Food for Thought: Alternative power for a propane fridge and Wood powered vehicles

[BluffRat]

I'm not sure if this is quite the right place for this thread, not really sure where the right place is though. *shrug*<br /><br />So I know i haven't been around for AWHILE. So quick update. Been swamped at school but this semester the loads finally lightened! In the home stretch! I lived in my car for a grand total of 8 months(it was a blast!). Then the famz found out and i got guilt tripped(it's to dangerous! &nbsp;T_T) in to more 'conventional' living situation. So now i live in an small Cclass RV(some how a <em>'real'</em>&nbsp;toilet make it more 'conventional' to them.. *shrug*)<br /><br />Now on to what this post is really about!<br /><br /><br />I have only just come across these ideas so this will be more of a post of links. Figured someone here might find them interesting!&nbsp;<br /><br /><br />So first the fridge. Honestly, i don't use the fridge in my RV. I'v gotten so used to working with shelf-stable foods and 1-person meals that i really can't think of anything to put in it!(that's not true! I totally thought to put the cat food and litter in there, no worrys about bugs getting past the seal!) I haven't even turned it on yet(5 months later) XD<br /><br />But just because i don't use it doesn't mean others don't use their's so i'll pass along these alternative power ideas i'v come across. Because really the only thing a propane fridge needs to operate is a small heat source, who says it needs to be a propane flame.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.shtfblog.com/propane-to-solar-refrigeration-conversion-plan/">Converting a propane fridge to run off Motor/Solar heated oil</a> -Ok, so this is a link to a SHTF prepper blog. No plans just thoughts on how one might convert a propane fridge to run off oil heated by an engine or solar-thermal or something of that sort.&nbsp;<br /><br /><a href="http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=121646">Solar powered heating element/kerosene fridge</a> - This is a thread from the SurvivalistBoard(love). It's not long and the idea's are not explained in depth but gives a starting point. There's talk about running a fridge off kerosene. And also using a small heat strip powered by solar panel.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/alternative-refrigerator-zmaz75sozgoe.aspx">MotherEarthNews</a> - Here's another about alternative refrigeration.<br /><br /><br />NEXT, is WoodGas or Gasification. &nbsp;<br /><br />So, i first saw this whilst watching 'DoomsDay Preppers', it's a NatGeo show about real people who a preparing for the end of the world(or SHTF, TEOTWAWKI, ect.). In the very first ep. there's a guy running his truck 100% off a wood gasifier. I was like "WTF! OMG! Must find out if this is applicable to my rig! ASAP!" Unfortunately my rig dose a little to much moving for this to be practical in my situation(600+ miles a week) That doesn't mean i'v thrown it out completely. I could run a gen AND the stove off a small gasifier(and potentially the water heater). That would cut out propane costs completely and since a gasifier uses what would be considered trash wood, fuel could be acquired for next to nothing(or literally nothing!).<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_gas">What Wiki has to say about it</a>&nbsp;<br /><br /><a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/green-transportation/wood-gas-truck-zmaz81mjzraw.aspx">What MotherEarthsNew has to say about it</a>&nbsp;<br /><br /><a href="http://wiki.gekgasifier.com/w/page/6123754/How to Build and Run the GEK Gasifier">GEKplans</a> - Plans and kits and DIY how-to's.&nbsp;<br /><br /><a href="http://www.woodgasifiers.com/">WoodGasifier.com</a> - the mother load<br /><br />And god forbid you check out what youtube has to offer on the subject!(you may not get out of there alive!)<br /><br /><br />OK! I'm done ^^ Thoughts?

 

[josephusminimus]

Good thoughts and subject matter buffrat.&nbsp; I've always found the wood-powered vehicle alternative particularly fascinating.&nbsp; During the 1970s I came across an old Popular Mechanics Magazine from the 1940s talking about it and chased it enough to find pics and diagrams of the way cars and trucks were being modified for it in Europe and Australia during WWII.&nbsp; Fuel shortages for civilian vehicles were so acute it was the best alternative for lots of purposes, and generally worked fairly well, though low in power.<br /><br />My thought is the new alloys and higher compression engines with fuel injectors and tempermental traits might have a problem with it today.<br /><br />But if you try it, I hope you'll report the results.<br /><br />Seems to me hydrogen has some possibilities, also.