, I built quite a rig and deployed it a total of once.

Let's see if I can describe it so anyone can re-create.
Sorry, on the lack of details, it's been a long time....

Round rail roof cross member top racks
Then v-shaped longitudinal bike racks

4 fire extinguishers, little ones, what 6-8 lb? or so? 2 on each side - hold them down inside the v- rail with rubber stretchy bands - the ones we use for holding ski's together work well.

2 large rectangular fuel tanks - probably 8-10-12 gallons each? These are large gas tanks made for large lawn mowers.
Mine had mounting bolt locations on each corner
I found Yakima round rail universal mounting clamps. Bolt to each corner of the tank and clamp to the round cross rail.

Delivery hardware - I used all aircraft grade hardware/fittings/tubing etc. I used zero dead volume/zero drip quick disconnects and made up an/on off valve.

Filling the tanks.
SAFETY - Remember, never fill any tanks, especially plastic tanks when not completely grounded. Because plastic is such a poor electrical conductor, grounding straps are almost useless and tanks should be in contact with the ground when filled.
The tanks I purchased are bottom drain, so when filling I need 2 2x4 by 1 foot lengths for support as to not put any weight on the bottom fittings.

Mounting the tanks.
Once they are full they are very heavy! I could not lift them now, and even then, it was not easy.
SAFETY - Remember, the caps for these are vented to allow air in so they can drain. That means that when you lift them, and the tank deforms, the gasoline can squirt out the vent hole on the top of the cap. (Ask me how I know.... I am a very lucky boy, missed my face by just a few inches....)

I tested the system with water (which is more dense than gasoline) for loading - do not exceed the loading specifications, and for handling/driving.
That's alot of weight up high, this was on the 2002 Trooper. Never any issues but handled differently.

Even though it never leaked or dripped, I was always very concerned about 20+ or so gallons of gasoline over my head.
It worked, not sure I would ever do it again.

But maybe you can modify....

That evac was crazy. I had friends who left Memorial and it took them over 36 hours to hit The Woodlands. Meanwhile, we left at like 2a.m., never hit a main road from Katy until Hwy 6 at 290 and sat in literally zero traffic. The whole thing was just bizarre.

 

[txfromwi]

You can literally walk from Memorial to the Woodlands in less than 36 hours !!

From Clear Lake to Katy was 12 hours (normally 1 hour), it was 17 or so hours to Uvalde (normally about 4.5 hours).
Of course, should have just turned around and gone home or hit the back roads - but the wife did not want to do either.
That was the '02 Trooper - it did great but it was a million degrees and sunny - the A/C worked as hard as it could but it was still hot in the truck.

I build the gas tank rig after that. And I deployed it once, for Ike.

The eye of Ike went right over the house, no damage - I wish I had stayed home...
After that I said we would never leave again.

Then whatever the next one was carried a 22 foot storm surge that impacted in Seabrook. We are at 21 feet elevation and less than 2 miles from water so this could have been a problem. So for reference, that 22 foot surge went maybe 1/8 mile inland even though it's totally flat for miles and miles inland.

And for those in TX. "Mandatory Evacuation" is not actually mandatory. No one is coming to check that you are gone and no one will forceably remove you. What "Mandatory Evacuation" means is that if you stay, there will be NO RESPONSE to 911 or satellite emergency calls until after the storm and that you are on your own.

 

[cperez]

And for those in TX. "Mandatory Evacuation" is not actually mandatory. No one is coming to check that you are gone and no one will forceably remove you. What "Mandatory Evacuation" means is that if you stay, there will be NO RESPONSE to 911 or satellite emergency calls until after the storm and that you are on your own.

I like how Texans roll (state of my birth).

 

[avslash]

Those storms are how I am absolutely sure the fording depth on my Rover is greater than the factory published spec. I wish I had a picture of me driving with my head out the window making sure I kept the bow wave arcing just below the driver's side intake. I measure the height of that intake after the fact, and it sits just above 39 inches on mine, and I have had water right up to it multiple times.

I always get a chuckle after a major storm because there will always be me and one other fellow in a red Jeep out prowling around our area at sunrise surveying the carnage.

After seeing the absolute sh@t-show that a full evac of Houston creates, I doubt that I will ever leave again.

 

[txfromwi]

We are in Clear Lake, about 2 miles from open water and we are at 21 feet.

I forget which hurricane now, but we now know that a surge of 25 feet only comes maybe 1/4 mile inland at most because we saw it first hand - we now understand how misleading surge numbers are and we will never leave for water concerns again - the only way we would ever even think about leaving is a direct cat 4 or 5 hit over the house - i.e enough wind to tear it apart.