Planning trailer-based woodgasification system, to attain the open road.

[Optimistic Paranoid]

IF you succeed in building a safe, practical, working wood gassifier, and IF the crash you think is coming actually comes, and IF the Galactic Overlords don't land and reduce us all to serfdom first, what makes you think that whatever passes for government after the crash won't just confiscate your machine to use it for whatever they deem to be the Public Good?

If you're lucky, you'll get a smile and a thank you for all your hard work.  If you're not lucky, you'll get a bullet in the back of your head.

 

[SoulRaven]

Excellent advice, but it will likely be ignored.

Even if it is ignored, I figured it might be worth the time to write because it may help somebody at some point in time...

It never ceases to amaze me how many people think they can do the exact same things as others before them, and then expect different results.

I guess I just live in a more complicated world...

 

[eDJ_]

I've done a lot  of reading and watched the Teslionian video twice now.  I never knew much about this technology other than what I've read in Mother Earth News Magazine,  and discussed with an old German
Man and his wife who used something like this during the WW2 era.  (He thoroughly explained the technology
of his time and I've even seen pictures on the net of the small trailer gasser that they had back then)

I can see some possibilities at play here.  If this system were built on a Harbor Freight trailer it could be
semi enclosed so as to not be so visible.  Then given a finished appearance with proper paint. (preferably black)

As for the hauling of wood from state to state.  Pick up a enough to get to the state line and discard all the wood aboard in that same state.   Switch to gasoline and travel into the next state before gathering some more wood.(enough to get across that state. (again discard the wood, switch to gasoline, cross into the next state) I'm sure wood could be obtained in each state or province. 

You would need to run piping under the Van.  The supply to the van could be located by a receiver hitch.
The set up would look similar to a Train Car connected to the next Train Car.    If you were worried about
inspection of your rig,  simply uncouple the Generator Trailer from the Van.  You are then simply towing a
trailer with a generator aboard. 

I would suggest traveling during the night time to attract less attention to yourself.  Any questions,  this is a gift you are taking to Dad in Canada for his Farm. 

As for the drum with straw as a final filter, i would contain it in the trailer.  The RV look simply in it's stock form.
If I were building that outfit Mr Teslolian was building I'd wrap some soft copper tubing around the larger upper
propane tank and set it so it could be a domestic hot water heater.  Thus you could have hot water being generated in it to justify having "charcoal" ignited in it while you are traveling.  Keep a few bags of charcoal
on the top of the wood bin as a cover.

If you are a younger guy,  enthusiasm can go a long ways with other young men who may be able to assist
in your project.   Consider looking at some sites like "Make com", "Instructables com", and others like it where
you may meet members of those sites at meetup's.   Just as CRVL meets up at different places at different times of the year.  Networking may be of benefit to you. 

You may just pull this off and if you do then you  will have it to look back on for your lifetime.

 

[debit.servus]

Many big motorhomes only get 4-6 mpg, yet many homeless and jobless people can afford to live in them and drive them. Because they settle for local or are desert hermits, thus they do not move their rigs much.
...
For some reason, by reading your posts, I get the impression that you wish to remain outside the system. As much as I legally can.  ...you can not legally own a house or a vehicle without being in the system. Very true, got to pay the mafia or they'll use their law system to do the financial equivalent of breaking ones legs.

...This wood gasifier isn't going to set you free, it will only prolong your agony. What agony? You could take that trip cheaper than you could build a wood gasifier. I could take one trip cheaper than the cost to build a wood gasifier. This is short term thinking. Long term thinking is spending that money on a system that saves money AND time in the long run. Saving time because at minimum wage one would have to sell more time to pull the money to buy gasoline. Mile for mile, everything I know about woodgasification says it's cheaper than gasoline.

     An hour is the same legnth whether one is working minimum wage or processing wood. And wood is cheaper (accounting for ALL costs involved, including procuring the wood, processing it, maintaining the system, refilling the hopper every 50 miles, wood processing equipment costs, equipment maintenence costs). Amortization is in woodgasifacations favor, much like solar power. Plus processing wood is good excercise, which makes this boi a slimmer boi which is more attractive to other bois.
...
That free wood ISN'T FREE!!!  It costs you time and money to collect it.  Still cheaper than gasoline. If one has the equipment they can process 1000 pounds of wood in an hour. Which will take the van about 500 miles. One tank of gas takes the van 270 miles, so at current prices of 2.20 a gallon, I would need to be pulling $200 dollars an hour to be time cost equivalent. Please note these are rough numbers I did fuzzy math on as I wrote the last sentence.

