America is Changing... fast!

dirtysouth

Adventurer
Let's bump this to the top...

Mr. Webb, I seen you today in Woodstock, only to find out you're a member here on the board. Keep on doing what you love brother.
 

dieselcruiserhead

16 Years on ExPo. Whoa!!
Hi Holt,

Sorry I had not read this thread until now though I am regularly on this site. I am considerably aware of your truck and project from the last time I spoke with Shane at Rover Hybrids probably about a year ago including all of the problems you had.

If you ever make it to the Utah area we have a facility that cleans, de-waters, and filters vegetable oil for vehicle consumption or biodiesel brewing use. We sell if for about a $1 a gallon and have about 2000 gallons in storage ready to go at any moment. You will find several of these facilities around the country. We have somehow gotten on some sort of list where particularly bands have gotten our info and we will sell several hundreds of gallons at a time to some of the larger vehicles. There are several of these suppliers including even LoveCraft in downtown LA that has a large network of vehicles that fill up there. I have considered attempting to collect information on this to spread the word but you may also try the frybrid.com forums as well. It is my belief this is the best way to do vegetable oil. It is also generally much easier on your system to use filtered/dewatered oil in terms of maintenance, filtering etc.

Particularly when I was in charge of the UtahBiodiesel group I always advocated taking vegetable oil as theft as the company that has the contract to pick it up renders it and sells it for animal consumption. At one point it was about $2.50 a gallon they were selling it for so removing 50 gallons of oil from one of these contractors was basically the equivalent of removing $125 in profits from that company. My good friends who run the Elements Tour (the Japanese firetruck that drove Alaska-Tierra Del Fuego on vegetable oil) were arrested in southern Arizona for oil theft. Here when oil started becoming a consumer commodity acquisition of oil particularly affected the local markets where restaurants basically became keen on their commodity and started demanding payment for their oil.

Anyway it is all very interesting. I hope the trip is going well and I had heard of your award from the Overland Society, congratulations.

Best,
Andre Shoumatoff
 

Geronimo

Observer
Kudos on making this trip possible. I have had similar idea for years. I live in the same small town in Western Arizona that I grew up in. Most of my friends have left, few ever come back. I don't think that you can see the way that the USA is changing nearly as much in the city. From here it is in your face every day.

I have avoided prosperity in exchange for knowing my neighbors. It is a choice few understand.

I look forward to following your trip.
BTW, I am a Belleview Outfit fan also!
 

ywen

Explorer
Cool project.. I checked out the website but I couldn't easily figure out what aspects of America you're adovcating to preserve.. The galleries are suppose to showcase dissapearing facetes of America? However I just see random artistic shots..

Just trying to figure out / make suggestions to the presentation layer of this expedition..
 
H

Holt Webb

Guest
Sounds good to me. Collecting the oil, especially in the winter, is a pain in the butt. I'd be happy to pay $1/gallon for it (especially if it's been filtered and de-watered).

I'm in GA right now. The only places I've found are a Biodiesel manufacturer in Atlanta (Rob at Refuel Biodiesel, who isn't interested in forming relationships, only in being a big-shot in his industry), and a couple of independent guys who collected oil when it was easy and now have a huge overstock just sitting in their garages. (Unfortunately, the guys with the overstock won't sell it for less than $2/gal -- yes, even in this economy!)

So, my complaints aside, is there anyone like you in Georgia?
 

dieselcruiserhead

16 Years on ExPo. Whoa!!
Hi Holt,
I see you number above. I'll just give you a ring when I get a chance... I do have a few recommendations, some of them are as much as a 1/2 day away each direction though.

I also wanted to mention I've been assisting my old man on a similar project (but literary) since 2000 called www.dispatchesfromthevanishingworld.com which is largely his 'beat' as a reporter.
 

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