Here's the latest from Luke and Ely at The Shop in Norcross...

This is the second LT1 we've put in and it looks like a winner!

The Carbon Neutral Expedition

(with excerpts from www.carbonneutralexpedition.com)

We are explorers who are finding real world answers to questions about weaning our species off fossil fuels.

This is a gathering of friends, of wonderful spirits, and of wonderful environmental minds. 8 vehicles, 16 people, and a motorcycle with a dog that rides in a sidecar. We traveled from Park City, Utah to Amado, Arizona (20 miles north of the Mexican border) over 6 days and 1000 miles, completely self sufficient, and not adding a drop of carbon to our blanket (the atmosphere). We traveled through some of Utah and Arizona’s most spectacular terrain, on existing dirt roads & tracks, and using Tread Lightly! certified techniques. This is about humans and our compatibility with the planet.

All vehicles ran on a wide range of alternative fuels or offset their footprint through carbon credits. My 1994 Land Rover Defender, nicknamed The Greasy Beast, ran the entire trip on used Vegetable Oil collected from restaurants. Our final destination was the 2010 Overland Expo, a gathering of world explorers and vehicle-dependent adventurers who are largely environmentalists themselves - people who are out to see the world and the land and all of its beauty, who simply choose a car to do it.

Click here for more AMAZING images of our journey!

Collecting Used Vegetable Oil...

Many of you have asked me how I get the oil that I use to run my vehicles. Well, read on...

Now, keep in mind, you can't just pull up to any restaurant and take what you want. Most restaurants have contracts with renderers (oil collection companies) for exclusive rights to pick up the oil. That's why I avoid the chain restaurants (they are less likely to bend the rules) and focus on the independently-owned eateries (who tend to be friendlier and more interested in helping out the little guy... like me).

But, simply finding the mom and pop shops won't guarantee that you'll get your oil. With used veggie oil being such a commodity these days (what with it being used to make biodiesel, animal feeds, hair products, cosmetics, etc.), simply taking what you need without permission amounts to stealing, as most places have a bin (often provided by the renderer) outside near the trash dumpsters where they dump the oil and the renderer comes to collect it.

But, if you get permission, or make arrangements ahead of time to get the oil before it is dumped into the renderer's container, then you can have whatever the restaurant is willing to give you.

This photo series is from a recent collection visit to a country club in the Southeast (names have been withheld to protect the innocent.) :-)

Getting the oil from the dumpster to the fuel tank:

Obviously the process is easier if I collect the oil in the Land Rover because I can maneuver it closer to the container. But, sometimes I have to collect in BABS (which requires a lot more room).

To get the oil from the dumpster to the tank, I use a pump. Some people use buckets, but many dumpsters now have grates on them, and a bucket just won't fit through those little holes.

I have two types of pumps: one is an electrical pump (from an RV water system!) The other is what's called a "Barrel Pump" and is, essentially, a hand-cranked turbine. Obviously, the electrical pump is easier to use, but requires a power source... in this case, the Land Rover itself. I use the barrel pump when I have to collect oil in the motor home. There is plenty of power to run the electrical pump, but I can't get the motor home close enough to the dumpster, and the hoses simply won't reach.

To use the electrical pump, I connect the pump's electrical wiring to the Defender, connect one hose to the bladder tank in the Defender's bed and another hose to the siphon tube that goes into the oil dumpster. Then I just flick the switch and let it go. I can get up to 85 gallons in the bladder tank.

If I have to use the hand pump, I just pump directly into 5 gallon plastic containers and then dump them into the filter tank on the motor home. It's a lot messier, and definitely tiresome, but using the barrel pump is a lot faster than the electrical pump, so there is a trade-off.

And, whether I'm using the barrel pump or the electrical pump, I always cover the end of the siphon tube with a couple of layers of chiffon fabric. It's strong, lightweight, and the perfect mesh for keeping debris out of my oil.

It's a fairly simple process... I just pump the oil out of the restaurant's container and into mine. And, once I have the oil in the filter tank on my motor home, I turn on the tank heater, warm up the oil, then turn on the centrifuge to spin out the finer particles and the water. After an hour or two (depending how dirty the oil was to begin with), I have clean oil that I can use to run my engine. I transfer the newly cleaned oil into my clean veggie tank, and I'm on my way (well, after I clean up my mess, of course...)

