Trapped in San Jose, not enough money or fuel to leave the state!

[gcal]

It would be helpful to know how old debit is and what general ideas he has in mind about his career path. He joined this forum in December 2012. He has been converting that van and putting off determining his career path for the last 3 years and still hasn't made it out of CA. Time can slip away so fast. There are career paths that take years of preparation. Somewhere in those years, maybe there needs to be time for a family. In some fields, you need to break in by the time you are 35 or you can forget it. Waiting too long to get on that career path could result in career options being cut off.

 

[debit.servus]

WOW! Came back to the forum with 3 pages! 

Since there is so much to reply to, I will write my responses in-quote in bold formatting.

gcalIs this a joke? Not trying to be a Smàrt Alec. I just can't tell. Not a joke, this is real.

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.

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.

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!

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!).

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.

Debit didn't you go to burning man this year,  that had to cost some coin.  how did you afford that? Family loaned me the money, including the gasoline credit card.  as soon as you cross the CA border gas prices drop dramatically. I've noticed the prices are about the same, every state that borders California seems to become more like California. Like I was shocked when I saw smog check signs in Nevada, the (anti)socialists dream of every state in the union to be just as (anti)socialist as California.

...
You can always make more money, you can NOT make more time. The clock is ticking on your life, can you hear it? I can hear it.

 It is a matter of planning. 
To me, if you really want something and are willing to put the work into the planning and are reasonable about what you can accomplish, there is a way to get it done. Agree. One has to remember that some enjoy the "dreaming" and that is all the further that they take it. I do NOT enjoy the dreaming! There is no substitute for the real thing.

I was trying to convey that by using more conventional methods, and learning how to make money while traveling, that the OP could achieve his goal of traveling much easier and cheaper, and without the potential pitfalls of wood gasification.... Woodgasification is a conventional method compared to cracking water to form hydrogen and oxygen fuel (overunity fuel, more energy out than what went in to form it). I am NOT running on water and do not have a Toroidal energy box in place of the genset and deep cycle batteries, so I have to think in the underunity (less energy out than what went in) paridigm. 

Woodgasification is NOT Free Energy, it is cheap energy compared to gasoline in both time & energy. There is tons of free wood on Craigslist, I see a dozen listings including free firewood, scrap wood, pallets as of this writing( http://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/sby/zip ). Best for those with the means to stockpile a warehouse full of wood before more people get into woodgasification.

A dream without a plan remains only a dream, a dream with a plan can become a reality. Agreed.

It would be helpful to know how old debit is and what general ideas he has in mind about his career path. I am a 22 year old single gay boi who has been without a boyfriend since age 16!

There are career paths that take years of preparation. Very true. And sometimes:
a) the field has changed so much after graduation, forcing re-schooling before landing a persons first job with that shiny new degree.
b) the skill will only be relevant for a few years after graduation making people "one trick ponies".
c) the field is outsourced to China, India, Brazil, etc.
d) there will be no food on the grocery store shelves, making college irrelevevant.
I am putting my physical silver on "d)".
... In some fields,  you need to break in by the time you are 35 or you can forget it.  Waiting too long to get on that career path could result in career options being cut off. College is NOT the sure bet it once was. Also, more careers are not Real Skills; what I mean by Real Skills is a skill people will need during and after the Inevitable Socio-Economic Collapse. Also, since I do not have boy love in the good times (pre-collapse) there is not will to live in the bad time (during and after the collapse). Might as well see the US & CANADA while the lights are still on...

Here is the free side thread on the woodgasification forum:
forum.driveonwood.com/t/trailer-based-woodgas-system-for-conversion-van/2050/

 

[WriterMs]

RE: Wood-gas for fuel. Mother Earth News (which I consider to be extremely reliable) has run a few articles over the years on trucks using wood-gas systems. Most notable is a rancher (in TX I think???) who has a few vehicles converted and has used them for years. The article cited how much he had saved by doing so.

BUT, that is predicated on being able to acquire the wood at a price and in a quantity that makes sense. I also know that some systems can use other burnable fuels including, I believe, very dry dung. Though I have read you will not be popular when you drive through populated places because there is some odor involved.

 

[SoulRaven]

This economic collapse stuff has been around for a very long time. It is used mainly to scare people into making decisions and purchases that they wouldn't normally make.

People have differing views on what their time and labor are worth. Not even counting the cost of the gasification unit, if I make $10.00 for an hours worth of work, that $10.00 worth of gas will get me xx miles down the road. How far will one hours worth of work gathering wood, including traveling time to procure said wood, get you down the road? Is it farther, if it is, how much farther?

None of these ideas are especially new, some have been around for 100+ years. My question for these things is whether or not they make good sense for the world I live in TODAY. Not some indiscriminate point in the future, that may well change entirely before we ever get there.

