Land Rover Vegetable Oil Conversion

You paid HOW MUCH!? Why bother?

That's what some folks say when I tell them how much it cost to convert the Land Rover Defender to run on vegetable oil.

While most people (mechanics, environmentalists, and laymen alike) are simply thrilled to know that this kind of conversion exists and stand in awe of such an ingenious and beautifully designed engineering feat, there are a few who simply can't justify the cost with the return. And, I understand their concerns.

Now, I'll admit, this conversion was expensive. We removed the gasoline engine and stock transmission and replaced them with a diesel engine and a better transmission. That added a tremendous cost to an already expensive conversion.

So, if saving money is your goal, don't do what I did. You could do it yourself and spend as little as $200 converting a car that already has a diesel engine. But, we were after bigger game. We sacrificed some fuel economy and horsepower for reliability, torque, and automation (I didn't want to spend half my day scrounging and filtering nasty oil.)

So, I didn't gain much in fuel economy; The Defender's lack of pep will make you cry; Used oil is getting harder to find; And, that diesel engine is pretty noisy. So, with all these drawbacks, why on earth did I do this conversion?

Well, we actually had two different goals in mind: One - free fuel. And, Two - an earth-friendly fuel source.

Now, keep in mind that going "green" fits very well into my Vanishing America project. I can't, with good conscience, go around documenting a Vanishing America and be a carbon-belching contributor to it at the same time. So, the decision was largely an environmental choice. But, let's talk specifics...

Reason Number one: Free Fuel.
The free fuel issue does seem to be changing due to the fact that waste oil is becoming a commodity. However, at this stage, it's still attainable, and at $5 per gallon for diesel, it's rapidly paying off. As a matter of fact, I just got back from two round trips to Chattanooga, TN (a total of 500 miles solely on used veggie oil). That means, at a 15mpg average, I saved over $160 in fuel. Multiply that over the course of a 10,000 mile year (with diesel prices continuing to climb), and we're talking about a conservative potential savings of $3500/year. Not much compared to a $30,000 conversion, but it adds up over time. But, money wasn't the only reason for the conversion. Which brings me to...

Reason Number Two: Earth-friendly fuel source.
Petroleum-based fuels are bad for the environment. We all agree on that. And, they come from a limited resource. (It may take a hundred years or more before all the oil is gone, but eventually it will be gone.) Waste oil, on the other hand, is completely renewable. And, since it comes from restaurants, it has already been used once. That means we don't have to pump oil from wells, we don't have to use crops that reduce the food supply, and, most importantly, we don't have to burn other fuels to process this waste into something that can be reused. It's a beautiful, efficient system.

Now, what about the waste oil becoming more difficult to get. Well, that's definitely the case. Every day, I see evidence that the cycle is progressing. It began with restaurants paying to have the oil hauled away. When renderers realized they could profit from the oil, they began to pick it up for free. Now, with more competition, some renderers are actually paying the restaurants for the oil. This cycle was expected. But, the good news is that the engineers responsible for creating new biofuels have not been sitting idly by. They have come up with ways to get fuel from waste wood, plant waste, tree bark, and even algae. And their progress is phenomenal. I expect that right about the time that everyone has to pay for waste oil, these engineers will have perfected these new ways of obtaining fresh oil, effectively collapsing the bubble created by the demand for waste oil. And, that puts guys like me back in the driver's seat. And, I see all of this happening within 5 years.

So, yes, the conversion was very expensive. And, on the surface, seems like a waste of money. But, I'll save at least $3500/year on fuel, there are still literally tens of thousands of places all over the US who will give me free oil, and my consumption of this product actually has a positive effect on the environment. And, that, to me, is priceless.

Radio shows and alternative fuels

Radio is a beautiful place to be...

What an experience! Thank you so much to my friend Monique on Jack FM's Monique and the Man, for having me on their show this morning. My guest spot was short, but hanging out with Monique, Greg, and Sara on the air was something I'll never forget. I can't wait to do that again!

And they just put the video of BABs on their weblog (http://sandiegojack.com/blogs/mornings)

---

Running on veggies...