I will need money to build a woodgas system which is why I am workin to sell some stuff and snag a JOB which is a stable money source. Every hour of time one sells to a JOB nets the same amount of MONEY!

IF you succeed in building a safe, practical, working wood gassifier, and IF the crash you think is coming actually comes, and IF the Galactic Overlords don't land and reduce us all to serfdom first, what makes you think that whatever passes for government after the crash won't just confiscate steal your machine to use it for whatever they deem to be the Public Good beat down every human being who wants freedom? Fixed it.

If you're lucky, you'll get a smile and a thank you for all your hard work.  If you're not lucky, you'll get a bullet in the back of your head. Since I am not going to live through the inevitable economic collapse since I do not have boy love (as of right now) pre-collapse, this is irrelevant. 

For those who keep sharing that gas is on sale right now, realize that that sale is going to end. I could work all year thinking I will have enough to buy gas to burn to get to Ontario CANADA, then as soon as I hit the road it shoots back up to 4 or more FRN$ per gallion, making me downsize my trip. Or I build a woodgas system and stockpile a stash of processed wood and no matter where the gas price goes I have the same amount of fuel.

If you want to see commitment, two years later I am still modifying the van for comfortable full-time living.

 

[highdesertranger]

he is dead set on this, just like the waste water tank, and the front bumper platform. debit the first thing you should do since you have limited funds is to tackle one project at a time. just last week you were on the HF air tank for a waste water tank. pick one thing and follow through until it's done. my 2 cents. highdesertranger

 

[debit.servus]

Here are the rest of the posts copied over from the other thread ( https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Trapped-in-San-Jose-not-enough-money-or-fuel-to-leave-the-state ):

I am thinking, why should I settle for less when there is an alternative fuel that can be picked up for free in many regions or bought in every HOME DEPOT, LOWES, RONA, HOME HARDWARE in the lumber section (to get fueled up where there is no free wood, if calculated to be cheaper than gasoline)

That escape plan is a woodgasification system, which will be pulled behind the van on a trailer with as much wood carrying capacity as I can afford, up to 4000 pounds (max trailer towing rating for the B250 according to the Owners Manual). Taking steps in my escape plan, I joined the premier website DriveOnWood.com. They have a forum and info on woodgasification. They have a premiums subscription which comes with a physical book mailed to ones address & access to premium content and forum threads. With access to a set of proven plans for a woodgasification system to fuel cars, trucks, and vans. I created a thread on the free section and will copy over my premium build thread.

99% of people do not know what woodgasification is, even though it's the one underunity fuel that can fuel cars & trucks after there is no more petroleum. Don't diss something one does not fully understand.


I need to get running on wood As Soon As Possible! I have been applying for loans to buy the materials to build this woodgasification system. I can pay the loan back with the money not going into the gas tank, plus money working with the van & trailer (think uShip hauling). After it's built, I will have a system that turns cheap energy (both money & time) into fuel for beautiful experiences!

    (11-30-2015, 12:00 PM)Off Grid 24/7 Wrote:
    I have known several people who have tried this method both for vehicles and also for off grid generators.  All of them but one has given up on the idea, concluding that purchasing fuel was cheaper in the long run. I would imagine they built from lesser gasifier plans, thus had the issues that the Wayne Keith Gasifier doesn't have (find out more about the Wayne Keith Gasifier at driveonwood.com). If anybody has a Wayne Keith Gasifier for sale let me know, has to be priced under $1000 because I can not reasonably come up with more.


    (11-30-2015, 12:10 PM)wagoneer Wrote:
    Go for it man, it's very very important to follow your brain that follows your heart. When you succeed (not if) think of all the people that tried to hold you back. I am NOT afraid to make dreams realities. I am working every day towards running on wood with the little money I have. Shopping around for materials, frequenting Craigslist Free Section, and more.


    (11-30-2015, 03:58 PM)Patrick46 Wrote:
    DS...

    you seem to be under the impression that you can't take off for the horizon UNLESS you have ALL the money you'll need to cover all the expenses that may/will occur on a major road trip. I am not thinking like this. People who think like that never get on the road, because they think they never have "ALL the money". The only thing holding me back at this point is a fuel source that is cheaper than gasoline and woodgasification is it. What other CHEAP alternate fuels can run a gasoline engine? Yes I looked into distilling ethanol but it would take a week of babysitting a table-top distiller 12 hours a day to get 35 gallons of pure alcohol.

    ...