Example: In 10 years, before this eventual collapse, we are all driving solar powered vehicles that require no gas... This is already a reality for Taxi's in some countries... Technology is forever evolving, the best solution today for this supposed collapse, may be the worst solution by the time it happens, if it ever does in our lifetimes.

You can't prepare for the inevitable when nobody has the ability to define what the inevitable is before it actually happens. If such a collapse happens, I'll be worrying about water & food first, anything else can be figured out when the time comes.

A boat, a cave, or a tunnel might be the best solution when the time comes. Personal survival skills are a great thing to know. Anything beyond that, I tend to question people's motives, and it usually boils down to money changing hands.

 

[gcal]

debit. Servus:

College is not the sure bet it was.
---------------_
It certainly is not if you do not bother to make sure there is a market for what you want to major in. We've got a whole lot of Communications majors and Law majors and Women's or Black Studies majors who are going to spend a lot of time waiting tables. Either you have to be in the top 10% of your class to get a job (Law), or there isn't much employe4 interest in your skills. A nurse or a math teacher or a statistician, on the other hand, will be in demand as soon as he leaves the campus. If you want Real Skills that will be of use in the great, mythical economic collapse, there are the construction unions up north, but they only take applicants under a certain age unless you are ex-military. Then they bend the age rule a bit. When we are all hunting and gathering, again, carpenters and electricians and plumbers will be in great demand in those new, Road Warrior communities. Nurses, too. Anyone with veterinary training will be fought over like a rare treasure.

 

[gcal]

There's also shepherds, anyone who can shear a sheep or who knows how to turn wool into cloth, anyone who can train and handle a horse or who knows how to help a cow give birth or how to deal with a twisted stomach, anyone who can turn grains into bread or beer, anyone who knows good farming practices. You can learn the skills you need to be valuable in a Mad Max world while you travel and get money. If you take care of your This World skills, first, or in the off times when you are stuck somewhere for the winter semester, you've got all your base's covered.

 

[SoulRaven]

CA is expensive! Gas here in KS yesterday was $1.79 a gallon. I don't really understand how much wood it will take to power a van loaded but one must pay attention to how much weight the particular van is able to carry and also pull. Whatever is put in the van will decrease what can be pulled behind the van at a certain point. Those computations need to be done. Just roughly looking at this in my head, the increased weight of carrying the wood will decrease the gas mileage or maybe I am missing something. Definitely look at the numbers because you do not want to overload your van as it could cause severe damage to the van and/or yourself and others.

Free wood or inexpensive wood is hard to find. Now, I saw people come in after a hurricane (NC and AL) with equipment for cleanup and they took the wood as part of the payment for the cleanup. Some exchanged their help for free rent on their RV site. The city (KS) came around and cut trees/limbs and the wood was gone the next day, people scouting everywhere for it since some burn it for heat. I would definitely do some research on the cost of wood in the areas I would be passing through.

I can understand that the thought of doing this is exciting, doing something innovative like that would be. I wish you all the luck in the world with your project but do prioritize as someone mentioned. Time slips away and frustration can suck the life out of you.

 

[gcal]

Bob: The clock is ticking on your life..."

Yup. It sure is. Most kids who are going to college already have a degree by 22. Most kids who prefer a trade are already learning it. You are only young once, but you'll be old for a long time and your options will be gone before you know it. Try to make sure your 50 or 60 yr old self does not look back at your 20 year old self and wish different decisions had been made with more concern for the future.

PS: diesel mechanic. You make a decent living, now, and when every gas engine in your Mad Max world is dead for lack of fuel, your diesel engines will still be going strong. They will run on damned near anything, from kerosene to ccooking oil. You will be valued in your primitive village.

 

[TMG51]

If your dream is to get out and explore, I think good ol' gasoline will still prove to be the most reliable option.

If your dream is to build a wood gas thing, well, start buildin' then.

 

[mayble]

If your dream is to get out and explore, I think good ol' gasoline will still prove to be the most reliable option.

If your dream is to build a wood gas thing, well, start buildin' then.

Or hop in your gas powered van and tour the country, visiting folks who are currently using and improving the wood gas thing
Win-win

 

[Patrick46]

You came here voluntarily, opened up about your issues and when you got helpful, thoughtful responses, you rebutted them one by one with tired, redundant excuses.
This is the last advice I will waste my time giving you.

Excuses...we've all heard 'em.

I too am OUT!

 

[debit.servus]

After waking up and reading the latest responses, I realized there are two topics concurrently being discussed in this thread, feelings from being trapped & woodgasification. Bob, can you split the thread into two topics taking the posts that talk primarily about woodgasification? Lets move the discussion on woodgasification to the new thread I created in "discussions that won\'t fit in other areas", here: https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-P...odgasification-system-to-attain-the-open-road ? I believe that latter would require less work for everybody involved.'

