Fuel cans/Jerry can recommendations

First of all, I don't want a Rotopax. Do. Not. Want.

I need to add a 5 gallon gas can to my tailgate for an upcoming Hole in the Rock trip. I've modified my spare tire carrier for more room, and I can now fit a jerry can style 5 gallon can to it without hitting the tail light when opening the gate.


I was given an old style Jerry can, but it needs some real cleanup, maybe sealing, and testing before I can rely on it.

There seems to be a 100 different "Jerry Cans" on the market right now. I've heard great things about the Spectre MFC's but they are getting hard to find or real pricey.

What have you been using?
Does it leak? Is it a PITA to fill/pour/secure?

Find a Scepter. Worth it for sure. With the proper use of the proper spout, they do not leak, and are no more difficult to use than any other jerry can.

I personally witnessed a Scepter coming out of the back of Kurt's red Taco on a dirt/gravel road at 70+mph... we simply stopped, picked it up and put it back in the truck (more securely this time...) No steel can would have survived that.

I have one you can borrow if you don't find what you want for your upcoming trip.

bryson said:

I have one you can borrow if you don't find what you want for your upcoming trip.

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Thanks, but I want one for keepsies.

X2 on the Scepter's. They are what fuel cans should be.

There are a few "water" cans on Amazon that are supposedly made by the same company that supplies MFC's to the military. I was thinking about getting one of those, but they say water on the sides.

I bet they'd work, but wonder about the spout. I assume the "normal" fuel spout might not fit the "water" can. A siphon tube would fix that though, albeit a slower fill rate.

Skilcraft Plastic Water Can, 5 gal, OD Green https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005E0V0Z0/ref=cm_sw_r_taa_Lzybyb1TVA2JK

Hickey said:

There are a few "water" cans on Amazon that are supposedly made by the same company that supplies MFC's to the military. I was thinking about getting one of those, but they say water on the sides.

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Scepter MWC's rock.... For water. For fuel they lack the vent, the sealing, the thickness and the seal. Water doesn't expand in heat like fuel thus they have a press fit seal at the cap and a 3/8" o-ring in the vent. No Bueno for fuel bit to mention they would be slow to drain while dribbling out. Totally different cap and vent design so not easy retrofitted short of plastiwelding.

The Scepter fuel spouts will not work on those water cans as they have different types of seals under the caps. Also, the water cans don't have o-ring seals like the fuel cans (inside the cap of the fuel can,) just 2 tapered plastic surfaces that get tightened down against each other.

Fuel can:


Water can:

LSI makes those water cans too per the scepter specs. They don't have the right threads to accept the scepter spout but would probably work as well. I bought 2 of them from LSI a couple years ago for $25 each and with a $50 order they shipped for free. Sportsmans Warehouse sells them but they are marked up to about what you found on amazon. Give me a few minutes and I'll try to find a link.

You can still buy the scepter fuel cans in canada and my parents did so for me last summer on a road trip they took to Calgary. They bought them at Princess Auto. I had contemplated trying to order them online through that store and have them shipped here but wasn't sure if they would/could ship to the states and then heard my parents were headed up there and scrapped the idea. I've got 4 fuel cans and I love them. I bought the first 2 off ksl in 2014 and got the other 2 last year. I agree with what others have said about the super siphon being almost a better option than the spout. Its way cheaper and works pretty quick. You can spot the Expedition Overland using one in the recent videos.

I'll link stuff down here as I find it. Standby...

LSI water cans, $25.99 each

Scepter MFC from Princess Auto, $79.99 each but thats maple dollars not real dollars.

more MFCs, this time from DSTactical, again I'm not sure if they'll ship to the US.

I see. The fuel cans look to be the same setup as the old style metal cans.

I'll third, fourth, fifth Scepter. Awesome. You can usually find them on KSL or eBay for reasonable prices. Also hit up Moody. He seems to have an endless supply of them. I've bought two from him and two off eBay.

Where were you 6-7 years ago when these things got popular? I was buying them by the pallet load

Fricken ksl isn't working for me right now. They probably shut it down during Family Home Evening.

cruiseroutfit said:

Where were you 6-7 years ago when these things got popular? I was buying them by the pallet load

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I was busy trying to suppress my need for adventure.

KSL is DOA for me right now too...

bryson said:

KSL is DOA for me right now too...

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Maybe you need to say a prayer, or quote something from Ensign to get in.

I listed the extras here that my parents smuggled in from canada too last year. If I remember right Carl bought one or two of them from me.