Trish,
To back up what Bill was saying - the MB diesels were originally designed to be stationary engines, so if you find a 240D engine in fair condition, it would make an excellent engine for backup when making you own power. And it will be enough like your car that it will be familiar to work on.
Bobby
Trish and all,
Okay, here is my $.02 on the subject.
1. Start small, a couple of solar panels, charge controler, and batteries. Wind is more complicated and is more to maintain. Save wind generation till you get your feet wet with solar.
2. The most efficient way to get away from the grid is to use less electricity (conservation), so you will need to generate less.
3. My Mercedes diesels are a big part of my plan. Notice that I am keeping this thread on topic!! I can make fuel for them. I am a school bus contractor and we run all diesels so I end up supplementing the fuel with bio fuel. I just love my MB's.
4. It is possible to grow oil crops, press them. to extract the oil, and use that oil to run the Benz.
Small steps.
Cheers,
Bill
--- In diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com, Trish Dougherty <purrfectharmonyfarm@...> wrote:
>
> Bill
>
> I'd love to pick your brain about being off grid. My dream is to have a
> wind turbine and solar for all that I can.
>
> For now I run a garden hose from my washing machine to the outside to water
> the trees and garden. In the winter doing laundry is a game with the
> outside temps. The drain hose will freeze, so the washer won't spin out.
> When we build a real house I'll run all of the gray water through plumbing
> and into one of the holding tanks.
>
> I have my "hot tub" collection I've purloined out of pastures, off of Free
> Cycle or other places. There are 3, one is like a small pool! It's kidney
> shaped and would have held 10+, the other two are identical in shape and
> size, octagon with tile. I also have a water fall, 2 ponds & a fountain!
> Eventually I want to put them in the ground to hold gray water.
>
> I want to only get the stuff at the store that I can't do myself...(Kevin
> would die without his diet coke! bleh~) And of course there are things like
> TP that I'm not going to make!
>
> I love farming it's in my blood & on both sides of my family for several
> generations. I can't wait for spring! I'm setting up my incubator to start
> hatching my own chicks. I'm hoping to get either turkey chicks or eggs
> from a guy Kevin works with.
>
> Some day I'll be able to host a MB Diesel enthusiasts get together out
> here! :)
> On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 5:36 AM, kipsinc <kipsinc@...> wrote:
> > Max,
> > I viewed your driveway drive again this morning... It struck me that
> > something is missing. There are no utility poles or wires.
> > Are you off grid and lovin' it?
> >
> > I am slowly working to break my grid electric habit.
> > Cheers,
> > Bill aka "kipsinc"
> > --- In diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com, "max_stemple" <jasperezra@>
> > > Look MA no chains. Max
> --
> Trish Dougherty
> PurrFect Harmony Farm
> Ennis, TX
> http:/purrfectharmonyfarm.intuitwebsites.com
>
--
Toward freedom,
Bobby Yates Emory
