Private Bowsers - Info please

[Winco]

Gentlemen,

I have the opportunity to purchase a small bowser for AVGAS use. I don't know what it holds, but I suspect its around 250 galls. It looks in pretty good condition and has been used previously for AVGAS.
Does anyone know what the 'simple' rules and regulations are regarding the private use of such bowsers? Towing on the highway, storage etc?
As far as I can tell, it is NOT double skinned.
I would also be grateful if anyone has any info on the rules for keeping a bowser on your own property? My hope is that I can tow it up to the field to fill my aircraft up when required, and store it in my back garden or whatever when not in use. Any ideas chaps?
Many thanks in advance
The Winco

[scooter boy]

Official Rules:
AFAIK and very much off the top of my head
1. Not allowed to tow on the road unless you have attanded an ADR (hazchem) course (cut-off is 1000L I think, but you are still required to have been indoctrinated into the ways of the ADR license if it is less than 1000L I think)
2. Local fire brigade can advise on storage requirements - these may be onerous and expensive
3. You may also require a local authority fuel storage license.
4. several extinguishers/risk assessment etc...

Unofficial rules:
1. Ignore all of the above
2. keep it in an outbuilding - preferably some distance from your house so it doesn't become a huge water "still" and doesn't attract unwanted attention
3. Don't get caught

:ok: SB

[A and C]

Scooter boy has got it almost correct in that to tow the bowser on the road you have attend a one day course if the bowser has a capacity of 1000lts or less, any more and you have to do a longer course and pass an exam.

As far as I can see if the bowser is fully bunded there is no reason that you can't have it on your strip, but for all the reasons that he states I would keep it low key.

[tescoapp]

Just watch your weight of the trailer.

After the last set of changes to the license groups a standard auld bugger license covers you to pull up to 750kg with additional rules about unladen weights of the towing unit.

It's something a I had never bothered to worry about until we were stopped pulling a boat which some bright spark had decided to fuel before getting to where we were going. For some reason we had just swapped drivers so I was cursing the weight and the fact I was going to have to replace the bearings etc. We got pulled and weighed by the inspectorate, the eyes went up, a policeman started wandering towards me. Was looking at a 1k fine and 6-9 points, it was only when the plod was filling the paper work out that the plod spotted that I had a C+E which removed the 750kg limit. Which was a blessing because they had given up on us as they thought the trailer was coming off the road anyway and hadn't spotted that the trailer was way overloaded by about 300kg on its rated load.

The white caps I have always found to be very helpful at advise when it comes to this sort of thing. The couple of times I have phoned up Strathclyde police asking questions they were more than helpful. Even to the point of getting the police diving unit to drop by and educate a filling station about the common sense of filling a boat from the pump or making people fill a can and then decant into the boat tank.

I believe the most onorous thing you might find isn't the fire stuff, its the enviromental protection mafia. They will want it stored over some sort of sump. If you leak 250gals into the local sewage system it will cause mayhem.

[pistongone]

Going off topic slightly:} Trailers with an all up wight of less than 750kg are pretty much exempt from any extra rules, tyres lighting not withstanding:eek: Over 750kg you must have a functioning braking system installed on the trailer. Also check the VIN plate for the towing vehicle, you will find a maximum train weight for said vehicle. Gross weight of towing vehicle subtracted from max train weight will give you the max trailer weight allowed. Unless your'e a Gipsy with a great big caravan on the back of a Cavalier:uhoh: :uhoh: Then the cops cant be ars*d to do the paper work!
I wonder what the Gipsy equivalent in aviation would be:sad:

[tescoapp]

Thankfully as you say nobody has a clue or cares apart from the inspectorate boys. .

http://www.direct.gov.uk/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/TowingAndCommercialVehiclesArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=10013073&chk=BIZx8Z

[stiknruda]

I suggest that you contact one of the premier Avgas/Jet A suppliers as you'll probably need them to fill you up and because they will be able to let you know what is required in terms of the bowser. Specifically:



internal lining - epicote or such-like

bonding and frequency of continuity checks

filtration - testing of filters (differential pressure), frequency of filter change, approved filter suppliers (Fram/Facet)

low point drain checks

hose end filter - to stop a burst paper filter finding its way into your a/c tank and spoiling your whole day!

water finding paste or Shell capsules

bunding if required these days


Much more to doing it properly than meets the eye.

