Useful Barrels - Functional Fuel Barrels, Liquid Storage and Refueling for Project Zomboid B42

Useful Barrels transforms ordinary metal barrels in Project Zomboid into functional containers for storing and transferring liquids. Instead of serving only as decorative objects, they can hold gasoline, water and other fluids using the Build 42 FluidContainer system.

You can use them to organize fuel reserves, refill vehicles and generators, or create a rainwater collector for your survival base.

The addon is designed for Project Zomboid Build 42. Multiplayer functionality is still experimental and has not been fully tested.

Main Features

• Functional liquid storage - Fill barrels with different types of fluids.
• Vehicle refueling - Transfer gasoline between compatible vehicles and containers.
• Generator refueling - Supply nearby generators directly from stored fuel.
• Rubber hoses - Use hoses to move gasoline between supported containers.
• Funnels - Pour gasoline into barrels and potentially speed up filling.
• Realistic weight - Encumbrance increases according to the amount of liquid stored.
• Rainwater collection - Convert suitable containers into rain collectors.
• Randomized contents - Barrels may initially contain different liquids and quantities.
• Sandbox settings - Customize the modification's behavior.

Closed barrels also prevent stored gasoline from evaporating.

How to Use Metal Barrels

Four types of metal barrels are supported.

To prepare one for storage:

1. Find a Pipe Wrench and a metal barrel.
2. Move the container to your base or garage.
3. Right-click the barrel.
4. Select Uncap to open its lid.
5. Find a Rubber Hose and Funnel.
6. Attach the necessary equipment to enable liquid transfers.

The actual weight depends on how much fluid is inside.

Important: Moving a completely filled 800-liter barrel is not realistically handled by the current system. The author warns that proper transportation mechanics have not yet been implemented.

Refueling Vehicles and Generators

Refuel a Vehicle

The system lets you transfer gasoline between a barrel and a compatible vehicle.

Requirements:

• The vehicle must be near the player.
• The engine must be switched off.
• The fuel tank must have available capacity.
• A barrel containing gasoline must be nearby.
• A Rubber Hose must be attached to the barrel or carried in your inventory.

The same system supports transferring fuel from a vehicle into a barrel.

Refuel a Generator

A nearby generator can receive gasoline directly from storage.

1. Position a barrel containing at least 1 liter of gasoline close to the generator.
2. Make sure the generator is switched off.
3. Check that its tank has enough free space.
4. Attach a Rubber Hose to the barrel or keep one in your inventory.
5. Right-click the generator and choose Refuel From Barrel.

This is particularly useful for bases that rely on generators for electricity.

Convert a Barrel into a Rain Collector

Metal barrels can also be adapted for collecting rainwater.

You will need:

• Welding Mask
• Welding Torch with at least two uses remaining
• A suitable metal barrel

Right-click the barrel and select Cut Lid.

The command may appear directly in the context menu or inside the barrel submenu.

For players interested in expanding water collection systems, the author also recommends Functional Gutters.

Vehicle Mod Compatibility

Support extends beyond standard Project Zomboid vehicles.

Custom cars and fuel trailers may work if their fuel tank definitions use the expected gas tank category and gasoline container type.

This compatibility depends on how each vehicle modification implements its components.

Other addons that override the same world tiles, including certain configurations of IDBFS, may cause conflicts.

Known Issues and Limitations

The modification has several important restrictions.

Barrels are more resistant to damage than before, but zombies can still destroy them relatively quickly.

Multiplayer Warning

Use this addon in multiplayer at your own risk.

The developer plans to improve multiplayer functionality, but current synchronization and gameplay behavior have not been fully verified.

For Build 41 players, the author recommends looking into the separate Fuel API modification instead.

Additional Integration

Useful Barrels supports Chuckleberry Finn's Mod Update and Alert System, allowing update information and changelogs to be viewed in-game when the integration is available.

With functional fuel storage, generator refueling and rainwater collection, ordinary industrial containers become useful survival equipment. The addon is especially relevant for bases that need to manage large quantities of gasoline and other liquids without relying entirely on portable containers.