Category: Vehicles

Running on Cooking Oil – Diesel Power on the Road, by DieselDad

Editor’s Introductory Note: The recent spike in fuel prices prompted me to re-post this practical 2010 article from the SurvivalBlog archives. – JWR Although I live in a rural setting, my current employment depends on being able to reliably commute about 45 minutes each way to the state capital. Watching the shutdown and gradual restoration of the Colonial pipeline serving the southeast US in teh aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was a sobering experience. Fuel prices spiked to record levels and many stations were not able to re-supply for weeks because of the lack of sufficient movement in the pipeline. It …


Living With WVO, by P.G.

Editor’s Introductory Note: The recent spike in fuel prices prompted me to re-post this very practical 2018 article from the SurvivalBlog archives. – JWR It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention. Needing fuel for their war machine lead Germany to invent and perfect the diesel engine. It was designed to run efficiently on vegetable oil, and they do to this day. Circumstances forced me to make a move from my East Texas home to the deep Southwest. It was a slow, long process of gradually moving my stuff and my wife to a new homestead. I …


My Car Repair Adventures, by M.J.

Several months ago, I drove out to a place to hike and bike here in New Mexico. The last four miles of the trip were on a dirt road. Some parts of the road were in such bad shape that it seemed like I was driving over an old-time washboard. I slowed down for those portions of the road, but evidently I didn’t slow down enough, for my car started leaking oil and transmission fluid shortly afterwards. I didn’t hit anything in the dirt road; it was the vibrations from driving over those portions that caused the leaks. These definitely …


Looking Back at My Flight Training Adventures (Circa 1970), by H.L.

Editor’s Introductory Comments:  Most regular SurvivalBlog readers recognize the initials H.L.  She has been one of the blog’s most loyal and prolific volunteers, sending news and information links since around 2010. I am confident that she spritely lives to a three-digit age. But when she does pass away, I hope that her gravestone will be inscribed: “Always a Maverick.” – JWR At age 83 now. I have some very unusual memories of my early life.  I did not lead the conventional life of an American woman born in 1942.  Conventional is fine. However, there was something in my soul that …


Converting Diesel Vehicles to Run on Waste Vegetable Oil, by Polar Bear

Editor’s Introductory Note:  This article was posted in SurvivalBlog in September, 2007. Given the recent spike in fuel prices, I thought that it would be apropos to re-post it. – JWR — When Rudolph Diesel invented his internal combustion engine, he used refined peanut oil as fuel. The reasoning behind it was that farmers could essentially grow their own fuel for their tractors. Diesel cars have been widely manufactured and used all over Europe, but never really caught on in the United States. Diesel pickup trucks and Big Rigs are common in the US, and are renowned for their torque …


Monitoring Ship and Aircraft Traffic, by Ohio Galt

I have always been interested monitoring ships and air traffic around the world, especially since 9/11. On that day I was fishing for salmon out of the middle of Lake Michigan, a very clear day and I noticed every jet in the sky was turning into a different direction heading somewhere else. Turning on the Marine radio and started to hear the chatter of what was going on around the country, I finished my sandwich and headed the boat for the harbor. Since then I have learned of several websites that show real-time movement of ships and airplane around the …


Notes on Constructing a 12 VDC Fuel Transfer Pump

  JWR’s Introductory Note: This is an update to a reply to a letter that I posted in SurvivalBlog back in February 2007.  Given the recent spike in gasoline and diesel prices, I thought it would be apropos to re-post it. — Every well-equipped retreat should have at least one “field expedient” 12 VDC fuel transfer pump. These pump rigs are popular with dirt bike, ATV, and snowmobile enthusiasts. They are very simple to construct. Here are the materials that you will need: 1 – An automobile or truck electric fuel pump. (The least expensive pumps come from automobile wrecking yards.) …


Fuel Storage for Survival Retreats, by Flighter

Editor’s Introductory Note: The following is a re-post of a 2007 SurvivalBlog article. Given the recent spike in gasoline and diesel fuel prices, I thought that is was apropos to re-post a few articles related to fuel from SurvivalBlog’s early days. — The world runs on petroleum. Imagine a post-apocalyptic period when the local gas station is closed, and has been for two years. How will you carry out your daily activities? Generate electricity? Pump water? Plow your garden, or fields? All of these can be done by hand, and have been for thousands of years. Modern life has given …


