Piebald switch to vegetable oil for tour van, release B-sides stream

Posted by aubin on Sunday, October 30, 2005 at 10:17 PM (EST)

Piebald recently took the unusual step of converting their touring van entirely to vegetable oil. The decision to make the switch came from both environmental reasons and the increasingly high prices for gasoline.

The band is using the vegetable-oil powered vehicle on their ongoing tour with Hot Rod Circuit. In fact, the band recently completed a cross-country trip from Los Angeles to Boston in the modified vehicle with vegetable used almost exclusively.

To make the modification, guitarist Aaron Stuart, a former mechanic, enlisted the aid of a friend affiliated with Grease Not Gas, a group that aims to educate the public on methods to convert vehicles to biodiesel.

In related news, the band's label, SideOneDummy recently launched a special page for the band's upcoming B-Sides DVD+CD release. The page includes streaming music and videos and you can find it here.

The band released All Ears, All Eyes, All The Time last year.

Side One Dummy Records (87 comments)

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Someone (October 30, 2005)

hippie environmentalist faggots

Someone (October 30, 2005)

Wow, you really told them, what are you ten years old?. Get a clue dude.

Someone (October 30, 2005)

i think you should get the clue. i rhymed, which makes me the winner of this argument

SteveJonesTheRealBones (October 30, 2005)

how much is a gallon of vegetable oil? and how many miles to the gallon do you get on that shit? also, gay. - jones the bones - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

Someone (October 30, 2005)

you are such a dipshit

Someone (October 30, 2005)

Why? Its a logical question

Fuzzy (justin) (October 30, 2005)

How many noxious fumes does it produce per gallon?

Scruffy (October 30, 2005)

For the time being, until enough people switch to Vegetable Oil that it makes it impossible, most people just go to a local restaurant and ask them for all the grease they just throw out. So, it can be free.

IheartAdam (October 30, 2005)

1 gallon vegetable oil, $4. 1 engine conversion kit, $500. Alcohol/diesel additives per gallon of oil, $1. Still playing shitty music, not saving any money and not being able to cold-start your engine, priceless.

SteveJonesTheRealBones (October 30, 2005)

hahaha. nice to see you again - jones the bones - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

Someone (October 30, 2005)

Actually, as stated above, you can usually get it for free so of course it's cheaper, dummy.

Someone (October 30, 2005)

in theory. everytime you need to fill your tank of gas, just go and try and get enough free oil from nearby restaurants...after youve done this for about 2 months, get back to us, dummy...

IheartAdam (October 30, 2005)

Yeah, one would have to imagine that this magical plan would be flawed in the sense that I can recall pouring everything into the grease trap at work. Not to mention, just like gas, the higher the amount of impurities the worse the quality, and smell.

Someone (October 31, 2005)

Ok, excuse me, you seem to have gone levelheaded and cozy now. I like you.

Scruffy (October 31, 2005)

Well, I can imagine on the road it'd be hard to find oil, but if you're just talking about driving around town, all you have to do is make arrangements with one restaurant. My wife works at an all-night diner, and this woman came in and asked if she could come in on a regular basis and have all of their grease. Even if it were a really good idea, I'd be too lazy to convert my car anyway. Also, I have a friend who is in electrical engineering, and he tells me that we're only a couple years away from new feul cells that double or triple gas mileage being financially worthwhile. I don't know if it's true or not, but it's a great rumor!

SteveJonesTheRealBones (October 30, 2005)

not only was i not signed in, but i didnt cut and past my taghline....the world is coming to an end - jones the bones - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

colin (October 31, 2005)

where have you been jonesy

Someone (October 31, 2005)

fuck you jones the bones. you are a premium a-hole.

Someone (October 31, 2005)

say what you want, but piebald does not play shitty music

Someone (October 31, 2005)

You can get it for free at restaurants

etwiels88 (October 30, 2005)

Vegetable oil would work? And how much oil would it take to power that fucking bus? Probably more than it would to fill it with gas...

colin (October 30, 2005)

biodiesel will be the future of powering automobiles.

bogey4 (October 30, 2005)

Piebald continue to be cooler than you.

