Wayne
I think the word obsessed suits better at this point. Sure is fun though!!! That’s a real difference in weight between the extended cab over regular. I am still deciding on that option right now for the next build. Really would like to find another standard trans. I will have too see what I can find. HWWTF Sean
Hey Sean,
I bet as you’re going down the road you will reach for the gasoline shut off switch and realize it is already off.
I do it often, just seems strange to be cruising along with all the other traffic with NO gasoline.
HWWT
Yepp I remember you doing that a lot on the Michigan Trip.
Guilty as charged I think I did the same 3 or 4 times tonight.
Real blast driving a ride like this down the road!!! Tomorrow can’t come fast enough more driving ahead.
Both Woody and myself can’t believe the difference between the Ranger verses the Dakota.
BBB
Well Sean, what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t offer to help - You’re welcome to make a trip up here I could surely use your expertise as I work to complete my build!
Better bring the long johns though, it’s gettin’ cold up here and starting to spit snow occasionally. Perhaps I should have built a simple fire stove before starting the gasifier project?
Henry
I am flattered by the offer 
When it thaws out up there I hope to make another trip up.
Drove the f-150 today for a bit 50miles or so. Just shut down the Dakota took it on the highway for the first time running very well. Brought 500lbs. of 2x4 back from the truss plant for house stock. BBB Sean
Drove the Dakota today
Put down 100miles total including a 45min. idle at the end I took the truck up to 85mph. Running real sweet
In some cases life in the fast lane is not too bad.
I take it you must have won the arm wrestling again.
HWWT
Hey Sean,
How are you coming with the arm wrestling, Who’s getting to drive?
Hey Wayne,
We have all been taking turns with the Dakota and having much fun!!!
We are over the 1100mile mark for wood power. Just put some new tires,rear brakes and inner tie rods on her the other day. Tightening the truck up a little at a time
running real smooth. The weather the past few days has been less than optimal for any outdoor activities. HWWT
I won the arm wrestle today!!! Shot some new video at various times some highway driving and some light to light city driving. The last video will be driving through the local shopping center to see if anyone notices the truck running on wood. Truck is running real sweet now I fully understand now why Wayne chooses the Dakota’s for gasification just a good match. HWWT
One guy did look at the truck in this video but not because it was running on wood, He was curious why I was filming my drive HWWT
BBB
Out driving the little Dakota today put down another 200miles continues to impress and run sweet
HWWT
Just wanted to note that the gasifier on the Red Dodge is a year and a half old and has plenty of life left in it. The 55 gal drum hopper rotted out [bad design and only 26 gauge steel] and the bottom drum is weak. NO more drums. We will use 20 gauge steel for less cost on the next gasifier that will be flush with the roof of the Dakota and still sit in the bed instead of cut through the bed. Some may be confused at the cost of this unit as quoted in the video and I would like to qualify it a bit. The original cost of all the materials to do everything came in at $3500. Hard to believe when some other builders have quoted one sixth that amount. I have the tickets if anyone would like to see them. We used all new steel and have since cut the cost down a bit. Labor was 350 hours on the build installed in the truck which is about 100 hours over the official estimate you see floating around here. The switch from the last truck to this one took about 40 hours in repairs and about 200 dollars in parts and paint. I think it would be deceptive to try and impress everyone with a low ball figure like that so I won’t. After eight gasifiers and five trucks I don’t see how anyone can expect a quality dependable unit for much less then the above. The gasifier alone took 70 hours to build and does not include time for installation. The only gasifiers I have had that failed were the ones we tried to build from junk. It was so bad my son will not use junk steel again because the rust and the different coatings on the metal interfered with making airtight welds. This raises the risk of failure when the unit is heated and cooled repeatedly.
This post also pertains to the DIY thread where Sean drives the Dakota in Mart Hale’s video and makes it look like business as usual.
Woody,
Sounds like you are starting to talk about realistic pricing on gasifier fabrication & truck installation. Does 3500.00 cover the mandatory, complete digital instrumentation that will be added to your Dakota shortly?
I have digital temp readout on the gas exiting the gasifier now. The material cost does reflect a first time build. We tore some stuff out and had to put new stuff back in to make the truck run right when we did the first truck. The Dodge would have been a bit easier, but not so easy as to get off for 1/6 the cost we have in it. I just want to keep my end straight and let things fall where they will so I can sleep at night… Wood gas isn’t cheap but I don’t like the people I have to buy gas from. So I will do what I can to run wood and not liquid even if it costs more. I don’t plan on anymore temp readouts because we are running real good. If I had a problem with heat I would put another thermocouple on the grate.
The gas readout tells me all I need to know. Even if the unit leaks in the bottom, the gas readout is the very first indicator. The heat exchanger barely moves on my setup. It may be different for others, but mine is what it is. I can run this truck as hard as I want and the heat just stops. Then if I want to cool it down I can do that anytime.
You have to remember there are many different types of builds. Some are very simple and take less steel and less welding and they might even actually make enough gas to run a car or truck down the road. They all take time and effort to build. I have had the pleasure of trying some of these other designs and I wasn’t too happy with the results. You may save money on material costs but I seemed to have been chasing down a rabbit hole trying to make something work that just would not meet my expectations.
I saw one guy out in the desert who did 19 or maybe now it’s 20 videos on a junk gasifier build. Each video left off at a key point and seemed to draw you into the next one to see if the thing ever made gas or ran an engine. I never saw the thing work right. Maybe I missed something or fell asleep.
Good Morning Woody,
I think I saw the same videos , he has a gift of getting his videos to the front of the pack.
My policy is never down anyone’s gasifier but one item I spotted deals with safety so I thought I should say something about it.
He has a portion of his plumbing vented in the cab. That’s not good.
Wish we could talk him into coming to Argos.
Thanks
wayne
“He has a portion of his plumbing vented in the cab. That’s not good.”
You think new people know how dangerous that is? I don’t. Just like they might think all Dakota with gasifiers run like you and Sean with any gasifier. That would be really bad.
Hey Wayne,
Chalk up another 300miles since the last post!!! I kept track of my fuel usage this time on rotten pine 60lbs. = 75miles of driving at 65mph.
Today Woody and I drove out to see an old friend out west. Instead of carrying all wood in bags we bought along some long 2x4s and cut them at our friends house.
Made a short video we were cutting for about 7min. and had enough wood for the return trip. HWWT
You boys have it going on!!
HWWT
This is probably to short of notice. I will be driving from bunnell FL to williston FL today on wood. The route will be hwy 40 to hwy 27 I will have some extra time to meet up if anyone is in the area and wood like to see a truck run on wood. Planning to be on the road in the next hour or so. HWWT