I can understand that the thought of doing this is exciting, doing something innovative like that would be.  I wish you all the luck in the world with your project but do prioritize as someone mentioned. I am prioritizing, everytime I think of buying something I think "will this get me to my relatives in CANADA?". Time slips away and frustration can suck the life out of you. Like the frustration of being stuck in San Jose, CA?

OP, sounds like you have life wired. Living in your parents home, where they pay for everything including a gas card, while you sit back and make excuses for the lack of opportunity in your existence. An excuse would be more like "People are sabotaging my job prospects by spreading false rumors about me!" or "I can NOT live on less than $3000 a month!". Existing is all you're doing, other than being a burden on your parents. Cannot be thankful enough, most vandwellers don't have the luxury to fast track their van build. If I was living fully independently it would be a lot slower on the level on income I am on.
...
My money say's you will change nothing and continue existing, prove me wrong ! Challenge accepted.

If it was me I wouldn't feel free on the road until I had settled my debt to those who had been supporting me and made my journey a reality. I do plan to pay them back eventually, after I am on the road.

Are the same people who call me an excuse maker and talker/dreamer/exister the same who push their ideals onto others?

Don't waste your time or time will waste you.

 

[akrvbob]

Let me make this very clear to everyone, 

1) He's young and a free-thinker--and that's very good. Any posts that contain insults of any kind will be deleted. No matter how valuable the rest of the message, insults or attacks will get it deleted. I get to decide what's an insult.

2) Any further discussion of wood gasification will be deleted. That has its own thread now.

Bob

 

[akrvbob]

Debit, unless I've missed it you haven't spoken much about going out and getting a job and saving your money. That's got people upset so you need to settle that before anything else.

Please tell us why that isn't your first priority for a traveling lifestyle. The wood gasification is a great second priority, but it appears to be your only priority. We're all having a very hard time understanding that.

If you can answer that it may calm things down.

I specifically suggested you get a job, save all your money for year--living in your parents house for free it will be a lot-- and you ignored it. Please address that.
Bob

 

[mockturtle]

Apparently you consider sound advice insulting.

 

[akrvbob]

Apparently you consider sound advice insulting.

I don't understand, so far no posts have been deleted. Is your gone?
Bob

 

[debit.servus]

Debit, unless I've missed it you haven't spoken much about going out and getting a job and saving your money. That's got people upset so you need to settle that before anything else. Money is access, leverage, and freedom. Money is not everything though, just look at people on the deferred life plan (I learned this from Tim Ferris's book "4 Hour WorkWeek"). A job is the most stable money stream out there, if one is an employee (not an independent contractor or gig worker).

I am actually on the list for a potential employee as a Live Sign Director (professional title for a sign waver), which according to them is waiting on the developers putting the finishing touches on the trendy Avenue1 apartment block (Cottle road & CA-85 in south San Jose, on the site of the past IBM complex). If I get the job I will have a income stream which is not from the system.

Please tell us why that isn't your first priority for a traveling lifestyle. Because jobs are scarce in the Main Street economy. Finding a Job shouldn't be a Job. applying to dozens of places, spending hours filling out internet applications, competing with many people chasing few positions. 
...
If you can answer that it may calm things down.

I specifically suggested you get a job, save all your money for  year--living in your parents house for free it will be a lot-- and you ignored it. Please address that. I am saving, just not in FRN$. It's better to put ones money into tools, appliances, physical silver and other Real Wealth than fiat currencies with declining purchasing power. They do not have to steal the digits in the bank like they did in Cyprus, they can just create money and steal the 90% purchasing power.
Bob

Apparently you consider sound advice insulting.

It's insulting from somebody who already has what you want. It's easy for people to say to get a job when they have one for example.

I learned Real Skills, Real Friends & Real Wealth and much more from Chris Duane at http://youtube.com/use/truthnevertold

 

[mockturtle]

I don't understand, so far no posts have been deleted. Is your gone?
Bob

No, Bob.  And I haven't read any posts on this thread that were 'insulting' but rather that were substantive and insightful.  Including yours!  

 

[GotSmart]

It's insulting from somebody who already has what you want. It's easy for people to say to get a job when they have one for example.

What skills do you have?

How old are you, and do you have any long term ambitions?   :huh:

 

[debit.servus]

Wired the 12v electrical systems in the van to the point I am comfortable with routing, crimping and direct wiring. Wired two outlet boxes to build a form of power strip, using store-bought extension cords, and will install them into the van.

I am a 22 year old gay maverick boi whos long term ambitions are exploring the US & CANADA, along with being an electronic musician.