I've decided I'm spending way too much of my hard-earned money on gasoline and it is going to STOP. I am considering a CNG/Propane conversion. Does anyone here have experience or know of a good resource?

From what I have researched thus far my fuel economy of 15MPG should remain the same but CNG only costs about $1.30 a gallon versus 87 octane at $3.50. I have also seen that most CNG systems seem to be switchable between CNG & gasoline at the flip of a switch -- so you don't have to worry about running out of CNG where there are no refueling stations.

There is also an option to have the local CNG company drop a tank at your home so you can refuel in your driveway and just have the CNG truck replenish your big storage tank monthly.

I should be able to find a good spot in the cargo area for a 10 gallon tank which will give me a 250 mile cruising range which is more than enough for the average day of driving.

What does everyone think?

 

There were factory built CNG Ram Vans, so obviously not the craziest idea in the world. I say go for it, as long as you can switch back and forth.

 

Myself and other talked this out to some length on another forum a while back. CNG can not be stored in bulk in residential areas, you might be thinking of propane. There is a "filling station" available for the home which will pump the CNG from the gas lines in your home to the vehicle. Filling time is anywhere from 10-20 hours depending on the size of the vehicle tank and how empty it is.

It's a Ford forum but the basic theory applies to pretty much any vehicle.
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/11...onversion.html

 

I also did some more research since yesterday. You are correct -- if you have Natural Gas plumbed into your home you can buy a pump system (costs approx $4K!) to install at your residence that will compress and fill the CNG storage tank in your vehicle. The fill hose has the same type of connection you would find at a retail filling station, so this model pump may have the ability to fill the storage tank faster than 10-20 hours. I would expect it has the ability to fill the tank quickly for that hefty pricetag.

I'll take a look at the Ford link - thanks.

 

If you're serious about a CNG conversion, PM me with an email address and I can give you all the literature you want.

 

The more research I do the more I become convinced it's a silly idea to convert to a 3600psi CNG system. I am now looking into propane as a possibility since the system uses lower tank pressure, storage tanks seem to be way cheaper, and it doesn't take half a day to refill the system when you run out of LP.

 

My work truck has a 15gal equivalent CNG tank along with the gasoline tank. Depending on how I drive, I can get another 300 miles between fill ups.

Yes, the slow-fill systems are designed for you to plug in at night, and then have a full tank in the morning. Our corporate office has two of them, and when I'm in town for a meeting or teaching a training class, I'll use them. Otherwise, North LA has a solid infrastructure for CNG vehicles.

 

You can convert it easily. Contact these guys to get the reliable service. I am sure it will be helpful for you.
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