Jerry Can question...

[David]

It doesn't matter at all but I guess it would be easier to fill them while still in the holder if the sprouts face outward?

[Frank USMC]

Never heard that, but...I did see it posted one time, and it was on the gas can mounted on the M151 series of jeeps. The exhaust pipe ran under the gas can, and the post said you were to mount it so any spillage from the cap would not drip on the exhaust pipe.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

[dpcd67]

All nonsense; there is no prescribed way of putting a can into a bracket.

[Frank USMC]

dpcd67
Thinking more on it...I think I saw the posting for the gas can in the Army PM comic book. I will post later today in the M151 forum to see if anyone has a copy of it.
But, I am getting old...
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

[Joe Gopan]

At least fill the can so that the MV will not run out of gas while awaiting your command decision.

[David]

I guess it looks more 'aesthetically pleasing' to have it sprout facing outward on the rear of a jeep due to the mirror symmetry with the inward angle of the right top section of the spare wheel.... if that makes any sense.

[Chuck Lutz]

Probably easier to fill one that is mounted if the opening is away from the spare tire. Aside from that SOP would be to simply leave the empty by the side of the road in France and get a full one at the depot. Problem with that is the temptation to tap the PLUTO pipeline and have a ready made brand new 20 liter can of gas for sale on the black market.

The complaint that there was a shortage of cans to refill may be based on this and the fact that empty cans may have been crushed or damaged or just plain lost as well as "salvaged for personal non-military use" if you get my drift.

[Hammerhead]

Redcross184,
You'll find that people will come up to you at shows, displays, etc and tell you ALL kinds of things YOU did WRONG on your Vehicle! 99% of the time THEY don't even HAVE a vehicle! I've starting asking "what Jeep, Halftrack, etc do YOU have?" Like I said you'll find most have no vehicle and are trying to impress those around with their "boundless" knowledge on HMV's.

[khakiweb]

I know this is a late reply, and you've got the answer; but for what it's worth, I drove M151's for years in the Army -was signed for three of them as a squad leader- and NEVER, EVER did the topic of how to orient the fuel cans come up on any vehicle; never for an inspection, never for heavy-drop prep, never, never, never was any thought ever given to the direction the can faced; not at the platoon, company, battalion, or brigade level. but there are always nit-pickers, and perhaps some anal senior NCO or officer somewhere felt that fuel can orientation was a legit gig on an inspection where nothing else wrong could be found.

[dpcd67]

Even if it was in a PS magazine at some point, I assure you it was never in any other publication. We had the PS mag crew once in our motor pool for a week in the 2-70 Armor battalion. They were just looking for stuff to fill the magazine; didn't matter if it was important stuff or not. I am not knocking PS; they have a lot of good stuff in them.
And as khaki said, I never heard it mentioned in my 28 years and I rode, (and drove sometimes because of incompetent drivers) about a million miles in 151s and Humvees.