Construction and Design of a Remote, Off-Grid Residence – Part 3, by Mrs. Alaska

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Storage A big challenge when living in small homes is storage space. In a climate with dramatic temperature swings like ours, we have, for example, different mittens, boots, parkas and hats for +30, 0, and -30 degrees. All of these are bulky. We also have special clothing for hunting, fishing, and rain, and various accoutrements for outdoor activities. So, we built lots of storage shelves in various outbuildings to hold labeled totes of out-of-season clothes. In our cabin, I store things under, over, behind, and beside furniture. For example, my husband built …


Understanding Hydrocarbon-Based Fuel, by Industry Guy

Editor’s Introductory Note: I’ve had many e-mailed questions about buying, transporting, and storing gasoline and diesel fuel in recent days. I also had a question about the available blends of gasoline. So, I thought it would be apropos to re-post a few fuel-related articles from SurvivalBlog’s deep archives.  This article dates back 16 years, to April, 2010. It was written by an anonymous reader in the fuel refining industry. Background Fuel supplies are essential for many aspects of modern society. Complex supply chains rely on hydrocarbon-fueled trucks, trains, and planes to deliver food and other supplies in near real-time. Natural …


The Hitchhiker’s Guide to TEOTWAWKI – Part 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 1.) THE BASICS OF TRAVELING BY THUMB To be successful, a hitchhiker must consider several things: 1. Appearance 2. Destination sign 3. Traveling light 4. Gender and group size 5. Having a map 6. Weapon 7. Food and water 8. Money 9. Just can’t get a ride 10. Shelter APPEARANCE Appearance is the single-most important qualification if you want to catch a ride in a timely manner.


The Hitchhiker’s Guide to TEOTWAWKI – Part 1, by St. Funogas

In case the Powers That Be ask our opinions about how the world as we know it should end, I’m going to recommend the slow-motion kind that takes a few weeks, rather than an instantaneous welcome-to-Teotwawkiville atomic explosion or EMP. That will give die-hard preppers time to top off their supplies and buy that extra pallet of Thin Mints, but more importantly, give those with a bug-out retreat time to get there before the final SHTF events usher us into TEOTWAWKI. For those who find themselves up Schumer Creek with no reliable means of travel to their bug-out location; for …


Update: Critical Capabilities for Retreat Defense: “Move, Shoot, and Communicate”

JWR’s Introductory Note: This is an update to an article that I wrote for SurvivalBlog in December, 2005. It is part of a series of SurvivalBlog 20th Anniversary update re-posts, in recognition of the fact that the majority of readers did not join us until recent years. — As an Army officer, I learned that in order to be effective, any army must have three key abilities: To move, shoot, and communicate. Take away any one of them, and you are ineffective. But if you get all three right, and you can absolutely devastate an opponent–even one that has superior …


Rebuilding an Old Vehicle as a Daily Driver – Part 3, by Lodge Pole

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Electrical I keep a variety of spare fuses on hand in the glovebox. Fuses are cheap and do not go bad if kept dry. I also keep a voltmeter in the glove box. Ensure the cigarette lighter works. Replacing a cigarette lighter plug is simple. Having an operable lighter plug can mean the difference of not only being able to pump up a flat tire, but also preventing hypothermia. If you are stuck in the backcountry, a cigarette lighter can be used to start a fire. The factory battery cables mounted to …


Rebuilding an Old Vehicle as a Daily Driver – Part 2, by Lodge Pole

(Continued from Part 1.) Transmission The truck has a three-speed automatic transmission with a manual 4×4 transfer case. As much as I love driving a standard, manual transmission, the ease and comfort of an automatic is preferred for the places we go, and how we use the truck. Standard vs. automatic transmission is completely personal preference. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Use what works best for you and your lifestyle. I keep a quart of Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) in the truck box at all times. Dump bed and Greaseable Fittings All of the hydraulic lines are original from when …