Gasoline shortages

[mands0807]

I filled up my '18 Sport on Sunday 10/6. Went to work on Monday(3 miles away), and did some minor, local driving before the storm hit on Wednesday. After the storm was over, I had to go check on my father in laws house(they went to the east coast), and on Friday 10/11, had to find some hot food for the kids(they were tired of Chef Boyardee and soup on the grill, and Taco Heezy had the shortest line). There have been major gas shortages as people that are trying to fill up their cans for generators and chainsaws, plus gas for vehicles to get to work or help others in need. Then there are the joyriders . With all of the stop light disruptions, and crazy traffic, today, at 87 miles on the trip meter, I had only used 1/4 of a tank. There was a lot of stop and go, and idling, plus some 3/4 throttle drive arounds of asshats trying to cut in line in the gas lines. IDK if I should be proud of 87 miles on a 1/4 tank, or the fact that I have not had to wait 2+ hours for gas. The range went up by 10 right after the pic

 

[Jeepwalker]

Yeah.... trucks can definitely burn through a lot of gas like that. You guys went through some rough stuff down there. Glad you're good. There's getting to be a lot of people on both FL coasts but esp between Tampa & Ft Meyers. I guess fuel shortages are an unfortunate headache after a storm like that ..hopefully soon resolved.

At least your spirit seems good, through all the turmoil. So...did your dad's house (and yours), do ok? Keep strong!!

 

[Docwagon1776]

Weird. The forums assured me that only EVs would have fuel issues during a natural disaster.

I keep 15g in jerry cans and rotate, personally.

 

[mands0807]

Yeah.... trucks can definitely burn through a lot of gas like that. You guys went through some rough stuff down there. Glad you're good. There's getting to be a lot of people on both FL coasts but esp between Tampa & Ft Meyers. I guess fuel shortages are an unfortunate headache after a storm like that ..hopefully soon resolved.

At least your spirit seems good, through all the turmoil. So...did your dad's house (and yours), do ok? Keep strong!!

Both houses were fine, we only lost a couple of fence segments. My father in laws shed didn't fare so well though. Transformer fell in back yard, put a hole in the shed, and melted both of his kayaks...

 

[mtofell]

Seems like my gas gauge barely moves when full then once I'm into the tank a hundred miles or so it falls like a stone. I almost feel like the gauge is for the second half of the tank.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Good to hear damage was minimal.

Do you guys have power?

 

[chri5k]

Weird. The forums assured me that only EVs would have fuel issues during a natural disaster.

I keep 15g in jerry cans and rotate, personally.

Pretty easy to store 15 - 20 gallons of extra fuel in the garage, shed, etc. Where does one store 40 - 50 KW of a extra charge for an EV?

 

[09SilverRam]

Lots of reports from Asheville of people using EVs to power their house. You can back feed the panel with 240 direct from the Ford Lightning inverter, and a lot of EVs you can rig up 120v inverter that powers from the EV HV battery through the 12v accessory system. People running their fridge, fan, etc for 3 to 5 days off of their EV battery.

Most of the people out searching for gas are trying to run their generator for their fridge, inverter off the EV skips that step.

 

[09SilverRam]

Pretty easy to store 15 - 20 gallons of extra fuel in the garage, shed, etc. Where does one store 40 - 50 KW of a extra charge for an EV?

Can’t make gas at your house, you can make electricity with solar.

 

[Scottly]

Can’t make gas at your house, you can make electricity with solar.

You can make fire with solar, too...Just not really large garage fires that burn the house down. You can only make those with flooded EVs.

 

[mands0807]

Good to hear damage was minimal.

Do you guys have power?

Our power came back around noon on Saturday. I don't own a generator(nowhere to store it), so we just sucked it up. Luckily the weather wasn't too hot afterwards.

 

[chri5k]

Lots of reports from Asheville of people using EVs to power their house. You can back feed the panel with 240 direct from the Ford Lightning inverter, and a lot of EVs you can rig up 120v inverter that powers from the EV HV battery through the 12v accessory system. People running their fridge, fan, etc for 3 to 5 days off of their EV battery.


Most of the people out searching for gas are trying to run their generator for their fridge, inverter off the EV skips that step.

Back feeding power into a dwelling, especially a damaged one, is a really good way to electrocute a lineman trying to restore power. Unless that panel was properly prepared for external emergency power by a qualified electrician, this is an incredibly stupid and dangerous idea.

