fuel tanks are expensive. Anyone got a DIY story?

[cimo]

The old steel diesel tank finally had to come out this year.
Extraction involved an angle grinder so it isn't a reusable item anymore.

I had no idea just how expensive replacement tanks are until I went
window shoping this evening.

Anyone come across a replacement tank suitable for their needs from the auto/agri sector?
Here's a land rover tank for example. The general shape would suit my installation.

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Land-Rover-S...ssories_ET&hash=item2ec6d9abfe#ht_2391wt_1016

Currently thinking how to go about modifying a plastic jerry can or something
larger (30-40ltrs) in HDPE, but have no idea yet how to go about attaching the ports.

Any PBO'ers out there care to share a fuel tank DIY success story?

 

[Tranona]

If you can use a tank similar shape to that there are many standard moulded tanks on the market from vetus, Tek Tank and several others if you google in the price range £1-200 with the correct fitting for a boat. Obviously much more expensive if you go custom to maximise capacity within a given space.

 

[paul-essex]

I was looking at getting two or 3 of these and hot swap them
http://www.imsupplies.co.uk/jerry-cans/fuel-tank-22l-can-diesel-bio-fuel-plastic.html

 

[MYStargazer]

My boat's fuel tanks are made from polyester GRP, with captive bolts in the top face holding a flat aluminium inspection hatch. I imagine this would be very easy to build yourself. Mine were built by Halmatic, so if it's good enough for them...

Not sure what, if anything, the tanks are coated with on the inside. Looks like some kind of red paint. Ideas, anyone?

 

[dolphin]

i use a regular 200 l drum. it cost me 20 euro and it is very easy to fit. i bought it from a secondhand shop for drums but asked to be used for chemical or other special grades for transportation as these drums are coated inside with special and more resistant paint. one side is for filling the tanks and on the opposite side i make a hole for the cock.
that is all

 

[TimBennet]

My boat's fuel tanks are made from polyester GRP, with captive bolts in the top face holding a flat aluminium inspection hatch. I imagine this would be very easy to build yourself. Mine were built by Halmatic, so if it's good enough for them...

Polyester GRP makes excellent diesel tanks. In fact, probably the best although the advocates of rotomolded plastic might contest my view. If you build them on a male mould you can get the gelcoat on the inside, otherswise they would probably benefit from being flowcoated (your red layer?).

 

[MYStargazer]

Polyester GRP makes excellent diesel tanks. In fact, probably the best although the advocates of rotomolded plastic might contest my view. If you build them on a male mould you can get the gelcoat on the inside, otherswise they would probably benefit from being flowcoated (your red layer?).

Looks like they were made with a female mould, using the GRP hull for the bottom and one of the sides. Yes, the inside must have been flowcoated - maybe the red colour is just dyeing from decades of red diesel. So, it wouldn't have been a special flowcoat?

 

[vyv_cox]

Polyester GRP makes excellent diesel tanks. In fact, probably the best although the advocates of rotomolded plastic might contest my view. If you build them on a male mould you can get the gelcoat on the inside, otherswise they would probably benefit from being flowcoated (your red layer?).

Nowadays it is possible to buy laid-up sheet GRP, which when I was making lots of GRP stuff was not possible. So you could make a square or rectangular tank in a similar way to the Tek-tanks method, joining the edges of flat sheets but with layup, not welding. In that way the inside would be gel-coated. For example http://www.fibreglassmouldings.co.uk/grpfibreglasssheet.asp