Fuel Mule

[stevem]

I was searching for a fueling option. I did not want to carry 5 gallon jugs and trailer storage would not work in my hanger. I just had a Smart Ass Fuel mule delivered. It is a 50 gallon tank with a 15 gal/hr pump on a motorized cart. It was a little pricey but was a good solution for me. I just filled it with 91 octane ethanol free costing $3.59/gal so it will pay for itself in a few hundred hours.  Loaded it in the bed of the truck on some Harbor Freight ramps without issues. The gas station is about 5 miles from the airport so it took very little time to fill the tank. I made one easy mod by adding a static discharge reel to the front for grounding. Fueling the plane took about 5 minutes. So far, I am very pleased with the Fuel Mule.There are a couple of videos on their website:

smartassproducts.net

[cole505]

Hi Stevem,

Wow! Extremely cool! May I ask the total cost of you fuel Mule? I wish I had one. I am still using 5 gallon motor cycle fuel containers it’s a huge pain to transport and lift them to fuel ⛽️ very nicely done!

Ray & Lucy ✅😊🇺🇸⛽️✈️

LSRM

[stevem]

It lists for 4500 but I got a $500 discount by signing up for their newsletter/email list. Shipping was $500. I am adding a fuel flow meter from GPI that costs $150. The static discharge reel was $80 from eBay. There are cheaper grounding cables on Amazon but I liked the retractable cable reel. The tank has internal baffles and is DOT approved for all fuels which is something you will not find in most transfer tanks. The fuel pump assembly is from GPI. Very good hydraulic brakes it went up and down the ramps easily once I learned how to line it up and how much throttle to use. The thumb throttle is similar to one on an e-bike. The build quality is excellent. Also excellent support. The hose and nozzle are much lighter than the typical 100LL self serve nozzle which made going up and down the ladder easy. Expensive, but is a quality product and a unique solution. My knees and arms tell me it was money well spent

[bigmo]

Not to poopoo the idea (I do think this is super cool), but I built a 50 gallon fuel trailer that has been working amazingly well for about $1200 all in. Found a nice Northern Tool all welded 4x4 trailer on Craigs for $400. Tank was $400. Pump, hose, grounding line etc. all about $400. I fly about 30-40 hours a month, so I go through a ton of gas. 100LL at my local airfield is $6.75. I can do 91 octane for around $3 at Sams. I've pumped about 1500 gallons through it with zero issues.

[stevem]

My issue was space for a trailer; otherwise, I would have done something similar. I keep 2 cars in the hangar, tools, storage shelves, workbench, etc. Just did not have room for a trailer in the hangar or at home. 

[fabricgator]

15 gallons an hour? It'll take me 2 hours and 18 minutes to top off both wings.

That would be too tempting to jam a wheel chock into the handle and wander away for a smoke and a cup of coffee...



A guy over at Rotax-owners just posted a 55 gal fuel trailer for sale $600



www.rotax-owner.com/en/classified-ads-rotax/tools-rotax-classified-ads/10507-55-gallon-fuel-trailer_1

I am guessing Santa Fe, New Mexico

[fabricgator]

stevem

Probably 15 GPM

[bigmo]

That’s a STEAL for that trailer.

[fabricgator]

I suspect it won't last long.