Los Angeles to Portland, OR: A Success!

[moore101]

Well my trip from Rancho Cucamonga, CA to Portland, OR was a great success in my 2000 Camry CNG. The stations that we stopped at were as follows:
Valencia, CA- 210/I5
Los Banos, CA- I5
Chico, CA- HWY99
Medford, OR- I5
Hillsboro, OR- HWY26

We drove to Medford and made it by 7PM and stopped for the night. HWY 99 to Chico was a little slow and unless you like looking at small towns I say skip it if you can. Luckily the Rouge Valley bus depot in Medford was still open at 7 and I filled up and then filled up the next morning at the jackson county motorpool. All the people at these facilities were very nice, keep in mind they are cash only.

The long stretch was as follows:
Medford, OR to Hillsboro, OR about 280 miles- the longest stretch I have ever driven in my car. The empty light had just come on at 260 miles so I should have a range of 300-320 miles on a good fill, the car averaged 32-36 MPG (I think, impossible to tell with CNG).

The trip home was a little more exciting:
Hillsboro, OR- 3600 pump malfunctioning, 3000 barely working
Eugene, OR
Medford, OR
Woodland, CA- Pump down
Davis, CA- From Medford to Davis is 301 miles my longest CNG drive!
Los Banos, CA
Valencia, CA

The 3600 PSI pump was malfunctioning in Hillsboro and I did not get a good fill on the 3000 PSI pump. Decided to chance it.... At 120 miles I was already at 1/2 a tank and was warming up the AAA card for a tow in a few hours. Just for the heck of it I found the number for the Eugene OR state motor pool, I knew they have private CNG pumps. The people were very nice and after a little sweet talking they agreed to let me fill at their Eugene motor pool facility. Which ironically enough is closing and being sold off. I mentioned to the guy there they should keep the CNG pump and make it public but it may be too late for that now.

Decided to skip Chico and get near SF where we were going to stay for a few days did a 300 mile stretch and it was no problem, luckily another station was close by since the first was down in Woodland.

It was a fun trip and I would do it again no problem. For anyone thinking about it make sure your vehicle has a range of at least 300 miles and a good GPS with all the stations programed in is a must!

[Larryect]

Re: Los Angeles to Portland, OR: A Success!

Wow, great going. You must have some great nerves there. I don't see anyway I could get that kind of range from my Civic.

It sure would be nice if we had a more solid infrastructure. But, I guess we are the pioneers. I just wonder how long we have to be the pioneers on a proven fuel....

[John Mitton]

Re: Los Angeles to Portland, OR: A Success!

Great trip report!
Do both of the Medford stations provide 3600 psi?

Also, someone reported to me they have had success calling ahead to the transit bus folks in Salem in getting a courtesy fill, thus making the same trip you did in a Civic GX.

[moore101]

Re: Los Angeles to Portland, OR: A Success!

Great trip report!
Do both of the Medford stations provide 3600 psi?

Also, someone reported to me they have had success calling ahead to the transit bus folks in Salem in getting a courtesy fill, thus making the same trip you did in a Civic GX.

Yes both medford stations are 3600 but if you arrive in the morning/evening the pressures may be a little low since that is when they are used by the city/state vehicles. Since I came in at 7PM (they are open till 8) they were nice enough to let me skip ahead of the 5 CNG buses that were being cleaned and filled up.

Actually it was the people in Salem that I spoke with that let me fill up in Eugene. I also left a message for some guy at CE (don't remember the name, in the new markets department or something) that the Eugene station is almost brand new and the whole facility is being sold off by the state of OR. As much as we all love CE, a public station is better than nothing right? If anyone is interested in finding out about maybe purchasing the station and making it public contact the Operations manager Kent: http://www.oregon.gov/DAS/SSD/FLEET/smp.shtml both him and Ken were very helpful. I wish they would take cash like the stations in Medford.

[Stu Man]

Re: Los Angeles to Portland, OR: A Success!

Hi moore101 :

Great trip report.

So, with “some great nerves”, and good range, a CNG Road Trip from Los Angeles to Vancouver B.C. Canada is possible.

Looking at www.cngprices.com, once you made it to Hillsboro Oregon, it would be 148 miles North to the Lakewood Washington Clean Energy Station.

Heading North from Lakewood Washington, there are 4 CNG stations, then a bunch of ( 3000 psi only ) stations in Vancouver.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Interesting. Very interesting.

[lcovelli]

Re: Los Angeles to Portland, OR: A Success!

Great trip report!
Do both of the Medford stations provide 3600 psi?

Also, someone reported to me they have had success calling ahead to the transit bus folks in Salem in getting a courtesy fill, thus making the same trip you did in a Civic GX.

