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Welcome to the group! There is a lot of information here. Feel free to look through what is already posted, but feel free to ask any questions you may have.
 
howdy from a Texan .... and welcome to the forum and family...there's quite a few knowledgeable folks here that'll gladly tell ya what you need to know,or at least point ya in the right direction and/or give ya a good idea or 2..and by all means jump right on in with any replies you have on a topic.
 
Thanks Silent Earth. I'm looking to build a truly off the grid car, so I am not much into solar (electrical components require too much 3rd party maintenance/supply for my taste), more in the lines of wood gas. I have a couple of engineer friends who are working on the drive train, so I'm more concerned on other features, for example tires. I think I found an elegant alternative - americantracktruck.com, but I don't know the company. Anyone has experience/knowledge if these guys are reliable and if their product delivers? :)
 
Anarchist Abroad said:
Thanks Silent Earth. I'm looking to build a truly off the grid car, so I am not much into solar (electrical components require too much 3rd party maintenance/supply for my taste), more in the lines of wood gas. I have a couple of engineer friends who are working on the drive train, so I'm more concerned on other features, for example tires. I think I found an elegant alternative - americantracktruck.com, but I don't know the company. Anyone has experience/knowledge if these guys are reliable and if their product delivers? :)
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Why not go the easy, safer and cheap route? Make your own bio diesel, DIY bio diesel plants can be made for under £1000 and if you get the right sort of diesel engine not only can you run bio diesel but also recycled cooking oil esp some place warm like Israel?
 
Silent Earth said:
Why not go the easy, safer and cheap route? Make your own bio diesel, DIY bio diesel plants can be made for under £1000 and if you get the right sort of diesel engine not only can you run bio diesel but also recycled cooking oil esp some place warm like Israel?
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Fuel shortage might not be the problem. Let's imagine you are running on cooking oil and the motor is fine, but one of your shock absorbents has gotten hit from something and leaked all of its hydraulic fluid, or your battery is drained and requires more acid, or all of your tires are worn out, etc. These are weaknesses I am trying to solve.

Also - I am planning to move to the Yukon soon, so not expecting hot climate for the long term ;)
 
Anarchist Abroad said:
Fuel shortage might not be the problem. Let's imagine you are running on cooking oil and the motor is fine, but one of your shock absorbents has gotten hit from something and leaked all of its hydraulic fluid, or your battery is drained and requires more acid, or all of your tires are worn out, etc. These are weaknesses I am trying to solve.

Also - I am planning to move to the Yukon soon, so not expecting hot climate for the long term ;)
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OK you need a couple of Mules and a Cart for them to pull. To get to the level of cover you require transport that can be crafted from local materials
 
Silent Earth said:
OK you need a couple of Mules and a Cart for them to pull. To get to the level of cover you require transport that can be crafted from local materials
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Horses, mules etc. are certainly a possibility, but are also likely to become a liability at some point because organisms are less durable than machines. Not to say I don't like animals, I love having them, but as off the grid transportation I'd rather have something that will never require taking to the vet, or medicating, or even feeding when not in my service. My pets could always ride along, though
 
I'm wondering if you should explore wood alcohol as a fuel source.

It has a lot less BTUs than gasoline or diesel, but it is easy to make with destructive distillation...much easier than fermentation with a still.

If you go this route, keep in mind that methyl alcohol is quite toxic, but not as toxic as gasoline.
 
It depends on the additive in gasoline. The regular hydrocarbons in gasoline (octane, nonane,
Kevin L said:
If you go this route, keep in mind that methyl alcohol is quite toxic, but not as toxic as gasoline.
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Very small amounts of methanol (as little as 10 mL) can cause blindness and 15 mL can be fatal (for comparison, a "shot" of whiskey is around 40 mL).
 
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I do wonder - am I the only one who is more concerned about the long-term durability of the vehicle as a whole than the fuel source? let's assume that we have a car that is running on any fuel, including a renewable type that will always be available; would that be considered as an off-the-grid vehicle? What if the battery dies? what if you get multiple punctures to the tires to the point you can't make them retain air pressure? What if you run out of hydraulic-fluid/oil for the engine/transmission/shock absorbents/steering? What if your transmission chips a cog and is rendered useless? What if your breaks need replacement pads? the list goes on and on... In my opinion, an OTG car will never require any 3rd-party maintenance or supply, and that's what I'm aiming for. What do you think?
 
Nothing lasts forever, and I think it's unrealistic to expect otherwise

I think transportation post SHTF will consist of multiple strategies.

I, for one, am a reasonably competent weekend warrior when it comes to auto repair and maintenence. I plan to stock extra fluids, extra spark plugs, extra cables and wires, extra brake pads, etc..

I also plan on using my bicycles (with cargo trailer) as much as possible to mitigate wear and tear on the car.

If I do these things, I might be okay for maybe five years at a guess.

Also, bear in mind that wrecked, abandoned cars will be all over the place...and parts can be scavenged and cannibalized.
 
Kevin L said:
Nothing lasts forever, and I think it's unrealistic to expect otherwise
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Indeed nothing lasts forever. My goal is to create a car that will last a few decades, and with several compromises to comfort - it can be done (I realize it hasn't been done yet, though).

Stockpiling spare parts (or harvesting abandoned cars) and having the know-how & machinery to install them is a valid plan. I, regrettably, don't have sufficient technical skills, and I would also prefer not to be dependent on a workshop and parts availability - for flexibility, and based on the medical principal that prevention is better than treatment.

My friends and I are currently working on building this car. I believe that once I can show a solid design - it will be easier for people to understand the benefits. It is all based on proven engineering principles and I have no doubt it will serve its purpose well.
 
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