I'm a little confused about this "static discharge".  IIRC my vanagon is not
electrically connected to the ground or to the supply tank by virtue of the
insulating rubber wheels.  Therefore such a discharge should not be able to
occur unless the spark jumps from the metal part of the car to the ground ~
6".

If a non-conductive container is placed on the floor of the van and the
device that has the charge "filler nozzle" or gas pump spigot is used to
fill it, I fail to see that there would be any significant difference in
"static" electricity discharge path from the car itself.  Certainly the a
surface discharge across the non conductive surface of a "plastic" container
to ground would involve the previous path "metal to ground" plus the surface
path plus the path through the non conductive floor material.

Seriously folks, an 8" spark from the gasoline supply tank is of the same
likelyhood as being struck by two meteors in sequence while you were filling
the tank.

Now grounding  before touching a rotary wing aircraft that has just landed
is a completely different story and can have spectacular results.

Any EHV folks care to comment?

Perhaps I haven't noticed all the explosions when our local lawn magicians
fill their plastic containers in the bed of the truck.  One's hearing does
decline in later years.  Huh?

pensioner