Gettin' Greasy...

In the photos, you can see how dirty and sticky the used oil is. And, it gets everywhere. If you ever want to return to your source for more oil, you definitely have to keep your workspace clean. So, I lay down some cardboard (when I can find it) and always clean up any spills (no matter how small). The best products I've found for cleaning up a veggie oil mess is Clean-Rite's Purple Power and Scott's Shop Towels.

Let the Purple Power sit for a minute, and it will clean oil off of anything. And the Shop Towels are absorbent and tough enough not to fall apart even when wiping grease off of concrete. (And, when I'm done, I put the towels in a jar and use them as fire starters for when I'm camping! How's THAT for recycling?)

As I stated before, it's a messy job. So, if you're a neat freak... forget it. Get your gas at the gas station. But, if you don't mind getting dirty, and want to do your part to lower vehicle emissions... then get greasy!

Land Rover Monthly Magazine

The Vanishing America Project is on the cover of Land Rover Monthly Magazine!

I promised I'd post the entire article once the issue came off the shelf, and I'm a man of my word, so here it is! The Vanishing America Veggie Rover (or what I like to call the Greasy Beast) profiled in the October 2008 issue of Land Rover Monthly Magazine

It's a great 5 page spread with photos and copy by some guy named Holt Webb. Who knew? :-)

If you want a copy of the entire magazine, you can order back issues online at the LRM website (http://www.lrm.co.uk/). Also check out the Land Rover Monthly page on Facebook (http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Land-Rover-Monthly/12828212721).

Click on any image to enlarge it so you can read the text.

Below are some additional images that didn't make it into the publication, but show a little bit more of the procedure and the details.

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.

Sponsors, Swamps, and Serendipity

Yesteray I left Atlanta for Folkston to spend a week in the Okefenokee Swamp. But before I get into that, I'd like to introduce a new member to the Vanishing America family: Our first Sponsor, The Shop!

Last week, the Land Rover was taken to a specialty mechanic in Norcross, GA to have some rattles and vibrations tightened up. Luke Miles, owner of The Shop, rebuilt the driveshafts, did my brakes, and fixed a few of the other annoyances that come with a 13 year-old Rover. And he did it all for free! In exchange for all the hard work, I told Luke I would let people know if he did a good job. Well...

He did a GREAT job! The Defender rides like a dream. Even my mom enjoyed the ride, and that's saying a lot! I'm keeping Luke on my favorites list, and highly recommend him as your North Georgia Land Rover contact for everything from mods and suspensions to custom work and general maintenance. (And, he's a great guy. He's young, very experienced, loves Rovers, and off-roads in his juiced-up Discovery every chance he gets.)

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On to the SWAMP!

John Almering (a friend of mine, who is a freelance videographer) and I hopped into BABS yesterday afternoon and drove down to the Okefenokee Swamp in South Georgia. We'd originally intended to go to the west side of the Swamp, to Fargo, and explore around Stephen C. Foster State Park. However, due to a late start and the possibility of arriving too late to find a campground, John called ahead to a little town near Waycross to see if we could stay at his friend's place. Well, here's where the serendipity that I keep talking about comes into play...

John's friend, Travis, is a direct descendant of the Lee family, one of the last families to live in the Okefenokee Swamp before the National Park Service moved everyone out in the 1930s. The Lee family actually lived on the infamous Billy's Island, and Travis' deceased relatives make up a significant portion of the population in the historic cemetery.

We're planning on heading out this morning (Thursday) to go talk with Travis' uncle, the last person born on Billy's Island.

I love it when a plan comes together!

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)

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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!

On the road again...

Well, I'm finally on the road again!

It's taken a few months to perfect the veggie conversions, but I have to admit, Shane at Rover Hybrids did a fantastic job. Everyone I've shown the vehicles to thus far has been impressed with the quality of work and the attention to detail.