As many of you know, both my Land Rover and BABs (my Big Ass BuS) can run on used vegetable oil straight out of the restaurant fryer. And, that's a great thing, since many restaurants are just itchin' to get rid of that nasty stuff.

However, as the desire for alternative fuels increases, so does the value of that waste oil. Numerous companies around the country are springing up to collect that used oil and turn it into a profit by turning it into biodiesel. This is great for the environment and the community, but can be a little difficult for guys like me whose vehicles run on that wonderful golden goo.

In many larger cities, and with most chain restaurants, the biodiesel manufacturers and renderers (who also use the oil for other products) already have contracts to pick up the oil from the restaurants. I'm tickled to see that happening, as it shows signs that our dependence on fossil fuels has an alternative outlet. On the other hand, it makes it tougher for me to get the free fuel for my vehicles.

Granted, there are still thousands of restaurants out there who either throw their oil away, or have to pay to have it recycled. And, believe me, I'll be talking with them wherever I go.

But, as I look into my crystal ball, I see waste oil becoming more of a commodity, and I can see restaurants eventually being paid for their used oil. Great for the restaurants, the community, and, to a lesser degree, the companies doing the collecting, but still tough on guys like me.

Now, here's the cool part...
Most people think of veggie oil coming from vegetables. Logical. But, high quality veggie oil can be obtained from algae. Yes algae. And algae can be grown in clear plastic tubes. (If you've ever owned a pool or an aquarium, you know of what I speak.)

So, I look into my crystal ball, and I see the biodiesel manufacturers getting their oil from algae. That means they no longer have to pay for waste oil, which means waste oil once again becomes available to guys like me. It may sound like wishful thinking, but if veggie oil continues to grow as a fuel source, I'll once again be swimmin' in grease.

In the meantime, I need oil to fuel the vehicles. Of course, both will still run on diesel or biodiesel that I can get at the pump, but I want veggie oil. Not only is it better for the environment, but it's FREE!

So, I contacted a company here in San Diego who is collecting used oil from local restaurants in hopes of working out a sponsorship with them. I was hoping to get about 200 gallons of veggie oil and biodiesel from them in exchange for promoting them on my website, my motorhome, my Land Rover, and even talking about them on the radio and TV. I figured it would cost less than $300 for them to hook me up with one load of fuel. Seems like a great deal, right? $300 for national exposure on a high-profile project? That kind of publicity would normally cost thousands.

Unfortunately, they didn't see it that way. I don't fully understand their logic, but I guess they aren't interested in anyone knowing who they are. I'm disappointed, and confused, but, as they say, that's life in the big city.

So, what's next? A couple of days in LA meeting with my publicist and a potential sponsor, and then I'm off to Atlanta!

Oh, I almost forgot... My friend Larry, who owns Ray Street Frame and Print, brought me a few gallons of used peanut oil, which I poured into my filtration tank last night. Thanks Larry!

And to those of you who cook... Save me your oil!

FM Radio, BioFuel, and damn good food...

America's Finest City...

It's great to be back in San Diego for a few days, catching up on some personal things, scheduling interviews, and talking with potential sponsors. Things are taking a bit longer than I'd anticipated, but it's been worth it catching up with my friends, seeing the changes in the city, and generally being back on the road again.

I've had BABS parked at the World Famous San Diego Zoo since I got into town. The staff there has been so nice to me, coming by to talk every now and then, and making sure I'm okay. My new friend, Seth, a Zoo employee, even brought me a couple of complimentary passes so I can see the exhibits.

And, even though I'm the one with the expense account, my friends have been the ones to take me out to lunches and dinners, so I've rarely had to pay for a meal. Even Matt and Scott, owners of Urban Solace in North Park, took care of me for a few meals... and (pardon the language), but DAMN, their food is good! Every single item on the menu has been a beautiful sensory experience. Look for them in the Valentine's issue of 944 magazine.

This Friday morning (January 11th), I'll be a guest on 100.7 Jack FM's morning show, Monique and the Man. In addition to their core discussion on the upcoming Chargers versus Colts NFL playoff game, we'll be talking about my project, the conversions, and my travels around the country. And, Monique, who spent a lot of time on the road as a comic, will be giving me pointers on what to see and where to eat while I'm out there in nowhere land. They even want me to drive BABS onto their lot for some promo pics and webcam video during the show!

