On the juice

[Jerry32]

I get a little over seven MPG when not towing and over six with 4K lbs behind . It could be that the thermostats are not right but the coach has always run around 160 but takes about ten miles to get there. It may also be that with the extra cooling I get from heating the grease makes it harder to get the engine warm.  I know with the heat exchanger in the tank the grease is good and warm after a few hours on the road. I have thought about carrying some cubies in the pickup when I go and then could dipose of them after arrival. I'll keep looking for an answer to that problem and maybe something will pop up. Jerry

[wal1809]

Charlie tell me that green tank has oil in it  .    I have plenty of 35 gallon poly drums.  I could load them into another bay and just pump from them into the main tank.  The main tank should get us as far as one day (South Nebraska or northern Kansas).  We could just take a few minutes and pump the main full.  Then do it again when we get there and once more on the way home.

I am not using a trialer for my toad, I have a dolly.  I intend to get a double decker trailer eventually so I can tow the toad and a boat.

[artvonne]

  Everything ive read shows WVO at around 130K btu per gallon, while diesel, because of all the screwing bythe EPA, is averaging around 135K btu today. As such, you really shouldnt see any significant drop in fuel economy on WVO, unless its not burning properly.

  It should be pointed out, to those who may not know, that the larger diesel engines have different injection timing specs for fuels with different Cetane ratings, and they use different injector nozzles for different grades of fuel, such as Bunker fuel, etc..

  If I were running WVO exclusively, I would research the Cetane rating and find the correct nozzle for that viscosity fuel.  I believe you should be able to closely match the economy of diesel with the proper set up.

[wal1809]

What your saying makes a lot of sense, but it is on an everyday occasion I will be running on both WVO and Dinosaur diesel.  Having to run Dino D to get started and reach operating temps, then switching over to WVO.  I can't wait to put this baby on a long trip.  The last weekend in April we are headed on a 300 mile trip to Freer, Texas.  I got to pick up a load down there.  It will be a run down Friday night and return Saturday morning after I do my purchasing for the year.  It'll be good to get her on a long stretch and see what little bugs I need to work out.

[wal1809]

I just figured out that will take around 80 gallons of WVO to get to Freer and back.  Lets see $8.00 worth of WVO vs $320 worth of dinosaur diesel.  Sleep on the bus $0.00 vs hotel $100.  $420.00 knocked down to $8.00 plus incidentals.  Oh I forgot however much dinosaur diesel the gen will burn for a 24 hour period needs to be factored in there as well.

[Jerry32]

You will burn a little dino warming it up to go on grease. but that is small in comparison. Jerry

[Charley Davidson]

I've done the arithmetic many times 36,000 miles on $1,000.00 in diesel fuel has virtually paid for my bus. Sometimes I wish I was still traveling full time.

[wal1809]

Charlie D you just got to love those kind of figures.  I have so many trips planned I don't know which direction to go other than I know I am headed south in April.  If the timing works out I will be headed to Ft. Knox in August to see my syep son who is returning for a few weeks from the sand box.  His wife is expected to have their new baby in that time frame he is home.  So a week off to go up to Ky, I can dig it as I have never been there. 

[artvonne]

What your saying makes a lot of sense, but it is on an everyday occasion I will be running on both WVO and Dinosaur diesel.  Having to run Dino D to get started and reach operating temps, then switching over to WVO. 

  If your only using diesel to warm up, but traveling on WVO, then I would tune the motor for WVO. It will still run on diesel, it just wont be quite as efficient. I would guess the trade off would be about equal in either direction, excepting the difference in btu energy per gallon. But also, if its possible to get coking from WVO not burning optimally, then its even more important to tune for that fuel.

  So your running the Gen on WVO also?

[wal1809]

Hello Art,  No the gen set runs off of diesel.  The previous owner had a line attached to the main tank.  I kind of like it that way.  I have yet to tackle the fuel gauge project.  So if and when the genset quits I know I have 40 gallons left in the main tank.  I was headed to Weatherford last year when it cut off and believe me it takes about 1.5 seconds to be well over 100 degrees in htat beer can on wheels.  It was a holy crap moment to say the least.