There are many age old debates in the world of marine industry and recreation. Sailing vs. motorboating. Inboard vs. outboard. Which is worse, a jet skiers or a school or man-eating sharks. And so on.
Another less popular but still significant debate is aluminum marine fuel tanks vs. plastic marine fuel tanks. Both are widely used. Both are popular. So which is best for you?
There is no right answer to this question, but what we can at least do is go over some of the pros and cons of each. Read them. Weight them. Consider them. And then make up your own mind. So without further ad…
Plastic vs. Aluminum:
Aluminum Fuel Tanks: Properly mounted, a good custom aluminum marine fuel tank can outlast the boat! At the very least, expect to get several decades out of it.
Plastic Fuel Tanks: Over time, they can begin to leech gas vapor, making your bilge stink like fuel.
Aluminum: These days, new aluminum fuel tanks have baffles inside to keep the fuel from sloshing around. This is great for boat stability and fuel efficiency.
Plastic: They have a long life span. They are resistant to most corrosion, and thus are likely to outlast your boat (unless punctures or broken).
Aluminum: They can withstand more punishment than plastic. They are harder to puncture, and when struck they’ll dent rather than fracture or break. No need to spell out why this is a positive, right?
Plastic: They generally don’t have baffles inside, which means the fuel will slosh around a lot, leading to stress on the tank walls and less stability for your vessel.
Aluminum: In almost all cased, the tank in your boat will be a custom aluminum fuel tank made specifically for your boat. They’re all custom made, which makes getting replacements that perfectly match your boat easy. This also allows you to upgrade to something larger if you want to carry more fuel, or smaller if you want a lighter load.
Plastic: Custom plastic tanks are rare and expensive, so in most cases your choices will be limited to pre-made tanks and preconfigured designs.
As you can see, there are no right and wrong answers here. Both have their advantages, and both will last a long time in your boat, especially if you keep up with your maintenance and boat care. And we certainly hope you are!
Plastic is probably more common than aluminum at this point, and changes in boat fuel may mean long term changes in which is best for you and your boat, but for now we think it’s fair to say that there are no losers here. Choose either and you’re likely to walk away a happy boater.