Pusher/generator trailer idea.

[oil pan 4]

CNG is very expensive to get set up for.
If you have a CNG pump near by maybe it could be worth it but is not even half the price of gasoline right now.
To really make it worth it you would have to have a home CNG compressor.

[Isaac Zackary]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

CNG is very expensive to get set up for.
If you have a CNG pump near by maybe it could be worth it but is not even half the price of gasoline right now.
To really make it worth it you would have to have a home CNG compressor.

What's the most expensive part? I noticed that the tanks were awfully expensive. I'd probably have to settle for a smaller than ideal tank. At least the vehicle would have a bit more range due to the electric drive. I'd be happy with 150 miles total between electric and CNG. Maybe I could add tanks later until I have a 300 mile range which would be just about perfect. The diesel gets about 700 miles as is.

Do you think the 23:1 CR would be a problem if I'm trying to run mostly off of CNG?

[oil pan 4]

My diesel runs 22:1 and I ran propane fumigation on and off for a year.
Being able to add tanks would be nice.
The main advantage of CNG is fueling at home. But home compressors are very expensive.
Since you have a trailer you could use much cheaper larger standard 2,250psi 300 cubic foot tanks. Something not practical in a convenient vehicle.

[Isaac Zackary]

Thanks!

Do you mind if I ask what ratios you use for your propane fumigation? Is it mostly propane or mostly diesel, for an example? Looks like natural gas has a higher octane than propane so it sounds promising.

I found an article that suggests that 22.9:1 CR may be a bit too high for a CNG diesel engine. But maybe it won't be as bad as they calculated (e.g. maybe they didn't take into account heat absorption into engine during compression stroke??) or maybe all I'd need is water injection to go with it.

https://eprints.usq.edu.au/72/1/LIMPeiLi-2004.pdf

I thought of CNG because I saw a 24 hour station in town, whereas with propane I'm stuck with $20 partially filled 5 gallon tanks or seasonal RV parks at about $2.50 per gallon IIRC. Ideally I'd need something that can quickly refuel on the road. It seems what I've read about CNG home refueling is that it takes all night, kind of like charging the electric car itself, which would be cool, but not so helpful away from home, which is where I'd need it the most. Obviously I could and should get the diesel pusher trailer going and later switch to natural gas or propane.

[redpoint5]

Another thought is just trade vehicles with someone when you're going out of town. My friend just asked me today if he can borrow the Prius next week to go camping, because it's outside the range of the Leaf.

I get to drive a Leaf, he gets the range he needs.

[oil pan 4]

I was going for about a 50:1 air to fuel ratio.

With nearly unlimited room of a trailer you could do both propane and VNG if you wanted.

[Isaac Zackary]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Another thought is just trade vehicles with someone when you're going out of town. My friend just asked me today if he can borrow the Prius next week to go camping, because it's outside the range of the Leaf.

I get to drive a Leaf, he gets the range he needs.

I'm actually doing that next week! I get to drive a 2015 Chevy Sonic to Denver and back and they get the Leaf for a week.

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But like anything it requires planning. Plus it's one thing to make planning for just one family and another to make planning for two. Of course I could rent on those few occasions when it doesn't work out for anyone else to trade and I don't have the time to go from charging station to overnight-campground to charging station.

One of the nice things about the Leaf is the lack of maintenance. I've been rebuilding the engine in my Super Beetle for the past 5 years and still don't have it done. Well, part of that was the Chevy Astro I had for a few years there that had some major problem just about every weekend, which I ended up selling just about the time I got 95% of it's problems worked out.

But the little diesel is nice in that it doesn't need much maintenance either. However, the roof does leak, all the door rubbers are disintegrated and 3 out of 4 doors won't open (which I've fixed before but the aftermarket parts are junk right out of the box). If I made a pusher trailer out of it then those problems wouldn't matter. Plus I wouldn't have to pay insurance on two vehicles. On the other hand, taking the Golf diesel off of my insurance would be enough afford me a one-day car rental every month, about $40 per month.

Oh! The endless array of options just go on and on. Maybe get the Super Beetle running and put it on antique plates and insurance for cheap and drive it on those once-in-a-while occasions.

vvv Main Point vvv
Still, a pusher trailer with the little diesel seems to be the best option right now. The diesel is reliable, it would be cheap to run after the initial conversion, I have lots of tires for it, even snow chains, it's easy to maintain, it gets stellar (55mpg) as it is so it won't be too low after the conversion, I could use it whenever with no hassles, if it breaks I'm not without a car, it would be dual or tri fuel so if I run out of one I can keep going on the other, I could take it to Mexico or Canada, I could do weeks or months long road trips without causing anyone, or my wallet, any problems and I'd still be driving my plush Leaf with it's leather seats, great head room, airbags, navigation system, bluetooth radio and air-conditioner without having to rent all that.

The only thing odd about a diesel pusher trailer is that people would expect an electric car not to make black smoke.

[Isaac Zackary]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

I was going for about a 50:1 air to fuel ratio.

With nearly unlimited room of a trailer you could do both propane and VNG if you wanted.

Thanks for the info!

Maybe wood gas too.
Seriously... There are lots of dead trees in Colorado right now.

[oil pan 4]

Wood gas systems seem to need a lot of maintenance.
I say burn the wood for home heat.

[Isaac Zackary]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

I say burn the wood for home heat.

Which brings up another point, heating.

The overall efficiency of any heat engine increases when the waste heat is used for something else, such as heating.

But transferring the heat from a pusher trailer to heat the cabin of the Leaf doesn't look like an easy task. One idea would be to use hoses and pump water to a heater element in the cabin. Valves could be used to shut off the water when disconnected. But there would likely be some water, actually antifreeze, spilt every time it gets hooked up.

Another idea would be to run air through much bigger hoses. Maybe just one would be necessary.

Or I thought of using a very large copper cable to transfer heat from one to the other. That would probably be very expensive though.