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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Fuelish week



Trash day is when I figure out how much waste veggie I used in the veggie van during the week. That's when I throw out all the empty jugs. This week there were 19 jugs. That's 19, 4.5 gallon jugs for a total of 85.5 gallons of alternative vehicle fuel. Multiply that by the price of diesel, and it's clear I've saved well over $300 this week.

What a busy week it has been. The bed and tables were stripped out of the vehicle so it could act as a moving van. A number of trips were made moving my daughter to a new town.

Later, all the camping stuff went back in. My lovely wife and I went to a conference for two days. Instead of paying for a hotel, we parked in a friend's driveway. Sleeping in a familiar bed is a bonus, even if it's in a converted ambulance/motorhome.

Very few of the many miles driven this past week could have been done with a small economy car. Most of those miles the vehicle was heavily loaded.

No wonder I'm tired.

I have used more waste veggie fuel in less time. That was when I was towing a sailboat from New Hampshire to Florida. Then I used over 100 gallons in under 4 days.

All that hauling fuel jugs around also saves me the cost of membership in a weight lifting club.

-Sixbears

10 comments:

  1. I think what you're doing is great. I traded for a diesel farm tractor a couple years ago thinking I might convert it someday, but haven't yet.

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    1. The key is to find a good source of veggie first.

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  2. Don't be surprised if restaurants (or whomever you get it from) start charging for veggie oil waste.

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    1. Many sources have already dried up. I've got good local sources, but it's much harder on the road. Eventually I'll have to figure out something else.

      For now, still saving me a bundle.

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  3. Evidently more folks are converting, so the sources dry up! That makes it hard on the road, I'm sure!

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    1. In a pinch I can always burn diesel, but I hate to spend money when I don't have to. My wife found a lead on some new sources that I hadn't tried before.

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  4. Maybe you should put sails on your van.

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    1. Problem is the cops think you are drunk when you tack down the highway. All that back and forth . . .

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  5. And smelled like french fries all the way :) Yeah, tacking on the highway is a sure way to perform the "stupid human tricks" of a sobriety test. Which, by the way, when I was a jurist on a DWI case, the trooper couldn't even do in court...

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    1. Stupid trooper tricks.

      I think NH makes you juggle and tap dance at the same time.

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