As I understand it, and admittedly my knowledge is limited,
you are grounded when filling your take by virtue of the
fact that the nozel itself is metal as is the filler neck to
your tank.

You are correct, It is unlikely that an explosion would
occur due to static electricity, it is also unlikely that I
will be involved in a collision every time I drive some
where... but I still do up my seatbelt.

Thanks,
Chris

---- Original message ----
>Date: Fri, 10 May 2002 12:56:40 -0700
>From: pensioner <al_knoll@PACBELL.NET>
>Subject: Re: gas can in your westy cargo area?
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
>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