Carrying Petrol in cars.

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OwenP
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Carrying Petrol in cars.

Post by OwenP »

Hope no one minds me posting here as I'm currently not driving anything French, but I know I can trust you guys for good information.

I'm planning a trip to London at the end of next month to visit a friend and see the Duxford Airshow, however as I'm currently in the furthest reaches of South West Wales it makes for a fairly long journey and my current car (an MR2) doesn't have a very big fuel tank, but does like to drink a fair bit. (30-35mpg around town, 40-45 on a long run as long as I can cruise nicely.)

I'm therefore wondering about buying a small can, Jerry or Otherwise, and filling it with some spare petrol to try and avoid paying motorway prices. Is this sensible? I've tried looking up the what the law says and I can't really make much sense of it to be honest. I would most likely have to store it in the tiny boot at the front with the spare tire, as I don't fancy it in the passenger footwell.

My main concern is that once the red light comes on I don't seem to have very many miles before the car becomes quite unhappy, maybe 10-15. I should make the 300 miles with a reasonable bit of fuel to spare as long as I don't get too many hold ups, but wanting to not get held up on the M25 on a Friday is a bit like asking for it to rain £50 notes.
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Re: Carrying Petrol in cars.

Post by Northern_Mike »

OwenP wrote:
I'm therefore wondering about buying a small can, Jerry or Otherwise, and filling it with some spare petrol to try and avoid paying motorway prices. Is this sensible?
No, not really. Sorry, but it's not. Presuming you run out on the motorway, and don't make it to a Service Area in time to empty your can, it's frankly stupid and dangerous. The hard shoulder is for emergencies only, not people too tight to ensure they have enough fuel for the journey. It's also a dangerous place, and there's those on here who know people who've been hit and killed while on the hard shoulder broken down.

If it's a MK2 MR2, then I believe it has a 55 litre tank. *Filling up* at a motorway services will only cost you £5.50 more than normal (it's on average 10p/litre dearer). Is it really worth the risk?

£5.50 is probably less than the cost of the fuel in a can you'd carry. Is it really worth the risk? Services are usually every 12-15 miles.

That said, there's nothing illegal about carrying petrol in a proper petrol can made for the job.
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Re: Carrying Petrol in cars.

Post by OwenP »

Its a MK3, so either a 43 or 48 litre tank (I've seen both figures and tend to believe the 43 base on my experience.) Last time I saw motorway service station prices it was closer to 20p more than I normally pay, so £8.60 more than normal (around about 18% over), might be better now though. It would be brimmed before the journey, so it isn't a case of not making sure there is enough for the journey in the tank, I can't put any more in, and I object to paying massively over the odds to feed the profit mongers, IF I can avoid it.

I realise the hard shoulder is a dangerous place to stop, I was there often enough in my 405s. Every 12-15 miles is I think a little optmistic for the M4 and M25.

Okay different question; is there any website that would show me fuel stations close to but not on the Motorways that would be more sensibly priced without having to search through every town along the route?
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Northern_Mike

Re: Carrying Petrol in cars.

Post by Northern_Mike »

OwenP wrote:Its a MK3, so either a 43 or 48 litre tank (I've seen both figures and tend to believe the 43 base on my experience.) Last time I saw motorway service station prices it was closer to 20p more than I normally pay, so £8.60 more than normal (around about 18% over), might be better now though. It would be brimmed before the journey, so it isn't a case of not making sure there is enough for the journey in the tank, I can't put any more in, and I object to paying massively over the odds to feed the profit mongers, IF I can avoid it.

I realise the hard shoulder is a dangerous place to stop, I was there often enough in my 405s. Every 12-15 miles is I think a little optmistic for the M4 and M25.
Well, after you leave the M5, you've got 4 before the M25 which is about 95 miles from memory, so yes, every 23 miles or so. It's actually less than that - it's a fair hike from LD to Membury, but Chieveley is only 13 miles from Reading Services, and it's 26 between Membury and Chieveley.

Frankly, if you aren't prepared to fuel your car properly, and safely for a motorway journey without risking running out somewhere, and having to stop on the hard shoulder, you shouldn't be allowed to use a motorway. It's not a game. Is your life worth only £8.. (it was actually 10p litre more when I put petrol in on the motorway last weekend) or that of others who might have to take avoiding action should your car suddenly cut out?
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Re: Carrying Petrol in cars.

Post by evilally »

Where did he say he'd be filling up at the side of the motorway? I've frequently travelled the length of the country carrying my own fuel. You fill up in a motorway services car park, you don't need to wait for the car to grind to a halt before you put fuel in it? The amount of petrol you can carry seems to be at the discretion of the police and whether they would class it as "hazardous". Assuming it's a modest amount and in proper petrol cans then I don't think there would be a problem. However I agree, is it worth the effort? The amount you'd spend on fuel cans would be more than you'd save. Maybe better planning ahead, look at retail parks off the motorway for filling up? Filling up a complete tank with 5L cans is a bit tedious, and you always get some on your shoes.
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Re: Carrying Petrol in cars.

Post by Northern_Mike »

evilally wrote:Where did he say he'd be filling up at the side of the motorway?
Well given that he said that the car gets unhappy after 10-15 miles after the light comes on, and that he thinks that there's more distance than that between services - which there is..

There's nothing wrong with carrying fuel. I often carry it around. There is something wrong with not making sure you've got enough to complete your journey in safety.

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Re: Carrying Petrol in cars.

