QUEST: Find an Eco-Overlander Vehicle

[Robthebrit]

4x4 sprinters (from the factory) are common in europe, I also wish they would import them here.

 

[Christian P.]

I still prefer the simplicity of the 2H without all of the electronic stuff. My troopie came with a hand crank... No kidding...

mine too, although I have no clue who could turn the crank...

When I was driving up in Cape York, the relay for the electric motor which shuts off the injection pumps started acting up, causing the pump to turn off from time to time...kind of annoying on the trail. I just disconnected the wire at the motor, and voila, we were able to drive all the way up to Cape York. Only problem, i could not stop the engine without stalling it in third gear...

there is absolutely no electronic components, everything is mechanical.
You can't beat that in the water...

 

[Christian P.]

4x4 sprinters (from the factory) are common in europe, I also wish they would import them here.

I saw a few of these Sprinters 4x4 in Australia. I would not get too excited. They are more like All Wheel Drive than true 4x4. The clearance was almost non-existent, and the front CV joints looked rather small to me.

On the pictures I saw from Germany, they seem to have some sort of lift kits , but the ones I saw in person were rather low. They are mostly designed for snowy condition in Austria that true off road - much like a Dodge Caravan all wheel drive.

Christian
www.2aroundtheworld.com

 

[muchosdiaz]

Another option to consider for an environmentally friendly vehicle would be an FJ60 converted to propane. There are several 60 owners on IH8MUD that have done this with good results for reasonable amounts of money. Some power is lost, but propane is a very clean burning fuel.

As for sprinters with the 4wd conversion Sportsmobile was going to import the parts to do the conversion, but Daimler-Chrysler gave them hints that the factory 4wd sprinter might be here in 2008 so Sportsmobile discontinued there conversion plans.

 

[DesertRose]

Another option to consider for an environmentally friendly vehicle would be an FJ60 converted to propane. There are several 60 owners on IH8MUD that have done this with good results for reasonable amounts of money. Some power is lost, but propane is a very clean burning fuel.

As for sprinters with the 4wd conversion Sportsmobile was going to import the parts to do the conversion, but Daimler-Chrysler gave them hints that the factory 4wd sprinter might be here in 2008 so Sportsmobile discontinued there conversion plans.

Welcome to ExPo posting, Muchosdiaz (love your screen name). Great information, too -

I laughed about lost power for the FJ60, though - just having driven one, I can't imagine any less power rngartis

I'm still leaning toward diesel, for the reason that the mileage is good and there is the possibility of running biodiesel - but I'll (urk!) go over to IH8MUD to see if I can find the propane information. [It's a scary proposition for a woman to venture into that forum unarmed :ar15: ]

I'm a Toyota girl at heart, so any FJ conversion makes me happy. But I have to admit a Disco diesel would really by nice. Love the suspension, and frankly I could find a blown-engine Disco cheaper than a Cruiser 80 . . . or a 60 - those things just run for-ever.

This is fun, and tough, too! That's what makes it worthwhile.

 

[Clutch]

Too bad, those diesel conversions cost so much. It would nice to have one in my Tacoma.

 

[DesertRose]

I looked at the Liberty and really wanted to give it a chance... I don't think Chrysler really committed to the platform. They used an Italian CRD rather than implementing one of their nice Mercedes diesel engines. The tuning was horrible... They have no scoot for passing on the freeway and the fuel economy is not that great...

I wish Chrysler or an aftermarket company would add a 4x4 kit to the Sprinter. You'd have some peoples attention then!

I did look hard at the Liberty, and even found one already converted to GoldenFuel Systems (veg oil) for $19,000 and thought, well, I could possibly finance $6K, but I don't want to (we are paying off some big unexpected medical bills and otherwise have no debt at all - no mortgage, no other car payments - I know, un-American, isn't it?).

 

[ChuckB]

- but I'll (urk!) go over to IH8MUD to see if I can find the propane information. [It's a scary proposition for a woman to venture into that forum unarmed :ar15: ]

ah c'mon, its not that bad. :chowtime:

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Well, I just talked myself out of the Discovery diesel conversion with a revisit to East Coast Rover's article on their own conversion. There's a five-speed Disco I for sale in Tucson right now and we were planning to call and go drive it, but not anymore.

The R380 five-speed transmission that comes with the V8 is different than the R380 that comes on the diesel. So in addition to the engine cost you have to replace the transmission. And even then the conversion is insanely involved. Just not practical or economical for us, even given a really cheap donor vehicle. Damn.

Personally I'm back to the FJ60 and 2H/five-speed idea. Simple, economical, bombproof.