[tescoapp]

Just a link to the ADR rules which came into force in May

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2004/20040568.htm

Looks like they have reduced the threshold for Exemptions

Its now 500kg or 500 litres.

PS pistongone what does the 119 code on my license mean then?
The other drivers didn't have it and it was what got me off so to speak.

I wonder what the Gipsy equivalent in aviation would be

PFA ;)

[RatherBeFlying]

You may want to check with your insurance to make sure you do have coverage if anything happens:\

I once heard an enormous clank opposite me when a large trailer come off the idiot coming the other way and had an interesting view of the trailer's pirouettes before it went to the ditch. Never forget your safety chains:eek:

[pistongone]

Tescoapp,
I am guessing you have taken a tanker trailer course?
Not totally sure but i know the 750kg without brakes rule as i got stopped by the police and weighed at a weigh bridge. Trailer whent 780kg and he wouldnt let me take a 56lb mud anchor and a 25ltr jerrycan out of the boat and put it in my car:ugh: And the magistrate seemed to think i was public enemy number one for having 30 kilo's too much in my boat! What i dont understand is- my brakes on my car are the only brakes on the outfit! So what is the difference if i put the jerrycan in my car or the boat? Still gives them job to keep em off the dole:ok:

[shortstripper]

Bl@@dy Hell! I've been pulled over before before driving a clapped out Mk1 landrover with a dodgy trailer pulling around 4 tonnes of straw. The policeman wanted to have a look at the landrover as he was an enthusiastic
4X4 fan :p

Who says farmers get away with murder? ;)

SS

[tescoapp]

Yes did the 10 modules as they are now but the limit of my tanker driving was collecting Milk in an artic. I really don't have a clue about the rules under B or D1 quals. I know what I think is outside my limits eg Class 2 and drag trailer even though I can drive a class 1 and D group

The whole ADR thing is really a paper work exercise. The whole of the 5 day course can be done in 10 mins. Make sure your paper work is legal and if anything goes wrong, grab your paper work and run, and when your about ready to loose the ability to breath, try and get an extra 100 yards. With your last breath phone 999 and tell them where you are and whats on board.


To be honest I really don't understand the new photo license or the rules everytime i get a new one it gets changed. (And even the transport managers seem to be a bit confussed). In the old days we used to get a nice seperate HGV license in carboard book, your master was the local traffic commisioner. Now they seem to be more into operators and don't seem to deal with the drivers.

The 750kg thing isn't the only limit for braked systems. The towing unit has to have an unladen weight of more than 750kg otherwise your limit is the unladen weight of the unit. Sticking some ballast in the back doesn't count.
They reckon if the trailer is more than the unit it will lift the rear of the towing unit and will jack. Also if you get into fish tailing your dead apparently. Although I have seen carvans rolling due to the driver braking instead of accelerating at alot less than the towing units weight. And i have a feeling that after 750kg your meant to have a hydralic braking system and not just a cable and drum brake.

The artics have weight bais units which are meant to shift the braking load further rearwards as the weight increases. You can see when they are knackard when an artic hits the brakes and the rear locks up and starts bouncing. Its becoming less now that ABS suzies are becoming standard on units and trailers. Thats if you can be bothered plugging them in of course.

Personally I doudt that even 5% of the trailers that are on the road are legal and even less than that drivers have a clue what they are doing with a trailer. The ones that do have a clue are either farmers or horsy types/ those that pull caravans/ boats. HGV drivers are crap away from close coupled units the longer the trailer the easier it is until you get up to about 40mt when it starts getting a bitch on country/town roads

[floppyjock]

Winco

Ive got a 18000 gal bowser for storing AVGAS. Been using it now for a couple of months.

Talk to you local council tell them what you want to do. I found them a great help but it may change from council to council.

I dont use it on the road as I get fuel delivered, so need to involve the H&S people or HAZMAT etc. The council should be able to help

We only store 3000 gal at a time in it so we have a licence to store upto that. The Petrolium Licence is only around £40. ( Which you must have) We also had to build a bund to hold 110% of the total stored ie 3300 gal and put up the no smoking signs etc. It also had to be at least 5 m from buildings.

Hope this helps
Floppy