CNG in a tow vehicle?

[Uglydog56]

You sure you don't want to go propane?  Quite a bit easier to get, and used equipment on craigslist all the time.  I have no problem with CNG, and Kazairl clearly has no experience with it, but propane is just a little easier to get, especially outside the major population centers.

[Gsun]

You sure you don't want to go propane?  Quite a bit easier to get, and used equipment on craigslist all the time.  I have no problem with CNG, and Kazairl clearly has no experience with it, but propane is just a little easier to get, especially outside the major population centers.

Propane has no power. I had a small bus with propane - hard to even get up a hill sometimes.

[Gsun]

The way that I understand it there is no CNG going through the injectors, it is fogged (similar to a nitrous system) into the intake before the turbo and cools the intake charge.  Once the diesel is compressed and ignites the CNG will ignite and burn the remainder of the diesel that would normally be wasted.  Obviously I need to do some more research so I am 100% aware of all the benefits and drawbacks.

Your opinion on the Cummins/Ram and Duramax/GM issue is shared by me. I am also researching medium duty trucks since they would hold up so much better to a life of heavy loads.

But if you are talking about bikes, cars and other smaller loads, you want to as versatile as possible. Get a dually and you can haul 15K or more on a 5th wheel trailer. Or you can get a ramp and haul a bike with no trailer.

[Awaz]

Do not have any experience on running heavy trucks, but interesting business option. So are you wanting to be an independent trucker associated with uship.com or some place like that?

[Kazairl]

You sure you don't want to go propane?  Quite a bit easier to get, and used equipment on craigslist all the time.  I have no problem with CNG, and Kazairl clearly has no experience with it, but propane is just a little easier to get, especially outside the major population centers.

 Propane is even worse then CNG. It has the benefit of higher energy density but also a lower auto ignition temperature. Which means it will go off before the diesel fuel is injected especially under a heavy load. This advanced and uncontrolled timing is really really bad.
  I work on a Natural Gas pipeline. I'm around the stuff every day. I've seen what it is capable of.

  But whatever, My opinion is obviously not wanted so I'm out. Run what you want. It's your engine.

[connie_rider]

Sorry, Jeremy, Didn't intend to stir up a deep discussion on CNG/etc.
Was just wanting to hear why you were interested in the CNG.
Seems that your (primarily) considering it for mileage.
                           
As far as the business itself, you should probably look into it pretty heavily before investing.
With the Job market like it is,, lots of people (that have a truck and no job) are doing hauling.
So, I suspect there is probably a lot of (inexpensive) haulers out there, competing for the loads..

Good luck on the idea though...

Ride safe, Ted

[Excavator]

                           
As far as the business itself, you should probably look into it pretty heavily before investing.
With the Job market like it is,, lots of people (that have a truck and no job) are doing hauling.
So, I suspect there is probably a lot of (inexpensive) haulers out there, competing for the loads..

Good luck on the idea though...

Ride safe, Ted
[/quote]

Very true. I thought a lot about this myself for a change of pace but after seeing the pricing, considering the wear and tear of miles and the uncertainty of fuel prices I decided against transporting.

[SteveJ.]

                           
As far as the business itself, you should probably look into it pretty heavily before investing.
With the Job market like it is,, lots of people (that have a truck and no job) are doing hauling.
So, I suspect there is probably a lot of (inexpensive) haulers out there, competing for the loads..

Good luck on the idea though...

Ride safe, Ted


Very true. I thought a lot about this myself for a change of pace but after seeing the pricing, considering the wear and tear of miles and the uncertainty of fuel prices I decided against transporting.

Good thinkin'.

Sold my headache big truck in '93. I made money at it then, but it was getting uglier buy the month.

[Cholla]

Uglier BUY the month....ironic faux pas? 

[SteveJ.]

Uglier BUY the month....ironic faux pas? 

Yeah, I saw that after I hit post. I figured I'll leave it.

[Cholla]

Kinda fitting with the cost of fuel.

[graham downunder]

First up as buisness idea I do not like it .Look very carefully at it from the point of view it's your best mate doing it and you do not want him to loose any money .

Compressed Natural Gas  and Propane are two different things . I run Liquiifed propane gas Called LPG in Australia in two cars .I have experence going back to the 1970's with it
Let me explaine it a bit
LPG has about 25-30 % less energy than ordinary petrol ( gasoline ).
Diesiel has about 25% more energy than petrol
Natural Gas generally has  about 12% more than petrol but it is a gas not a liquid so it's not so easy to compare
LPG can withstand much higher compresion ratios than gasoline
Natural gas is even higher

Outside the USA ,particularly Europe, Diesel is very popular BECAUSE it was taxed much less ,so for the last thirty plus years people there are used to cars running on it .

Lately LPG or propane cars can be made to run just as fuel efficent as gasoline ,Ford dose so in Australia .my GM cars are about 15% less efficent but as LPG is 1/2 the price of Gasoline I am laughing .In fact my large family wagon is cheaper to run than a GM Cruise on  either petrol or gasoline. In Australia about 90% of Taxis are running LPG and have done for 35years. By the way they run about 400,000 MILES before they replace an engine .

You can so called boost a diesel engine with LPG but this is very minor thing and will save not much.

We have for the past 30 years in Australia  run a large  number of Government Buses on Natural Gas rather than Diesel  because it is much cheeper and cleaner .

Natural Gas is the comming fuel source BUT  Governments have a hard time because they cannnot tax it as easy because you can fill up at  home so to tax it they would be taxing your heating and cooking as well.

As for Natural gas or propane tanks in cars not beaing as safe as petrol tanks that's  B.S. based on  thirty plus years in Australia has shown vechiles involved in accidents have a much less chance of exploding than petrol vechiles . I have seen first hand up close Propane tanks in cars in an accident where a large prime mover crushed a taxi ,They do not  blow up , they may release gas and it catch alight but that's it 

[Gsun]

How can you fill up at home when the pressure in homes is about 2lbs? Do you have a machine that pressurizes it?

[graham downunder]

You can fill up at home if you have the right equipment . It is available I believe it was about $2,500 the company that supplied it went bust but Honda I believe bought it. It has to be high pressure I think it's about 1200 PSI  . If you fill up at home in the USA it will probably cost around the equivilent to about 70cents  for a gallon of of gasoline . In Chicargo they charge about $2.40 for the equivilent of a gallon of gasoline .At the ealy stages you will hear stupid prices and claims about Nat Gas but when you look into it you will see that it is a go, if America wants to be energy independant .