55 gallon drums as replacement fuel tanks?

[ERTF]

Need to replace both diesel fuel tanks on my Marine Trader 44. Willing to sacrifice tankage for easer and cheaper. A plastic marine fuel tank in the 55 gallon range costs over $10/gallon. A clean used plastic 55 drum costs $10. I could comfortably finagle 2 drums horizontally outboard each of my engines. Either way I will need to buy/build some sort of frame, plus necessary hoses. So for the cost of $40 plus some additional fittings I would have 220 gallons. As opposed to over $2200 for the offical plastic tanks.

Tell me why this wouldn't work?

Just asking a question don't crucify me!

 

[rslifkin]

I wouldn't trust being able to adequately mount and secure a drum, connect fittings to it, etc. without running into durability issues.

In the case of diesel, you've got lots of flexibility in what tanks can be made out of, so you may be able to find a more cost effective option. They can be plastic, aluminum, stainless (somewhat less preferred), or fiberglass. Fiberglass tanks could potentially be a DIY build if desired.

 

[Comodave]

Ask your insurance company. No way will that meet the standards. Fuel tanks need to be certified. Don’t do it. If they were to rupture and spill the fuel your liability would be tremendous. And your insurance company would likely deny coverage so you would be on the hook for the cleanup. My insurance covers about $1M in cleanup. And then there are the fines for spilling the fuel. The fines increase if you are negligent, and IMO this would be negligent. But thats just me…

 

[motion30]

I would think the drums are not strong enough and would fail if you get into rough water conditions. Plus you will find that boat hard to sell setup. Do you have to remove the engines to remove the old tanks and install new?

 

[CharlieO.]

Not USCG approved tanks, I would be concerned about insurance problems(having a claim denied) or getting a bad survey for insurance, and I'd be concerned about resale.

Your tanks are unrepairable?

 

[ERTF]

Insurance and resale are of no consideration.

 

[ERTF]

The tanks are buried outboard of the engines, so single custom tanks would require either removing engines or cutting holes in side of boat. Can't just be one single tank. Will need to be a minimum of 2 per side.

 

[ERTF]

Not USCG approved tanks, I would be concerned about insurance problems(having a claim denied) or getting a bad survey for insurance, and I'd be concerned about resale.

Your tanks are unrepairable?

I don't know how they could be repaired, they are basically inaccesable. Would have to remove engines or cut giant hole in side/bottom of boat just to look.

At that point what would be the sense of trying to repair a 35 year old rusting piece of steel?

 

[ERTF]

I would think the drums are not strong enough and would fail if you get into rough water conditions. Plus you will find that boat hard to sell setup. Do you have to remove the engines to remove the old tanks and install new?

My thought is chop up the tanks with a grinder or sawzall. Remove generator. Slide a couple 50 gallons tanks in on each side.

 

[sunchaser]

To echo previous posts, I’d recommend we TF regulars not suggest anything except USCG “certified” tanks, proper stickers attached and installed correctly.

That said, I’ve seen as many as 12 “plastic” 55 gallon drums carried on the back deck of a Nordhavn when doing a transpac journey.

 

[CharlieO.]

When I replaced my tanks I did briefly consider the round tanks that are hung on the each side of semi truck/big rigs. I figured they are at least DOT certified but not USCG. I found someone on marketplace that had about 15 for sale. I have seen round tanks mounted in boats.

I finally found a couple plastic tanks on closeout that met the USCG requirements.

 

[rslifkin]

The tanks are buried outboard of the engines, so single custom tanks would require either removing engines or cutting holes in side of boat. Can't just be one single tank. Will need to be a minimum of 2 per side.

That might make fiberglass tanks an attractive option, as you could build parts of them to bring in, but finish the construction in place. And you can make them whatever shape you want.

 

[ERTF]

To echo previous posts, I’d recommend we TF regulars not suggest anything except USCG “certified” tanks, proper stickers attached and installed correctly.

That said, I’ve seen as many as 12 “plastic” 55 gallon drums carried on the back deck of a Nordhavn when doing a transpac journey.

I'm no expert, but they are made for transporting hazardous materials.

I suppose I could fiberglass over them for additional strength?

 

[ERTF]

That might make fiberglass tanks an attractive option, as you could build parts of them to bring in, but finish the construction in place. And you can make them whatever shape you want.

So why not just fiberglass over the drums?

 

[Jeff F]

Tanks of any size require baffling to prevent surging, which can exert enormous force on the tanks and mounts. An unmodified 55 gallon drum really isn't suitable.

There's a reason marine fuel tanks cost as much as they do.

 

[tiltrider1]

I am advising against doing this. You of course will make your own decisions.

I am not sure if you have considered the costs to adequately secure round tanks to the boat. I am also not sure if you have considered the cost of welding attachments for filling, venting, fuel pickup, fuel return, crossover connections and baffles.

Certainly if there is a will there is a way.

 

[KnotYet]

So why not just fiberglass over the drums?

Depending on your location, there may be a local fuel tank fabricator nearby.
If you can get by with the range of half your fuel capacity, maybe just remove
and replace one of the tanks to keep the buy-in cost more manageable.
I personally would feel better if I had a fuel tank that was properly made and
installed and would be OK with saving up then spending what was needed.

