I tried my 3 1/2 gallon red flat fuel pack on my P-650 this weekend with the following mods.

I installed water pipe foam insulation (Closed cell round foam that is slit lengthwise on one side) on the portion of the rack that would contact the fuel pack. I bought the insulation at Home Depot and it came in 48" lengths and had adhesive that sealed the slit. If you put the fuel pack across the plastic rack carrier, the plastic carrier makes the fuel pack ride higher than the rack tubing. By putting the foam on the rack tubes, it evens out the height, cushions the fuel pack mounting and allows for a more solid fit while protecting the rack finish. The foam is cheap enough to throw away when not using the fuel pack and the foam is easily trimmed to lenght with scissors. I have the rear rack rail extension and I was able to run the fuel pack against the rack and still strap on an IPI bag on top. The IPI bag was the same depth as the fuel pack and everything was solid using just the velcro mounting tabs to mount the fuel pack.

I also ran a zip tie through the hole in the fuel pack spout cap just in case the cap worked it's way loose. I used the fuel pack for three days of rough riding and did not loose a drop of fuel. The fuel pack states that the capacity is 3.26 gallons but will hold slightly more than 3.5 gallons. Do not overfill it, because the fuel pack will expand and bulge slightly. Don't ask me how I know that.

 

Sounds great, Im thinking about getting one of these also. I already have the foam insulation on my racks.

 

Just remove the plastic rear cover & strap the fuel-pac down, it will be level.
Good grief! what is the big deal in wearing a little paint off the racks, aren't these utility 4wheelers?
I have used a fuel-pac now for 3 years strap to all of my 4wheelers & no problems at all, no leakage & very little paint has rub off the racks.

 

Toner,

Good info. I swelled my packs too; even with some space inside. It gets hot in the covered bed of my truck sitting in the sun. I am going to make a pair of flat brackets to enclose the pack so I can slide it in one end. Then I can mount my cargo box on top of the brackets. I want the fuel pack at the lowest point for stability.

You might want to lube up the threads with some silicone. Once they get muddy they get very tight after a few uses. I always carry some dielectric grease along and use that when I need to relube the threads. Those caps won't come loose. Instead, you may find that it may leak if you can't get it tight enough (after the threads get dirty and the cap hard to turn). I was more worried about ripping the vent off. I bent one tang already, but, I have no idea how I did it.


bfb,

You live in New Mexico and my guess is you don't have rust issues like we do in the snow belt. I have my racks line-x'd so I don't have that problem either though. To each his own.

 

Keeping the paint from rubbing off the rack was not the purpose of the foam. The purpose was to make the fuel pack more stable by providing a flat surface and also allowing the straps to maintain better tension due to the ability to compress the foam slightly when installing. This provides a small degree of spring action to keep the straps under constant tension. I guess you could use a piece of chain or a lenght of rusty bailing wire to hook a gas can under the racks to swing like a milk bucket to carry fuel, but some of us appreciate proper engineering and like to keeps our quads looking good as an added bonus.

 

Dirtywhiteboy:
Yea, I didn't think about the rust problem, good point.
I too made a bracket to slide my fuel pack into & mount my hardcase on top of the brackets. So far it is working, no bending or cracking of the brackets. I rubber mounted all of the mounted section bolts, to keep down vibration. The true test will be this Summer when I spend 2 weeks in Colorado & Utah as those roads & trails are very rough, so if this pair of brackets hold up under those rough conditions, then it should hold up anywhere else.
I didn't cut/bolt or weld the metal for the bracket but instead I took some thick steel straps & bent them to fit the rear rack. Each strap is bolted a total of 4 bolts (rubber mounted) to the rack & the hard case is also rubber mounted to the metal straps. I put one metal strap from the center top to connect the two metal straps together, then also bolted the rear hard case through the center top strap. The hard case is bolted down to the metal straps a total of 9 rubber mounted bolts, hopefully this will keep any flexing down.
I learned last Summer in Colorado about having a spare gas can with a bolted on bracket to rubber mount the bracket, as that non rubber mount bracket busted at both mount points & I almost lost the gas can & mounting bracket, had to tie it on the rack with duck tape.
I never carry anything real heavy in the rear hard case, as this case is a made for the front rack, so it is smaller in overall size compared to a rear made hard case. By using the front case, mounted now to the brackets that sits above the fuel pack, the total height is still less than one of those tall rear hard case boxes.
I'll put a photo in my "Gallery photos" showing the brackets, just to give you an idea on how I did it.

 

If you are coming to Utah to ride, I recommend the Piute trail with a base camp at Marysvale Utah. (Located non Hwy 89 approx. 20 miles south of Richfield / I-70)They have a decent RV campground that has basic cabins, tent sites or RV sites. It is called Lizzy and Charlies and they cater to strictly ATV riders. You have access right from the campground to almost unlimited riding. Easy fuel and food in town (350 population). Marysvale also has other room options as well as you camping out on the trail itself. There is a good restraunt located at "Rock Candy mountain" on Hwy 89 approx. 5 miles north of Marysville that you can reach by riding the trail out of Marysville. Rock Candy mountain also has rooms and cabins available as well. You can ride the trail and stop at most towne along the way for fuel and supplies and also ride your ATV (legally) on designated paved roads in the towns. These small towns love ATVers and their $ and bend over backwards to provide conveniene. I too have ridden in the San Juan mtns of Colorado and was frustrated at times about the legality of not being able to access towns on my ATV.

 

Tonerpuke:
Thanks for the great info on the Paiute ATV trails. Yes, this is where I am headed after a short 4 days in the Silverton/Lake City area of Colorado.
I'll make a print of your suggestions of staying at the RV campground, as I will be taking the camper with me.
I have heard nothing but great reviews on the Paiute Trails & am really wanting August to get here NOW.

Colorado mountain towns need to wake up & get the laws changed, so us 4wheelers & other off-roaders can access the trails without having to use the truck/ trailer all the time.
Lake City DOES allow ATV's to use the paved roads to get to the trail heads, if your 4wheeler & you meet the following requirements :
ATV license plate mounted on the rear rack, drivers license, ATV insurance.
Any ATV State License plate will do but it has to be a "Plate" not a off-road sticker.

You might want to check with the law enforcement in Lake City before you ride your licensed ATV on the paved roads, as we all know, how one summer you can ride on the roads but the next summer you may not be able to ride on the paved roads.

 

Here is a link for the RV sites around Marysvale Utah (Paiute Trail high country)

Lizzy and Charlies RV park. Right in town, not fancy but has everything you need. Even a small 25 cent bike wash. http://www.marysvale.org/Lcrvpark/index.htm.

The next best place for RV's is at rock candy mountain resort 5 miles north of Marysvale.

 

Yep, the fuel pack is GREAT! I've used one for 2 yrs. ,now and am completely satisfied with it's performance! Thanks for the report!