    You could, a.) work at a job for a few weeks, and move on as your money and heart dictate
    b.) find a craft that allows you to make money as you travel I've looked into Soapmaking, and selling the soap for a competitive price compared to similar boutique soaps. Crafts take time to become profitable, soapmaking is on my idea list.
    c.) ever heard of U-Ship?? You could actually hire out your van and haul stuff around the region, the state, or even the country...for MONEY!!!! $$$ This is just my plan with the woodgas system to have it making money, not just saving it. Devote 1000+ pounds and half the traler to shipping stuff, mixing paying work with play.

    There are ways we can achieve our dreams...but be careful, as it often takes hard work and sacrifice. Be prepared to do both, and you'll find your way.
    the hard work is building the woodgas system. Driveonwood says the system build costs AT LEAST $1000 plus AT LEAST 250 hours of labor. If I am going to see my relatives in CANADA this Easter I better get building NOW!


    (11-30-2015, 05:08 PM)buckwilk Wrote:
    D, you subject your post Trapped, I think the trap is of your own making. You're living in one of the most expensive areas in the country, relocating almost anywhere would extend any resources you have. The reason I am living in San Jose is because I am living with my parents. Many vandwellers do not have a driveway to park on, with free (for me) electric & water hookups, access to Dads tools in the garden shed, their own room with deffered rent ("Borrowing" rent to get ahead) with bed to sleep in and full computer desk I am typing on right now.


    It's a prison but a really comfortable one, with mild weather and seasons (which I am fully used to since I have lived in San Jose all my life!).


    (12-01-2015, 12:25 AM)gsfish Wrote:
    To encourage someone that says they literally  can't put gas in the tank to hit the road because everything will fall into place borders on negligence. I AM the only one who can make everything fall into place. Gas is going for between $2.6x to $2.99 right now. 2.8 x 35 = $98. I would rather put $98 into the woodgas project than into the gas tank.
     
    OP: If you couldn't afford gas even if your van was getting 30mpg I think that you will find that much cheaper than gasifying wood purchased at the Home Depot. Say I am out of wood and the wooded region with free wood is 50 miles away. I would only buy wood from a lumber store it I have calculated the wood to be cheaper per mile than gasoline. My personal take is use the money (from whatever source) that you were going to use to build your gas generator, buy a trailer and tag for trailer to buy gas. This is short-term thinking. Think of woodgasification like being powered by solar. One shoudn't talk down on something if they do not fully understand at least the basics of it.

 

[SoulRaven]

I'm still having a really hard time wrapping my head around this thing... Maybe it's my logical way of thinking, and problem solving skills.

When I look at your dilemma, I see only one thing holding you back. The same one thing that is the single most important thing in life for everybody to learn, especially those of us that choose an unconventional lifestyle. That one thing is learning the art of making money. With money, all of your other problems go away, and making money is just about as easy as falling off a log.

If I was in your situation, I believe I would spend a week learning how to make money, a week making money, then get the whole works built by a professional. Let me give you a few hint's...

Santa Claus's get paid $100+ per hour... So do clowns, mimes, face painters, and many other types of entertainers. Even street entertainers can make $40-$60/hour or more.

I'm selling Christmas Trees. I make a lousy $10 per tree. In the last 7 days I have cleared $7500, and this gig will last through Christmas.

If you have some artistic abilities, business window painters make a killing this time of year.

Learning to make money, anytime, and anywhere, will get you further in life than anything else. Once you have learned that, your wood gas project or anything else money can buy becomes easily obtainable. Spending your time learning to make money, then making that money, will get your project completed quicker than any other way.

Go make the $1,000 you need at a flea market this weekend. Do you know how? Other people do it EVERY weekend. Swap meets and Christmas bazaars can be a gold mine if you know what you're doing. A friend made $5,000 last weekend at a Christmas Bazaar, selling advertising to the vendors.

If you don't like dealing with the public in person, then learn to make money online. Free software and a mailing list could have 1,000 people paying you $10/mo within a week or two. People do this stuff all the time. I could pull $10k a month out of your town starting next week if I wanted to, and you could do the exact same thing and the same people would gladly pay you too. I know areas where over 100 people are doing this, and all of them are making that kind of money.

I spent over 40 years of my life working regular jobs because that was all I knew. I only learned how to actually make money after I retired. You have youth on your side, learn how to make money, you will never regret it.

 

[NeedAnEscape]

Why not get an electric car and use the cheap/free charging stations?

 

[B and C]

I look forward to following progress on this build. Always up for learning something new. My personal interests lean more towards WVO as fuel for a diesel.