Someone (October 30, 2005)

Whether or not this is considered news is besides the point, I don't see how anyone could knock Piebald for doing this. Hopefully it works out for em.

Aubin (October 30, 2005)

It's a good idea even if you don't care about the environment, if touring bands could cut down on their gas costs somehow, it would probably go a long way.

Someone (October 30, 2005)

I wasn't aware you actually had to "convert" anything in your car in order for biodiesel to work. Hmm....maybe there's a difference between biodiesel and specifically vegetable oil. Vancouver has a couple of biodiesel gas stations, and I think it costs around $1.50 CAN a litre. Anyhow, that's pretty awesome for Piebald. Let's all do it!

Someone (October 30, 2005)

yea man!!11 lets save the environment!!11

Someone (October 30, 2005)

that is fucking expensive as shit unless you get some awesome gas milage

AnArchaeologist (October 30, 2005)

I hate to be American and all, but I don't know what that means.

skaboom (October 30, 2005)

A liter is slightly more than a quarter gallon. Um, I'm not sure the conversion rate, but I think$1.50CAN is roughly $1.20US. So, maybe $4.75/gallon?

Fuzzy (justin) (October 30, 2005)

This is not biodiesel. This is veggie oil. Different thangs. And yes, you still have to adjust some things to get diesel engines to use biodisel, but they are very small.

Someone (October 31, 2005)

http://www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=4877 So it turns out you don't need to modify your vehicle to use biodiesel, at least according to the (quite reliable) Georgia Straight. And it is selling for $1.45CAN per litre in Vancouver. So not exactly cheap right now, but it'll probably go down in price enough for more people to be able to afford to switch.

fallingupwards84 (October 30, 2005)

hope it works out for them

sXenester (October 30, 2005)

ummm... so will i need veggie oil for the cd to work?

Someone (October 30, 2005)

i dont think they have a studio on their tour bus

Someone (October 30, 2005)

Biodiesel conversion is an awesome way to offset costs on tour. Most food places have to pay to get rid of vegeteble oil in their grease traps, so many are willing to give it up for free. To run them you need a diesel car, because starting the car is still done through diesel. however once the oil gets hot enough (Ie, get to a certain speed), you can switch over to veggie while driving. A lot companies like Grease Not Gas and Fossil Free Fuel (http://wwwfossilfreefuel.com) do conversions for like 1,000. My friend eric is hosting a traveling film festival across country in an ambulance using biodiesel, and is saving tons of money. If you are into short films and want to hear some music, check out http://www.gadaboutfilmfest.com/ to see if its coming near you. i wonder if piebald will have another bus-themed son

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skaboom (October 30, 2005)

Haha, this is news? Whatever, good for them. They should tour with the Pietasters.

Someone (October 30, 2005)

Q: What differences are there in fuel economy and power? A: A vehicle gets the same mpg on diesel and on vegetable oil. Some rumors tell of increased mpg but as far as we know, none of these are confirmed. The same is true for power, no loss.

Godfather (October 30, 2005)

i would expect this from lame hippy bands like phish, but not piebald....either way, good for them

Someone (October 30, 2005)

Considering that most environmentalists aren't hippies this is an odd assumption.

Godfather (October 30, 2005)

that might be the dumbest thing ive ever heard from someone not named will

bogey4 (October 31, 2005)

Looks like your streak of immature and inaccurate assumptions continues. Way to keep the ignorance alive.

Godfather (October 31, 2005)

honestly, why even bother posting that knowing its going to lead to an e-fight? assuming that a hippy band like phish would be more likely to use vegetable oil for fuel does not seem at all inaccurate to me....immature, maybe....but im not here to impress anyone with my superior intellect like some people *cough cough* ....i understand that you're trying to act all high and mighty with me, but if youre looking for a mature, politically correct message board then you've come to the wrong place

Pope_Skeletor (October 30, 2005)

It'd be sweeter if they converted their touring van to a Turtle Van.

