another propane newbie...

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volaredon
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 12:15 am

another propane newbie...

Post by volaredon »

see what I mean newbie? I hit save instead of submit, and when it asked about only saving certain parts I tried to "go back" and lost my post....
I have an 83 Dodge D 250 w/a 318 that's had a "little work" to give it a Tim Taylor type power increase. (Remember the TV show "HOME IMPROVEMENT"?) In case you don't that's where the "more power" reference comes from.
I am on Disability from a chain saw kickback accident a few years back that screwed up my right leg pretty bad a few years ago.
I have been a front end alignment and brake guy for 18 years, spent some time in industrial maintenance in a steel mill and now here I am; I just returned to school full time to relieve myself of being on Disability (hopefully)
I am a Die hard Mopar guy, recently I have migrated more towards 4.0 straight 6 powered Jeeps.
I want nothing to do with front wheel drive, also nothing to do with Hondas Toyotas Hyundais nissans etc. But with gas as high as it again has become, and propane currently over $1/gallon cheaper, for what I am NOT spending on a car payment, I can buy alot of gas and still be ahead of the game; hopefully getting hooked up to propane will be even better.

Frank
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Posts: 887
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2004 2:17 pm
Location: Stevensville, ON
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Re: another propane newbie...

Post by Frank »

Welcome to the board, volaredon. I see you've asked a lot of questions on a different topic but didn't get a really quick reply. As Franz mentioned, not everyone checks in every day. Sometimes, with a lot of questions, it might take a little while for someone to decide how best to reply. I see that you're getting some good advice.

I know you're active on the slantsix.org board. This board's software is similar but newer and has a few more features. If you submit a posting but aren't sure if it posted properly, refresh the page to see if it took. If it did, you can easily edit you own postings. Also, I like using Firefox rather than Internet Explorer. I find that I can easily go back to an earlier posting preview if necessary. Firefox also has a built-in spelling checker, which is handy but creative spelling is OK too.

Chainsaws can obviously be pretty nasty but I've been lucky so far. I have a small woodlot and I've been cutting firewood to keep our heating cost lower. I don't want to think about anyone getting injured with a chainsaw.

On the slant six board, you're listed as being in Kankakee, IL. AltFuelPrices shows there is only one propane and one E85 station there. The AFDC Station Locator also reports the same information. Checking Illinois Gas Prices, it looks like gasoline is selling for around $3.56/gallon. Comparing energy contents, propane would have to cost $2.64/gallon to be cheaper.

Have you lined up a supply of low-cost propane yet? If so, would you be able to get an account with bulk pricing?

volaredon
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 12:15 am

Re: another propane newbie...

Post by volaredon »

crap I did it again; hit "SAVE" instead of "Submit" and lost my post when I hit "Arrow-back".
there are 2 LP places in Kankakee itself (Hicksgas and Ferrelgas) and an independent about 12 miles east; (Momence Bottled Gas) the guy at Ferrel told me $2.559 as of last Wed.

On the seemingly unrelated questions, they all pertain to the overall setup of the truck, and getting the best results on propane.

Frank
Site Admin
Posts: 887
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2004 2:17 pm
Location: Stevensville, ON
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Re: another propane newbie...

Post by Frank »

The SAVE button should keep your posting in your MANAGE DRAFTS folder. You should be able to find them in your User Control Panel.

There isn't really a special overall setup for your truck. If you're planning a dual fuel setup, you just need to make sure that your engine is in good general condition (rings, valves, etc) so you have good compression and that you've got a high quality ignition system. If you're planning a mono-fuel setup, you can increase your CR to around 10.5 to 11:1 (see compression guide).

A local Ferrell Gas dealer in Buffalo told me that his lowest quantity break for bulk fuel is 1000-5000 gallons/year. Let's pretend you get 16 mpg on propane and you drive 50 weeks/year. You would have to drive 320 miles/week to require 1000 gallons/year. Is there any chance you could negotiate a lower price based on your expected fuel consumption?

Steptoe
Posts: 1504
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 8:32 pm
Location: JAFA , New Zealand

Re: another propane newbie...

Post by Steptoe »

crap I did it again; hit "SAVE" instead of "Submit" and lost my post when I hit "Arrow-back".
I really do dispise that function...and doubt if it is really ever used anyway...a check in the approiate data base will indicate that,
My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'

volaredon
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 12:15 am

Re: another propane newbie...

Post by volaredon »

Frank wrote:The SAVE button should keep your posting in your MANAGE DRAFTS folder. You should be able to find them in your User Control Panel.

There isn't really a special overall setup for your truck. If you're planning a dual fuel setup, you just need to make sure that your engine is in good general condition (rings, valves, etc) so you have good compression and that you've got a high quality ignition system. If you're planning a mono-fuel setup, you can increase your CR to around 10.5 to 11:1 (see compression guide).

A local Ferrell Gas dealer in Buffalo told me that his lowest quantity break for bulk fuel is 1000-5000 gallons/year. Let's pretend you get 16 mpg on propane and you drive 50 weeks/year. You would have to drive 320 miles/week to require 1000 gallons/year. Is there any chance you could negotiate a lower price based on your expected fuel consumption?
It is possible, I never really thought to ask, as I am that new to the propane thing.
My main concern when I went in with the idea of coming in there to have my soon to be propane powered truck filled, was whether he would raise issues about tank age and condition, whetehr he would refuse to fill it if it wasn't certified "good" within a certain period and such. He didn't mention any of that crap so I didn't either.

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