Amalgamated TDR-WDA diesel fuel additive

Amalgamated’s 2.5 gallon jug of TDR-WDA additive. Well worth the $97.

Got Diesel? Got cold temps? I’ve been using Amalgamated’s TDR-WDA additive for several months, and just bought another 2.5 gallon jug before heading to the Canadian Arctic in a few weeks. Prevention vs. repair and downtime is the goal.

Resource: amalgamatedinc.com, 260-489-2549 

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler. All Rights Reserved.

WAGAN Tech BRITE-NITE Dome USB Lantern

WAGAN Tech’s BRITE-NITE rechargeable LED lantern. 220 lumens on high.

This is WAGAN Tech’s BRITE-NITE LED Dome Lantern, the rechargeable USB version, which has high, low, and flashing modes. Just during the initial fondling and photos I was impressed with this bright, little light. It exudes quality, and can be employed in several ways using the powerful magnets (portable, wireless rock light?), or the built-in swiveling hooks. My intended initial primary use is as an interior cab light, to augment the one, only fair, centered OE dome light in my 2014 Ram Tradesman.

After more use, a detailed review is planned. My upcoming monthlong adventure to the Canadian Arctic should help it get a proper break-in.

WAGAN is new accessory company to me, discovered recently when I bought their SlimLine 1500 inverter to power an electric heater in my camper while underway. They make lots of cool stuff!

Resource: WAGAN.com, 800-231-5806

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler. All Rights Reserved.

 

Power Tank Worthington 6-pound propane bracket

Power Tank’s BKT-2287 bracket for 6-pound aluminum Worthington bottle

NEW from Power Tank, I don’t think it’s even on their website yet! Power Tank part number BKT-2287, a stainless steel bracket for a Worthington aluminum 6-pound propane tank (#299494), and part of my endless Arctic trip prep. Surely I will use extra fuel keeping the camper thawed, and until now I’d not found a practical solution for carrying extra propane. Since 2007, after the purchase of my AT Overland Chaser trailer, I’ve used one of these Worthington bottles. Though not large, some extra propane beats none. Power Tank’s roll bar mounts are backordered, but once they arrive I’ll test my mounting location.

Resource: Power Tank, 209-366-2163

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler. All Rights Reserved.

Big tires, odometer error, and mpg

Did the truck really travel 8,888 miles?

Recently a friend emailed this miles-per-gallon question:

I’m scratching my head here on fuel and mileage numbers. If I do the math for gallons of fuel consumed (fuel filter life % gauge) and odo I get about 16 mpg.

But the Ram’s EVIC dash display says 11 MPG.

With 4.30:1 gears and 37-inch tires, I know ALL the numbers are inaccurate.

How do I figure this out?

My reply:

I’d be very surprised if you are able to routinely obtain 16 mpg with your Ram/Four Wheel Camper setup, unless you are driving 55 mph. I never trust dash displays. They are almost always overly optimistic, though in your case because of the tall, 37-inch tires, it may actually be a little pessimistic.  My built, 2006 4Runner mpg display is slightly low most of the time because the car travels further on taller tires than the ECM calculates.

The fuel filter life gauge is not a good source for mpg data, I think it’s really only useful for when to change the fuel filters. I’ve done similar calculations using the oil life percentage numbers (it probably uses the same ECM algorithm) after doing oil changes. The numbers literally do not add-up to the actual odometer distance traveled (neither indicated miles or the known and measured inaccuracy). To state the obvious, the only way to get accurate fuel economy readings is to have good numbers for the math; how many miles vs. how many gallons at fill-up.

I don’t think your gearing change matters. Most late-model vehicles calculate the speed from wheel sensors… as long as that’s the case on the new Ram (easy to test) then it is only the tire diameter that matters. I’ve tested many sets of 33, 34, and 35-inch tires on my 2014, but no 37s yet. My guess is that your odometer is about 8-10% slow, compared to the actual miles you are traveling.

My method of testing tire-induced odometer error is to compare actual miles traveled to odometer readings. California doesn’t use highway mile-markers most places anymore, but Nevada does. With two columns on paper, I reset my trip odometer at a mile-marker, and then log the indicated and mile-marker distances. Data gathered over more miles will be more helpful. For example, a 10-20 mile test can be better than nothing, but the initial error percentage will drop if you make a longer run, like 50-100 miles.

