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Max arrives at Gasure in Chester

In December 2008 I got my 1977 VW Type 2 Bay Window campervan “Max” converted to run additionally on Liquified Petroleum Gas (as well as petrol). Hurray! Below are some pics of the process, done by Gasure in Chester; in general, even around £1000, it was well worth the money!

Even at 5,000 miles a year, Max would make that money back in petrol savings in well under 2 years, possibly in 1 year (even with a disgraceful 15 MPG), with the price of LPG (less than 50p a litre) now often half of that of petrol. There is an excellent calculator at http://www.drivelpg.co.uk/savings_calculator.php. LPG is not quite as efficient as petrol because it has a lower energy density, and this calculation includes a typical 20% MPG loss.

They say wear and tear on the engine is less, too. In fact this FEELS the case, just driving along.  Apparently my oil will also last longer without changing (which is an issue in an Air-Cooled (or rather, an oil-cooled…) VW).

Environmentally, LPG is not a panacea. But LPG does give a 10-20% carbon dioxide reduction in comparison to petrol. LPG also delivers 80% lower nitrous oxide emissions than diesel and produces zero particulate emissions.[1] That means that if cars generally ran on LPG there would be no smog, no asthma…

Surprise advantages!
But it’s even better than that! Turns out Max loves LPG as a fuel. He:
– is smoother generally, with less bumpy gear changes
– starts up much MUCH more easily (see about the pre-heater below)
– can go into 2nd and 3rd gear earlier and leave later

Amazing!

For the full story on how it works, with nice big pictures, visit
http://www.mattwootton.com/Max-LPG-conversion.html