Crane will usually burn 40-70 gallons a day, depending how far we drive and how long of a job it is that day. Most jobs take 5-8 hours start to finish. Probably average 2-3 jobs a week. I fuel daily if its parked on a jobsite, (100 gallon tank) if it goes to a one day job and comes home, it gets fueled when it drives into the shop yard.
Crane does a lot of idling on jobsite work, driving is pulling hard. Crane had sat for a year and a half before I purchased it, I've had it 8 months or so now.
On the vent, it has a plastic german fuel tank cap that's a piece of junk, it doesn't attach very tight. I have a new cap for it, but its a different design locking cap, that you have to use the key on to open and shut. I haven't modified the key structure on it yet. The cap is flat on the upper deck where everyone walks mounting counterweight, so if the key stays in, its getting broken off. Multiple people fuel, so I can't just have the key in my pocket either.
I like the valve shut off idea also. I'll have to figure out what threads are on the line, all the hydraulics are DIN fittings, not readily available. I don't know what the fuel lines are, most likely metric of some kind. The other issue with a shut off at the filter, the filters are under a 4'x4' panel, that's right under the counterweights, not exactly easy access, but every problem has a solution. Maybe at the top of the tank, and a access hole in the deck.
Its done the three- four week after changing filters then losing prime event three times now. New fuel filters instantly cure the problem. Before we changed the filters last week, it would lose prime over a 1/2 hour lunch.
Just for reference, its common to leave it with counterweights on spun to the rear, or else with the boom laid down over the nose like how we drive it down the road. With the counterweights over the rear, fuel filter access is impossible, without something else to drag the crane around, and releasing the swing brake pressure. Its why I'd kinda like to get it sorted out, before it dies and it
won't restart with cranking, that's when I'm really going to have issues.
Pictures should give a idea of covers/ access and locations. The upper cover panel with the black handles I remove daily for checking oil, its not bad to remove, kinda tight if the boom is in the rest. The lower panel is above the filters, and its a little worse if the boom is in the rest, but would be really difficult if the counterweight is on top of it.