Hi group,
It's another year at Indiana!
Meeting at Argos Fairgrounds on May 17-19, 2013
Most of the info from last year still applies.
Here's a map, pin your location on there and we'll see who's coming! http://www.mapservices.org/myguestmap/map/Indiana2013
If you're coming, please RSVP here: http://tinyurl.com/indiana2013 and view the results here: http://bit.ly/WiUmWc
 Photo By Pierre Gelinas |
 Photo By Pierre Gelinas |
 Photo By Pierre Gelinas |
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Sorry, moving your center of gravity, but I put my avatar on France, in principle I should build a gasifier truck in the winter, a truck berliet 500k ford fuel line 6 cylinder, 6 liter if my finances allow me to join you for your gathering 2013.
Meet up 2 years ago was actually around 20 miles west of Joplin, MO south of Pittsburgh, KS. I will need to find a newer vehicle to do Indiana next year. My cavalier runs great so I hope to find a similar vintage pickup with a 2.2 to pull the trailer .. No luck so far. Lots of junky v6s around but most have that vortec motor in them and I won't run the gas through one of them .. Ask Tom C :o) ... Was still dealing with Lyme disease in Indiana in May and going through another round right now .. Damn ticks .. ML
Chris,
I was just about to ask if this had been finalized, I just saw Waynes' comment on the "George Curl's Gasifier "thread that it would be in Argos, on the 3rd week of May - Is this set and confirmed then?
I had seriously better get my arse movin' if I want to make that on wood! - Pressure: There's no greater motivator :)
Hello Henry,
Ron L. has volunteered to set everything up as last year. Most agreed that the weekend after Mothers day was the best weekend .
We have ask Mike LaRosa and the woodgas group for input and also need too run it by Gary Gilmore and his charcoal group.
Also Jim Mason if any might be interested coming from the west coast.
BBB
Hello all,
I wanted to bring this thread back to the top.
Four months and counting down.
Gary Gilmore, hope you can make it again and bring your group with you.
Mile LaRosa, I known you will be there but bring plenty of the woodgas group with you also.
BBB
Hi Wayne
Just so I am clear on this! The meet will be Argos, IN, on the 3rd week of May 17th 18th and 19th?
Neil, that's right. We're wedged between Mothers day and Memorial day weekends. So the dates will be May 17-19. Be there!
Hello Everyone; I talked with the Fairgroungs caretaker yesterday and we have it reserved for the 17,18,19, Fri Sat Sun,in May .
Last years three days went real fast maybe it was just me really good time. I hope everyone can make it it will be worth every minuite of it.
Thanks ,And Keep on Burning Wood, Ron L.
Thanks Ron and Chris.
Just want to know how fast I have to get this truck done.
Now the pressure is on!
Take care!
OK, I've added a spreadsheet to keep track of who's coming. Please sign up on the spreadsheet if you are coming! This will help us estimate the size of the event and plan for food, etc.
Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/indiana2013
Chris (and all)
I didn't make last years event (I was in process of moving from CA back to MI), for myself and others who missed last year, could the veterans please offer up a little advice?
What lodging is available - hotels, campgrounds, can we camp at the fairground, etc
What facilities are available on site - porta Johns, outdoor grills, showers, etc
What should we bring with us - coolers, jugged water, etc
What didn't you have on hand last year that everyone said they needed?
Just trying to get prepared, plan to make it on wood, but will arrive on petrol if need be!
Hi Henry,
Some good info that still applies is on last year's thread: http://driveonwood.com/forum/80
To answer specifics: camping on-site is very cheap (Ron may know the price); nice clean shower/bathhouse facilities. Hotels are available in the next town.
Ron brought a gas grill last year for cooking burgers etc.
What to bring: Food! We ate well last year but food is a big part of the cost; the more you bring the cheaper it is for everyone. Nonetheless we'll have some main dishes provided.
Water is easy, we'll have several cases around. Still smart to bring some. Plan to keep any food contributions in your own cooler.
Thanks Ron & Chris and others. Do you need any money up front?
Hi Carl, We've got some leftover from last year that I think will be enough to get things started. We'll be taking donations on site which is easier all round.
I added this as an event on Google+. https://plus.google.com/b/110372281124195665868/events/covdgn3aol8svm59q...
