Condensation on my gas tank! D:

[HondaClaw]

Should I worry about condensation on the outside of my tank? I've had a bad experience with a rusty tank in the past.. (really dirtied my carb) and I've had (the same tank) a bad experience with a really leaky tank.. Nothing to worry about or should I invest in something better than a tarp?

[tri again]

another good reason to know (general) location of members.
Not to be funny but I remember in newengland there was a prob
AND a fix for condensation on the outside of toilet tanks.

Cold water would cause humidity to condense on the outside and drip to the floors and rot them.

Doesn't make too much sense however.

See here on the west coast, it's between 80-90 every day but high 40's at night so
cold gas would be more likely to cause condensation during the day.
Then again the humidity is relatively low.

They say whatever, the best thing to do is keep the tanks full so they can't condense
on the IN side.
Your situation has me a bit baffled.

I personally hate tarps.
On a dry sunny day the only things that are damp is stuff under tarps.

I love cardboard. scrap piece of plywood on top of the tank
and under the handlebars..bungee to keep the wind from reaaranging it. works good too.
Cardboard kinda melts over stuff and allows air to circulate.

I left a piece on an sx for so long it actually is starting to look like a custom moulded seat and fenders.

Honestly thought about spraying it with some sort of plasticizer and using it as a
'disposable' set of fenders.

[HondaClaw]

Ha I like your cardboard idea haha but my tank is on reserve, so I'm a little worried, I will fill it up tomorrow though before I go on a trail ride with my crew.. As long as I keep steady gas in it then I should be good, thanks man. =]

[zackwhite]

as long as u dont got a hole in tank and theres not alot of bad rust in it then tank will be fine

[tri again]

Ha I like your cardboard idea haha but my tank is on reserve, so I'm a little worried, I will fill it up tomorrow though before I go on a trail ride with my crew.. As long as I keep steady gas in it then I should be good, thanks man. =]

yupp, no oxygen, no rust, right?
I have a gorgeous sx, garage kept, orig owner
and you can put a fist thru the new new looking tank.
They drained the tank years ago, left the cap on and it self destructed from rust inside.

It is the most beautiful new looking (useless) tank I've ever seen.
Ethanol free gas, if you can find it, runs cooler and doesn't have the alleged 100 day shelf life.
Sometimes boat marinas and small airports have it and hardcore chainsaw shops know where to get it.

If you've ever seen a couple drops of water in a 'shotglass' of gas, it just lays in the bottom
trying to dig a hole to the outside.

Have fun on your ride.
We may have to hit the dunes tomorrow and shake up our own gas.

[HondaClaw]

Hey thanks man, have fun out on the dunes. I'll have fun in my mud x]

[El Camexican]

The comment about keeping the tank full is very true and water in fuel will accumulate in the bottom of whatever it is in, tank, floatbowl, etc. Also tarps are like green houses, hot and humid. Great for the plastic, but not for the metal. If you must store your toys outside use something that breathes like canvas, or cloth.

[HondaClaw]

But can't water get through canvas and cloth?

[El Camexican]

But can't water get through canvas and cloth?

Yes, but it will dry up and not do anymore harm than washing your trike does.

[HondaClaw]

Do you think I'm better off without the tarp? It rains here often.

[El Camexican]

Do you think I'm better off without the tarp? It rains here often.

Hard to say. The Sun (it's UV rays) does such a number on plastic, seat and tires it does not seem like a good idea. Have you thought about building a small open sided enclosure, like a mini-car port? It just has to be big enough to cover the trike and tall enough to clear the bars. Look at the photos of my 1983 YTM200K trike posted on here. The plastic and seat are origional 1983 parts that came with it and the trike was parked under a roof at all times when not in use and covered with a tarp for at least 1/2 of the past 28 years. Now go look at some of the other plastic and seats out there that have been left in the sun.

[tri again]

I like a 3 by 4 foot piece of plywood lying on top
of the bars and to the grab bar.
It's the perfect angle to shed water and they don't trap moisture.

Heated garage would be better
El C has a good idea.
A mini shed just tall enough to run a trike or 2 and mower underneath.

I have a pile of sheetmetal roofing I'm going to go stare at
and see if I can make something like that right now.

I've just been dragging the non finished trikes around on pallets
and just cover them with plywood scraps.
They don't seem to mind.

I got one that had been wrapped oh so carefully in a tarp
and every square inch of that poor sob is RUUUUsted!!!
Pretty sure there is nothing usable on it.

Thanks for the motivation

[HondaClaw]

O.o now I need to get some plywood!