Can’t make gas at your house, you can make electricity with solar.

I guess we have different definitions of "easy". Buying 4 each 5 gallon cans and filling them with fuel versus installing a 25KW solar array, batteries, inverter, etc. This also depends on the solar array not being damaged by the hurricane force winds or flying debris.

 

[David Vandercook]

Can’t make gas at your house, you can make electricity with solar.

Most carbureted vehicles will run on moonshine or gas made from wood. You can make both those with a simple backyard setup.

 

[Docwagon1776]

Pretty easy to store 15 - 20 gallons of extra fuel in the garage, shed, etc. Where does one store 40 - 50 KW of a extra charge for an EV?

Almost like both have pros and cons. The EV can *be* the extra charge to help keep the refrigerator running and the lights on, and stop and go traffic is not the big hit to range that it is for ICE. We had predictions of EVs having to be pushed off the road because they were out of charge, but not the issue of running low on gas.

 

[09SilverRam]

Back feeding power into a dwelling, especially a damaged one, is a really good way to electrocute a lineman trying to restore power. Unless that panel was properly prepared for external emergency power by a qualified electrician, this is an incredibly stupid and dangerous idea.



I guess we have different definitions of "easy". Buying 4 each 20 gallon cans and filling them with fuel versus installing a 25KW solar array, batteries, inverter, etc. This also depends on the solar array not being damaged by the hurricane force winds or flying debris.

The only difference between using a UL listed interlock device and backfeeding a dryer outlet is that the interlock only allows the the inlet to be engaged when the main is off. If you have the basic common sense to turn off the main before back feeding the panel you end up in exactly the same situation.

 

[GTyankee]

I have a feeling, that when the last 800,000 people have electricity supplied to their cities/towns & most of the roads can be driven on.

We are going to hear/ see/ Read about how EVs & Fuel Powered vehicles did, good & bad.
I do know that an EV that had salt water come up to door level, the EV batteries became Fire Bombs, that had not gone off yet.
As soon as the ignition was turned on, there was a large percentage of chance that a fire would start.

Then there is the Gas Powered vehicles that suck water into the Intake, The uninformed driver has 2 choices.
Just shut off the ignition & call a friend with a tow truck
OR
Crank the engine hoping it not hydra locked & would start & go buy another engine or sell it to a Pick-A- Part

 

[Barr2255]

Back feeding power into a dwelling, especially a damaged one, is a really good way to electrocute a lineman trying to restore power. Unless that panel was properly prepared for external emergency power by a qualified electrician, this is an incredibly stupid and dangerous idea.



I guess we have different definitions of "easy". Buying 4 each 20 gallon cans and filling them with fuel versus installing a 25KW solar array, batteries, inverter, etc. This also depends on the solar array not being damaged by the hurricane force winds or flying debris.

Hopefully when back feeding power people know to turn off the house main breaker. If not then I 100% agree with you. I back feed my generator to my house through a 240volt welding plug in my shop when the powers out but I flip the main breaker when the generator is running that way nothing is traveling to my service pole.

 

[04fxdwgi]

The only difference between using a UL listed interlock device and backfeeding a dryer outlet is that the interlock only allows the the inlet to be engaged when the main is off. If you have the basic common sense to turn off the main before back feeding the panel you end up in exactly the same situation.

There lies the problem. Too many people out there with zero common sense think they know everything and will inadvertently kill someone with their stupidity.

I stay old school. A 22kw genset feeding a 200 amp service entrance ATS, all running off a 500 gal propane tank. At 1.7 gph @ partial load (2.8 gph @ full load but usually only 60% or less). I'm good with that. And it won't self ignite when adding water during a flood.

 

[Docwagon1776]

I can't testify to the accuracy of this statement, but from what I'm reading Hyundai and Tesla have the higher risk of fire from short circuiting from water, Ford and Rivian the least. Sealed battery systems vs valved vented and the way the wiring is shielded. Rivian is designed with an insane fording depth, so that one makes sense that it would tolerate high water the best.

 

[chri5k]

The only difference between using a UL listed interlock device and backfeeding a dryer outlet is that the interlock only allows the the inlet to be engaged when the main is off. If you have the basic common sense to turn off the main before back feeding the panel you end up in exactly the same situation.

Compounded dangerously stupid idea in my opinion. Now you have compounded the bad ideas, using a suicide cord in addition to no interlock. Hopefully you electrocute yourself before the lineman.