StatCounter

Friday, April 12, 2019

Range and independence



My wife’s little car doesn’t have great range. After around 300 miles I start to look for a gas station. Of course, what do you expect for a vehicle with a 9 gallon gas tank?

That’s in huge contrast to the diesel/veggie vehicles we drove. Even the van got pretty good extended range. Of course, it got good range due to having two fuel tanks even though it wasn’t very fuel efficient. The all time winner for range was our old Mercedes 240D. We had the normal diesel tank plus another 19 gallon veggie tank. One year I towed a small utility trailer filled with veggie jugs and went over 3000 miles before having to get more fuel.

Of course my veggie/diesel days are over. Waste veggie is much harder to get and the new diesels are difficult to convert to veggie use.

However, I’m still attracted to vehicles with a lot of range. These days I’m not thinking about range on land as much as range on the water.

Sailboats, theoretically, have limitless range. Theoretically. In reality they have diesel or gas engines and their dinghys often have powerful outboards. The fossil fuel engines are not necessary.

There are people traveling the world, successfully, in full sized sailboats without engines. Plenty of people still row or sail their dinghys.

My little 19 foot sailboat can be pushed along about 3 knots using a simple electric trolling motor. A small solar panel keeps it charged up. My dinghy is a two person inflatable kayak that paddles fairly well. There are larger sailboats out there with larger electric motors. They too use solar and/or wind generators to keep the batteries charged up. When your fuel station is the sun and wind range really is unlimited.

Then the limiting factors are other consumables, big ones being water and food. Many boats now have reliable water makers on-board that turn salt water into fresh. Throw a fishing line behind your boat and fresh fish can greatly extend your food stores.

Eventually you’ll have to stop somewhere for other consumables and to replace broken or worn out parts. However, that might not be for many miles and months. That’s true range.

-Sixbears

10 comments:

  1. I find that being somewhat range restricted is a good thing, as I have the tendency to push my bladder past it's limits. So every 3-4 hours I gotta stop anyways.

    Had a Ford E-150 that operated like a plane. Had a 2.5 hour range. Idling, towing, not towing, backwards, in space, fuel lasted between 2.5 and 2.75 hours run time. So every 2 hours...

    Range is a factor of what you need. Bugout or just regular transport vehicle out west, where amenities like gas stations are scarce? Then a huge range is necessary. Traveling up and down the East Coast? Not so much.

    Now, if I had a catheter or pee-relief tube...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I made plenty of stops, but didn't have to make them for fuel. It was nice to just stop at a pretty picknic area, make lunch, then throw a few jugs of veggie in the tank before hitting the road again.

      Delete
  2. My 1993 GMC pickup holds 90 gallons of propane, and 30 gallons (I think?) of gasoline. About 1600 miles between fillups.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That will get you out of a hurricane zone no problem -a true bug out vehicle.

      Delete
  3. "Eventually you’ll have to stop somewhere for other consumables and to replace broken or worn out parts. However, that might not be for many miles and months."

    Two words - toilet paper. :^) One main use, but boy howdy is it important.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's nice. I don't see too many bidets on sailboats. :)

      Delete
  4. I have a 100 gallon fuel tank in my diesel pusher motor home, but it is a really thirsty vehicle and I usually stop for fuel every 250 to 300 miles.

    ReplyDelete
  5. And oh yes, because of its gross vehicle weight, I had to upgrade my drivers license to a class-B so that I could legally drive it since its GVW is 26600 pounds.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did just the opposite about 5 years after leaving the fire department and let my commercial license go. It cost more than the basic operator's. I did keep my motorcycle endorsement.

      Delete