Off Road Diesel

[mikeg135]

I wanted to ask you guys a question, since I have not been steered wrong yet by this site.



I just joined a new hunting club, and the farmer who owns the property told me that I could fill up the dodge anytime I wanted to at his pumps for free. But this is off road diesel. I know it is a different color, and the it has different additives. But I am not sure if we can run this in our trucks without any problems. I have an ETH.



Any input on this would be appreicated.

 

[EricBu12]

OR diesel

The "red" diesel is the same as the regular diesel but it has no road tax on it hence the lower price. If you had talked to the owner, then go ahead and do it. We don't get checked in our trucks for the Dyed fuel but it is a big no-no in fines. thousands of dollars but if you just use this as a daily driver and such, go ahead, nobody will know.

I was planning on getting a 50 gal blue barrell and do that. I don't know the owner so I have to do a little subterfuge (saying I have a Disel generator, ..... etc. )

Let me know what happens

Eric

 

[Alan Reagan]

Be careful Mike, since you are from Georgia. I've noticed an increasing number of DOT checks along I-16 so I'm sure the rest of the state is doing the same. I was told a few weeks back that the DOT was checking diesel pickups around the Hawkinsville area near where I live. They were weighing the ones pulling loaded flatbeds to make sure they weren't exceeding the 26,000 GVWR. If you use the fuel, make darn sure you don't drip any on the paint of your truck. That's a dead giveaway to the tax man. Big fine.

 

[illflem]

Eric, do you have to BS in order to buy red diesel in UT? Here in MT the off-road hose is right next to the taxed one, the service stations don't seem to give a hoot which one you use, guess they figure it's your problem if you get caught. Off-road fuel is one of the main reasons I bought a diesel, my trucks have seen little of the other, never seen anyone checking either. Guess it depends on where you are.

 

[Uncle Joe]

I have a friend who was in the army of another nation (far far away).

he told me a tale of the gasoline they used in the military vehecles

it was diyed red. of course someone figured out if they filter it thru

bread loafs(ha??)the red whold go away so the could use it in there own cars

just "food" for thoght(pan intended)

 

[mikeg135]

Thanks for the input guys. I have heard just as many do not use it it will mess up the injectors and stain internal motor parts so you will void you warranty..... to it is better for the diesel since it lubes the turbo with the extra additives.



But that is interesting Alan, I will keep my eye out for the DOT.



Has anyone heard that it will stain some internal motor parts and will void the warranty.



Mike

 

[jjohnson1177]

It won't stain anything internaly. There are no drawbacks to running red fuel except the fine if you get caught and if you know your area you won't

 

[Alan Reagan]

The dye does not immediately disappear with the fuel. In other words, you can use the fuel and it may take two or more tanks to clear it out where it is not detectable. In addition, the reason I made the comment about the paint is because on tractors I've seen it used in, where it runs down the filler neck, is stained and would probably take a good bit of work to clean. I used some in my Massey Ferguson and it did in fact leave a stain on the paint that I finally got out with compound. If plain diesel stains the fiberglass fenders on the duallies, I imagine the dyed fuel will do the same and leave a red trail.

 

[illflem]

I've never seen a red stain from spilling it, just the same brown stain that comes from the other kind. I've only spilled it on Driftwood and JD green though.

 

[Hammer]

Fuel police

I'm not sure if any of you have ever nowadays been thru a fuel check or not but as a guy who drives truck for a living all I can add to this question is this,,Is the use of "off-road" fuel worth a chance ??,,I mean,fines are astronomical and can often exceed values that boggle my mind,,I my self have been thru many fuel checks in my large truck and have been checked in my p/u twice,,Once in NJ coming home from NE Drwagway on a Sunday,and once in Brownsville,TN(the nations most notorious scale house)coming home from MMP,,I have seen the fines given and for myself the little you save up front is NOT worth the chance and fine if or when you get caught,,Its a kind of pay more now or REALLY PAY ALOT LATER,,Its you choice just my . 02 worth... ...

 

[work2muchplay2little]

I'd just like to put in a plug for honesty. As mentioned above it costs less because it's intended for equipment that does not use/wear-out the roads that the fuel taxes go to maintain. You'll sleep better and probably have a longer life by doing the right thing. Call me old fashioned, but I believe in it.

 

[mikepvg]

Around here, the dealer has a coniption everytime I fill up w/ offroad.

Claims the station has to split the fine ($20,000) w/ the user if caught.

Only time I can get a tank is when they are real real busy & I can sneek it in.



I have not seen any road checks around here.

I drive the same routes daliy or on the w/e's so... ... .

If I was an OTR driver or something, I would definately think twice about it.



I too was told (other than the red dye & taxes) its the same stuff as #2.

If it is different, it would have a higher sulpher content and would be actually better for your pump.

Its also at least 35cents cheaper.



Mike

 

[hammersley]

Probable Cause

Stopping somebody because they might have committed a misdeamoner without probable cause is illegal! Roadchecks for drunk driving has been upheld on the grounds that you check everybody!

This sounds like "Diesel Profiling!" I think you could sue the agency for an illegal search. Does anybody know if this has happened?



BTW, if you check with the IRS, Off Road Fuel is allowed on vehicles that are used Off Road. They don't have to be used exclusively for Off Road. For example haven't we all seen farm tractors on the highway? They don't require them to change to normal diesel. Now I realize you wouldn't commute in a John Deere, but a commercial pickup that's primarily used in construction, I've been told can use Red Dye Fuel. The exception is that when it's traveling on the highway there can be NOTHING in the bed!

 

[illflem]

hammersley brings up a good point. What about the semi that has been hauling grain on farm for a couple of months then goes back on the highway? Since it takes a few tanks to flush the red out a OTR truck may have red colored fuel for a few thousand miles. This is why the law says the concentration of red fuel must be over 50%. If you are cited for red fuel and fight the ticket you will win, no one will show up with an analysis showing the concentration. The IRS depends on the fact that most folks won't fight the ticket to collect it's fines.

 

[BFaoro]

red

I know some truckers when they get a sticky injector they will take off the fuel filter and dump automatic transmission fluid in to the fuel filter. They told me that it helps lube the injector and it will quiet down. They are really afraid of the red color in the tank, that is why they put it direct into the fuel filter. The red isn't in the tank that way !

 

[mikepvg]

I was told (don't know for sure) that the red dye can be detected by some sort of infared type of equipement as you drive by.

It will be easily seen by this equipement coming right out your exhaust.

Remember combustion is not 100% complete all the time.

This red dye would accumulate on the exhaust pipe right along

with the other soot.



Mike

 

[EShaw]

Off Road Fuel

Has anyone thought about #2 home heating oil?

 

[illflem]

#2 home heating fuel is exactly the same as #2 offroad diesel including the red dye, a CTD runs great on it.

 

[EShaw]

Illflem,

My point exactly... ... ... BUT... ... . It's CHEAPER! Have it delivered to a fuel tank at home put a pump on it and you're stylin'. Of course there is investment involved, but, can be recovered in a reasonable amount of time. This is just my opinion... I could be wrong.

Eric

 

[illflem]

Eric, even better than that, in my area at least, a fuel oil tank can be had for free or next to it, many times with fuel in it. Seems that fuel oil heaters are of favor nowadays and are replaced when homes are remodeled with electric or natural gas heat. You can find them in your local classified ads or call a fuel supplier, may times they are called to pump out the tanks before they are removed. Most tanks end up at the dump, not much of a market for them.