Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Andy Hogarth on September 17, 2011, 09:52:42 pm
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For you guys that have changed your truck mount to lpg
How much did it cost and was it worth it??
I know it's cheaper but does it last as long etc??
Do you need a gas tank and keep the petrol tank as well, the same as a car??
ta
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doing my prochem blazer in the next couple of weeks the kits cost £155 from edge technologies
i don't intend to keep the petrol tank but will leave the possibility of re instating it later but I'l removing the tank to fit large lpg tank that will last all week
my big 70hp TM is already lpg and is much cheaper to run easier to fill once or twice a week with a stako 100litre tank, you cant use a car tank as its liquid lpg you need a vapour tank as they use on motorhomes. Unless your tm is water cooled the you could fit a car lpg system but that gets a bit more complicated as you start on petrol and change to lpg when warm.
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also £40 1 kw lpg green house heater can run off the same tank simple and handy
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That's a nice idea Paul, I'd estimate I save approx 40% on my fuel bill with lpg which over a year is approx £2000
Shaun
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Is it simple enough to do diy, tbh I'm crap at stuff like that so would probably have my mechanic do it
did you do your own conversion too shaun?
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When I got my TM fitted 2 years ago the LPG conversion, tank and fitting etc with an external filler all totalled to about £800. They laid the tank alongside the nearside wheelarch and boxed over it to mount the hose reel on top. Brilliant use of space. I think it must have paid for itself within the first year!
Definitely worth it, and no petrol tank at all, you don't need it. I think the biggest advantage apart from cost is it's clean-burning so when you're forced to park up near to the door you're not blowing smelly fumes inside.
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Paul, I'd be really interested how you get on with fitting the kit - its very reasonably priced! If it turns out ok, it'll definately be next on my shopping list
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As Jim says.
Definitely worth it, and no petrol tank at all, you don't need it. I think the biggest advantage apart from cost is it's clean-burning so when you're forced to park up near to the door you're not blowing smelly fumes inside.
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You have to remember though Jim smells anyway so the petrol was a guise ;D
Shaun
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Yeah, I light a rag sticking out of paraffin can at the front door, just to cover up the B.O. smell! :-X
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Paul, when you do your blazer will it be a 1 day job, if so is there any chance I can drive over and get in the way watching while you do it ;D
I'm well up for converting mine
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Should be a hour job two with a tea break if you like no problem not sure when it will be
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is it possible to convert a boxer 318 over to lpg?? does the conversion diminish the life of the engine or blower at all?
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What engine is it? It's the engine you convert nothing else. It doesn't decrease engine life, well some say it does and some say it doesn't but the ones who say it does don,t seem to be able to give a soild reason why. Up to you to make up your own mind.
Best bit is like diesel there is no carbon monoxide from the engine so your a lot safer.
The kit cost the same as we spend on two weeks fuel so it's a no brainer for us the tanks cost twice that or you could use cylinders but tanks are vehicle rated and less hassle.
So pay back on the conversion is roughly 20 weeks for me and then it's half price fuel so we will be £1500 better off after a year at present rates and petrols still going up, over a life of a tm engine say five years that's £7500. now with that in mind still worried about your engine life.
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Just a. Question for petrol users who always say ahhh but its a bomb in your van, my gastank and frame its bolted into has been crash tested but the germans safety board and is ce marked for vehicle use .
The jerry can we all keep the spare gallon in "just in case" you run out may well fly forward burst and shower you or you bulk-head in lovely lovely flammable petrol, personally that used to bother me if you have a gas tank burst youprobably not have survived the crash to be bothered
Just watch I'll exploded next week having said that
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What engine is it? It's the engine you convert nothing else. It doesn't decrease engine life, well some say it does and some say it doesn't but the ones who say it does don,t seem to be able to give a soild reason why. Up to you to make up your own mind.
Best bit is like diesel there is no carbon monoxide from the engine so your a lot safer.
The kit cost the same as we spend on two weeks fuel so it's a no brainer for us the tanks cost twice that or you could use cylinders but tanks are vehicle rated and less hassle.
So pay back on the conversion is roughly 20 weeks for me and then it's half price fuel so we will be £1500 better off after a year at present rates and petrols still going up, over a life of a tm engine say five years that's £7500. now with that in mind still worried about your engine life.
Fumes from an engine running LPG will still very much kill you !
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Well, yeah, Jason, we sort of figured that one out all by ourselves. >:(
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Its just that Paul king said there is no carbon monoxide so you are a lot safer.
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Hands up you got me which fumes does it produce ?
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LPG will still produce carbon monoxide , I would recommend using a detector in your van ,and ventilating it well. It is propane really just the same as what is in the red bottles on thousands of caravans, the new ones have really strict regulations as to the safe use and operation.
I would go down the LPG route , it is very safe and much cleaner than diesel , so long as you have ,and stick to proper procedures and common sense .
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your right i just google it and got this I was just quoting the gas guy we get to check the machines out.
"LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) or Autogas is the cheapest vehicle fuel available. Autogas fuel emissions contain less greenhouse gas than petrol. Unlike petrol LPG produces virtually no SO2 (Sulphur Dioxide) and CO(Carbon Monoxide). Compared to Diesel LPG produces no particles or ultra fine particles. "
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I used LPG as the primary fuel on my trailer mounted driers , it worked very well , with none o the mess associated with diesel or kerosene burners .
LPG is also a waste fraction from when they crack off diesel, petrol etc , and what you pay for it results in big profits for oil companies , there is only 5% VAT on it so even at 67p a litre they are making a lot more than on liquid fuels.
