And not only paid for itself financially but paid back in many other ways too, like the satisfaction of not being “over the barrel”
That’s great Wayne!
I know you’re making a point of everything that truck has done for you and it’s still going strong. Is there a point that you actually feel it’s paid for itself? What I mean is that once whatever one is trying to gasify and the bugs are worked out, to me, my work has been paid off. But I suppose there are actual numbers that can be applied. Have you ever felt the need to put real numbers to this?
Hello Bill ,
It would be hard for me to put the numbers to the gasifier . I’m sure my numbers would be different than most . Just this week I have used a lot of steel and a tank I acquired in 1976 . Also the numbers would depend some on how easy one comes by wood and processing it . Some folks will have to find wood and some like me over the years try to find ways to depose of their wood .
I think I could work an hourly wage and make enough money in an hours time to drive one of my ole trucks about 100 miles. If I forget about the wage and put my hour to processing wood I think I could go 500- 1000 miles .
BBB
is a major milestone in so many ways. Most of us would prefer a workhorse that goes forever to having to buy something new, often. That truck will handle anything well, and do it on wood to boot.
Pic #1 This is the second field when finished I looked across and it looks the same as if farmed with all diesel fuel.
Pic # 2-3 I used a diesel tractor for cutting and rolling but wood power for fluffing , raking and hauling the hay home
Pic # 4-6 Hauling in equipment …
BBB
It has been over a month that I posted here so thought I would add something.
I am using the V-10 Ram daily.
I just took a load of calves to the cattle auction picture below . After this pay day I probable could afford to buy a few gallons of gasoline, but have too much wood I need to be burning.
Truck running great 
BBB
I seen the v10 vidio idleing still working good. can you keep that truck at a steady 55 mph most of the time on 100% wood, and what gear do you use, THANKS. allso that back temp gauge ,is that mounted in the side of the heat exchanger ash catch’er.
Good morning Kevin ,
As a general rule I can run the truck 50-60 mph with no help from gasoline . For short distances I can go faster without getting the gasifier too hot. The issues are usually avoiding over heating the gasifier vs lack of power .
Below are a couple of videos from three years ago .
The thermometer is mounted in the cooling rails close to the heat x/ drop box exit. . At about 500 - 550 degrees F I will throttle back or hybrid with gasoline .
The truck is geared very high and I think it would perform better if it was lower geared . To drive in OD I need level road and no head wind . At 55 mph and OD I am running less than 1500 rpm.
BBB
how do you keep the gasifier from drawing more air in as the rpms going up. sounds tricky too adjust.OR do you just turn the wood fuel valves back a bit and watch temp gauge stableize, when adding petro. THANKS
Hello Kevin ,
On the V-10 I can open the air mix valves so the motor is not pulling as much on the gasifier then turn the gasoline full on . The computer will read a rich mixture as soon as the gasoline starts to flow and lean out the gasoline until the fuel /air ratio is correct. If the gasifier is still a little too hot I can open the air mix valves even more , the computer will read a lean mix and add a little more gasoline to correct . If the gasifier is cooling down and I want to work it a little harder I close the air mix a little , the computer reads rich and will cut back on the amount of gasoline.
With the gasoline turn on all the way the computer will not shut off all the gasoline no matter how rich the mixture gets but I believe it will shut down to about 10%.
When you open the air valve too ease the pull on the gasifier, are you still putting the gasifier gas pedel too the flore. when hibriding,. Hope i dont sound repititiches. Thanks wayne, you are true real country.AND A SOLDIER.
Good morning Kevin
" When you open the air valve too ease the pull on the gasifier, are you still putting the gasifier gas pedel too the flore. when hibriding "
I hardly ever put the gas pedal to the floor but I can maintain the throttle setting and motor rpm while slacking off on the gasifier pull.
As an example of how the air mix setting will influence the pull on the gasifier. If we were coasting down a long mountain and turn the ignition switch off, keeping the motor spinning and holding about half throttle .
In the above state and with the air mix valves open full the vacuum reading on the gasifier will be near 0 and very little air coming through it . Almost all the air is coming through the air mix valve and on through the motor .
If we close the air mix valves to 1/2 the vacuum reading may jump up to about 30 inches h2o . At this setting half the air is coming through the gasifier and half through the motor .
If we completely close off the air mix valves the vacuum reading my go as high as 60 inches . No air is coming through the air mix valves and the air going through the motor is all being pulled thorough the gasifier and it’s resistance ( char bed )
I know the above is very confusing . I will try to make a video of hybrid driving and post.
In short I can set the air mix so I am not over pulling and over heating the gasifier . The truck computer will figure out if the mixture is to lean or to rich and add in the right amount of gasoline to run properly .
That gives me enough to start with on air gas controls, and as i monitor the vacuem gauge i will know it is easing up on the gasifier pull. THANKS,
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Nice payday Wayne. All it cost you was time. Not many farmers can say that. I asipre to be able to do that someday.
Too cold and windy to do much work outside today but the truck has a good heater and I have plenty of wood .
w ( wood )
g ( gasifier )
t ( truck )
w + g + t = swem ( smiling with ever mile ) http://youtu.be/fnuy23SNYeY
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I heard my name in that video, Wayne, about open country views up here but I see you still have leaves on the trees with some color to boot! I’ll trade weather if you don’t mind. I took a wood powered ride too but in the snow today and I could not help smiling when I realized that the little bag of wood I added was not only powering me down the road but also keeping me cozy warm. That little Tracker has a good heater! What fun! Thanks a million Wayne for sharing your design and making this possible for so many of us.
I love riding with wood heat…
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I took the family to the drivein a couple of weeks ago and me and the wife set up lawn chairs in the back and stayed toasty for hours loved it to bad I cant get this thing to heat the house.
Hi Wayne, I have a friend interested in building a Dodge V10 for a work truck like yours. I told him I would ask you if you were building another one, what would you do different, if anything?
Thanks
Carl