If you’re on a long trip you can use indicated GPS miles instead of mile-markers. Recently I compared GPS to mile-marker data over a 70-mile route, and was surprised that they were just slightly different.

Good luck.

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler. All Rights Reserved.

Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Area, Nevada

Now for a little something on the actual “Loneliest Road in America”.

Heading home from the Overland Expo West event several years ago, after an unseasonably warm April in Amado, Arizona, I camped at Hickson Petroglyphs Recreation Area/Campground, in one of Nevada’s numerous mountain ranges. At 6,500 feet, there is always the possibility of snow, including during spring.

Eezi-Awn Series 3 1600 rooftop tent, atop a 2006 V8 Toyota 4Runner.

The Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Area, managed my the Bureau of Land management, lies at the north end of the Toquima Range, along U.S Route 50, about 24 miles east of Austin, Nevada. Several Native American petroglyphs can be viewed on a self-guided, half-mile walking tour.

There is so much history here. Get away from the big cities and see what the rest of Nevada has to offer.

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler. All Rights Reserved.

Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hickison_Petroglyph_Recreation_Area

 

The Loneliest Road in America?

Nevada State Route 722

The section of U.S. Route 50 through the center of Nevada was called the “The Loneliest Road in America” by Life magazine in 1986. It was not meant as a compliment, but it became a popular slogan for the highway. The road does cross the sparsely populated center of the state, but is likely not our loneliest paved byway. One challenger is Nevada Highway 722.

State Route 722, just 41 miles long, is part of the original US 50, and the previous Lincoln Highway. It crosses Carroll Summit, with a twisty approach from both sides, Carroll is 1,100-feet higher than New Pass Summit on the replacement roadway. There are no towns. While I was out there for a few hours exploring unpaved spurs and taking photographs, I did not see another vehicle, not one. The only other person encountered was atop Carroll Summit. He was on skis. We waved.

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler. All Rights Reserved.

WAGAN Tech SlimLine 1500 watt inverter

WAGAN Tech SlimLine 1500 watt inverter initial mockup

(For those not following my Instagram feed, plus a few more tidbits…)

A few weeks ago I test fit, then performed a quick and dirty installation of this WAGAN Tech 1500 SlimLine inverter on my 2014 Ram/Cummins 2500. The idea is to use the almost free power from the engine to run an electric heater inside my Hallmark Milner camper while driving to keep things thawed. Why? Because in about two months I’m heading to the Canadian Arctic Ocean. It is probably the last year to drive the ice road to Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, before the all-weather road is completed.

The inverter and heater worked, briefly, but the inverter kept faulting. Likely overheating because of the flush mounting (no air circulation) atop the fuse/relay box, combined with engine bay heat. After a -7 degree Fahrenheit overnight camp test running a Lasko Stanley electric heater through the night on a generator, I was ready to ditch the electric heater idea and rely completely on the propane furnace (still might), which works extremely well.

WAGAN Tech inverter wedged behind a Ram 2500 grille

However, I found another unconventional, relatively easy spot to stuff the inverter, immediately behind the grill, and the appropriately short, provided cables are still long enough. The vertical, hanging installation is not ideal, though I’m willing to gamble and test it, and a chat with WAGAN was encouraging. While a flat, horizontal installation is recommended, the vertical orientation is not as big a negative as I’d feared. The more serious concerns remain debris, moisture, and vibration.

The cold front covering the grille should keep most debris away, the inverter’s outlets are more protected than shown in the photo, and hopefully there is enough airflow for cooling. Overheating should not be a big concern in the Arctic.

A high-idle driveway test produced no faults over 1.25 hours, and the inverter continuously ran the 1500 watt heater on low, presumably drawing about 750 watts. Most important, the temperature inside the cavity holding the water tank and main supply lines, measured with a remote sensor, continued to rise. This idea may still work for supplemental camper heat while underway. An upcoming long drive before another cold night camping systems test should be informative.

Sources: 

WAGAN Corporation:  WAGAN.com

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler. All Rights Reserved.