Guy

Just love the smell of french fries in the morning

 

[jimindenver]

I spent a good portion of my youth cutting up firewood in mid Michigan where there is tons of it. It was free but the gas to get it, chainsaws, axes, sledges, wedges and splitters were not. The time to process a load was nothing quick nor easy. Ending up with a cord of wood meant you picked up multiple cords worth because you don't pick each piece up just once.

Personally I would go electric with as much solar as I could get on the truck and trailer with a generator as a back up. It would have it's limitations but at least I wouldn't have to go out and cut up a bunch of sunshine.

 

[highdesertranger]

I think debit is missing the point I brought up earlier. you just can not cut a tree down and burn it. you must season the wood first. this takes months to a year, depending on the wood. also the only wood collecting allowed without a permit is for camp fires. if you collect wood for ANY OTHER purpose you must get permit(money) and then you are restricted to where you can harvest the wood. this is a mute point to an extent if you own your own forest. I don't think he is really thinking this through. I will also guaranty that 1lb of gas/diesel will get you further down the road then 1lb of wood. highdesertranger

 

[debit.servus]

...

You may just pull this off and if you do then you  will have it to look back on for your lifetime. And thinking "How smart was I at 22 to build this woodgasification system to have beautiful experiences and save thousands not needing gasoline."

...That one thing is learning the art of making money.  With money, all of your other problems go away, and making money is just about as easy as falling off a log.

If I was in your situation, I believe I would spend a week learning how to make money, a week making money, then get the whole works built by a professional.  Let me give you a few hint's...

Santa Claus's get paid $100+ per hour... So do clowns, mimes, face painters, and many other types of entertainers.  Even street entertainers can make $40-$60/hour or more.

I'm selling Christmas Trees.  I make a lousy $10 per tree.  In the last 7 days I have cleared $7500, and this gig will last through Christmas.

If you have some artistic abilities, business window painters make a killing this time of year. 

Learning to make money, anytime, and anywhere, will get you further in life than anything else.  Once you have learned that, your wood gas project or anything else money can buy becomes easily obtainable.  Spending your time learning to make money, then making that money, will get your project completed quicker than any other way.

Go make the $1,000 you need at a flea market this weekend.  Do you know how?  Other people do it EVERY weekend.  Swap meets and Christmas bazaars can be a gold mine if you know what you're doing.  A friend made $5,000 last weekend at a Christmas Bazaar, selling advertising to the vendors. Oh please elaborate on this money pulling oppurtunity!

If you don't like dealing with the public in person, then learn to make money online.  Free software and a mailing list could have 1,000 people paying you $10/mo within a week or two. Please elaborate how this is accomplished legitimately! People do this stuff all the time.  I could pull $10k a month out of your town starting next week if I wanted to, and you could do the exact same thing and the same people would gladly pay you too.  I know areas where over 100 people are doing this, and all of them are making that kind of money., I've become jaded on internet work, seen too many scams & schemes plus entry-level online gigs like AMAZON Mechanical Turk or surveys pay peanuts. Not to mention the there is always somebody else on the internet willing to work that same gig for less. I know four digit internet income takes work, so please share your legitimate internet-based work Off Grid 24/7.

How many of those above jobs require Social Connections? Because that is one thing that is very unobtanium for me.

I spent over 40 years of my life working regular jobs because that was all I knew.  I only learned how to actually make money after I retired.  You have youth on your side, learn how to make money, you will never regret it.

Why not get an electric car and use the cheap/free charging stations? Because MONEY & FREEDOM. I have thought of hybridizing the van with a dumb electric motive system. Plus the little electric cars are too small to live full time in.

I spent a good portion of my youth cutting up firewood in mid Michigan where there is tons of it. It was free but the gas to get it, chainsaws, axes, sledges, wedges and splitters were not. The time to process a load was nothing quick nor easy. Ending up with a cord of wood meant you picked up multiple cords worth because you don't pick each piece up just once. This is good excercise.

Personally I would go electric with as much solar as I could get on the truck and trailer with a generator as a back up. It would have it's limitations but at least I wouldn't have to go out and cut up a bunch of sunshine. Can't travel far on solar power.

...  I will also guaranty that 1lb of gas/diesel will get you  further down the road then 1lb of wood. ... 1lb of gas/diesel is more expensive (total cost) than 1lb of wood.

 

[cyndi]

This thread has been closed.

the last response asks for advice in other areas.

Please feel free to continue any other discussions in the correct forum.