Posted: 7/14/2025 10:48:51 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Lowdown3][Edited]
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Many of us have the Euro surplus jerry cans for fuel storage. They are relatively inexpensive and last for a really long time if a modicum of care is taken with them. That being said there are a couple things you can do to help longevity on them, as well as PMs to do from time to time. When I get new ones in I will buy some spray undercoating for trucks from the auto parts store and spray the bottoms of these and the seam heavily. The seams and the bottoms have been the biggest failure points I've seen in these and I've been using them since the early 90's. The coating will help when the cans are slide into truck, along floors, etc. as they often are. As well as helping keep rust down. The seals on the spouts can leak, often times this isn't noticed or a problem unless the can is on it's side. This happens to me sometimes when I get 7-8 filled and bring them back in my truck, often one will show a little leakage. Replacement gaskets can be found on Amazon and I saw a post recently where someone made on out of a spare bicycle inner tube- thought that was a neat idea! One thing to check on is the insides of the cans. Sometimes they will have this coating on the inside of the can that over time, will start to slough off. A big reason to have a use one of those filter funnel set ups. They have saved my bacon a time or two when all the sudden a piece of red coating comes out of the can. Here is a good pic of what I'm talking about inside the can-  Here is what it looks like out of the can-   I've had OK luck using acetone to clean cans every few years. I use a pump sprayer and spray acetone all over the inside of the can moving the wand around as best as I can inside the can. Then with the acetone still inside, I close up the cans and take them for a ride. Bouncing them around in the back of the truck over some bumpy country roads, spreading the acetone around the can. Then back home I tip them upside down leaving it to drain for a day or so. This is a good time to hit the check the bottoms of the cans for rust and re-apply spray undercoating also. When I rotate gas that was stored in the cans, I will usually take them and fill them with off road diesel first and fill up any heavy equipment that needs fuel. I like to have the lubricant of the diesel in the cans, thinking perhaps it helps protect the insides a bit. Can't prove that it helps, but we have gotten 10-15 years out of cans, so maybe it does, gas being a solvent and diesel being technically a lubricant. Check your cans every few years, especially for that coating that sloughs off. |
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I would look at Coleman's surplus in PA. Been a few years since I've bought any, but I think that was the last place I got them. I would avoid amazon and the like, lots of chinwachoo knockoffs. I've seen them at shows and the seams look like garbage, I highly doubt they hold up like real ones. |
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Originally Posted By Lowdown3: I would look at Coleman's surplus in PA. Been a few years since I've bought any, but I think that was the last place I got them. I would avoid amazon and the like, lots of chinwachoo knockoffs. I've seen them at shows and the seams look like garbage, I highly doubt they hold up like real ones.  I've been wanting to visit their place. Need to look up their location again, and see if we're going to be camping near there sometime. |
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| If you can find them, get replacement gaskets made of Viton. Other rubbers would degrade much faster compromising the seal. There was a member here that used to sell Viton gaskets, but I can't remember who. I've never had a leak in mine. Viton is pricey, though. |
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Originally Posted By SR712: If you can find them, get replacement gaskets made of Viton. Other rubbers would degrade much faster compromising the seal. There was a member here that used to sell Viton gaskets, but I can't remember who. I've never had a leak in mine. Viton is pricey, though. Anyone had good luck with these? Amazon link- gaskets for fuel cans |
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Originally Posted By Lowdown3: I would look at Coleman's surplus in PA. Been a few years since I've bought any, but I think that was the last place I got them. I would avoid amazon and the like, lots of chinwachoo knockoffs. I've seen them at shows and the seams look like garbage, I highly doubt they hold up like real ones. Their shipping, for me, costs more than the cans when they’re on sale. Plus they’re always excluded from free shipping. Great original post BTW. I like that about the diesel. Never thought of that. |
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Originally Posted By SR712: If you can find them, get replacement gaskets made of Viton. Other rubbers would degrade much faster compromising the seal. There was a member here that used to sell Viton gaskets, but I can't remember who. I've never had a leak in mine. Viton is pricey, though. I think he was making them for the US Plastic Mil Spec cans also, I bought a bunch from him, but I can not remember who he was either. |
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Originally Posted By 302w: What are you using for a spout on your Euro cans? Right now, I use a funnel to pour it into my 2000s surplus can then use a Wavian spout on that. Jiggle siphon hose for the win. Set can in a good place to siphon from and start siphon into vehicle. Go tend to something else for a bit. Check oil or tires whatever. In a short time the first can will be empty and you may start the next can. |
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Originally Posted By 302w: What are you using for a spout on your Euro cans? Right now, I use a funnel to pour it into my 2000s surplus can then use a Wavian spout on that. If your buying spouts for the Euro cans, I would look at buying at least 2 even if you only have 5 or so cans. The ones I've bought don't fit tight on every can, sometimes I have to change spouts. The jiggler mentioned in the other reply is a great way to fill with these cans also. As mentioned/shown in the pics, you CAN get some residual coating from the can coming out. Never seen this happen when or near when I first bought the cans, usually years later. However something to be cautious of. The pic on the machine is filling an excavator with a pretty damn large fuel tank. It would have been a major PITA to drain the tank on that. |
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A few add-ons; - The genuine Wavian cans I have show no signs of degradation (especially the interiors. The exterior is dependent on how careful, or rough you are with them). - there are plenty of options available now, for battery operated fuel pumps (I prefer the ones that run on D-cell or AA. I don’t like rechargeable ones, as you can’t simply swap in fresh batteries when they’re dead/drained). They make it a LOT easier to use the 5 gallon cans for refueling. I can lift a full 5 gallon Wavian to refuel something like the SUV, but even for me, it’s cumbersome having to hold it and tilt, while dispensing gas. For the average woman, or child? Not happening. With the battery operated pump, even a woman or child can lug the can over, stick the feed tube in the mouth, and fill up the SUV (or whatever). I try to plan for contingencies so I’m not the ONLY one who can do something. |
| The jigglers and power versions are good to keep in your car kits also. |
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Originally Posted By WantGrape: Are you sure the acetone isnt what's messing up the tank liner? I know on coleman lanterns whatever they lined their tanks with will dissolve or deteriorate with acetone. That could definitely be a possibility, however I did see flakes years ago before I did acetone on any of them. A while back I had fuel issues with several pieces of our heavy equipment, not all at once but several over a few years. For as little as I actually USE the equipment, it seemed excessive. A guy that rebuilt a couple of the fuel pumps gave me quite the lecture on fuel and told me filling from cans was essentially da debil... On a previous backhoe that had some major fuel problems, he advised using it to clean the tank on the backhoe and I flushed it, got about two handfuls of dirt out of it, then stuck the wand from the pump sprayer up in the tank and sprayed acetone all over the inside of the tank, got another handful of dirt out. He suggested doing that to the cans also, and tipping them upside down, saw a lot of rust and crap leave the cans. But yeah I supposed the acetone could definitely be interacting with the liner, good thought, thank you. I am seeing MORE flakes now than I used to. |
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If you have any Euro cans with leaky lids. I can confirm these gaskets will work for the standard (not wide) mouth lids- Amazon link for Jerry can gasket Very tight fit but once in, can that was leaking when it was half way on it's side did not leak even upside down. Need to find wide mouth gaskets now. If anyone finds them please post. Thanks |
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