Off-Road Diesel?????

[rickdasher]

My wife came across "Off-Road" diesel fuel. What is it and is it safe to run in a 24v Cummins?



Rick Dasher

2001 2500 Ram/AT/Quad/SLT

 

[R-N-R]

It is diesel fuel without the tax. It is died red for distinction and is illegal for on road usage. It is primarilry used for construction and farm vehicles.

 

[illflem]

Most often offroad fuel is exactly the same as taxed fuel the only difference is the red dye and the fine you get for using it if caught.

 

[LightmanE300]

As posted above, off road fuel is for offroad use only, and contains a red dye. If you're caught, big trouble, but likelihood of that is low IMO.



Regardless, offroad diesel comes in two versions, unlike onroad diesel, which comes in low sulfur #2. Off road diesel comes in low sulfur and high-sulfur. Be careful if you do decide to run this, that it's the low sulfur stuff!

 

[illflem]

Now you tell me, I ran my trucks over a 150k each on high sulfur before our fuel supplier quit carrying it.

 

[lmills]

I have never heard of any problems either. You figure the high sulfur fuel is being burnt in construction vehicles every day. The large earth moving equiptment can suck down some serious fuel in a day. They usually don't have any issues with it.

 

[illflem]

Dan, all I know is that my supplier, Cenex, will only sell high sulfur in 10,000 gallon tanker truck lots and it's 5¢ more a gallon than low sulfur.

 

[jponder]

Originally posted by illflem

Now you tell me, I ran my trucks over a 150k each on high sulfur before our fuel supplier quit carrying it.

High sulphur is GOOD for your truck and bad for the air

 

[The patriot]

I just got a load yesterday. I dont know for sure on this load, but I've been getting high sulphur from these same people for the last half dozen tanks I bought.

I got about 130 gallons from the neighbor last week(removing their tank) and it seemed like it was low sulphur. Smoked less than the stuff I've been getting. They had a different supplier than I do.

Yes, it smokes some more (is that a bad thing??:-laf ) and it does get slightly better MPG's, or so it seems. It also feels like it's worth a few HP.

Eric

 

[jponder]

The way I understood it the sulphur has better lubrication qualities something we need desperately with the VP44

 

[daveshoe]

Fuel truck was filling a heating oil tank with #2 fuel . I had my backhoe handy and asked him if he had off road diesel in the truck. He reset the gauge and without changing the valve or anything else on the truck , he filled it up. -- no tax at all for farm use. Think about it-- the more different kinds of fuel they sell the more dedicated fuel tanks they need to store them in.

Some time later I asked the supplier if there were any differences in heating oil and off road and he told me of the wonderful additive package they had. If they add it , it would have to be poured in the bulk tank. Just my . 02

 

[Jff24Gordn]

it aint the sulpher thats lubercating, its all of the heavy carbon chains (oily) stuff that comes out with it.

 

[GTop]

I drove a fuel truck for 4 years. My route consisted of residential heating oil stops and high sulfer off road diesel stops. There is no difference between off road fuel and heating oil. Alot of people think that off road fuel is just dyed low sulfer,that is wrong. High sulfer fuel and low sulfer fuel have a completely different smell.

 

[illflem]

GT, I think it may depend on where you live. When you live in the west or south where heating oil isn't used much all you can get is low sulfur be red or clear. The suppliers just have no reason to stock two different grades.

 

[GTop]

illflem, that makes sense. I never thought about that. During one cold winter here,the terminals couldnt keep up with the supply. For about a week all of our heating oil was dyed on road fuel. Supply couldnt keep up with demand.