Types of CF Jerry Can holders Post War

Robin Craig · #1 27-02-11, 19:38

Over the years there have been a couple of different designs and makes of the bolt on jerry can holders that the CF has used.

The major differences to them as seen in plan view is that the outer corners were rounded and have now become angular.

They all seem to have a four bolt pattern in the rear surface that is pretty generic and have a web strap to secure the can.

Can anyone please post what they have and what date they can atribute to them.

I am researching this as it makes a difference for a vehicle rebuild I will be undertaking soon.

Attached is a Supacat with what I believe is the later style. This vehicle came into service in 1997 and came out in 2007

Thanks

Robin

rob love · #2 27-02-11, 20:09

I first saw the angular ones used on the back of the 5/4 ton SEV vans. The two little holes in the corners shown in your photo were for the door catch socket if I recall. The MLVW had the round one on the step from Bombardier if I recall, but as they wore out, they were replaced with the angular style, which is all the CF carried from the 80s until present.

Robin Craig · #3 27-02-11, 22:23

So,

By what your saying Rob, by virtue of the fact that the last Ferrets were disposed in 1981, I should have two rounded corner jerry can holders on the rear vertical surface.

I have holes that match that grid perfectly.

I guess I would entertain offers from anyone who has one or a pair then!

In case your wonder why I am not looking for four jerry can holders, the other Ferret is being traded for a piece of hardware but thats another topic for another day.

Robin

Jon Skagfeld · #4 27-02-11, 22:51

BTW, Robin, you know of course that the black jerry can was for water, eh?

Not insulting your knowledge base, but some collectors think that "a jerry can's a jerry can" and fill up water ones with petrol.

Early water cans were black, replaced by the green current ones, although there are lots of black ones around.

Petrol cans (the metal ones) disappeared c.1988 or so. I recall seeing banded skids of metal ones being axed so that they were scrap. For shame.

The newer Sceptre green cans with either a red P (Petrol) or a yellow D (Diesel) seem to me to leak a bit more than the metal ones, especially when using the plastic "Spout, can, flexible".

God forbid one's calling it a horse cock anymore!

Robin Craig · #5 27-02-11, 23:00

John,

thanks for that, as im on my umpteenth lap around the block just having celebrated a birthday last friday yes I did know that but thanks for pointing it out.

Im interested to hear that the metal ones were around late that.

R

rob love · #6 28-02-11, 03:14

I would think that 99% of the ferret can brackets would have been the rounded style. Mind you, many of the Canadian ferrets also had locally made bracket/baskets which held both cans.

As to the water cans, the black plastic came in during the 70s I believe. Prior to that, the large mouth water can similar to the jerry can was in service. They are still to be found in excellent shape in the local military scrapyard.

The plastic jerry cans were a product of the mid 80s. There was also a more commercial design out there for a couple years in the early 80s, but it did not accept the horsecock, nor the fuel adapters for generators or yukon stoves. Seems to me Ed had photos of the various jerry cans in an article in Army Motors years back.

Scott Bentley · #7 28-02-11, 03:54

Although they are as rare as hens teeth, a 20 litre Plastic Can also existed for Naptha, having a blue tab instead.

I'm not sure what the nexus was for changing to the plastic cans, but if it was for environmental reasons I'd laugh, as Jon pointed out, the adaptors (horse cocks) both old and new leak like crazy. Also, nothing like trying to get the cap off of a can that was filled in previously cold weather. They could have at least put bigger nubs on the cap for the hammer beatings to remove the cap. I've also seen more than one split open when dropped off of the top on an APC.

rob love · #8 28-02-11, 04:25

The plastic jerry can was the greatest advance made in decades for the maintainer, especially when combined with the refuelling pods. The old steel cans would flake their lining, after being mushroomed off the back of the 5 tons. These pieces would either clog the screen on the horsecock (at which time the frustrated driver would either punch a hole in the screen or remove it altogether) or the pieces would go directly into the fuel system of the vehicles. The M113s were especially susceptible to them. They would get caught up in the quick disconnects at the powerpack, and starve the engines for fuel.

We still had problems with the plastic cans. The cans would be left with their tops off, or else get contaminated thru misuse like filling them with hull sludge. Guys would also use them for other liquids like antifreeze and not mark the can. It would end up being poured into a vehicle, and we (the mechanics) would then have to drain and purge the entire fuel system. Any small amounts of water in them would collect in the bottom of fuel tanks, and then freeze up the lines of the LSVWs at their low spots. But these are more the acts of carelessness of the operators than problems with the cans.

I have also seen where the plastic cans would catch fire when being filled on very cold, dry days. They did not ground like the old metal cans.

There were 4 or 5 different straps you could order for the cans to denote what liquid is in them. Besides the gas and diesel, and the naptha that Scotty mentioned, there was also one for decontamination fluid.