Bov .. Which would be better.. Gas or diesel

[Metrocruiser]

Hi peeps,

I hope you all had a nice summer.

I've been dreaming about getting a Bov 4x4 for years now. It would also be used as the weekend recreational suv to tow a 14 foot rigid inflate boat and trailer, roof top tent and logging roads and the odd creek crossing.

I was looking at emp resistant 78.79 bronco but now Im leaning towards a 91.97 landcruiser with front.rear lockers. The Japanese RHD imports come with a 4.2 turbo diesel which gets great feedback. However I am not fond of the RHD and my wife is a horrible driver to boot.

I don't know anything about diesels.
If shtf what would be easier to get fuel for.
Which fuel would store in the garage better.

Would you get a gas or diesel engine? & why

[Fidel MD]

I would say diesel. Better mileage (especially towing) than a gas engine in the same sized vehicle/load, stores well long term, not as dangerously explosive, often less expensive per gallon. Also gives you the option in emergencies of using off-road diesel, heating oil, etc although you have to carefully filter it to get the crud and water out.

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

Guess it depends on your opinion right, I like the gas. There will be more dead vehicles that run on gas then diesel when the SHTF so there will be more spare gas tanks for pillaging........just a thought.

[helomech]

Guess it depends on your opinion right, I like the gas. There will be more dead vehicles that run on gas then diesel when the SHTF so there will be more spare gas tanks for pillaging........just a thought.

I doubt that. If the vehicle is dead, it is probably out of gas, or a emp hit. Either way your gas vehicle won't be running. I think diesel is the way to go. Way easier to store the fuel, better fuel mileage, less effects by emp, more durable. And once that diesel is running emp won't really effect it, at least the old diesels.

[Fidel MD]

I doubt that. If the vehicle is dead, it is probably out of gas, or a emp hit. Either way your gas vehicle won't be running. I think diesel is the way to go. Way easier to store the fuel, better fuel mileage, less effects by emp, more durable. And once that diesel is running emp won't really effect it, at least the old diesels.

That.... getting gas out of abandoned vehicles will be the one of the first things people think of.

And older diesels (up to around 1997 or 1998 Ford Powerstrokes with the early 7.3L engine, not sure about Cummins and GMC) are absolutely EMP proof - mechanical injection, the only thing you need electricity for are the glow plugs, and that relay is cheap and easy to replace.

[ElevenBravo]

Diesel, better tq. for pulling loads and way better MPG... Even with my '82 K5 Blazer, I get better MPG than the wife's Geo Tracker....

My truck has the 6.2l Detroit Diesel engine... it is ALL mechanical, theres NOTHING electronic about it... I like it that way.

EB

[Possom]

IMO if all you are going to be towing is a 14ft boat smaller is better. A jeep CJ7 perhaps or an old school jeep Comanche pickup. Both are very simple in design and easy to work on with minimal tools available.

I am not sure on the weight of your boat but you might also consider a 79-85 model toyota hilux pickup. Aftermarket parts out the wazoo for these trucks thanks to the rock crawling industry. The 22re engines in these trucks are very well built and fuel efficient. 4x4 is about the best around.

The argument between gas and diesel has been around for years. Both have their good and bad. My biggest consideration would have to be mileage. If I can get 25-30mpg out of a small engine versus 12-15mpg out of a big engine I will stick with a small engine and get more out of the same amount of fuel.

On a side note, another great vehicle for these purposes would be a diesel powered Chevy luv but they are extremely hard to find these days.

[Gunfixr]

Diesel hasn't been cheaper than gas for some time now. It's cheaper to make, but it sure doesn't sell cheaper.
Also, off-road diesel isn't loaded with water and crud anymore than road diesel. Off road vehicles use the same engines, that still wouldn't run on it. The difference is that off-road diesel hasn't been federally road-taxed, so it's cheaper. Dye is added so that it can be visually spotted. If you get caught with off-road in your on-road vehicle, the fines are rather large.
Post-shtf, this won't matter.
As for storage, it is better, but still requires precautions, depending on your region. It still has paraffin (wax) in it, which will separate out in cold temps. This is called "gelling". A stabilizer can be added, or some kerosene to prevent this. The kerosene will make the engine run just a bit warmer. It ends up being kind of like an octane booster for gas.
On pre-computer diesels (don't know about post-computer), kerosene and oil can be mixed to run without engine mods. To a point, gas can be mixed with oil and diesel or kerosene in a pinch. Natural oils, like cooking oils (not all of them) can be used as well, once certain mods are done. I suppose in a pinch they can be mixed with diesel or kerosene without mods, but haven't tried it. I do have a friend very experienced in running oils in a diesel. It would stand to reason that fuel oils could be diluted down to diesel characteristics with kerosene or other additives, but haven't tried that either. I have done kerosene and oil, and gas and oil, with diesel added.
The glow plugs are attached to a small brain that is also connected to temp sensors. This tells the plugs how long to run. For instance, the older 6.9L Ford used 6v plugs in the 12v system for higher heat. Because of this, the max run time was 9 seconds, to prevent burnout. After emp, just wire a momentary switch to the power relay to bypass the dead brain and count it yourself. Don't go above 9 seconds. Most times, about 4 to 6 seconds will start it. Ether can be substituted, but it forms a glaze in the pre-chambers, insulating them from glow plug heat once you replace them. This is how they get "ether addiction". This can also be corrected. Once the engine is running, remove the air cleaner and spray wd-40 directly down the intake. Spray continuously until the engine is just about to die out, let it clear, and repeat. Several times a day, for several days, will clean out the glaze.

As for gas over diesel, that also depends on where you are. Cities will not have much diesel, except in city owned larger vehicles, airport vehicles, military vehicles, and tractor-trailers. Depending on how it all went down, many of these vehicles may not be around. The vast majority will be gas. Many stations in large cities don't even sell diesel. City run stations will have it, but since there won't be many, other "scavengers" looking for diesel will concentrate there.
Rural will have more farm equipment and privately owned diesels.

Unless you modify your BOV, most US civilian designs tend to run about a 300-350 mile trip per tank, when you look at mpg and tank capacity.

[Fidel MD]

I get 21 mpg in my F250 Superduty 2012, up hill, down hill, even towing moderately sized trailers (I get around 15 towing my 5th wheel RV that weighs around 16000 lbs loaded). I've had it up as high as 24 mpg for extended periods on the freeway, cruising light.

While diesel is sometimes more, sometimes less expensive than gasoline, the mileage advantage more than makes up for the times its more expensive (at least to me).

[MegaCPC]

Gunfixr covered a lot of good stuff.

The basic difference between a gas engine and a diesel engine is this:

In a gas engine the fuel is ignited by an ignition system with spark plugs.

A diesel engine ignites the fuel simply by compressing it.

A mechanical diesel is about the most likely to run in any scenario. I watched a 671 Detroit run out of diesel, and keep running on the oil it was sucking past the worn out cylinder rings. It probably would have run until the pan was dry if we didn't choke it out.

If I were to buy a dedicated BOV it would be diesel.