Mr. Living Off the Slab, thank you tremendously for this specific and informative video. I've just received a Rotopax gas can and mount for my dirt bike. I suspected the spout would be trouble. Not only did you confirm this, saving me from outback trouble, you provided a very achievable solution. Additionally, you noted the vapor pressure within the can can make removal difficult. This is valuable information. I'm contemplating modifying the T-handle, possibly to accept a tire spoon "extension," for hot weather adventures. You also informed me to leave some unfilled capacity for vapor expansion. I hadn't thought of this. Many thanks!
I have a cheap copy of a rotopax and it works. I used the corrugated spout once then found that a Gatorade bottle cut in half makes a perfect funnel for my Honda. It stays in place in the tank filler and I can pour from the can without a spout. On a recent trip I firgot my funnel and a 2 liter soda bottle worked almost as well.
THanks that answered some questions I had on the Rotopax system. It bothers me that the 1 gallon doesn't have an air vent where the other models do. So I will be fixing a brass pep-cock or tire air stem to the tank. Also I will be drilling lightening holes into the hardware, way to much metal needed to do the job, hell I may 3d print my own mounting system.
I ride with my Rotopax filled all the time for 2 reasons, one is because I really enjoy rolling through a town and knowing that if I decide to skip the station I have insurance against my poor choices which I occasionally make! The second reason actually happened last summer where I came across a fellow rider and his wife on the side of the road and had to use their water bladder hose to siphon a couple of litres out of my tank for them - which left me thinking maybe I won't be able to make it to the next town. Love my Rotopax.
Dear friend Craig, I was last July 2017 in Alaska, Prudhoe Bay and take the same containers that you 1 gallon, really the one that used the most was water, very useful in the different camps where I stay, the gasoline it I used only in a segment of the Dalton Hwy which is from Coolfood to Prudhoe Bay, it is a long segment without gas stations and my F800GS was already rolling with the reserve, very good containers thank you for your review
I run short of gas at about 120 miles. I've got a big cruiser though and no hard points to attach the locking system, do you think I could snug them down under my soft luggage with cam or ratchet straps through the handles? I like their durability.
Can you provide the link one more time for the flat rack that you used in place of rear seat? Or tell me which video that was in so I can look that up? Thanks. Love your channel, have learned a lot!
Thanks for watching, glad you like the videos. I got the rack from RevZilla, it is an AltRider rack. You can also get it directly from AltRider. Here is a link on my website that contains links where you can get the items on Amazon (these are from the AltRider store). craigripley.com/living-off-the-slab/blog-tenere-accessories.html
I made the trip from Portland to Prudhoe Bay in August. I was on my BMW1200 GS which normally has a range of 280 miles or so. From Coldfoot to Prudhoe is 230 miles so no problem right? But than it started raining hard. I was down to 15 mph in second gear for half the trip. Needless to say I needed extra fuel and I'm glad I had a 1 gallon Rotopax with me. I use Rotopax tanks on my Husqvarna 701 also. I've had them for years and never had an issue with the nozzles.
Fyi, at least here in middle Tennessee the Ace hardware stores and some plumbing supply houses carry a retrofit spout to get get rid of the JUNK that comes with new gas cans..just an fyi. Thanks for your time making these videos.
How about the infamous "240 miles until next services" @ Deadhorse? No issues with gas by anyone? Love to learn all about your adventure. Thanks for sharing.
The Coldfoot to Deadhorse leg is the farthest you will have to go with no services. I had a rotopax for insurance, but the 8 gallon GSA made it on only 2/3 of a tank. Anything else would want a couple gallons on board, and they did. On the route up the Cassiar and on west to Whitehorse, rotopax still empty, my first planned fuel stop wasn't open (too early!) and another was just closed. The next had gas but no diesel for the RV sitting there, waiting. The could just as well been the gas situation. Other than the Dalton stretch, in general there are no issues from Prince George to Fairbanks, especially if you subscribe to the philosophy of 'Never pass a gas station without topping off'. The only time you have too much gas is when you are on fire.