Monday, I drive up to LA to meet with Galpin Motors, a potential sponsor, and then I'm off to Atlanta to see my family. (I wonder if they remember me...)

Biofuel, biofuel, biofuel!

Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel...

I haven't found any Biodiesel yet, but this is getting close. Today, I found ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) at a local Redding TA Travel Center. ULSD is the government's latest response to reducing emissions from diesel fuels. As opposed to conventional diesel sulfur content (which can be as high as 500 parts per million), ULSD is limited to 15 parts per million -- a significant reduction. And, it's relatively affordable. Prices hover around the same price as traditional diesel (which can vary from around $2.85 to $3.99 per gallon). I've been running my generator on ULSD for much of the afternoon while I work on my images and try to keep the RV cool while sitting in the hot parking lot at the Rover Hybrids shop, and have noticed a significantly reduced exhaust fumes. So far, so good!


And, ULSD is just one option. There are numerous others, including Biodiesel, Vegetable oil, Ethanol (for gasoline engines), algae... the list goes on. To help keep things straight, I've provided a "bio fuel chart" from the Sierra Club's latest online newsletter.


Click on the chart to enlarge itChart Courtesy of Sierra Club

Alternative Agriculture for Renewable Fuels

Vertical Farm Project
(image from www.verticalfarm.com)



It's true! It CAN be done!

I know I don't get more than a handful of readers, but for those of you who have read June 11th's post about bio-fuels, let me tell you... my prayers have been answered! In that post, I asked why so many people are complaining about the hardships that bio-fuels will put on agriculture, when all we have to do is build vertical greenhouses. Well, that's just what someone is doing...

The vertical greenhouse, designed by Dickson Despommier may just be the answer to all our agricultural problems (at the least it will shut up those people complaining about wasting agricultural resources on bio-fuels).

Mr. Despommier, as I just learned through an article in July 2007's issue of Popular Science (page 45), is in the process of designing and building hydroponic greenhouses that use vertical tiers of cropland with a small footprint instead of the traditional method of abusing acre upon acre of wilderness for farming.

It uses solar power, recycled water, hydroponics... Well, rather than try to describe his project myself, maybe you should take a look at his website:

www.verticalfarm.com.

It is a good looking, well designed, and very informative website on this wonderful idea. Just the thought that someone truly is working on this problem made my heart soar!

Vanishing America and Alternative Energy

Vanishing America

Project Details...

See America on 15¢ a day!

Well, in fuel costs, anyway. By using Vegetable Oil as my primary traveling fuel, I will, theoretically, be able to travel anywhere I want to on my journey without spending a dime on fuel. (In extremely cold weather, though, I will have to run on regular diesel, but for 95% of my trip, I can run vegetable oil or biodiesel.)

That's the plan, anyway. With the trend toward alternative fuels, running your car on either BioDiesel or SVO (straight vegetable oil), is gaining ground as an acceptable option. Even Prince Charles of England is converting his vehicles to BioDiesel, as this Washington Post article points out: (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/07/AR2006120701009.html).

And now it seems Arnold, the Governator, Schwarzenegger, is doing likewise, and encouraging Californians to join in the effort.

Not only does running on vegetable oil reduce emissions, it reduces our dependence on petroleum, a substance that is guaranteed to run out eventually. The earth only has so much oil stored beneath its surface. Once that's gone, it's gone. Then what?

Well, we use a renewable source: VEGETABLES!

Though not totally legal in any state yet (Vegetable oil as a fuel has yet to be approved by the EPA or the DOT), it IS being used successfully all around the United States and in many countries abroad. It's an easy step to go from diesel fuel to vegetable oil -- after all, the diesel engine was originally designed to run on peanut oil! Once you filter and de-water vegetable oil, and keep it at the correct temperature, you have the ideal fuel for your diesel engine. You can even use waste oil from restaraunts! Just filter and de-water it first. It's FREE! Check out the follwing article from Car and Driver Magazine: http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=4&article_id=7818&page_number=1

For my Vanishing America Project, I'll be driving all over the United States in a motor home converted to run on vegetable oil. (It will also run on regular diesel and biodiesel, but at up to $3.00 a gallon, I'll stick to veggie oil as much as I can.) I will also be towing a Land Rover diesel converted to veggie oil as my off-road vehicle -- all the power and torque of a regular diesel engine at none of the cost! Okay, sure, the conversion is not cheap. Now, you can do it yourself for as little as $50, or with kits you buy online for around $750, or you can go all out (like I am) and have a system custom built for you, but the bottom line is that you'll ultimately pay for the conversion in the first 200 miles of driving on veggie oil. And think of what you'll be doing for the environment!