IheartAdam (October 30, 2005)

On a related note, my band, J and the Tate's, are putting out an album called "Too Little, Too Late" and all the proceeds will be going to help fund my apathy. You can check out the streaming samples at our myspace page here: www.myspace.com/jandthetates

Someone (October 30, 2005)

Great news!! Hey!!! I'd like to post a quick one...the Band Diana Gone WRong is about to be signed by a major record lable, but have lost their main guitarist...damn...drama...but, go to DianaGoneWRong.com and check it out. If interested, e-mail Diana at DianaGoneWRong@hotmail.com Orange County REgister did the largest article ever on a OC punk band..this past Sunday...and it was Diana....peace out and thanks * family member of Diana ps- If you love J and the Tates , you'll love this!!

sXenester (October 30, 2005)

Didn't you know the power of rubber bands + tate's blessing cures all?

sXenester (October 30, 2005)

they should cut a deal - bring in veggie oil, get an exlusive cd.... or a handshake.

Someone (October 30, 2005)

Yup, this is newsworthy.

Someone (October 30, 2005)

Oh well. If it works, they'll save a bunch of money...by switching to...meh. Too bad corn oil wasn't picked. I bet Mazola can take you a good amount of distance. Ramo

deathorglory22 (October 30, 2005)

It won't save the guys any money, but kudos for using an alternative to gasoline.

Someone (October 30, 2005)

i'm sure they looked into it a bit... eh?... you know, getting free veggie oil from restaurants as pointed out numerous times in this news thread alone...

MrStabone (October 30, 2005)

very cool. this is not that hard to do (converting a diesel engine to do this), but you have to know people who can do it. when the stabones go full time after we sign with Fat/Epitaph etc, i am really going to look in to getting Greenpeace or some shit to hook us up with one of these

Someone (October 30, 2005)

yesterday, i saw a commercial about a band doing this. i can only assume it was piebald.

MrStabone (October 31, 2005)

i doubt it. it was probably string cheese incident orsome other such wookie nonsense

Jimmy_the_Saint (October 31, 2005)

Willie Nelson did it. He's king of the wookies.

Someone (October 30, 2005)

i've been reading some freaky shit lately about what's going to happen to the world economy when the oil supply can no longer meet with the demand, which apparently may be happening very soon. that kind of thing scares the shit out of me and more power to anyone that's doing things to reduce oil demand. also, we are the only friends we have is a fantastic record.

Someone (October 30, 2005)

I feel like there's something funny about them touring with Hot Rod Circuit in a vegetable bus.

KirbyPuckett (October 31, 2005)

ATTN SOMEONE @ SIDEONEDUMMY / PIEBALD Submit this article to Slashdot.org! It's the 'news for nerds' website. They look for that kinda shit and it will garner a ton of free publicity! Like enough to overload your webserver! GO GO GO! - Kirby

Someone (October 31, 2005)

you should try emailing this directly to the band/label...

Showtyme (October 31, 2005)

or he could just submit it himself

Someone (October 31, 2005)

http://www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=4878 Here's a great article about four people from Vancouver who went on a road trip across Europe and Asia using only vegetable oil and biodiesel. It can be done (and for cheap)!

maverick (scott) (October 31, 2005)

mewithoutYou has been doing this (with an actual bus, not a van) for years now. They call it "greasel." So Piebald definitely isn't the first. But props for doing it nonetheless. -Scott

Someone (October 31, 2005)

Jupiter Sunrise also did it this past summer. Piebald is too little, too late.

Someone (October 31, 2005)

I just read about another band from Boston doing this in the new issue of AMP. it's pretty cool...

Someone (October 31, 2005)

I'll tell you one thing, we'd all be heroes if we stopped using petrolium

Mute98 (October 31, 2005)

nice thats a good idea.. great band too

Someone (October 31, 2005)

good news!!

Someone (October 31, 2005)

"The decision to make the switch came from both environmental reasons and the increasingly high prices for gasoline" Despite the US still having the world's cheapest petrol prices.

Someone (October 31, 2005)

crude oil is relatively the same around the world, it's just that some countries tax the shit out of fuel.

