How to remove gas stain from leaking Rotopax

I’ve had nothing but bad luck with (3) leaking rotopax, and now I come home to another leaker which seems to have stained my paint. Anyone have any ideas how to fix this?

 

Sorry, can't help with the stain, but you've probably already figured out to ditch the Rotopax. My previous employer used to buy rotopax for our vehicles and every single one of them began leaking over time, and the ones that were mounted on vehicles that weren't stored inside a bay ended up oxidizing and turning pink (and see-through) quickly, and they leaked even more. Scepter water and Wavian fuel jerrycans are 1000x better than Rotopax.

 

You sure it's just stained and the clearcoat hasn't been eaten by the gasoline?

 

It will depend on how deep in the clear coat or paint the contamination is. Have you tried a simple rubbing compound yet?

 

I'd start with the simple stuff and just clay and wax.

If not just keep getting more aggressive on the compound

 

Is it the UV damage or are these just bad when new also?

 

not sure your question its a 24 underground color. The brown/yellow stain you see is from the gas

 

If you feel across the stain you can feel that its raised. Not sure if its through the clear coat

 

I meant the gas containers.

 

Both. They tend to leak even when new, but they get damaged by UV way faster than most other plastic cases and containers it seems. It takes almost no time for them to begin to deform and swell as well, making stacking them impossible. They're truly just junk containers. The concept was neat, but almost everyone who used rotopax when they came out has switched and gone back to using older, better storage methods. I have a 10L Wavian jerry can that I've kept inside my vehicle for years; not one drop has leaked and no fuel odor whatsoever, even when it's near the head of my sleeping pad at night. I've also had some mounted to my roofrack with exposure to sun, wind, dust, snow, etc. Jerrycans just plain work, and most serious travelers use them exclusively. Like I said earlier, for water storage the military-issued Scepter water cans are the best. I've had them in both 10 and 20L as well.





I no longer carry this much fuel as you seen in the photos, I did that when I was living out of my truck. Now I keep one scepter and one wavian can inside, each the 10L size you see here.

 

to sure ive had (3) go bad, but then I have a buddy with (3) which are 3-4 years old with no issue. I have all Gen 2 which im starting to wonder if its the new design

 

Thanks. I always wondered why people leave plastic exposed like that, for show I guess.

 

I dont have mine on my truck all the time. I usually leave them empty in the garage until a trip etc. I filled them up yesterday and put them on my truck due to the possible hurricane in FL this weekend. After this weekend I would have used the gas and put them back in the garage.

 

Go easy on anything your rub on and not too hard else you will chew thru the original paint and then you will end up replacing that panel. From experience.

 

Definitely not just a problem with the newer design, as the ones we used at work were all from the moment rotopax were invented. I'm surprised to hear the 2nd Gen are no better.

 

Do they start leaking at the seams or at the mouth ?

 

YOIKES
a 2024
man that stinks
never had that happen honestly so i cant say how to fix it but i hope you the best.

 

Sounds like the gasoline has already reacted with the clear coat, similar to a catalyst with paint. It may need to be wet sanded and then polished. I would start with the least aggressive detail method and work your way up to the sand paper, if needed. If you don't feel comfortable working on the paint, a good detailer is worth their weight in gold. If it can be fixed, they will get it done. Too bad you're not in Utah or I would've offered to take a quick look.

 

Make a Canadian friend and have them send you a Scepter Jerry can, the same ones NATO and the US military uses. They're legal to buy in Canada but not in the States due to CARB regulations.

https://scepter.com/products/milita...allon-20-litre-military-fuel-container-05552/

 

I’m a big fan of the Wavian can also. They don’t leak. Not on their backs. Not on their sides. No liquid. No vapor. Nothing. I have a mix of Gerry cans - Wavian, Wedco (same company, different decade) and original NATO.

I’m talking about the ones with the cam-lock closure, and not the CARB version with the screw on cap.

 

I recently went on a long weekend and popped the top of my wavian at an alt of about 5k. I guess I hadn’t popped it in a while and there was a tad o gas left in there. The woosh knocked my hat and glasses clean off my head. Buddy was getting gas next to me and laughed his ass off once he knew I was ok.

 

A of the Wavian (a.k.a. NATO) fuel can, for those who are interested. Sorry for the derailment, OP.

 

Good thread. I never knew they are junk and now I know to not go there.

 

I use these to store fuel for backup generator, and they are solid. However, spring on the spout is too stiff, so it is tricky to pour without spilling. My trick is to lift and turn the can upside-down and use its weight to press it open. However, with a full can this requires physical strength.

 

I guess you are using the CARB-compliant version of the spout. The original NATO style spout is more user friendly. It can be found by adding terms like “NATO” or “Military Style” or “International version” to your search for “Wavian spout”. I suggest eBay.

Top: ubiquitous problematic CARB-compliant version.
Bottom: original better-performing but not strictly kosher NATO style.

 

I splurged on one of the NATO Wavian cans with the cam lock. I had various plastic ones stored in my garage over the years that ended up splitting on the mold seams and making a mess.

I tested the NATO Jerry can full of fuel, on its side, going back and forth from shade to full sun various times for about a day. No fluid or gas pressure leaks. Seems like it’s gonna last forever.

I have ‘t had reason to take it on the 4runner for trips, but if I ever did, this one would be it. No way I would trust a plastic one getting bounced around and rubbing on straps/mounts over any length of time.

I wish they would make those carb compliant spouts out of the same metal so I wouldn’t need to worry about cracking them through bumbling ham fistedness if I used them like @Sin4R

I have an imitation jerry can (Midwest) that has a regular plastic cap with the plastic carb spout. It’s much more convenient to use that than the NATO style spout that’s on my genuine can (I always end up spilling some either due to bad aim, or I tilt to far and it leaks out of the vent).

I’ve had mine spray out a little once. Even though I was expecting something, it still surprised me with the force. Now I throw a rag over the spout and open the cam lock like like I’m cutting the blue wire while disarming a bomb lol

 

I thought it was the red wire.?

 

How to Neuter Your Carb-Compliant Wavian Spout So It Pours Freely and without Fuss​

1. All you need is a Phillips screwdriver and a few minutes to de-CARBify your Wavian spout.

2. Using your hands, unscrew the tip from the Wavian spout to reveal the disk with the sealing gasket.

3. Remove the screw and the disk.

4. Slide the outer tube off the inner tube and remove the spring.

5. Replace the disk and screw.

6. Screw the tip back on. To pour, simply make sure the outer tube is pulled back towards the base of the spout. Fuel will flow freely without the need to compress a spring.

I recommend the ”International” spout over the modified CARB compliant spout because the International spout has a flexible tip, but for those who don’t care to be seen using a non-compliant fuel can, or who would rather not spend the extra 27 bucks on the international spout, this is a workable solution.

Thanks to Gutentight on the Tacoma World board for the inspiration.

 

I’ve got the “international” spout on mine. I noticed that I need to be very carefully tipping in the can when I’m pouring fuel. If I slosh or tip too far, gas leaks out quickly around the air vent at the base of the spout.

Regarding the carb spout, am I correct in assuming it does not have the vent that allow fuel to spill out? Fuel will only flow once the spout is pressed in? If so, I might be get a CARB spout for use with the lawn mower. It may make for easier refueling.

 

I already tried that solution, spout leaks more without a spring. So you end up with spills, but different way.

I took that spring and put it into vice grips to compress it, it helped a bit but not a lot.