But Roseann is now thinking about a Honda Insight hybrid with a solid axle swap and Mud Terrains. Or something like that; I'm losing track.

 

[DesertRose]

But Roseann is now thinking about a Honda Insight hybrid with a solid axle swap and Mud Terrains. Or something like that; I'm losing track.

:shakin:

Personally I'm back to the FJ60 and 2H/five-speed idea. Simple, economical, bombproof.

We're getting there - all you diesel guys out there - dieselcruiserhead, robthebrit, wd40 - you seem particularly conversant on biodiesel realities and on SVO/WVO. On the Biodiesel - I'm not interested in supporting problem-transference, that is, thinking I'm making a difference environmentally by choosing biodiesel over dino-diesel. [Biodiesel produced on a big scale, such as in Brazil and Argentina, is a big threat to biodiversity (including heritage crops) and cultural diversity (including small-share farms). I work in third-world community-based conservation, in Africa, and I just can't see that this would work for me and my reasons for swapping.]

So is it possible to find sustainably produced biodiesel, or make your own?

I have access to a decent, straight 4-speed manual FJ60 in my favorite desert tan - a diesel conversion would be awesome. If I can talk the owner into around $2500, I think it might be do-able.

 

[Robthebrit]

I only make my own biodiesel, I have never bought a drop as its difficult to know its origin. There is way too much forest being destroyed in order to grow palms for palm oil which ideal for bio-diesel, if I'm on the road I buy dino-diesel. I haven't made that much bio at the moment, I am still in the learning phase and trying to get the blend perfect every time. Once I get good at it I'll scale up to something like 50 gallon batches, then I'll make a batch while I used a batch. At the moment I have only put what I made in the mog, I m a little scared to put it in the dodge, the mog is way more forgiving.

I also considered veg oil but to the multi fuel/multi tank switching and heaters etc there are lots of other things to consider. Virgin oil is too expensive and nobody makes none food grade cooking oil. To use waste oil you really have to know the history of the oil. If it has a high water content and that water is not removed the water explosively boils when placed under extreme pressure in the injection pump and it can cause problems with corrosion and pitting on the plungers or plunger cylinders. Ultimately this will lead to injection pump failure or significant power loss, new vehicles may have more problems here due to the much higher injection pressures in a common rail system.

I can post more info on making biodiesel if you are interested along with the tanks and pumps that I use, where I got them etc, finding used oil was really easy. My current costs are currently 50-70c a gallon for processed diesel which makes me feel better about the 14mpg the mog gets.

Rob

 

[Colorado Ron]

Ill sell you my sons skate board and a sheet to make a sail out of. $20 and your good to go. Might wanna invest in a helmet.:smiley_drive:

 

[DesertRose]

Ill sell you my sons skate board and a sheet to make a sail out of. $20 and your good to go. Might wanna invest in a helmet.:smiley_drive:

But where does the Engel go?

 

[DesertRose]

I only make my own biodiesel, I have never bought a drop as its difficult to know its origin. There is way too much forest being destroyed in order to grow palms for palm oil which ideal for bio-diesel, if I'm on the road I buy dino-diesel. I haven't made that much bio at the moment, I am still in the learning phase and trying to get the blend perfect every time. Once I get good at it I'll scale up to something like 50 gallon batches, then I'll make a batch while I used a batch. At the moment I have only put what I made in the mog, I m a little scared to put it in the dodge, the mog is way more forgiving.

I also considered veg oil but to the multi fuel/multi tank switching and heaters etc there are lots of other things to consider. Virgin oil is too expensive and nobody makes none food grade cooking oil. To use waste oil you really have to know the history of the oil. If it has a high water content and that water is not removed the water explosively boils when placed under extreme pressure in the injection pump and it can cause problems with corrosion and pitting on the plungers or plunger cylinders. Ultimately this will lead to injection pump failure or significant power loss, new vehicles may have more problems here due to the much higher injection pressures in a common rail system.

I can post more info on making biodiesel if you are interested along with the tanks and pumps that I use, where I got them etc, finding used oil was really easy. My current costs are currently 50-70c a gallon for processed diesel which makes me feel better about the 14mpg the mog gets.

Rob

Thanks, Rob - I have been perusing links found on dieselcruiserhead's signature and understand the process and am interested but dubious - seems very labor-intensive. I don't have any objection to that but want to know what I'd be getting into.

What do you use for base oil for making your own biodiesel? What do you do with the glycerin?

 

[Colorado Ron]

But where does the Engel go?

Ok--I also sell you a camelback......with ice.