ThreeChordsAndTheTruth (October 31, 2005)

I for one welcome our new vegetable oil-powered overlords.

housewrecker (October 31, 2005)

This has been done many times, but a lot of people still don't know about it. I think it's pretty cool and it exposes a lot of people to the idea that alternative fuel/energy sources can be effective.

Someone (October 31, 2005)

Vegetable oil works well in diesel engines often refered to as SVO - Straight Vegetable Oil. To use SVO as a diesel fuel, the vehicle must be converted to having a separate fuel tank for the SVO, a separate fuel line with an inline heating unit to thin the oil. Otherwise engine problem will develop. Some just run SVO with chemical solvents - thinners - no heater - RISKY BUSINESS - engine failure could result. To use SVO one starts the engine on petroleum diesel fuel - warms up the engine - then flips a switch to the SVO tank. When shutting down the reverse is done - switch back to petroleum D2 diesel. SVO is NOT Biodiesel. Biodiesel is NOT just veggie oil. Biodiesel is processed veggie oil - chemically changed - it is no long just veggie oil - it becomes a methyl ester. Biodiesel DOES NOT REQUIRE any engine conversion or modification - just put it in the

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Someone (October 31, 2005)

ALSO - SVO - straight veggie oil and biodiesel can both use WVO - waste veggie oil - recycled, cleaned up restaurant fryer oil. Homebrew biodiesel - even counting the chemical cost need to convert the oil to biodiesel (methanol and lye) one can brew biodiesel in a hotwater heater for under $1.00 per gallon. Google and check it out. To learn more about Biodiesel and how it's made, go to: http://www.biodieselcommunity.org

MattDead (October 31, 2005)

mewithoutYou does this too. awesome process really. You don't use straight veg oil though. You would normally take your bus to a fancier resturant or a chinese resturant and take a giant pump and hose and put it in the grease dumpster. so its FREE gas. The grease at fast food resturants are too dirty, so you cannt use them... you need more clean grease because when it gets pumped from the dumpster it goes through an intense filtration process Then it goes into tanks underneath the bus. That way you can swith between grease OR diesel.

MattDead (October 31, 2005)

as far as websites go, try www.greasel.com

sickboi (chris) (October 31, 2005)

I'd rather get a huger HUMMER that gets like 5 miles to the gallon. Actually, I really like to get a hummer in a HUMMER.

Someone (October 31, 2005)

they use oil from fast food resteraunts, for free, the same grease they cook fries in. yeah the same shit that cooked your mc nuggets is helping piebald get across the counrty. read a fucking book, get education.

MattDead (October 31, 2005)

awesome comment, really, but "mcnugget" grease is too dirty. tey need cleaner grease from that of chinese resurants or fanicer places. The grease they use at McDonald's, Burger King, and places like that are reused and reused and reused making all of the properties contained worthless.

sickboi (chris) (October 31, 2005)

Mmmm....McNuggets....

Someone (October 31, 2005)

R.A.M.B.O. did this a long time ago

Someone (October 31, 2005)

mmmmmmm, french fries.

Someone (October 31, 2005)

fucking hippies

Someone (October 31, 2005)

how is this even appropriate or relevant to this website? next thing they'll post is "aaron wiped his ass with a napkin"??? maybe something like "piebald cancels tour stops to convert van" is more suitable.

Someone (October 31, 2005)

I got that "All Ages/Barely Legal" stuff...why 2 rarities comps [in the span of about three years]? ...and Jones [Still Spanks] the Bones. If I could run my private jet on vegetable oil, I wouldn't be illin'... Cruz Bustamante Lieutenant Governor State of California

Someone (November 1, 2005)

biodiesel isn't that great. just think about how much land would have to be used to grow enough crops to fuel all of our cars. it's unrealistic. geographically we actually don't have enough land mass in north america to do that. not to mention the energy expenditure that you incur just to grow those crops.

Someone (November 2, 2005)

think about all the grain and such that is already gone to waste in govt. warehouses.... Subsidized farming would disapear the farmers would be on top with no government help... sound like the progressives dream come true without stepping on the capitalist system. Besides all this is free now and cna be undone. SO PIEBALD is soooo much more awesome than they were even just before now becuase they are my favorite band that uses a vegetable van.