Why are gas tank vents BELOW the fill port?!?

[rattyinmallorca]

I agree with the WABBoating, the design is crazy, no real way for new owners to gauge how full and then SPLAT - fuel all over the place, not great, also unnerves all the passengers and fuel assistants and fuel spews all over side of boat on onto scorching hot dock etc.

Mark

[da.bell]

Fill the tank slowly and there isn't an issue.

I am thinking that people are trying to make this out to be "a mountain out of a mole hill" issue.

[ajholt7]

Fill the tank slowly and there isn't an issue.

I am thinking that people are trying to make this out to be "a mountain out of a mole hill" issue.

X2. If it spills out I just grab the gas stations windshield squeegee and wipe the boat off. Then I get my but to the lake.

[Barefoot]

Easy solution is to just watch the vent and when the fuel vapors stop coming out, the tank is full. Tanks always been full and never had a spill...at least after the first time.

(Depends on the angle of the boat at the time but works really well).

[Ewok]

Easy solution is to just watch the vent and when the fuel vapors stop coming out, the tank is full. Tanks always been full and never had a spill...at least after the first time.

(Depends on the angle of the boat at the time but works really well).

X2, and opening up the other fill port helps to aid in venting the tank too. And go real slow and listen for when its full, it will let you know when its full. It takes a few fill ups to get the technique down.

[brett22i]

As you fill the tank and the vent will will "hiss" as air is pushed out of the tank by the fuel you are replacing it with. If you listen to the vent it will "gurgle" as gas starts to hit the vent opening. Once you hear it stop. Its a safe bet that you are very close to full.
I usually take 5-6 paper towels from the windsheild cleaning stand and roll them up like a long tube and wrap it around the pump nozzel closest to the handle, this tends to keep a tighter seal around the pump nozzel, making it easier to hear the vent pressure change and will help reduce the gas shower effect.

[IDBoating]

For all but the very last fillup of the season (when winterizing), I fill with five gallon gas cans at my dock. From the driver's side, too, since my dock is set up for driver's side docking (preferred for inboards, as it turns out). I don't know if there's a vent on the driver's side or not. I guess I'll be filling using the tried-and-true "listen carefully down the fill port" method.

[91Terminator]

For all but the very last fillup of the season (when winterizing), I fill with five gallon gas cans at my dock. From the driver's side, too, since my dock is set up for driver's side docking (preferred for inboards, as it turns out). I don't know if there's a vent on the driver's side or not. I guess I'll be filling using the tried-and-true "listen carefully down the fill port" method.

24Ve's have a fill neck on both sides, open the opposite fill neck of where your filling and it will vent very well and the slower you fill the better.

[da.bell]

The vent is only on the port side.

[zad0030]

But like people mentioned earlier, you dont want your tank 100% full. You need room for expansion. Otherwise it will expand and seep out the vent and ruin your decals/gelcoat.

[da.bell]

But like people mentioned earlier, you dont want your tank 100% full. You need room for expansion. Otherwise it will expand and seep out the vent and ruin your decals/gelcoat.

And polute the water

[gman]

Just fill slow otherwise you will be baptized in gasoline.

[Nobody]

X2. If it spills out I just grab the gas stations windshield squeegee and wipe the boat off. Then I get my but to the lake.

What about the next guy (girl) that uses the squeegee on their automobile window?

[Ewok]

What about the next guy (girl) that uses the squeegee on their automobile window?

Then they get a little extra help in dissolving the bugs on the windshield.

[embo]

It would be nice if there were a convenient way to know that you're close to that level. On my existing boat, it's easy because I can just open the engine hatch - the rear side of the fuel tank is clearly visible under the rear seat and you can just eyeball it. On the 24Ve, the fuel tank is under the floor and there is no visual indication. And the fuel gauge is no help - even the manual admits it's a rough estimate "to provide a margin of comfort" (?!?). Furthermore, the gauge swings wildly. There are obviously no baffles in our tanks!

I guess we DO have a "nearly full" indication - when the vent starts leaking gasoline. Not exactly ideal, though.

I don't know about anyone else, but something I learned back when I was in high school filling up vehicles for a job, you can use your ear to know when your full. Put your ear directly over the nozzle as you are filling your boat. Yes there are fumes but deal with it. You can hear when the tank is getting full just by how the sound changes. I have yet to over fuel a boat I have put fuel into.

Yes it would be nice if the hose from the filler hole to the tank were clear so that you could pop the rear hatch and see the fuel coming up the hose but this is the next best thing I have found to deal with this situation.

BTW, if you are putting the pump on auto-fill and then walking away...well. The only thing to be doing when fueling the boat is FUEL THE BOAT not anything else...and nobody but me puts fuel in my boat period.

Hope this helps keep the spills to a min.