How I am now getting my mo-gas

[courierguy]

I used to just make a phone call and get it (premium non ethanol good old gas) delivered, simple, though I paid extra for the delivery. 15 cents a gallon I think, maybe more. Then that supplier quit offering real gas, delivering it anyway, but still sells it in town (40 mile round trip, $3.83 per gallon), though just the mid range stuff. Then I heard about yet another fuel distributor in Idaho Falls (140 mile round trip drive from my place) who stocks premium, for $3.80. In the last couple months I burned a drum or so of E10, using my tractor, after driving the pickup into town to fill the drum (but not until I had several other errands to run that required the truck, otherwise the Yaris is my daily driver), here's how I off loaded into my 300 gallon stationary tank.. Plus I'd fill my my BushBag and various jugs, another 30 gallons.

Right about the time I heard about the new source for real gas, I had gotten rid of my '92 Ford flatbed (gas, 12 MPG), and got a great deal on a low mileage 12 valve '97 Cummins diesel, one ton no less. Only 271 K! After swapping beds with another forum member here (thanks Jeff), I realized I needed another large tank, a fuel getter. I got a good deal on a 250 G tank, with a stand. I remade some of the angle from the stand for a base when carried in a truck bed. Now I had a secure way to easily move 250 gallons (and I'll probably pack the one clean 55 G drum I have, so 300 total) at a time, in a rig that gets over 20 MPG.

Still, being the frugal bastard I am, I waited until I needed a load of fencing material from a town N of Idaho Falls, so then I would only go 3 miles out of the way to get the fuel loaded. I got a great deal on the fencing also! Once home I tried to defeat the law of gravity, but once again, couldn't. I could only get half the fuel to syphon, so, remembering I live on a mountain side I installed a pipeline. Using some 1" copper tube (from a decommissioned hot water solar setup) I ran it along the hangar soffit so I could park up on my upper level and easily gravity flow the entire tank. Using real gas hose, with the bonding line, I think it's pretty safe. The dump bed is partially raised to get all the fuel out.

Now I have a tank I can carry in my pickup, or on my trailer, or even on the bed of the boomtruck if I have a job up that way. At 3 to 4 GPH for the Rotax, it's a significant amount of fuel. Once empty, I use the shop ceiling trolley to get it out of the truck and have the room to store it from the ceiling. Today was the first entire run through of the new procedure, and it worked great.

[qmdv]

In the last photo I see you have the new and improved multi blade prop for the courier. Let us know how it works.

tim

[Skydive206]

I like the way you get things done. Made a jump into Pocatello Municipal Airport a long time ago.

[GroundLooper]

Once again, a great post.

I love the Runway length sign with the zero crossed out.

[Emory Bored]

Good plan on the bonding wire. Don't forget it. It should be linked across any rubber hose between metallic sections. Bond everything together and then GROUND the whole works to building steel. I used to be in charge of that sort of stuff in Alaska.