Altitude will also be a factor to air pressure inside your tanks. My fuel Carrier is mounted with the filler neck upright on the non muffler side, inside the pannier bracket. Filler Spout rearward so I don't have to remove to fill it at a gas station. It's actually right behind the left turn signal on my bike. My water carrier is mounted to the outter wall of my top box nearest my back. Fill neck up. For balanced weight distrubution! When I'm going to be changing altitudes I always burp my 2 tanks to relive pressure or vaccuum. Lost one one time because I was always taking it off and putting it on, and one say I guess I didn't get it tight enough because when I stopped for the day it was gone. Could have been stolen as a gas station when I was inside eating! Dunno! NOw I can see them and they are hard to get off. And I have a water sprayer motor and spray head on a length of tubing so I can use my water jug as an evaporative swamp cooler when crossing the deserts in the summer. Just a simple long sleeve cotton T shirt, worn under a mesh riding jacket , the sprayer set up (actually a SUV's rear window water sprayer system) and a momentary on push buttom 12 volt switch at the sprayer head. Unwind the 1/4 inch tubing (approx 30 inches) from around the handlebars, push the button and hose down my upper body & arms with the water spray and ride until dry. It actually gets very cold. Prudent Timing will allow you to be almost dry when you step off the bike. And nothing like riding the desert dry air, with air conditioning on a motorcycle. I also keep my water supply drinkable so I can sip on the little sprayer tip with my modular helmet on. 3 years ago I developed a insulated over bag for the Rotopax to keep the water and tubing from heating up so bad in the hot sun. Better for drinking! It works for me!
Perhaps I have beginner's luck, but I put on the factory EPA spout, put the tip into my tank, and let the "foot" thing push against the rim of filler opening. It drains perfectly, albeit slower than if I just use a water spout. On the other hand, once inserted, holding it is a one hand effort, and the can drains completely into my tank. It sure seems like people like to make it harder than it really is. My biggest complaint is that the locking cap sits an inch proud of the can. If I put a duffel on top, I'm afraid that it will wear a hole in the duffel.
I took a extra gas with me on my trip British Columbia I only have used it once I went over the mountains from Alberta to British no problems well on the way back it seemed to use a lot more gas and I ran or was just about to run out at the top of the mountains. I carried my gas in one of my panniers unfortunately the rubber seal in the container was not gas and rotted pretty quick.
Yeah, I've got a similar spout on my 1-gallon container. What a royal P-I-T-A! I end up just pouring the gas out slowly with the container at a slight angle. I don't believe I can get one of those types of spouts for my container. BTW, my cousin Javier from Boise asked if you made it back in one piece. I told him you barely did. 😆
Well we ran out of gas last summer going to Colorado, it was in all places Ohio. We fill up at a Ma and Pa gas station and got bad gas and our mileage was almost cut in half. I can say always get gas at name brand gas stations.
Exactly. Those EPA approved nozzles result in a lot of gas dumped on the ground. No value whatsoever. Also replacing mine after trying to use the official ones many times.
I'm going to buy a Super Tenere in a few months and I plan to use it in almost exactly the same way you are using yours. I have done all of the necessary research on my own and come to the conclusion that if there is a perfect bike for me on that kind of adventure, the Super Tenere is it. You and several other TH-camrs confirm that. But I still have one problem. I found a dealership that matches all of your (and my) criteria and has a Super Tenere on sale. So what is the problem? It is not the ES version. The salesman tells me the electronic suspension adjustment part of the ES is an unnecessary frill, and he is quite convincing on that. Part of his job is to make sure every buyer understands how to adjust his/her suspension no matter what bike he sells, and you must have that set for your person and riding style before you take it off the lot. After that, one can use a screwdriver and the manual to allow for changes in luggage, pillion passenger, road conditions, etc. Can be done in minutes. Makes sense. So, I turn to you with this simple question: Did you find the electronic suspension adjustment very useful, sort of useful, or something you forgot you even had? How often did you switch from one suspension mode (84 possibilities!) to another while on your recent Alaska adventure? Did it save you any time or frustration at all? I can't count on the "fluff journalism" of the magazines and sponsored TH-cam channels for this. Of course they will say good things about it. I do trust guys like you, but guys like you don't comment on it. That is why I must ask.