The camping at the site is AOK. I'm thinking I might camp this year instead of doing a hotel. I can play more music and drive less ?? There is a building that we can take shelter in should there be a stormy night. The showers and bathrooms are in good shape. I was without hot water at the hotel and the owner gave me a key to another room so I could use the shower there but I preferred the showers at the fairgrounds. I had to take cool showers as I was having trouble with the heat that weekend. On Monday morning (after storms on Sunday night) it was back in the 70's and I was just fine. The only drawback with camping as best as I could tell was the occasional train going through. Maybe some of the other folks could comment on that ??
On the home front, I replaced the aluminum crap going from my cyclone to the cooler yesterday on the truck when it was 40 out. It was rotten beyond belief and someone at Argos had squashed it last year but I was running the trailer so didn't care or say anything. I used some 600 PSI hose for that stretch. It has 2 layers of stainless wire in it and my saw had troubles cutting it. I filled the hopper and ran the gasifier for a half hour or so and I think things will be ready to roll on that one again. Fire looked good through the nozzle and temps were good and gas burned good and was clean. Wish I could have played at night to actually see it. The cold front came through last night and we had 50 mph winds for many hours and we are in the single digits now.
I just hope I don't get Lyme Disease again this spring like I had last year .. It was a drag and the secondary issues all hit me while at Argos .. We are still in a major drought here .. We were 11 inches behind by fall and we have only had 3 inches of liquid water all winter so far .. The Argos area was hit hard last summer as well ..
Mike L
I may need Ron L to send me down a Notre Dame bumper sticker to place over this Alabama license plate before we venture up there.
I made a post on the yahoo woodgas group. Not much in reply so far .. ML
Trying to get things in order to get there from Youngstown, Ohio area & hope to be there Fri afternoon. There are 3 of us working on this gasifier and more people interested all the time as we talk to others. This will be a great time! We have a new design on the heat exchanger I hope to talk to Keith about as soon as we find out in a few days if it is feasable.
Camping at the fairgrounds is free if you don't use electricity. There are lots of electric hook-ups for anyone wanting electric @ $15.00 per night. There are modern bathrooms with very nice showers. Camping area is just a grassy field not much shade.
Any one interested in a Hotel needs to do it early because of ND graduation in May. The hotel rooms very from $41 - over $100 per night there are different options in Plymouth and Rochester. Rochester, to the south, is a few miles closer and less expensive. Anyone interested for more info can contact me call (574)780-5039 or do a search for hotels in Plymouth or Rochester area.
Mr. Wayne, looks like we are the ones that should have an Alabama sticker for our truck!
Thanks Ron L.
Thanks for bringing this back up Ron. Folks, get your reservations soon! I'll also remind everyone that the RSVP sheet is here: http://tinyurl.com/indiana2013, please add your name if you're coming. You can also sign up on Google Plus.
As last year, this is a semi-private event for insurance reasons. You're all invited of course! Just need to RSVP if you can.
We may also have a parade/drive in thing if there's any public interest. We should have plenty of trucks this year. But mostly this is by woodgassers for woodgassers.
The fella that owns the hotel in Rochester would not take my reservation before April last year. I tried several times. It seemed everyone bailed out on Sunday (early) and I stayed Sunday night at the hotel and Meschke slept in the metal building. He was the only one there. I am glad he was willing to camp another night so I could have a vacation. His wife was in Korea at the time so no reason to run home. It was much cooler on Monday after around 2 inches of rain and a mellow drive back here. We were the last of the Mohicans. We dumped the water out of the "fire pit" so Ron could pick it up and made sure the fridge was near empty and dumped garbage in the dumpsters etc etc . Guess we will be able to see what is up a few days before .. We had another 3 inches of snow last night here so we are up to 9 inches or so on the ground with ice under it and it is around 10 degrees out right now at 11 AM Saturday .. I have no interest in going anywhere at the moment. SWEM sometime, Mike
I might be dragging the chuck wagon along as I think that it will be coming home from Kansas about then maybe a little campfire and a little food lol
you are setting this up and mapquest says its 412 miles from me on the way home
John,
Great looking wagon !!
If I were in your route I would offer to loan a fresh team of horses.
One is solid broke and the other I'm sure you would have broke by the time you reach Argos.
hook em rank and unhook em when they are broke lol
Is this going to be the largest gathering of wood-gas powered vehicles (of all sorts) since WWII ?? Let's invite these guys: http://www.sleepymanbanjoboys.com/
I saw those boys on the Today Show this morning. They are really good! I doubt we could take a large enough collection to invite them there though :-)
Don M
I'm glad to hear you like Bluegrass style music, Carl ! My wife and I are bluegrass musicians, and in case we can't get the Sleepy banjo boys to come-we are bringing our instruments (upright bass and mandolin), and hoping others will be there to sit around and jam with. I understand Chris plays banjo and Mike plays guitar--if we had a fiddle, it would be a full band !