I drove the motor home from Redding to San Diego, via Interstate 5, towing the Land Rover. I periodically switched back and forth between diesel and used veggie oil and was pleasantly surprised by the power, acceleration, and fuel economy. Comparable to diesel without the greenhouse gases. It's an amazing transformation... and a work of art. Free fuel! Life is grand!

I'll post up some photos of the completed project shortly. Imagine... fueling up on used oil that restaurants are throwing away. Who'da thunk it?

Land Rover

Finally!

I have wheels!

(Well, I always had wheels in the form of BABs, my motor home, but now I can actually get around town without having to worry about where to park.)

The Land Rover is finished. It has taken almost four months, but it's done. And, it looks and runs great!

Shane Ballensky, owner and operator of Rover Hybrids in Redding, California, converted a 1994 Land Rover Defender 90 series from a gasoline V8 to a diesel 4 cylinder. Why? So I could run vegetable oil as fuel. Gasoline engines can't run vegetable oil, so we replaced the gas engine with a diesel and created a one-of-a-kind eco-friendly, good-lookin' expedition machine.

Now, some of you familiar with Land Rovers may say, "Hey, wait a minute...".

Yes, it's true... Land Rover did build a lot of diesel Defenders for other countries, but they're hard to find in the States. Also, the Land Rover diesel engines can't compare to the torque, horsepower, and reliability of the Cummins 4bt diesel engine that we put in. It was a lot of work, but well worth the effort.

And, if you're interested in the details, I'll be publishing an article about the conversion sometime in the next couple of months.

In the meantime, Shane will be finishing up the veggie conversion on the motor home, and if all goes well, I'll be back on the road by the first of the year!

Sleeping with the Horses...

I'm back!

Once again, I'm beat. Three days of camping and shooting in the Wild Horse Sanctuary in Shingletown has flat out exhausted me. Damn, I'm out of shape! I was camped only about a 15 minute walk from the road, but it was tough terrain. The whole area was hot, dry, rocky wilderness (and, yes, for all practical purposes, the Sanctuary IS wilderness terrain).

And, I got some great pictures. And some great video footage, as well. But, you'll have to wait. It will take me a couple of days to go through it all and post some images for you. I'm resting today (or should I call it "recovering"), but I'll try to write a good piece and post it tomorrow.

After that, I think I'm headed to Oregon (finally).

And, the Land Rover conversion is coming along nicely. Pretty soon I'll have my own 4WD and won't have to keep using rental cars.

Redding, California... Veggie Conversion Time!

Well, I finally made it to Redding!

It was a fairly uneventful drive -- a little traffic in Reno -- but other than that, it was gorgeous. The majority of the drive took place in Lassen National Forest on Hwy 44. Hundreds of acres of trees, streams, and fields -- picture postcard landscapes everywhere you looked.


After coming out of the forest, and winding my way down some quaint country roads, I pulled in to the Rover Hybrids lot in Redding to meet with owner Shane Ballensky just in time for lunch. And after a huge burrito from Burrito Bandito down the road, Shane and I went back to the shop and, well, talked shop.

He showed me everything he's been working on for my project... from the vehicle all the way down to the individual components that filter the used vegetable oil that I'll be using as fuel. We're actually converting not only the RV to run on veggie oil, but we're converting a 1994 Land Rover Defender 90 series as well. And, since you can only run veggie oil through a properly converted diesel engine, Shane has replaced the stock Land Rover V8 gas engine with a Cummins diesel engine. Not a small task, but definitely a necessary one.

Now, all of this actually does have a purpose: I'll be towing the Defender behind the RV so I can have access to all those wonderful places that the RV can't get to. And, I can't very well protect the environment in a gas guzzling V8 now, can I?

While Shane is working on the conversions, I'll be trekking through Northern California, Oregon, and possibly Washington to get some images and video footage for the project. (Washington, and in particular, Walla Walla, is where my friend, Lisa Curtis goes to school. Lisa has been working on a fantastic presentation about how climate change affects California's Mono Lake. You'll be able to see her PowerPoint slideshow on the Vanishing America website once it goes live.)

And, of course, I'll keep you all posted on my progress... stay tuned!

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!