Smart-Home 20L 5 Gallon Steel Jerry Can Fuel Tank

When I was a kid, my best friend’s dad had a curious collection of vehicles. One of the cooler ones was a 1943 Willys Jeep with a whole bunch of webbing, tools, jerry cans and a whopping great 50 caliber machine gun mounted on top. My best friend and I thought it was very cool.

Since I moved to the States I’ve had the same small plastic can with the most useless anti-spill spout that stows away inside the cap when not in use. It collects fuel from the vapors when closed and then spills fuel again when you take it off and turn it over to place back inside the cap. It’s basically rubbish.

When I saw this jerry can I was pretty excited. Judging by the one on the jeep I remember, these things last forever. A world war and countless decades later and the ones on the jeep are still in working order.

It arrived in a big cardboard box which, when opened, had the can and a separate bag containing the spout.

The can is well made and faithfully reproduces the look of the original German design that we still use today. The main container is assembled from two sheets welded down the center seam. A hole in one of the top corners has the neck welded on and the tripple grip handle is spot welded on.

It feels very solid with the original stamped design on the sides to strengthen the side sheet metal and allow a greater surface area to compensate for expansion and contraction. This particular can is based on the German/British design. It’s the one used by NATO today.

The all-metal cap is hinged at the back and has crescent shaped prongs on both sides that rotate into slots that both guide and hold the cap firmly in place. There is a steel pin that slides through the cap to lock it in place. A simple 90 degree twist and pull releases the pin. There is also a hole for tethering on the back of the cap.

As well as the cap that is permanently mounted to the can, you get a spout that mimics the mechanics of the cap. Again it’s all metal with the same double crescents, slots and locking pins to guide and lock the cap in place. A large flat washer fits inside the spout to seal it tight. In addition, there is a flexible rubber spout inserted in the end of the metal spout which can be removed and fits over the metal spout. It’s flexible enough to work as a short hose making pouring easier and being rubber will not damage any finish around the fuel cap.

Since it’s  a 5 US gallon metal can, when full it is quite heavy so the short flexible rubber accordion hose is a nice addition. My only gripe with it that the accordion has to be stowed separately from the can. It has a matching tether hole so it can be tied to the cap on the can but you probably want a bungee or something to secure it and prevent loud rattles.

Conclusion

This jerry can is of a tried and tested design that has been around for about 80 years and is still in use all over the world today. Its rugged, heavy-duty construction makes it very dependable. The finish is a thick layer of dark olive green paint. It has three metal grip handles to make handling the 30 – 40lb weight of a full can easier and accessible to two people. It has a relatively small footprint standing which is great whether it’s going in the garage or on a vehicle. A great can whether you have gas tools or use it for stowing extra fuel for long trips or camping. In my vehicle it’s good for an extra 100 miles.

I really like it.

 

Disclaimer: I received this jerry can in exchange for an honest and fair review.