Modding up a 4Runner takes a toll on average miles per gallon and overall vehicle range. As of the time of this post, what was an average of 19-21 mpg is now 16-17 mpg, or less around town! The 4Runner has a 23-gallon tank, which averages about 380-450 miles per tank depending on driving style and weight. We often go on long road trips (on or off-road) and find few (or pricey) gas stations in between, and we prefer to drive for long stretches with rest stops rather than stop at gas stations.
There are a few fuel storage out there, including traditional NATO-style jerry cans, plastic gasoline containers, RotoPax, and even an expanded fuel tank replacement. Of those choices, I chose to stick with jerry cans as they are of tried-and-true steel construction, have easily replaceable seals and parts, and each hold about 5.3 gallons (20L). RotoPax were another option, but they were much more expensive than the jerry cans, took up a much larger footprint (looking at 4-gallon size) and are said to bloat and require venting, which is an inconvenience when not mounted in a convenient location. Wavian USA sells some if the best, or perhaps only, NATO jerry cans in the United States. Each can also comes with an EPA certified safety spout, although they sell other spout/nozzle types a la carte.
Surprisingly, there are not too many dual-fuel tank roof rack mounting systems on the market. A few companies that make roof-rack compatible mounting systems are ARB, Eezi-Awn, FrontRunner, and Rhino-Rack. Most systems consist of a steel tray and one or two steel straps that wrap around the top of the jerry can to hold them in place. However, I needed the option to disassemble the fuel tank mounting system to fit in the garage. After some research, I settled on the ARB Dual Jerry Can Holder (ARB3500390), which can not only be locked to secure the jerry cans, but can also be deconstructed.
One side of the ARB Dual Jerry Can Holder’s “holding strap” slips into a slot in the back of the tray, which forms a hinge. The other side has an adjustable clasp that latches to the tray and can be secured with a standard padlock. Adhesive rubber pads are provided for the tray and holding strap to mitigate rubbing and rattling of the jerry cans. The holding strap comes in three pieces and must be assembled. I secured the holding tray to the Southern Style Offroad Full Length Roof Rack using 1/4-20 t-nut studs, washers, and nylock nuts.
Wavian customer support is also phenomenal. We brought both cans to Anza Borrego but only one of the two spouts. Part of the nozzle (which is plastic) broke during the first pour and I was not able to fill up. I shot a quick email to their customer support with photos and they sent a new nozzle, which arrived at home in two or three days. Unfortunately, there was another defect with that spout which caused it to leak when pouring. After Wavian heard of this second issue, they offered to send me any spout of my choosing. I highly recommend their Flexi-Nozzle, which is much easier to use than the “EPA-Certified” nozzle that is included by default. Specifically, because you need to “push in” the EPA-Certified nozzle into the fuel port to allow fuel to flow. This feature is what prevents the spout from leaking when not intentionally fueling, but it’s really another inconvenience… I’ve used the Flexi-Nozzle on multiple pours without issue, and am very happy with its performance.
Overall, I am very happy with this purchase and the additional ~160-180 miles of range. It is somewhat difficult lifting a 5-gallon can of gas onto the roof (weighs about 42 lb with the jerry can), but I am hoping to upgrade to a rear bumper with swingout soon to ease this pain.