+geoangle, The truth is that you do not adjust your suspension very often. I have one setting that I normally ride with and then I adjust for loads like on this last trip. I made adjustments once after I left home to stiffen up the suspension. Did the ES make that easier, Yes. The other thing the ES comes with is the heated grips...which I use a lot riding in New England and of course on the Alaska trip. Would I buy the ES again, yes; because of ease of suspension adjustment and the heated grips.
That gas spout design is for safety, not pollution. It's supposed to keep you from spilling gas. I have the same on the gas can for my mower. It's a PITA. When you push on it you have to keep it firmly pushed in; if you let up at all it closes. Your solution is good. However, it sounds like you really didn't need either container since you were carrying them empty most of the time. I use a foldable five-gallon jug for camp water. It has a built in spout and you can perch it on the side of a picnic table and use it like a faucet. Running out of gas in SD was obviously preventable.
You are correct, in most situations the containers are not needed. For the Alaska trip, I would still take them as a precaution, but for most other rides I will not bother to take them along. Thanks!
+David Wheeled, I guess it is possible. I made sure to practice with it before I left and it worked fine, but when I used it on the road, it would quit after a couple of seconds. It was very warm...
The PackTalk units worked great. We discussed them at the end of this video: th-cam.com/video/TSoFt8pv1E4/w-d-xo.html I will see if I can do a full review in the near future. thanks!
Thanks, appreciate you input. The gas can is only used in emergencies and the water can when we get to the camp grounds. There was only one bag on top of the cans and it is very easy to remove.
Living Off The Slab okey ya entiendo la razón y te felicito por tu Block lo sigo ya que me interesa mucho la super tenere y su desempeño además los paisajes de Canadá para mi son fabulosos un saludo
Craig - Here's all you need to get the gas out of your Rotopax container, or any other container. I keep one in my Jeep, and take one with me on any motorcycle trips that may have a 'lack of fuel stops' issue. I like the looks of the kit from Aerostich, although I just have the siphon hose similar to the one from Revzilla. Thanks for the info! http:www.aerostich.com/e-fill-siphon.html www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/bike-master-super-siphon
We call them "pour proof spouts"... and the crazy thing is that because of all the fiddling needed to get them to work I've NEVER been able to use one without... SPILLING GAS.
Mr. Living Off the Slab, thank you tremendously for this specific and informative video. I've just received a Rotopax gas can and mount for my dirt bike. I suspected the spout would be trouble. Not only did you confirm this, saving me from outback trouble, you provided a very achievable solution. Additionally, you noted the vapor pressure within the can can make removal difficult. This is valuable information. I'm contemplating modifying the T-handle, possibly to accept a tire spoon "extension," for hot weather adventures. You also informed me to leave some unfilled capacity for vapor expansion. I hadn't thought of this. Many thanks!
I have a cheap copy of a rotopax and it works. I used the corrugated spout once then found that a Gatorade bottle cut in half makes a perfect funnel for my Honda. It stays in place in the tank filler and I can pour from the can without a spout. On a recent trip I firgot my funnel and a 2 liter soda bottle worked almost as well.
THanks that answered some questions I had on the Rotopax system. It bothers me that the 1 gallon doesn't have an air vent where the other models do. So I will be fixing a brass pep-cock or tire air stem to the tank. Also I will be drilling lightening holes into the hardware, way to much metal needed to do the job, hell I may 3d print my own mounting system.
I ride with my Rotopax filled all the time for 2 reasons, one is because I really enjoy rolling through a town and knowing that if I decide to skip the station I have insurance against my poor choices which I occasionally make! The second reason actually happened last summer where I came across a fellow rider and his wife on the side of the road and had to use their water bladder hose to siphon a couple of litres out of my tank for them - which left me thinking maybe I won't be able to make it to the next town. Love my Rotopax.
