UPDATE: we are raising funds to transport the truck and chunker to Cody in North Carolina.
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Original post:
Hello all. I just received word that Ron Holmack has passed away. He was a very active DIYer, fabricator and one of our own. He built a woodgas truck and a chunker, and had ambitions of breaking Wayne’s woodgas speed record. He will be missed.
His family would like to donate the truck and chunker to a woodgas scholarship of sorts. It is up to us as a community to choose a beneficiary, and arrange for transport from Sandpoint Idaho.
More photos here:
The truck is running OK on a cold start but has issues when warmed up. Definitely not ready for a cross-country trip. The chunker is built as a trailer, so could be towed. Tires etc. need to be evaluated.
January is not the best time for a trip to Idaho, so this should happen in spring. Is anyone available to go fetch these? And who would you nominate for a recipient? I’m looking for someone young, broke, and keen to learn woodgas…
Message me privately with candidates please. This thread will be for discussing logistics and voting on the candidates.
OK, time to get this moving! I’ve received some limited feedback and talked to a few folks directly. Remember the qualifications are, someone young, of limited means, and working hard to learn wood gasification. (As a practical matter, we are only considering US candidates.)
All the names above were nominated by DOW community members. Even if you don’t win, we still feel that you deserve recognition for your contributions to the community. Thank you!
This is an official DOW vote. Any DOW Premium member may vote, for up to 2 candidates. Please take a moment to review their profiles and posts here on DOW, to make your decision. I will pin this to the top for awhile so everyone sees it.
Logistically I can’t see getting that truck from Idaho to anywhere in the East or Midwest. Ray would be the best choice for getting it transported. Not on the list but it may better serve as a learning tool for one of the North family’s ADAPTech projects.
Please note that Brian Hamalainen is no longer living in the US, and is therefore disqualified from this vote. I can’t delete his name on the poll, but don’t bother voting for him.
Hey Cris,
Maybe they should be given away to someone who goes to meetup that way attendees could see Ron’s builds and if they needed adjustments the guys could help out plus an insensitive to attend. Just a suggestion Dan
It would be a lot easier if it was driveable. then you could take a bus out and drive it back. It probably should be trailered though because of the unknown condition. You have to get out of the mountains, then long stretches of unpopulated areas… driving slow isn’t as bad as getting stuck 5 miles from the nearest person.
It will be a fun project for whoever gets it. it is certainly a lot more and better fab work, then I am capable of.
Yes, beautiful quality build and a waste if it is not used. Difficult to choose between the members and Bob could help his neighbour…. On the other hand, if transport is a problem, I would like to donate some.
As long as this is used again.
The most economical way to transport it home will be in a U-Haul box truck pulling a car hauler. Load the chunker into the box truck, and put the truck on the trailer.
Of course, if somebody has access to a truck and a large trailer that would be even easier. There are hotshot trucking services which could probably haul this for some fee as well.
Hitch ball on this truck shows a lot of previous trailering useages across the U.S. Pennsilvania <-> Arizona.
Welded on ball wrong for the tent trailer. Tent trailer with a welded on tongue wrong for the trucks hitch ball.
I made no pictures of the big 42 ton wood splitter winched up and on, transported. Right ball and tongue. NOT 70 mph safe capable.
S.U.
Thank you so much for even considering me. my deepest condolences go out to the family. we just had 3 deaths in the family down here ourselves over the last few weeks and know it can be a lot to tackle. a man i grew up with just lost his dad too last week. it seems to be in the air for this time of the year.
It would definitely be able to get the locals around here exited for the meetup to be able and see stuff like that up and running. i honestly think that seeing is believing for a lot of people. it almost sounds like magic to a lot of people when you try to explain it to them, haha.
I’ve been putting what few dollars I have been making from caring for my father straight into my workshop. They only approved me for 20 hours a week, so it isn’t much, but I see it as worth what I have to have the barn my dad had brought up to workshop conditions. Even if it did take nearly all my savings to replace the rotted roof lol. and with my fathers wheelchair finally being approved through the VA, im hoping to getting some work done with my father again like when i was little.
I feel the same about being considered, I feel like whoever gets it was carefully chosen by the forum. It’s definitely no small thing to entrust a vehicle to someone.
It’s like Jay Leno has said about some cars, to paraphrase, “You’re less of an owner and more of a caretaker/steward”
Yup that is how I feel about the 92 Dakota (from the book) Wayne, Chris, and now my ownership and work that has gone into to it. And when I am gone hopefully it will be pass on to a another DOW fan. Oh I planning on sticking around for awhile still. Lol.