Chico to Medford is scary with a GX.. 218 miles with lots of uphill..
I wouldn't have the guys to try it... Redding needs a station.

[gregsab]

Re: Los Angeles to Portland, OR: A Success!

According to PG&E, Redding is supposed to get one next year. It's their next big project after the renovations in Richmond, CA.

[eloo]

Re: Los Angeles to Portland, OR: A Success!

I'm jealous... I want a road trip to Seattle!

[jetboatjohnny]

Re: Los Angeles to Portland, OR: A Success!

Yeah, me too. I did the trip to Seattle a couple times, drove strait thru and made it in 23 hours in a gasoline powered truck when the speed limit was 55. I'm still jealous of the leather seats in your GX!

[lcovelli]

Re: Los Angeles to Portland, OR: A Success!

Has anyone made the drive from Chico, CA to Medford, OR on a GX?
218 mile trip through Shasta which has good uphill.

[OptimaCNG]

Re: Los Angeles to Portland, OR: A Success!

I am so excited about your road trip. I really wish PG&E build another station around Redding then we can fulfill our dream from CA-->WA even BC. I want to join Winter Olympic at YVR BC at 2010 with my Civic GX.

P.S. Looking forward to see a new renovate PG&E station at Richmond CA.

[300mileclub]

3-Speed GX has up to 4% more range than CVT transmission

10 May 2012 SALEM, OR - OAKLAND, CA 2008 Honda GX 1 driver 150 lb luggage "Strong tailwind"
(2009 trip using a 2004 GX driver with passenger and no luggage shown for comparison)
One-way fuel cost for this 600 mile trip about $36. Tire pressure for all runs at mfg. max 44 psi.

SALEM-MEDFORD 226 miles
2004 GX (CVT) driven at 45 mph used 4.8gge 47.1 mpg
2008 GX (3-speed) driven at 60 mph used 4.6 gge 49.1 mpg

MEDFORD-CHICO 220 miles
2004 GX (CVT) driven at 45 mph used 4.5 gge 49.2 mpg
2008 GX (3-speed) driven at 60 mph used 4.4 gge 50.0 mpg

Other notes from Oregon state:
ANGH LNG station in Stanfield OR broke ground first week of May - Will be completed this year.
RVTD $1.5M station upgrade walls and roof done; compressors to be delivered to site 3rd week of May.
CLEAN ENERGY will have CNG fueling in Salem this year -- details will come in formal press release.
A road service CNG fueling trailer is located in Roseburg. PM me to ask details.
A contact phone number is available in Eugene for fast fill there. PM me for details.

[300mileclub]

Re: 3-Speed GX has up to 4% more range than CVT transmission

A 2012 GX which left Huntington Beach at 4 am arrived in Salem at 8:30 tonight. It took 4.3 gge after driving the 230 miles from Medford which equates to 55 mpg. The car has a has a automatic 5 speed transmission (to correct my previous post above) and the tires were at 40 psi at running temp. The couple, on vacation, took turns driving and, as seems to be common, borrowed a PG&E card for Los Banos, Vacaville, and Chico FROM SOMEONE IN OREGON!

[drunyon]

Re: 3-Speed GX has up to 4% more range than CVT transmission

I drive from Livermore, CA to near Salem OR each year. Both the Chico-Medford (219 mi) and Medford-Salem (230 mi) legs have substantial elevation changes. I don't have the patience to drive at 60mph and wondering if it is practicable to drive this in my GX with 2 people and luggage (75mph). At both Chico and Medford I would have no problem filling, eating a meal and topping off again to maximize fill. What do you think?

Dave 2011 GX

[CNGfamily]

Re: 3-Speed GX has up to 4% more range than CVT transmission

...wondering if it is practicable to drive this in my GX with 2 people and luggage (75mph).

I'd have two concerns: the first is wheter or not you are likely to good really good pressure at both Chico and Medford... I suspect that you will, but that's just based on not hearing bad things about those stations. I've not been to either location, but can tell you I'm routinely dissappointed with low pressure fills at some stations (the otherwise awesome addition to Tucson, Trillium right off the freeway; I have yet to get more than a 3200-3300 PSI fill, at 100-110F summer temperatures a proper temp compensated system should be providing 4200 PSI).
Second: maintaining 75mph on a grade is going to have you shifted into 3rd gear at very high rpms for long periods of time, where 4th and 5th are the overdrive gears that get you better mileage. You really do get a LOT worse mileage when you do that... IMHO you could drive faster than 60mph in most places, just not when forces downshifts for long periods of time... bottom line you may not want to just set it and forget it at 75mph.