454 chevy Gasifier

[Chris (Chris Saenz)]

@Wayne

I see no way a 8 inch hearth could furnish the gas for a 454 on a RV.

If he’s referring to the choke diameter, then that’s probably the right size. Saying “hearth” instead of firetube may indicate an Imbert style.

I’ve posted this elsewhere, but here’s my standard warning on motorhomes.

@Chris

Motorhomes are not the best choice for gasification for a few reasons. They are usually underpowered and slow on gasoline - woodgas will be twice as slow, since you’re losing about 30% of the engine power. Expect a top speed of 45-50 MPH. You need a large gasifier to make enough gas for the heavy load, which will itself add weight and length to an already heavy and long vehicle. Plan on burning 16-20 lbs per gallon… if you get 10 MPG now, you’ll need about 2 lbs per mile on wood. A 1,000 mile trip will be a full ton of wood, which you must chop, dry, and bag before the trip.
Then you need fuel storage - this will have to be towed on a trailer, or inside the vehicle. If you aren’t going to stop by home base to refuel, you’ll also need wood processing equipment on board, like a table saw. Any green wood needs to be air-dried for a while, so your travel range will be limited to the amount of dry wood you can procure.