Puff
Member
- Location
- Up a hill in Wales
I don't use enough to warrant getting 500l red diesel at a time, so every time I run out, its 25/30 mins to the nearest red stockist for 20l and back again. Lasts me a few weeks depending on what I'm doing but is tedious and relatively expensive in time and journey to do.
So I thought I'd build myself a small bowser.
I'd picked up a Hardi BL300 as spares/repair and used the tank on a serviceable BL200. This left me with the booms and also the frame for the tank. The frame that held the tank is roughly the same diameter as a 205l oil drum, so I removed the boom, pump etc and kept the frame. I sourced an 205l oil drum free from a local garage and got to work.
The drum obviously fits in the frame but was a bit loose, so filled it out with pipe insulation to make a tight fit. Next issue was how to get fuel in/out. Obvious and cheapest is a tap but that was discounted as even at highest lift, the tap wouldn't be that high from the ground. To put fuel in, ideally would be some form of fuel filler cap. This was discounted on the basis that my welding skills are negligible, so I came up with using the larger hole in the drum to hold a breather (eBay 2"BSP £25), which is easily unscrewed. So back to fuel out. A hand pump is obvious but with the orientation horizontal as opposed to vertical, a non-starter. Fortunately you can get 12v electric syphon/pump kits, so after a good trawl on eBay found one for £30, with a fuel nozzle included. One extra 1/2" BSP 25mm fitting (eBay £8) and it's all good to assemble.
Used cable ties to attach the pump, slightly ghetto but puts the pump in what I consider the best place. May change that to something more substantial if it proves problematical but seems solid in the meantime. Tightened and changed length on all the tubes and no leaks, so that's good. Took a 50 min trip to put 100l and we're all good to go. To get the pump running, just use the crocodile clips on a battery, turn the switch on and away you go.
Extra benefit is that because it's in Cat1 frame, I can stick it on the back of my tractor and take it wherever I need it to be. Its also a heck of lot quicker filling a tank than with a jerrycan and a funnel.
So I thought I'd build myself a small bowser.
I'd picked up a Hardi BL300 as spares/repair and used the tank on a serviceable BL200. This left me with the booms and also the frame for the tank. The frame that held the tank is roughly the same diameter as a 205l oil drum, so I removed the boom, pump etc and kept the frame. I sourced an 205l oil drum free from a local garage and got to work.
The drum obviously fits in the frame but was a bit loose, so filled it out with pipe insulation to make a tight fit. Next issue was how to get fuel in/out. Obvious and cheapest is a tap but that was discounted as even at highest lift, the tap wouldn't be that high from the ground. To put fuel in, ideally would be some form of fuel filler cap. This was discounted on the basis that my welding skills are negligible, so I came up with using the larger hole in the drum to hold a breather (eBay 2"BSP £25), which is easily unscrewed. So back to fuel out. A hand pump is obvious but with the orientation horizontal as opposed to vertical, a non-starter. Fortunately you can get 12v electric syphon/pump kits, so after a good trawl on eBay found one for £30, with a fuel nozzle included. One extra 1/2" BSP 25mm fitting (eBay £8) and it's all good to assemble.
Used cable ties to attach the pump, slightly ghetto but puts the pump in what I consider the best place. May change that to something more substantial if it proves problematical but seems solid in the meantime. Tightened and changed length on all the tubes and no leaks, so that's good. Took a 50 min trip to put 100l and we're all good to go. To get the pump running, just use the crocodile clips on a battery, turn the switch on and away you go.
Extra benefit is that because it's in Cat1 frame, I can stick it on the back of my tractor and take it wherever I need it to be. Its also a heck of lot quicker filling a tank than with a jerrycan and a funnel.
