green and off the grid

[jacobszall]

hey guys

I own a 2003 All American Blue Bird bus. I was talking to one of my friends about the bus and about carbon footprints and everything.

I want to run my bus as green as possible. I've already begun looking into using solar and everything for electronics,trying to stay away from diesel or gasoline.

I've been doing some research on veggie oil buses.. where would I start?

I can't find a kit for a school bus, haha.

[EastCoastCB]

Its gotten increasingly difficult to find steady supply of WVO... There's a section on here, read through the first page or two and you'll find out quite a bit about it.

[cowlitzcoach]

The fact that you are repurposing a school bus as an RV should reduce your carbon footprint enough to last you a lifetime.

You didn't say if your BB was Cat or Cummins powered. In either case the engine you have is electronically controlled.

The fuel pressure in an electronically controlled diesel engine will see pressures in excess of 30K PSI. Biofuels and WVO have a very large negative impact on fuel systems when the pressure gets that high.

Cat electronically controlled fuel systems are particularly susceptible to damage when using anything more than 10% bio. The Cat systems tend to just stop working when more than 10% bio is used.

I know that extended use of fuel with more than 10% bio will cause premature pump and/or injector failure in Cummins ISB and ISC engines.

I have no idea as to what will happen if you use WVO in a Cat 3116/3126/C7 or Cummins ISB/ISC.

Add into the mix the almost non-existence of WVO as a fuel source and I would suggest you be content with your reduced carbon footprint by repurposing your bus than trying to use large percentages of bio or WVO as a fuel source to reduce your carbon footprint.

[turf]

IMO ........ being green in a school bus is a fool's game. there is nothing green about driving your home across America. no amount of solar panels will offset the smoke coming out of the tail pipe, no matter what fuel you burn.

gasbuddy.com has a link to show your carbon footprint traveling in what ever vehicle you choose. enter a trip for you personal vehicle...and it shows the carbon foot print, change the numbers to a medium duty truck and prepare to rethink how green you are.

Trip Cost Calculator - Maximize Your Fuel Savings - GasBuddy.com

a lot of these old diesels are heavy polluters. thats why california got rid of them. if you want to be green, park the bus and travel in a prius.

[opus]

Start with a large balance in your checking account.

[GreyCoyote]

Originally Posted by opus

Start with a large balance in your checking account.

FYI: I sell consumer carbon credits, and I often have monthly specials on lightly used bridges in Brooklyn too.

Make all payments in Bitcoin, only, please. (Ducking!)

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by jacobszall

hey guys

I own a 2003 All American Blue Bird bus. I was talking to one of my friends about the bus and about carbon footprints and everything.

I want to run my bus as green as possible. I've already begun looking into using solar and everything for electronics,trying to stay away from diesel or gasoline.

I've been doing some research on veggie oil buses.. where would I stas your art?

I can't find a kit for a school bus, haha.

There are several steps that can be taken to reduce your carbon footprint.

1. Sell the bus and buy a pair of sneakers. Better yet, make some sandals from used truck tires. Use the sandals as sole means of transportation.

2. Kill at least 10 families of 5 or more on your block. Start with the ones driving Cadillac Escalades and gas powered Hummers. Spare the neighbors driving diesel powered Hummers because they get better mileage.

3. Park the bus. Pull the engine and donate it to your local high school auto shop so the kids can tear into it and learn. Then cut the roof off and replace with plastic and turn your bus into a big greenhouse. Next, plant the whole bus with the greenest pot you can find.

If you want a school bus, buy a school bus and don't look back. If you are ashamed of how much fuel you are using, buy a Geo Metro and give up this ridiculous idea about reducing your carbon footprint with probably the heaviest school bus that is produced today.

[crazycal]

In case someone isn't bright enough to know that my previous post was made in jest, sorry about your luck.

[roach711]

I look at WVO conversions more as a low cost option rather than a green option; whether dino oil or veggie oil, you're still burning fuel to get where you're going and burning any fuel makes CO2.

Engine specifics aside, there is a fairly substantial cost when you go WVO. The kit is one cost, the space needed for a second fuel tank and to store and process the oil another and finally the extra wear on the engine. There's plenty of evidence that unprocessed waste veggie oil shortens engine life.

[Tango]

WVO is more hydrophilic than most conventional diesel fuels and the extra water can quickly cause major problems if not addressed. Same problem with nearly all "Bio-Diesel".

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by Tango

WVO is more hydrophilic than most conventional diesel fuels and the extra water can quickly cause major problems if not addressed. Same problem with nearly all "Bio-Diesel".

There you go again using fancy words and stuff. Made me use a dictionary this morning.

