finally! propane install is done!
Snowboard season cometh..
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,406
Likes: 1
From: Gulf Coast of Florida
Originally Posted by clux
If your experience is similar to mine, you will never recoup the cost of the system, because at those prices, propane is more expensive per mile than diesel. Propane has much less total energy per gallon, and costs more per BTU than diesel. Think about this.
When I was running propane, it took me from 16 mpg to 18 mpg on diesel. 9 gallons of propane (2 bbq tanks) would be empty after 2 24 gallon fillups of diesel.
Without propane, 2 fillups or 48 gallons of diesel at $2.80= $134.40
16 mpg * 48 gallons = 768 miles traveled on straight diesel.
$134.40/768 miles = 17.5 cents per mile total fuel cost.
With propane same 2 tanks of diesel cost me the same $134.40
18 mpg * 48 gallons = 864 miles
Plus I now had propane to pay for.
9 gallons * $2.00/gal = $18
$134.40 + $18 = $152.40
$152.40/864 miles = 17.64 cents per mile total fuel costs.
Or if you want to look at strictly propane:
864 - 768 = 96 more miles on 9 gallons of propane
$18 for propane / 96 additional miles = 18.75 cents per mile running propane compared to 17.5 cents diesel.
My observations were that unless propane was about half the price of diesel, there was no savings and propane in fact cost me more to run.
Of course, your mileage may vary, but that's what I learned running propane. The additional power is a lot of fun, but it's not free. Good luck with whatever you decide.
When I was running propane, it took me from 16 mpg to 18 mpg on diesel. 9 gallons of propane (2 bbq tanks) would be empty after 2 24 gallon fillups of diesel.
Without propane, 2 fillups or 48 gallons of diesel at $2.80= $134.40
16 mpg * 48 gallons = 768 miles traveled on straight diesel.
$134.40/768 miles = 17.5 cents per mile total fuel cost.
With propane same 2 tanks of diesel cost me the same $134.40
18 mpg * 48 gallons = 864 miles
Plus I now had propane to pay for.
9 gallons * $2.00/gal = $18
$134.40 + $18 = $152.40
$152.40/864 miles = 17.64 cents per mile total fuel costs.
Or if you want to look at strictly propane:
864 - 768 = 96 more miles on 9 gallons of propane
$18 for propane / 96 additional miles = 18.75 cents per mile running propane compared to 17.5 cents diesel.
My observations were that unless propane was about half the price of diesel, there was no savings and propane in fact cost me more to run.
Of course, your mileage may vary, but that's what I learned running propane. The additional power is a lot of fun, but it's not free. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 11,286
Likes: 263
From: North of Greenville
Clux... thanks for the details. That's tthe kind of analysis I needed to put the issue to rest in my own mind. I'm beginning to wonder now about the meth/H2O approach as an alternative. You wouldn't happen to have already done that one too, have you, Clux?
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 10,600
Likes: 3
From: Carhenge
No experience with meth/water here. I looked into it, but my understanding is that you need to be running over 10lbs of boost to inject water. I use my pickup mostly for work, probably only 10% of my miles are towing where my boost stays over 10lbs, so I don't see any real benefit for me.
