Fuel Tanks

What a portable fuel tank actually is

A portable fuel tank is a sealed container, usually moulded from high-density polyethylene, designed to carry petrol or diesel in or on a vehicle rather than to store it in a fixed location. It sits somewhere between a jerry can and a permanently plumbed tank: bigger and better shaped than a can, but not built into the fuel system.

Most are filled through a screw or spigot cap and drawn off through a brass or threaded outlet, either by gravity or with a pump.

Plastic tanks for petrol, and why diesel is different

This is the single most common thing we get asked, so it is worth being blunt about it.

The Boab range, which is the bulk of the larger tanks on this page, is diesel only. The 40, 42, 45, 50, 55 and 58 litre Boab tanks are built and sold as diesel tanks. We recommend not putting petrol in one.

If you need petrol, the tanks to look at are the Scepter, Neptune and Easterner portable tanks and the Scepter jerry cans. The Scepter 12L and 25L tanks with cap and gauge are approved to Australian Standard AS 2906 and are rated for petrol, diesel and ethanol-blended fuel. The Neptune 11.4L and 22.7L tanks are likewise rated for petrol, diesel and ethanol blends. Scepter's Marine Petrol jerry cans run from 5 to 25 litres, and the Military Style 20L can takes either fuel.

Steel is the other option. The Front Runner 20L jerry can is 0.8mm seam-welded steel with a bayonet closure, lined internally with petrol-resistant enamel.

Flat, vertical, footwell and taper: picking a shape that fits

Capacity is the easy part. Shape is what decides whether a tank actually goes in.

• Flat or vertical (Boab 58L, 45L). Both mount either way up. The 58L has a spigot filler neck that works flat or upright, feet for stability and holes so multiple tanks stack. The 45L is 8kg and designed to sit behind seats, under a false floor, in front of a tray, or on a roof rack.
• Footwell (Boab 40L). Shaped to drop into the footwell behind the front seats, 190mm high by 250mm wide by 1200mm long, with a ribbed top strong enough to stack gear on. It has cut-outs for the transmission tunnel and console.
• Taper (Boab 50L). 1000mm wide and 350mm high, with the depth tapering from 200mm at the base to 150mm at the top, so it sits flush against a tray wall where clearance tightens above a wheel arch.
• Vertical with wheel arch cut-outs (Boab 42L). 1295mm wide, 600mm high and only 75mm thick, with a 200mm by 300mm cut-out each side. Built to stand up against the back of a dual cab. Vent kit and 500mm hose included.
• Rectangular universal (Boab 55L). 310mm high by 195mm wide by 1120mm long, 6kg, for ute trays and built-in applications.
• Top side (Scepter 45L). Available in low and high profile, injection moulded from UV-stabilised high-density polyethylene.

Measure the space you have before you choose the capacity, not after.

What size do you need

• Under 25 litres. A get-you-home reserve, an outboard, a generator or a bike. The 11 to 25 litre Scepter, Neptune and Easterner tanks cover this.
• 20 litres in cans. The most flexible option, because you can carry two and use one. Fuel Safe sells theirs in pairs.
• 40 to 58 litres. A genuine range extension for touring. This is the Boab bracket, and a 58L tank on a 4WD using 12L per 100km is roughly another 480km of planning room.
• Above 180 litres. At this point a portable tank is the wrong tool and a replacement tank is the right one.

If you need to pump rather than pour

Most tanks on this page are gravity feed or hand-decant. The exception is the Duramax 53L Portable Refuelling Tank Kit, which comes with a Flo n'Go hand pump and a siphon, needs no power supply, and handles petrol, diesel or kerosene. If pumping matters to you, that is the one to look at. The Boab 55L will work with either a pump or gravity feed depending on how you mount it.

Long range replacement tanks for RAM, Ford and Chevrolet

If you run a heavy-duty American pickup, a replacement tank is a cleaner solution than carrying jerry cans. The Titan tanks on this page are mid-ship direct replacements made from cross-linked high-density polyethylene, fitting in the factory position and using the truck's original sending unit so the fuel gauge keeps working.

Current fitments cover RAM 2500 and 3500 from 2013, Ford F-250, F-350 and F-450 Super Duty, and Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500. Cab configuration and tub length both affect fitment, so check the individual product page before ordering. The full long range fuel tank range has more detail on fitment and installation.

For filler kits, vent kits and fittings, see our fuel tank accessories, or browse the wider fuel and water tank range.