[dgorila1]

If you really want a green skoolie do the following:
1. Pull the diesel engine and sell it.
2. Install a large electric motor.
3. Install LOTS of batteries.
4. Cover the roof with solar panels to help charge the batteries.
5. Drive 20 miles until the batteries drain down, recharge and drive again.
Buses were never designed to be "eco-friendly", unless you consider installing a composting toilet being green.

[Jolly Roger]

Originally Posted by crazycal

There are several steps that can be taken to reduce your carbon footprint.

1. Sell the bus and buy a pair of sneakers. Better yet, make some sandals from used truck tires. Use the sandals as sole means of transportation.

2. Kill at least 10 families of 5 or more on your block. Start with the ones driving Cadillac Escalades and gas powered Hummers. Spare the neighbors driving diesel powered Hummers because they get better mileage.

3. Park the bus. Pull the engine and donate it to your local high school auto shop so the kids can tear into it and learn. Then cut the roof off and replace with plastic and turn your bus into a big greenhouse. Next, plant the whole bus with the greenest pot you can find.

If you want a school bus, buy a school bus and don't look back. If you are ashamed of how much fuel you are using, buy a Geo Metro and give up this ridiculous idea about reducing your carbon footprint with probably the heaviest school bus that is produced today.

Love it
Meen it
Live it
Never plan on seeing Cali again.

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

Love it
Meen it
Live it
Never plan on seeing Cali again.

What does Cali have to do with it?

[SomeMomOutside]

Originally Posted by dgorila1

If you really want a green skoolie do the following:
1. Pull the diesel engine and sell it.
2. Install a large electric motor.
3. Install LOTS of batteries.
4. Cover the roof with solar panels to help charge the batteries.
5. Drive 20 miles until the batteries drain down, recharge and drive again.
Buses were never designed to be "eco-friendly", unless you consider installing a composting toilet being green.

i realize you were joking, but does anyone know of any busses that have tried to use any sort of electric / solar for driving? ridiculous 20 miles at a clip and all?

[Carytowncat]

I just installed the Renogy 200w solar panel kit on this good ole GMC, and i am delighted with the simplicity and their quality is top notch.

Good luck!

[cowlitzcoach]

Trans Tech has actually made a few prototype all electric school buses.

So far they have yet to start regular production.

Outside of the hype of when they first went into service I have not heard anything else about them.

https://motivps.com/portfolio/first-...us-in-america/

[Carytowncat]

Goodness i was just thinking of how much solar could occupy a bus roof for an electric bus. Surely in full sunlight there would be 200 amps of juice to boost. What a thrill that would be. "Solar sails up and let the photons be our guide!"

[superdave]

Originally Posted by crazycal

In case someone isn't bright enough to know that my previous post was made in jest, sorry about your luck.

next time your out this way lets get together for a cup of coffee, we have allot in common.

[cadillackid]

I had an electric car... well a plug in hybrid.. a chevy volt... fun car to drive but definitely not as "green" as its made out to be.. i bought it purely for the geek-factor.. till GM messed up all of the computers and could never get it right again. of course I was outside of lemon law territory but still in factory warranty.. I got tired of going to the dealer.. and on one of its good days traded it off... ..

reality is the charging system for most battery systems is quite inefficient.. your solar panels dont work nearly as well when they get physically Hot.. on a bus roof they will get quite Hot... I measured the Kwh required to charge my volt batteries and I was at 80% or less efficiency (depending on temperature)

it takes a LOT of horsepower to move a bus down the road.. while our engones are typically smallish in "power" compared to hot rods of today the busses take a lot more power to maintain a highway-safe speed..

solar is great for when you are parked, running accessories except for the trade-off of do you roast inside your bus so your batteries can charge.. (A/C defeats solar pretty quickly)... or do you give up the solar and park in the shade...

while I believe in being efficient when we can and using innovation and technology to improve energy efficiency and quality of life, im sorry im not on board with a school bus being green... even a commercially built RV tends to be "greener" from an operating standpoint as it is Lighter-weight and typically better insulated from the factory...

Yes you can build a school bus to be insulated quite well... but its still very heavy and not the least bit aerodynamic... that doesnt lead to "green-factor"...

from that standpoint batteries in general are also not particularly green.. an electric bus will have to at some point replace the batteries.. and battery manufacturing processes as well as disposal are not particularly green...

DISCLAIMER: I really am not into being green just to be green.. so take my statements above as you will... im one of the "evil" ones who lives for quality of life and enjoyment and comfort.. however I enjoy technology.. alot of which happens to have a green factor...

-Christopher