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what is it with the vulcan Spock sign you and shaun do on your websites ;)
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Shaun does wand and wave , I do buffer and wave .
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ah the wand and bonnet society ! nuff said
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what does converting actually entail Paul, what is in the kit and what do you do?
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Paul if anyone else looks I stick 2 fingers up but when you look I wave at you.
Shaun
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andy take a look at
http://www.edgetechnology.co.uk/lpgas/lpg_con_kits.htm
its all there you just put in a adaptor plate after the carb and connect up the garetson regulator ( big plate sized thing ) then connect the garetson to the gas tank start it and set the regulator screw and bobs your mums live-in lover. Takes a hour or half a hour if you done one before, you could go down the water heated sequential injection system which is even smother but for engine that runs at a set speed this does the job very very simply.
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Paul when you've done yours you can do mine ;D ;)
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I am looking at converting my onan p220 engine to lpg. Any one know where I get the kit from for this engine. I will then be converting my other truckmount, hydramaster spitfire 3.2.
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Paul when you've done yours you can do mine ;D ;)
your handy with a spanner get on with it you lazy sod
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I am looking at converting my onan p220 engine to lpg. Any one know where I get the kit from for this engine. I will then be converting my other truckmount, hydramaster spitfire 3.2.
check and see if the plate is already on the engine should be like a extra plate next to the carb with a bloked off bard on it you just drill out the barb
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http://www.tinleytech.co.uk/
These are the ones that HM use.
Shaun
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Paul when you've done yours you can do mine ;D ;)
your handy with a spanner get on with it you lazy sod
If you don't ask you don't get :(
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LPG has vat @ 20%
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Glynn's right lpg has less duty.
Shaun
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69p a litre
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i was thinking about converting but noticed lpg getting dearer and dearer (nearly doubled in the last 3 years)and wondered that , as everyone slowly started to convert it would soon catch up with petrol and diesel, just googled and it also states that lpg isn't as efficient as petrol or diesel and so you don't get as much for your litre. still thinking about it though so i'll see how this thread pans out.
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Unleaded is close on £1.40 a litre the most expensive I've paid is 83p for lpg it runs simular mpg to petrol.
Shaun
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not according to this site you don't.
The decreased calorific value means that you get only 2/3rds as far on a litre of LPG compared to a litre of Unleaded
http://www.whatgas.com/petrol-prices/lpg-prices.html
so if this site is correct and a litre of lpg hits 80p
then its the equivelant of £1.20 against a litre of unleaded at about £1.40, not much saving really. think it needs more investigation though.
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My TM uses a gall an hour on LPG and a gall an hour on Petrol.
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Derek I don't think that site is telling the truth :-\
Put it this way - the engine in my BlueWave puts out 31hp on LPG and 32hp on standard unleaded petrol. 3% less power vs 50% less cost ;)
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pickup the tank today so its iminent
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Air filter removed five bolts and conversion collar in place
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why don't the pictures just show up ? intend of links
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air filter box reinstalled and low pressure regulator attached to TM cover
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extra large LPG vapour tank, you could use a ordinary cal or type gas bottle but it cheaper to fill up this at any auto gas petrol station.
ordinarily these have a valve box with separate large hoses outside I prefer to box the entire tank and regulators with outside venting leaving a polycarbonate viewing window to protect it from knocks and damage.
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why don't the pictures just show up ? intend of links
you need to host the pictures somewhere first then enter the url. select/highlight it then click the second button on the bottom row to add the img BBC tag.
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(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=130632.0;attach=27647)
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Crikey Paul that's whopper :P
How many litres?!
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All done with regulator mounted on top of machine tank to the right hand side with storage still available on top of it. two gascocks to allow for switching from machine to 1KW gas heater or both
runs absolutely fine job done took 8 hours in total and cost £500
this machine uses £60-70 of petrol per week and should now run on approx £30-35 of gas a week also will only need to be filled weekly not daily as the tank holds 110 litres
So payback should be 20 weeks approx then it will be running for half price ( ish)
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Crikey Paul that's whopper :P
How many litres?!
110 litres
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Can you not fill it with NOS and get the jobs done quicker?
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why don't the pictures just show up ? intend of links
you need to host the pictures somewhere first then enter the url. select/highlight it then click the second button on the bottom row to add the img BBC tag.
thanks
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Can you not fill it with NOS and get the jobs done quicker?
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Might be a idea,
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Sorry to drag an old thread back to top, but I'm curious to see how this conversion went? I'm fancying one as I like the reduction in costs, as well as the idea of running a heater off it too.
Is it a simple DIY conversion on an air-cooled engine?
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works fine
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What are you talking about Ash, LPG or NOS? ;D
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I'll stick to LPG, and some bolivian marching powder if I need a turbo boost! lol
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bolivian marching powder
How does this compare to SPM?
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apparently you have to ask Colin ??
;D ;D
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bolivian marching powder
How does this compare to SPM?
It works faster but a 15kg tub doesn't last as long :)
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I think the bolivian stuff might cost a bit more per 15kg tub than spm too :)
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I think the bolivian stuff might cost a bit more per 15kg tub than spm too :)
voice of experience Jim ??
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I watch those customs programmes on tv with the sniffer dogs ;)
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I didnt know you had sniffer dogs.
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Certainly do!
(http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/155634_1770934951981_1197453806_2097292_5793202_n.jpg)
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Nice dog jim :)
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Think you need to upgrade your TM to a portable.
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Yeah she is Clinton, apart from when she's chewing the table legs or shredding her rope toy all over the carpet!
Jamie, been considering it for a while but I like my working hours too much :)