Post by OwenP »

Okay if I brim the tank as I'm leaving I MAY not have enough fuel for the whole journey, and that will depend entirely on the traffic on the day, not something I can predict, afterall some days I can cruise along a motorway with hardly another car around when it is supposed to be busy other times I'm lucky to get a few miles at a time without holdups and it is supposed to be quiet, without a crystal ball I never know which it will be. It isn't a case of not putting enough in the car, the car won't take anymore, it only has a small fuel tank.
My plan would be to stop at (probably) Reading services to put in the extra fuel from the can, and this would then be enough based on doing a similar journey before (not so many junctions round the 25 though.) The car won't cut out suddenly unless something catastrophic goes wrong, which I am frankly not expecting with this car; I've had that in the past though and it isn't fun getting from the outside lane to the hardshoulder when a car dies suddenly with no warning (That was a virtually brand new Citroen btw.) I don't plan to watch the fuel needle fall, see the red light to come on, and wait for it to grind to a shuddering halt before acting, please credit me with a small modicum of intelligence.

I'm also thinking about the way back as once I go past Pont Abraham (Welsh end point of the M4) there aren't any more services and the couple of petrol stations en-route may or may not be open depending on what time I'm going past them, again something that will depend on hold-ups along the way.

After Reading the next services is South Mimms which is quite a distance, unless I've forgotten how to read a map.
evilally wrote:
Maybe better planning ahead, look at retail parks off the motorway for filling up?
Is there anywhere that lists these or is just a case of searching by location and hoping to find one? I know there is one in Swansea, but that is only 'cause I've stopped there to eat dinner before as I find the likes of Frankie and Bennys (and knew there to be one there so noted the postcode for the satnav) to be superior to standard service station fare.
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Re: Carrying Petrol in cars.

Post by Stickyfinger »

Got a SatNav ??....use the POI's to find a fill up off the Motorway

You can carry up to 5 gallons in a metal can and 1 in a plastic....that is advised. I do not think the laws apply to "private" use however a 5 Gal Jerry can with a spout is the best way.
Anything more than that (if not private) needs a suitable warning sticker.
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Post by Northern_Mike »

Stickyfinger wrote:Got a SatNav ??....use the POI's to find a fill up off the Motorway

You can carry up to 5 gallons in a metal can and 1 in a plastic....that is advised. I do not think the laws apply to "private" use
They changed in 2014 . 30 litres, in no more than two suitable containers.

Anyway, petrol stations on your way

Here's 4 on the M4..

Sainsbury, about 100m from Junction 12 M4 is a good one from the Eastbound M4. Take exit. Take first exit at roundabout, 2nd exit at next roundabout and you're in Sainsbury petrol station.

Junction 8/9- come off, take the 2nd exit towards Maidenhead down the dual carriageway, about 1/2 mile, left at the next roundabout and there's a petrol station on the right, retrace steps back to J8/9

J7 - come off, follow the slip road all the way round to the roundabout. Turn right towards Slough Go through either two or three sets of lights (last one is across a big crossroads), there's an Esso on the right down there. It's probably about a mile off the Motorway.

J5 - come off Eastbound, take 3rd exit towards Colnbrook, there's a BP just there.. again, retrace steps back to M4 Eastbound.

One for the M25..

J17 M25 - come off clockwise , take 2nd exit of roundabout, 1/2 mile down the dual carriageway, take the left at the roundabout, 150m up on the right is is a BP...

Those are ones that immediately spring to mind and are close enough to the motorway and should save fuel being carried about..

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Re: Carrying Petrol in cars.

Post by daviemck2006 »

Why nor get off the motorway after you have done 150 to 200 miles find a petrol station and top up again. It would be better than carrying extra petrol in a can or risking running out on a motorway, and save you paying over the odds at a service station. Or if you have to buy expensive petrol just put in 5 litres to get to a different petrol station. No need for carrying petrol at all.
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Re: Carrying Petrol in cars.

Post by Northern_Mike »

He's now got st least 5 options to do just that Davie, or, should he wish, stop at the first and last ones on my list to top up going there and back. .

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Re: Carrying Petrol in cars.

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

OwenP wrote: Okay different question; is there any website that would show me fuel stations close to but not on the Motorways that would be more sensibly priced without having to search through every town along the route?
Try this Just Off Junction

When going Down Sarth often pop into Meadowhall at Sheffield, or if going down the West Side Penrith just off the M6. Nice Booths for a bacon sandwich, and Morrisons for petrol if needed.

Regards Neil

PS Of course some Motorway Services are worth stopping off at anyway, for the concrete appreciator, and a close up view of space-age architecture

I give you the Forton Services, notable for an unusual hexagonal concrete tower on the northbound side, named The Pennine Tower, which originally housed an up-market restaurant and a sun deck.

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Re: Carrying Petrol in cars.

Post by chinkostu »

It's Lancaster services now though ;)

Did some training there many years back. Was always a favourite stop back when we travelled to penrith. They would have had to build huge steps to get down incase of a fire, hence why its not used anymore. I doubt even staff go up there now, judging by how strict Moto were when I worked for them :roll:
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Re: Carrying Petrol in cars.

Post by myglaren »

I went in there for a coffee and sammidge on my way home from Blackpool a few years ago - about five I think.
Only stopped there because it was unusual.
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Post by NewcastleFalcon »

It would have been nice to stop off at Leicester Forest East Services in their heyday. That alfresco terrace overlooking the traffic looks ace :-D

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..and for the Service Station purist...

Fine dining and Conran furniture

The ultimate dining experience was at Leicester Forest East on the M1. Leicester Forest East was operated by Ross Frozen Foods. The main attraction was a bridge restaurant furnished by Terence Conran, 'The Captain's Table'. Waiters and waitresses in nautical costume served the finest available fish from Ross's fleet. In fine weather people were prepared to sit on the balcony and watch the traffic. Motoring Which? found the service superb at the Captain's Table and the food quality good. Leicester Forest East was the only motorway service station with food up to the Good Food Guide standards, at least in 1968.
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