+Sean Steede, It is never a bad idea to plan ahead, or be able to help other riders. Thanks!
Dear friend Craig, I was last July 2017 in Alaska, Prudhoe Bay and take the same containers that you 1 gallon, really the one that used the most was water, very useful in the different camps where I stay, the gasoline it I used only in a segment of the Dalton Hwy which is from Coolfood to Prudhoe Bay, it is a long segment without gas stations and my F800GS was already rolling with the reserve, very good containers thank you for your review
Thanks for adding to the discussion!
I run short of gas at about 120 miles. I've got a big cruiser though and no hard points to attach the locking system, do you think I could snug them down under my soft luggage with cam or ratchet straps through the handles? I like their durability.
Sure, depending on what you have for a tack, that should work.
@@LivingOffTheSlab Thank you.
Can you provide the link one more time for the flat rack that you used in place of rear seat? Or tell me which video that was in so I can look that up? Thanks. Love your channel, have learned a lot!
Thanks for watching, glad you like the videos. I got the rack from RevZilla, it is an AltRider rack. You can also get it directly from AltRider. Here is a link on my website that contains links where you can get the items on Amazon (these are from the AltRider store). craigripley.com/living-off-the-slab/blog-tenere-accessories.html
I made the trip from Portland to Prudhoe Bay in August. I was on my BMW1200 GS which normally has a range of 280 miles or so. From Coldfoot to Prudhoe is 230 miles so no problem right? But than it started raining hard. I was down to 15 mph in second gear for half the trip. Needless to say I needed extra fuel and I'm glad I had a 1 gallon Rotopax with me. I use Rotopax tanks on my Husqvarna 701 also. I've had them for years and never had an issue with the nozzles.
I agree, having the Rotopax was a good idea, even if we did not need them most of the time. Thanks for the input!
Fyi, at least here in middle Tennessee the Ace hardware stores and some plumbing supply houses carry a retrofit spout to get get rid of the JUNK that comes with new gas cans..just an fyi. Thanks for your time making these videos.
Thank you!
On my S10 I put the cans low on the crash bars to keep the weight low
How about the infamous "240 miles until next services" @ Deadhorse? No issues with gas by anyone?
Love to learn all about your adventure. Thanks for sharing.
+born2bWildNE, We did not go to Deadhorse so I cannot speak to that. We just did not have time to see it all.
Duh - if I knew that! Watching too many Alaskan adventure vids, getting them mixed up with this ole brain!!!
The Coldfoot to Deadhorse leg is the farthest you will have to go with no services. I had a rotopax for insurance, but the 8 gallon GSA made it on only 2/3 of a tank. Anything else would want a couple gallons on board, and they did. On the route up the Cassiar and on west to Whitehorse, rotopax still empty, my first planned fuel stop wasn't open (too early!) and another was just closed. The next had gas but no diesel for the RV sitting there, waiting. The could just as well been the gas situation.
Other than the Dalton stretch, in general there are no issues from Prince George to Fairbanks, especially if you subscribe to the philosophy of 'Never pass a gas station without topping off'.
The only time you have too much gas is when you are on fire.
Thanks for the input!
Very nice Craig. Thanks for sharing.
+Augusto Saviatto, Thank you!
I bought that same yellow spout off ebay for my 5 gallon lawn tractor gas container...it works great!
You can get them off of Ebay, Amazon or directly from Rotopax. Thanks!
Very good review, I've been looking at those canisters. Thanks a lot, sounds like they are worth having.
Except for the EPA spout, they are great, Thanks!
