Gas storage long term

[usmfreedom]

I know this has been discussed before, but :
How long can gas be stored before it goes bad?
How long will a gas additive extend the gas life?
What do you think is the best additive?

I would like to store gas in a large 55 gal plastic barrell with a hand pump. Should I use 2 -55 gal and rotate usage into my car?

[homesteader1]

This is my 2 cents.

I store premium gasoline with Sea Foam. I have some gas that is two years old and is still good. 55 Gallon drums are not rated for gasoline, but a lot of people use them. If there is a fire they can become bombs. If you do not have a generator yet consider a diesel unit. They are much more expensive but that is a one time expense. They last a lot longer and you can store home heating oil easily. I run Sea Foam in my tractor fuel (home heating oil).

[Hick Industries]

Standard plastic drums breath hydrocarbon fumes too well. Your gasoline would store better in metal 55 gal drums.

[Cactus Bob]

all these things depend on where you live . in ARIZONA where i am we cannot store winter gas through the summer ,cans of it blow up and get fat ,even if you releave pressure and reseal ,plastic cans that are old will split the seam . summer gas can be stored for a year with stablizer .but when used (if a year old) theres not a lot of good left in it , burns fast and makes the cars run a little rough ...i found the best place to store gas is in an old car , we have 3 and a camper with two tanks on our property that dont move . we remove and use the gas every june-july and refill with fresh w/sta-bill (i think i spelled that wrong ,you get the idea) junk cars make great gas tanks

[Lowdown3]

Here's a short video on how to store fuel -

YouTube- Gas storage, how to avoid shortages!...

[goose3]

I use Pri-G.

I store some gas in an old pickup truck I use for just the odd hauling trip. Filled it last October, added Pri-G, and it's been fine as I've used it this summer for a few trips (I'm down to about a quarter tank.).

That's 8+ months and it runs like a top. The stuff works pretty well at least in that short term.

[Old Warrior]

I store mid grade (88 octane) in steel 55gal. drums with a double shot of Sta-bil, (Pri-G is not available in my area) in a storage building that stays between 50 and 70 degrees. It has been good up to at least two years with no problems. I use it in my lawnmower, garden tractor, tiller, generator, and my 75 Chevy pick up when I rotate it out. I am due to fill up two of my drums before the end of summer, and I may add a shot of Seafoam this time. Just my experience.

[goose3]

Originally Posted by Old Warrior

(Pri-G is not available in my area)

You can buy it here:

http://www.survivalunlimited.com/fuelstorage.htm

[1dirtyducker]

To be on the safe side, I rotate my drums every so often...that's the advantage of using several 55 gallon drums!

[MikeK]

I'd store it in steel drums and definately rotate it. Keep the drums full and fresh, and keep preservative on hand. If the SHTF, put the preservative in the gas.

Gas isn't going to have as long of storage life as say, diesel or kerosene, even with preservatives. 2-3 years, maybe a little longer. Personally, I just went diesel. It's more efficient anyway.

[jglawson123]

Seafoam...been using it for at least 6-7 years...

[hanzy4200]

I am unable to get my hands on any 55 gal drums, so I'm still using plastic gas cans. I've been told that winter gas contains higher octane levels. Not sure if this is valid or not, but I try to fill my cans in winter, with Stabil of course.

[hanzy4200]

Originally Posted by hanzy4200

I am unable to get my hands on any 55 gal drums, so I'm still using plastic gas cans. I've been told that winter gas contains higher octane levels. Not sure if this is valid or not, but I try to fill my cans in winter, with Stabil of course.

Scratch that. A quick google search actually confirmed the opposite. Summer gas is actually more pure than winter gas. Something about it's evaporation rate.

[subvetssn]

Stihl's Motmix supposedly has a 10 year, unopened shelf life. That drops to about 18 months once you break the seal.

I know it's premium unleaded without ethanol and that it has two cycle synthetic oil pre blended. Still, I'd like to know what additive they're using to get it to stay fresh for so long.

Maybe the secret is in the way it's packaged. Adding nitrogen before they seal it, maybe? Anything to keep water vapor and air from leaching into your fuel stash can only help.