 

[O C Diver]

Need to replace both diesel fuel tanks on my Marine Trader 44. Willing to sacrifice tankage for easer and cheaper. A plastic marine fuel tank in the 55 gallon range costs over $10/gallon. A clean used plastic 55 drum costs $10. I could comfortably finagle 2 drums horizontally outboard each of my engines. Either way I will need to buy/build some sort of frame, plus necessary hoses. So for the cost of $40 plus some additional fittings I would have 220 gallons. As opposed to over $2200 for the offical plastic tanks.

Tell me why this wouldn't work?

Just asking a question don't crucify me!

Boatpoker used to have a website for things he found while surveying boats. This is almost as good as the 20 pound propane tank for the stove, in a compartment under the floor.

I guess it could be worse. Atleast the engines aren't gasoline.

I see a Darwin award in your future.

Ted

 

[ERTF]

Boatpoker used to have a website for things he found while surveying boats. This is almost as good as the 20 pound propane tank for the stove, in a compartment under the floor.

I guess it could be worse. Atleast the engines aren't gasoline.

I see a Darwin award in your future.

Ted

I see a differerent kind of award in your future. I just asked a question bud.

 

[Lepke]

You need baffles in most tanks and plastic becomes brittle in a hot environment. Tuna fishing I carried several on deck for extended range and covered them with a tarp. Still they only lasted a few seasons.

 

[sean9c]

My guess would be that the lack of baffling would be a problem.
How does this USCG certification thing work? I've aluminum fab friends who build tanks, there is no certification. My boat has integral fiberglass tanks, nothing certified there.

 

[dhays]

Insurance and resale are of no consideration.

The concern with insurance isn't only insuring your boat against loss, but liability insurance in case you cause damage to another vessel, a person, a marina, or the environment.

Insurance is only no consideration if you don't have insurance. If you don't have insurance it means that you are either self-insuring and have enough personal assets to cover possible claims, 1-3 $Mil) and then like could afford to just replace the tanks properly, or you can't self insure and plan on just walking away from any significant liability claims. If that is the case, sell the boat now.

 

[hmason]

I am fascinated by your statement that insurance and resale are of no concern. If a potential $1 million cleanup of spilled diesel fuel is within your budget then certainly you can afford to have the tanks done the right way. Perhaps I have misread the intent of your statement and if so, please clarify.

 

[ERTF]

I'm not here to argue with anybody so bored/miserable they have nothing better to do then to pry into somebody elses finances on a boat forum and tell them what to do in life.

Thanks to the people who responded to my question earnestly.

Moeller sells 50 gallon tanks that are so narrow i can slide them in without even moving my generator. Might be my best option. I will note these official USCG 50 gallon tanks have no baffles, but they are only 12.5" wide.

Seeing as it's gonna take multiple tanks per side, I can't imagine I could get custom fabricated for cheaper than $10/gallon. If there's any reason I should avoid official plastic tanks, lemme hear it.

 

[Comodave]

My guess would be that the lack of baffling would be a problem.
How does this USCG certification thing work? I've aluminum fab friends who build tanks, there is no certification. My boat has integral fiberglass tanks, nothing certified there.

I would not install a tank that does not have a certification on it. You may get away with it but if something goes wrong and the homemade tank dumps the fuel and the bilge pump sends it overboard, you are liable for the spill. And the cleanup costs are astronomical, that is why the standard cleanup insurance covers almost a million dollars. Is it worth it to have a homemade tank and maybe loose your insurance coverage because your tank did not meet the standards? Do you think that the insurance company will not send out an investigator? Do you think that the first thing they will look for is the certification tag?

The certification has things that must be done in order to meet the standard. One of the things is a pressure test. There may be other things too. Such as thickness of the tank material depending on volume of the tank, number of baffles.

Insurance companies are looking for any reason to deny a claim, so why give them one?

 

[Delta Riverat]

Sounds like a great idea!

 

[chriscritchett]

I'm not here to argue with anybody so bored/miserable they have nothing better to do then to pry into somebody elses finances on a boat forum and tell them what to do in life.

Thanks to the people who responded to my question earnestly.

Moeller sells 50 gallon tanks that are so narrow i can slide them in without even moving my generator. Might be my best option. I will note these official USCG 50 gallon tanks have no baffles, but they are only 12.5" wide.

Seeing as it's gonna take multiple tanks per side, I can't imagine I could get custom fabricated for cheaper than $10/gallon. If there's any reason I should avoid official plastic tanks, lemme hear it.

Curious, are those Moeller tanks intended for belowdecks installation? At 50 gallons they probably are, but I think some they say are only for on-deck use as for outboard boats. I believe it has to do with flexibility (thickness) and maybe permeability.

Good luck navigating the fine line between ‘proper according to the experts’, actually good enough, and ‘bad idea.’

 

[ERTF]

Curious, are those Moeller tanks intended for belowdecks installation? At 50 gallons they probably are, but I think some they say are only for on-deck use as for outboard boats. I believe it has to do with flexibility (thickness) and maybe permeability.

Good luck navigating the fine line between ‘proper according to the experts’, actually good enough, and ‘bad idea.’

https://defender.com/en_us/moeller-low-perm-permanent-below-deck-fuel-tank-50-gal-032550

Says "below deck permanent".

 

[chriscritchett]

Personally wouldn’t hesitate to use those, i dont think. Do a very good job of installing / supporting.

 

[Delta Riverat]

Those should work great! As you noted also easy to install. The big job will be tearing out those leakers.

And not having to remove the generator is worth 2 grand easy. Ya got free tanks -