Altitude will also be a factor to air pressure inside your tanks. My fuel Carrier is mounted with the filler neck upright on the non muffler side, inside the pannier bracket. Filler Spout rearward so I don't have to remove to fill it at a gas station. It's actually right behind the left turn signal on my bike. My water carrier is mounted to the outter wall of my top box nearest my back. Fill neck up. For balanced weight distrubution! When I'm going to be changing altitudes I always burp my 2 tanks to relive pressure or vaccuum. Lost one one time because I was always taking it off and putting it on, and one say I guess I didn't get it tight enough because when I stopped for the day it was gone. Could have been stolen as a gas station when I was inside eating! Dunno! NOw I can see them and they are hard to get off.
And I have a water sprayer motor and spray head on a length of tubing so I can use my water jug as an evaporative swamp cooler when crossing the deserts in the summer. Just a simple long sleeve cotton T shirt, worn under a mesh riding jacket , the sprayer set up (actually a SUV's rear window water sprayer system) and a momentary on push buttom 12 volt switch at the sprayer head. Unwind the 1/4 inch tubing (approx 30 inches) from around the handlebars, push the button and hose down my upper body & arms with the water spray and ride until dry. It actually gets very cold. Prudent Timing will allow you to be almost dry when you step off the bike. And nothing like riding the desert dry air, with air conditioning on a motorcycle. I also keep my water supply drinkable so I can sip on the little sprayer tip with my modular helmet on.
3 years ago I developed a insulated over bag for the Rotopax to keep the water and tubing from heating up so bad in the hot sun. Better for drinking!
It works for me!
Thanks for sharing!
Perhaps I have beginner's luck, but I put on the factory EPA spout, put the tip into my tank, and let the "foot" thing push against the rim of filler opening. It drains perfectly, albeit slower than if I just use a water spout. On the other hand, once inserted, holding it is a one hand effort, and the can drains completely into my tank. It sure seems like people like to make it harder than it really is.
My biggest complaint is that the locking cap sits an inch proud of the can. If I put a duffel on top, I'm afraid that it will wear a hole in the duffel.
Glad the spout is working out for you, but for me there are some things that just do not need to be complicated. Thanks!
I took a extra gas with me on my trip British Columbia I only have used it once I went over the mountains from Alberta to British no problems well on the way back it seemed to use a lot more gas and I ran or was just about to run out at the top of the mountains. I carried my gas in one of my panniers unfortunately the rubber seal in the container was not gas and rotted pretty quick.
Yeah, I've got a similar spout on my 1-gallon container. What a royal P-I-T-A! I end up just pouring the gas out slowly with the container at a slight angle. I don't believe I can get one of those types of spouts for my container. BTW, my cousin Javier from Boise asked if you made it back in one piece. I told him you barely did. 😆
+thehexter1, Tell Javier we said hello...and who knows, we might be back. Thanks!
thehexter1 if you have a TSC (tractor supply Co) near you they sell the old style nozzle for gas cans
Well we ran out of gas last summer going to Colorado, it was in all places Ohio. We fill up at a Ma and Pa gas station and got bad gas and our mileage was almost cut in half. I can say always get gas at name brand gas stations.
+Mot Chraighe, I agree, but sometimes you don't have a choice. We carried fuel treatment for those times when we could not get good gas.
This is true in Labrador we filled up at the only gas station for miles and hoped the gas was good.
Exactly. Those EPA approved nozzles result in a lot of gas dumped on the ground. No value whatsoever. Also replacing mine after trying to use the official ones many times.
I'm going to buy a Super Tenere in a few months and I plan to use it in almost exactly the same way you are using yours. I have done all of the necessary research on my own and come to the conclusion that if there is a perfect bike for me on that kind of adventure, the Super Tenere is it. You and several other TH-camrs confirm that. But I still have one problem. I found a dealership that matches all of your (and my) criteria and has a Super Tenere on sale.
So what is the problem? It is not the ES version. The salesman tells me the electronic suspension adjustment part of the ES is an unnecessary frill, and he is quite convincing on that. Part of his job is to make sure every buyer understands how to adjust his/her suspension no matter what bike he sells, and you must have that set for your person and riding style before you take it off the lot. After that, one can use a screwdriver and the manual to allow for changes in luggage, pillion passenger, road conditions, etc. Can be done in minutes. Makes sense. So, I turn to you with this simple question:
Did you find the electronic suspension adjustment very useful, sort of useful, or something you forgot you even had? How often did you switch from one suspension mode (84 possibilities!) to another while on your recent Alaska adventure? Did it save you any time or frustration at all?
