If there are no more posts from me, here is why.

Took my van out and among other things, put in over half-tank of gasoline.

Took it home, parked it and that was it.

My wife went out with friends and came back in and said there is gas leaking from the van. I checked. Sure enough, gas leaking from some unknown spot in the middle of the van. I think this is where the gasoline tank it.

What to do?

I'm sure not going to start it up.

Not going to call 9-1-1, they will want to tow it but I don't want any metal on metal for the 1 in 1,000,000 chance of a spark.

I did a Google and found gasoline evaporates very quickly and it has been two hours + now.

I thought of pushing it into the dirt portion of my street; a privage street with a dirt road, so the gasoline will soak into the dirt. But then it won't evaporate.

My only thought is to take wife and kids to a hotel for the night. But if there is a fire, and the van is next to the house, I won't be here with my hose to try to salvage it.

For general information, cars rarely explode as seen in movies, they just start to burn and ultimately, the gasoline tank will rupture and that will intensify the fire.

Tiz a puzzlement.

So lastly, if I don't make it, sorry Bob, I won't be making that $1,500 donation.

Maybe the fates will be kind to me.

"What matters is not the tears he sheds but the vale of tears he leaves behind."

See Lady 0o, I remembered the quote marks.

What are you smokin', Problem Child?

Any updates? Hint call a mechanic. It's not as bad as you think it is.

gringal wrote:What are you smokin', Problem Child?

Yeah PC don't be a bogart, pass it along...……..

CanuckBob wrote:

gringal wrote:What are you smokin', Problem Child?

Yeah PC don't be a bogart, pass it along...……..

WTF is a "bogart"

BTW you ain't humble

Dave, remember how Humphrey Bogart held a cigarette between his thumb and forefinger which we are more accustomed to seeing joints held? Given that and the custom of pot smokers not each smoking their own but passing one joint from person to person, holding a joint too long before passing it on became known as “bogarting” or being a “bogart.” For a long time the term has come to be used over any item that is being shared. Recently at a dinner party the dish of butter was being passed around the table. Someone said, “Don’t bogart the butter” to somehold holding the dish and talking. There was even a popular song “Don't Bogart That Joint” in the 70s.

Will this screen name die and a new one come back, I think you do believe in (screen name) reincarnation

Intercasa wrote:Will this screen name die and a new one come back, I think you do believe in (screen name) reincarnation

I think that depends on how he handles this gas leak with the key word....matches.
(like how is he lighting up.... )

Intercasa wrote:Will this screen name die and a new one come back, I think you do believe in (screen name) reincarnation

Thanks for the insight Spencer.

Calling a mechanic at 8pm didn't seem the best option. So I did google it and calculating the amount of gas leaking, I figured it would evaporate quickly, so I hosed under the van every couple of hours.

I ultimately got it to my mechanic by Soriana. He dropped the tank and there was a 1.25" crack at the opper portion. Ih dropped the tank and did a large, overlapping fiberglass repair. I was amazed that the tank was plastic and not metal. The fates were on my side.

I am having it gone over front to back by my mechanic.

I'm now converting the van into a camper; raising the roof, putting in a LP camping stove, sink, etc. and plan on driving it NOB.

You can patch a leak in a gas tank temporarly with a bar of soap like ivory just scrape it over the hole a few time and drive it to the shop where they will remove tank drain it fill with water and weld it.
That is what a shadetree mechanic did for me between Jackson Ms and NOLA one time at 03:00. I drove on to NOLA for 3 days and back north to a mechanic the next week.

Never thought of that. It was literally a hairline crack. Might have worked if I had put some Super Glue on it . I wouldn't have through about soap since I would figure the gas would de solve it.

All's well that ends well.

I wonder if the folks at the U.S. border give special attention to cars with patches on their gas tanks.

Probably not very common, but it might get a second look.

On your computer search 'patched gas tanks U.S border customs officers' or any such combination and see all the creative ways gas tanks have been used for smuggling. After reading a few of the articles I'd guess gas tanks are one of the top places agents inspect. Of course the trick will be not getting sent to secondary. Since you won't be smuggling anything you won't be arrested but the process could be rather grueling.

I would hope they have sophisticated equipment that would be able to determine if there were a false compartment in a gas tank. Although I know they can pull over anyone to secondary inspection, I doubt my wife and I fit the profile that they used to determine who gets secondary inspection. but if it happens, I am not worried in fact it might be an interesting experience depending on the personality of the officers.

Intercasa wrote:

Amigo, anything else you have to say to me, please send by email.

Why?

"Problem Child" is probably the best name he has ever come up with.....

Combine them. Eric Blair the clueless problem child.

When I was a sweet young thang bogart meant getting the end of the cigarette wet as in, “Ewwww, don’t bogart that.”