From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: alt.energy.homepower
Subject: Re: standbyu gnerators.
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:16:21 -0400
Message-ID: <smkrc49ujcvht5nb52kiikgs1k3uuk5412@4ax.com>

On Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:18:38 -0700 (PDT), drydem <walter_lee@my-deja.com>
wrote:

>On Sep 14, 12:27 pm, Steve Ackman <st...@SNIP-THIS.twoloonscoffee.com>
>wrote:
>
>Locally IIRC untaxed diesel fuel is
>designated to be sold to run  farming
>machinery ( farm gennys are ok)
>It's illegal to use this dyed diesel fuel
>for the highway.  Just recently in
>the DC Area - there was a crackdown on
>the illegal use of untaxed diesel (meant for
>farms) by highway vehicles(trucks).
>There a hefty fine if you get caught...

Untaxed fuel is legal for ANY use other than public road transportation.  This
includes private road and off-road transportation, grass mowing and all other
non-public-road transportation uses.  That's black-letter law.

A standard part of any road-side or weigh-station truck inspection is a check
for untaxed fuel.  Everyone that I've experienced was done the same way - with
a white plastic straw affair that turns pink from the dye in untaxed fuel.

It's a little known fact (the govs like to keep it that way) but one can keep
records and apply for a tax refund for on-road fuel used in un-taxed
applications.  I file every year for the gasoline I use for my standby
generators, my camping stoves and lanterns and for the generator in my MH. For
the latter, I installed a flow totalizer in the fuel line feeding the
generator.  I thought about installing a separate fuel tank for the generator
(like reefers have) but the totalizer was a lot cheaper so that's the route I
took.

There isn't a lot of money involved but it IS my money!  My record-keeping
includes receipts for the fuel purchases and hour meter readings on all the
generators.

John

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: 65 MPG Ford You Can't Buy In USA
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:26:22 -0400
Message-ID: <rskfd4h80gmq2l7es6ibmia3v03pdrhebt@4ax.com>

On Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:40:33 -0500, Brian Elfert <belfert@visi.com> wrote:

>"JanOrme99@aol.com" <JanOrme99@aol.com> writes:
>
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>The attitude here in the USA has to change about Diesel. And THAT
>>would also include the Politicians and Bureaucrats that tax diesel to
>>death.
>
>Taxes are not the primary reason diesel costs more than gas.  Demand for
>diesel has been on a general increase due to increased imports which means
>everything has to be shipped over water and then trucked from the coasts
>to the consumer.
>
>Diesel also has to be refined more than in the past so it isn't just a
>byproduct of gasoline production these days.
>
>Personally, everything I own except small engines is diesel powered, but
>it doesn't mean I like paying as much as 75 cents more than gasoline for
>diesel.

Brian,
Are you taking advantage of untaxed diesel?  In TN, that makes about a 50 cent
a gallon difference.  Untaxed diesel is available at Co-ops, some gas stations
in ag areas and at all truck stops.  All you have to do is go through the
truck lane and select "reefer" fuel.

I usually haul a 55 gal drum to the truck stop so that I can get a shower
credit (by buying more than 50 gallons) which I use when MH traveling.

Untaxed diesel is legal for ALL uses except propulsion on public roads.
Generators, reefers, tractors, off-road-only farm trucks, etc.  I not only
looked up the law but also called the TN revenue commissioner and asked him
directly.  The purpose of that call was to find out what the "revenuers"
(truck inspection cops) look for.

If you put a separate fuel tank on your rig, you can run untaxed fuel in your
generator.  That could be a considerable saving, depending on how much you use
the genny.

John