Brown Davis Africa
Australia's toughest tanks, now available in Africa
Long range fuel tanks and underbody protection, built in Australia since 1978 for the long gravel roads of the Kalahari, Namibia and beyond.
1978Building tanks since
220 LLargest single tank in the range
27Bakkies and 4x4s covered
3 yrsWarranty on every tank
Fewer fuel stops. More Africa.
In southern Africa the next fuel stop can be 400 km of gravel away, and the pumps are not always working when you get there. A Brown Davis tank lets you carry the fuel you need for long crossings into Botswana, Namibia and beyond, without jerry cans on the roof.
Pick your bakkie or 4×4 and we will show you every tank, guard and accessory made for it.
Cape Town to Dar es Salaam · 5 countries · 4 borders
6,000 km across Africa.
8 fuel stops. Or 4.
Four long legs, each more than 1,000 km, through Namibia, Botswana and Zambia. On a Ranger Raptor with the factory 80 L tank you stop for fuel 8 times between cities. With the FRAP22R1 140 L Brown Davis tank, 4.
- Cape Town → Windhoek1,480 km · N7 · B1Factory 80 LBrown Davis 140 L
- Windhoek → Gaborone1,100 km · Trans-KalahariFactory 80 LBrown Davis 140 L
- Gaborone → Lusaka1,465 km · A1 · KazungulaFactory 80 LBrown Davis 140 L
- Lusaka → Dar es Salaam1,945 km · Great North RoadFactory 80 LBrown Davis 140 L
Approximate road distances. Fuel stops between cities at 12 L/100 km, refilling in each city and keeping a 10% reserve. Fuel is not always available in small towns, so plan every leg.
Most popular in Africa
Ford Ranger Raptor 2022+
140 L steel replacement tank. Our top seller in Africa.
Land Cruiser 79 Series
185 L replacement, plus 105–110 L auxiliary tanks for single and double cab bakkies.
Land Cruiser 300 Series
87 L sub tank replacement and 150 L auxiliary tanks.
The Explore Life · Africa series
The Explore Life · Elephant Sands, Botswana
Why Brown Davis
Laser-cut aluminised steel
2.0 mm aluminised steel that resists corrosion. Made for corrugations, river crossings and rocky tracks.
Internal baffles
Baffles stop fuel surging on steep climbs and dune faces, and add strength to the tank.
Tapered approach angle
Tanks follow the factory lines, so ground clearance, ramp-over and departure angles stay the same.
Factory sender and filler
Replacement tanks reuse the factory sender, pump and filler, so your gauge and fuel cap work as before.
Pressure tested
Every tank is air pressure tested in our Melbourne factory before it ships.
3-year warranty
Backed by more than 45 years of building tanks for remote travel.
The jerry can maths
3½ jerry cans.
Or one Brown Davis tank.
The TH15R1 for the Hilux 2015–2025 replaces the factory 80 L tank with a 150 L Brown Davis tank in the same place. That extra 70 L is three and a half 20 L jerry cans you no longer strap to the roof.
3½ × 20 L · about 17 kg of diesel in each
Factory 80 LBrown Davis 150 L59 kgof diesel lifted by hand at every refill
4pours, caps and chances to spill
0cans on the roof with a Brown Davis tank
3½ × 20 L jerry cans
Brown Davis tank
Carrying it
On the roof rack, raising your centre of gravity
Under the vehicle, inside the chassis line
Refuelling
Stop, unstrap, pour, repeat 4 times
Fill at the bowser like your factory tank
Lifting
About 59 kg of diesel lifted by hand
Nothing to lift
Spills and fumes
Every pour is a chance to spill
Sealed system with a rollover valve
Theft
Cans on the roof are easy to take
Bolted to the chassis
Knowing what is left
Lift each can and guess
Read it on your fuel gauge
The Explore Life · Africa series
Africa series · 11 episodes
South Africa to Victoria Falls.
Eleven episodes of Africa.
Four years in the making, The Explore Life’s Africa series follows Matt, Dean and the crew in a Land Cruiser 200 and two Hiluxes, an N80 and an N70, from South Africa into Botswana. They chase black-maned lions across the Kalahari with bushfires closing in, pole a mokoro through the Okavango Delta and push through the flooded tracks of Moremi.
Then come Linyanti and Savuti, a broken N80 Hilux nursed out of the bush to Kasane, and a finish at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
EP 151:018 Nov 20254 Years in the Making... Our Biggest Trip YetMatt lands in South Africa to help Dean finish the Africa 4WD builds before the trip begins.
EP 724:2220 Dec 2025We Didn't Expect Africa to Look Like ThisInto Moremi Game Reserve, with creek crossings and flooded tracks.
EP 1137:007 Feb 2026The Trip That Broke Me...The Hilux is back on the road, and the team cross from Kasane into Zimbabwe.Route drawn from the episode descriptions. Approximate, not every track.
Our products
Long Range Fuel Tanks
Replacement and auxiliary tanks in steel and poly.
Under Vehicle Protection
3 mm steel guards for your sump, gearbox and transfer case.
Floor Mats
Deep tray mats cut for Land Cruiser and Hilux.
Fuel Filters
Pre-filter kits that catch water and dirt before they reach your injectors.
The Explore Life · Africa series
Tested by Australia's toughest tourers
Pat Callinan
Pat Callinan's touring rigs run Brown Davis tanks through the most remote parts of Australia on his own 4×4 adventure show.
4WD 24/7
The 4WD 24/7 crew carry Brown Davis long range tanks on their outback builds.
Molly Dixon
Molly's Land Cruiser 79 touring rig carries a Brown Davis independent-feed auxiliary tank.
Patriot Games
Patriot's expedition builds carry Brown Davis tanks and guards.
The Explore Life · Explore 4×4
Matt from The Explore Life (Explore 4×4) walked through how we build every tank. Their Africa series took the crew from South Africa through Botswana to Zimbabwe.
Our own builds
Our Hilux and Ranger test rigs prove every new tank on real tracks before it goes on sale.
Patriot Games