GOOD NEWS - BAD NEWS

[boxcarOkie]

Flatspot:  Did you see anything else that sparked interest at the show?

Most everything that we saw was basically old hat.  New items are the television in a compartment for outside viewing, seems that this is the current "big deal."  I did have one interesting thing happen.  Was talking to a guy who was representing KOA.  He inquired "Do you have an RV?" to which I replied, "Uh, yeah, sorta uh." and then I showed him a photo on my I touch of Daddy's Hobby (Our Eagle Coach).
 
He looked at it and then he said, "An '83 model?" which blew me away.

It has had the roof raised 8 inches, new windows, low profile AC/Heat Pumps, LED's, #15 windshields and Peterbilt headlights (to make it appear as it it is an '89 model) and he nails it."  Every now and then, you run across a guy who is a tad bit sharper than the rest, this was the case here.

I thought that was pretty incredible.
BCO 

TomC:  Compressed natural gas (CNG) is pumped up to 3500psi in big tanks that look like over sized SCUBA tanks with composite coating to protect the tanks.  All the problems with LNG go away with CNG.  But-the tanks have to be inspected every 5 years and replaced every 20 years.  To get 85 gal equivalent Diesel fuel capacity, you usually run 5 tanks.  And when you replace the tanks, they are about $8,500.00 a piece!

That is almost exactly what these tanks in the bay area of the coach looked like.  You had a very interesting comment, learned some more that I did not know, simply by reading it.  Thanks.
BCO

Belfert:  I know that passengers at the State Fair constantly complained about the exhaust fumes when we burned CNG. 

When we visited Hearst-San Simeon a couple of years ago, all the buses were CNC or LNG and when they started up the hill, you sure could tell it.  Interesting place, if you have not been there, you might want to check it out.
BCO

Happycamperbrat:  Well something has to get done! I just filled up my little Chevy skateboard after church this morning. It cost $4.01 per gallon for the cheapest gas. My little car took 8 point something gallons to fill it up, cost me $35.00 IF diesel were that low here (which it isnt), at about 6 miles to the gallon I could go about 48 miles on $35.00 ......... so figure aprox 0.75 a mile to run diesel

It kind of gets to ya if you let it, when in fact, there isn't anything to do but "suck it up" and move on.  They have us right where they want us.  I bought a 1/4 of a tank yesterday and it was ONLY $150.00 ... did you ever think you would live so long?


Thank you all for your comments.

BCO

[TomC]

Another thing about natural gas exhaust-it puts out a tremendous amount of carbon monoxide-so much so that you'll never see an inside engine-like a fork lift or floor polisher (that would be normally running on propane)-run on it.  It would literally kill everyone inside.  I imagine that eventually we'll see more and more natural gas vehicles-since natural gas is a renewable resource (the Earth breathes natural gas).  But-I'd rather run on vegetable oil (like Rudolph Diesel originally designed the engine to do) then natural gas.  Good Luck, TomC