I believe that would be Mike LaRosa, if he gets to drive down from Wisconsin.
Yep, Mike plays fiddle. I play fiddle, oldtime banjo and guitar but space is tight so I'm just gonna bring banjo and guitar.
We are so looking forward to it guys! My wife has already worked a way cool version of "Ring Of Fire" (in Dm. for you musicians) , amd she can hardly wait for Wayne to hear it!!
Hello Ron,
Chris was down here and we were supposed to be working on trucks but we slipped off to the neighbors a couple of times so that Chris could light up his banjo.
Here is a short clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ecu8O4tgts
Thanks for posting that clip of Chris and his banjo, Wayne ! It's been a while since I've heard Groundhog-- (key of Bb. for you musicians), and Chris does as fine of a job playin' the old time banjo style as I have had the the pleasure of hearing!!
Sometimes we call them "whistle-pigs" around here, and come spring, the greedy little fellows will eat anything green, especially in the garden.. They are not too bad tasting, either, though I like venison backstrap better..
Bump. We've got 26 on the RSVP sheet so far, is your name on there?
Wayne, when youre on your way up to Argos, you can get a free dinner on me if you stop in at Franklin, TN. I just bought a 99 dakota today and my next purchase will be your book. I know I can do most all of this but the engine part will be my bump in the road. Free dinner for an hour brain picking. lol. not fast food either.
Hey Steve,
I may just take you up on the offer as long as it will last . I go through your area often and eat a lot!
Welcome to the web site.
BBB
Got my name on the reservation sheet. Also got the new book in the mail a few weeks ago. It's a good read! Still haven't started my project, but looking forward to seeing the group again.
getting ready to start a new job I hope to make it this year, depends on new work schedule. just wanted to post this picture
RC, It's on a weekend .. What kind of excuse do you have ?? You are so close. I have to bug out on Friday morning to make the evening meal .. ML
New job is a 12 hour rotating shift, so weekends and holidays do not mean anything there.Just hope i am off that weekend.
Richard, I hope you are off too. Talk with the boss ??? Mike
This may be a stupid question, but is there any ground to pitch a tent on ( especially, if it rains)?
carson
Hello Carson, They have plenty of grassy areas and a quite large indoor area if we get soaked.The showers are very clean and newer. Last year I went to the hotel about 20 minutes away, but this year I am camping out.(No wife). Hope to see you there. (Actually I am still hoping to see me there.) MikeyB
The only negative thing that I recall is the occasional train that goes by. I used the showers there more than at the hotel. They were a God send in the heat last year but I would think the temps would be more "normal" this year. I plan to sleep in the back of my truck so only a radical storm would make me move to the shed or the shower building which is a block building. It's tornado time that time of year .. The larger building is a typical pole shed but if it winds up being really wet there is plenty of room to set tents inside. Meshke just slept on the floor in there on Sunday night and had the huge building to himself. There were thunderstorms all night and it cooled off. The ground drained well even with 2 inches of rain but the portable fire pit was full of water. I tried to spread the "bio char" around the place a bit as we were the last ones on the site and we pitched most of the garbage. I think we split a pound of butter that was still in the refrigerator before we unplugged it. Mike L
I’m renting a 30 foot motor home this time around because I remember how tired I was driving 15 miles to the hotel at night. This way I can literally drag my way into the sack after all that string music.
I remember driving into the campground last year in a plain car, and not knowing whether it would be an open field with porta potties and fire pits. Not a chance. Argos is 1st class and can shelter any of us, even if it’s raining during the event.
Mike L, I’ll be studying your trailer setup pretty well, since you’re going off the reservation with daily experience on that setup.
I made a day trip out of it last year but plan on staying in a tent this year. I can't wait.
T-shirts or hats for Argos? Anyone doing anything like that?
Maybe some one has connections with a print shop?
I would buy in if any are offered.
Just thinking
Wes
I'd go for a couple of D-O-W hats.
Only if cotton though.
And only if in BLACK.
Woodgas clothing really does need to be black. Or at the lightest, in a dark charcoal grey.
Regards
Steve Unruh
I think I would be in favor of the hats also.
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