I can't count on the "fluff journalism" of the magazines and sponsored TH-cam channels for this. Of course they will say good things about it. I do trust guys like you, but guys like you don't comment on it. That is why I must ask.
+geoangle, The truth is that you do not adjust your suspension very often. I have one setting that I normally ride with and then I adjust for loads like on this last trip. I made adjustments once after I left home to stiffen up the suspension. Did the ES make that easier, Yes. The other thing the ES comes with is the heated grips...which I use a lot riding in New England and of course on the Alaska trip. Would I buy the ES again, yes; because of ease of suspension adjustment and the heated grips.
Thank you for the Tip... i do the same with ma rotopax... 👍👍👍
Thanks!
That gas spout design is for safety, not pollution. It's supposed to keep you from spilling gas. I have the same on the gas can for my mower. It's a PITA. When you push on it you have to keep it firmly pushed in; if you let up at all it closes. Your solution is good.
However, it sounds like you really didn't need either container since you were carrying them empty most of the time. I use a foldable five-gallon jug for camp water. It has a built in spout and you can perch it on the side of a picnic table and use it like a faucet.
Running out of gas in SD was obviously preventable.
You are correct, in most situations the containers are not needed. For the Alaska trip, I would still take them as a precaution, but for most other rides I will not bother to take them along. Thanks!
I've never had an issue with any of my Rotopax nozzles. My guess is that yours was broken.
+David Wheeled, I guess it is possible. I made sure to practice with it before I left and it worked fine, but when I used it on the road, it would quit after a couple of seconds. It was very warm...
Here are the NEW 2020 RollpaX good for mounting on bars:
th-cam.com/video/KRjyxLl6dQ0/w-d-xo.html
Thanks!
Great videos! How did your Bluetooth communication system work? Please review! Next trip shout be Mexico or South America!
The PackTalk units worked great. We discussed them at the end of this video: th-cam.com/video/TSoFt8pv1E4/w-d-xo.html I will see if I can do a full review in the near future. thanks!
fill the tank when you can, not when you have to! Thats my take on the fule issue....
What I do most of the time. The one time I don't follow my own rules and I run out of gas...LOL.
Looks like Going to the Sun Rd in the intro.
+skyhawk5265, Yes it is. I updated the intro to include some video from our trip.
Buen producto pero muy mal colocado ya que hay que bajar todo el equipo de la moto para usarlos
Thanks, appreciate you input. The gas can is only used in emergencies and the water can when we get to the camp grounds. There was only one bag on top of the cans and it is very easy to remove.
Living Off The Slab okey ya entiendo la razón y te felicito por tu Block lo sigo ya que me interesa mucho la super tenere y su desempeño además los paisajes de Canadá para mi son fabulosos un saludo
Craig - Here's all you need to get the gas out of your Rotopax container, or any other container. I keep one in my Jeep, and take one with me on any motorcycle trips that may have a 'lack of fuel stops' issue. I like the looks of the kit from Aerostich, although I just have the siphon hose similar to the one from Revzilla. Thanks for the info!
http:www.aerostich.com/e-fill-siphon.html
www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/bike-master-super-siphon
Thanks for the links. That would have been good to steal gas from Steve's 8 gallon tank (on the Ducati).
Worst design ever for a gas spout!
+PistolPete63, Yep!
We call them "pour proof spouts"... and the crazy thing is that because of all the fiddling needed to get them to work I've NEVER been able to use one without... SPILLING GAS.
Thank you California Air Resources Board for that POS.
Like Pistol Pete said horrible spout I threw all mine out
Thanks!
All these new gas spouts are junk.
+David Phillips, I agree, too complicated.
Designed by the EPA and worst.. lawyers. 👎
Spout designed by electric car manufacturer
Nice!