Getting Started on my First Gasifier!

[Chris (Chris Saenz)]

My thoughts on why woodgas RVs for roadtrips are a bad idea. I’ve posted this before, and I agree with Wayne above.

@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.