It's an easy, affordable thing to do, and many people are following the trend. If you need proof, just look at all the conversion companies springing up all over the country: do an online search for "vegetable oil diesel", "veggie oil diesel", and see how many results pop up. It's inspiring. And, as we all know, it will likely take the government years to accept this alternative to oil (they do have to keep their oil corporations happy), but the move is on! BioDiesel is already approved by Federal agencies, so veggie oil can't be too far behind.

Keep your fingers crossed, buy an old diesel car and have it converted, or do whatever it is you do to lessen your impact on the environment. It doesn't take much. Just a little effort from a lot of people will make the difference.

Keep checking back with me during my journey. You're sure to see a lot of gorgeous pictures and read some interesting stories. See ya on the road!

Vanishing America

Vanishing America

Vanishing America is a Fine Art Photography project set about to capture the beauty and enchantment of the unique elements of our history and culture that are in danger of disappearing within the next two to three generations.

It is an ongoing journey to artistically document those things that make America wonderful, fun, beautiful, and exciting… the very things that are being forgotten, abused, and destroyed right before our very eyes. It is a project to show people what we will be missing when we allow "progress" to drain our wetlands, bulldoze our historic buildings, clearcut our forests, and pollute our waterways. It is also a project to document what will be lost to us through time, lack of use, and neglect – those things that, through natural processes, must be replaced, but nonetheless, have great value in our country’s history and culture.

Subdivided into several series of images, all of which depict American treasures that are in danger of vanishing forever (Wild Horses, Wetlands, and Iconic architecture, to name a few), it is a series of images meant to preserve, in photographic format, those things that define our experiences in America, before they are lost to us forever, and, hopefully, increase awareness and activism along the way.

There will come a time when there will be no wild Mustangs roaming the plains of the West; there will come a time when the Okefenokee Swamp will be nothing more than a field upon which developers can build another Wal-Mart; and we're fast approaching the day when the quaint small town is just a faded memory.

America, as we know it, is changing fast. And, sometimes change is good. But sometimes change destroys the things we love about our country. I understand that we can’t save it all – and there are definitely icons of our growth as a nation and as a culture that shouldn’t be saved. But that doesn’t mean we should forget them. Hopefully these images, and the ones that will follow as I travel across the United States, will remind people how precious, how ephemeral, and how important these aspects of our country and our culture are.

---

Project Plan:

Over the course of the next couple of years, I will drive around the United States in a motor home running on Solar Power and Vegetable Oil to photographically document America’s Wild Horses, Disappearing Wetlands, Historic Architecture and Settlements, Crumbling Industry, Small Town Life, and anything else that I encounter along the way that could potentially be lost to us in the next two to three generations.

I will map out several primary destinations that will be the cornerstones of my journey. I will reach these destinations via America’s seldom traveled backroads. And I will keep my eyes open and my cameras ready for the more subtle opportunities that present themselves along the way.

My journey will take me from the deserts of Southern California and the Salton Sea, out to the National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, across the Rocky Mountains, and into the Great Plains of the Midwest. I will travel to the abandoned industries of the Northeast, down into the mysterious wetlands of the Deep South, and all across the Nation documenting American icons and precious resources. The finer details will be mapped out as the departure date approaches. I will provide regular image and article submissions to numerous magazines, web log updates, and video. The project will culminate in a series of coffee table books, art exhibits, a possible documentary.


Note:
In order to reduce my overall budget and have an actual positive physical impact on the environment, I would like to make this journey in vehicles that run solely on alternative fuels such as solar power and biodiesel/vegetable oil.

The plan is to leave San Diego in the Summer, so keep your eyes and ears open. You might just see me in your town.