| Author |
Message |
John G Root Jr (Johnroot) (140.186.114.253)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 7:41 pm: | |
Hi Everybody,
Well I bought my bus, so I've graduated from wannabee! Its a 4106 1638 converted by Angola in 1973 and owned by the same couple for the past 25 years! It looks almost brand new! My first project is to replace the huge diesel generator with a very quiet smaller one, and get an inverter and house batteries. I think I'll need 7 - 8 KW. I'm reading George Myers book on electrical layouts and he emphasises the importance of a quiet generator. Any suggestions and success stories? I will rarely be plugged in. Most of my camping is in state parks and boondocks! No propane either, I hate having to find my way around tunnels in the North East.
Thanks |
Jim Stacy (32.101.44.188)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 9:03 pm: | |
Well John, I would certainly prefer to have you parked next to me running your propane, than running your genset. It's relatively easy to boondock almost indefinately with propane, very difficult to boondock without propane without being a pain in the butt to your neighbors who are trying to enjoy the quiet of nature.
Yes, a quiet genset - 4 pole 1800 rpm as compared to 2 pole 3600 rpm. For the couple of times you want to use a restricted tunnel, it's easier to take the bridge. IMHO
Jim Stacy |
John G Root Jr (Johnroot) (140.186.114.253)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 9:21 pm: | |
Thanks Jim, So there is no genset quiet enough to actually use? My car is so quiet at 1800 to 2000 rpm that I would think it should be possible to get a genset that quiet. Does anyone have a quiet genset? |
bobm (64.12.102.21)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 10:43 pm: | |
i have a 15kw gen driven by a 2-53 detroit it is well insulated and has a hospital zone muffler. very quiet. besides most old folks are half deaf anyway |
R.C.Bishop (128.123.88.25)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 10:48 pm: | |
Bobm.....what the heck is a hospital zone muffler?
Thanx,
RCB |
Gene R (12.13.175.33)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 06, 2002 - 8:08 am: | |
I posted this a while back but will do it again for those who missed it. I have a Power Tech 17.5 Isuzu gen set with two flat Chevy car mufflers in series on the exhaust. You can hear just a whisper of air but NO engine noise from the pipe. Some say car mufflers won't work on a diesel but these will celebrate six years this spring with no ill effects. Have a pvc muffler from pulse gas furnace that will be added to the intake of the genset engine. This is where I get some noise from. FWIW. Gene R. |
John G Root Jr (Johnroot) (140.186.114.253)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 07, 2002 - 10:38 am: | |
Well, from what I gather here and from Diesel Chat, I think I will try for a quiet generator. My wife doesn't like to cook on electric so I will probably do propane if only for that.
Gene, what is your generator bay insulated with?
Has anyone put the exhaust pipe through the roof?
Thanks
John |
FAST FRED (209.26.87.57)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 07, 2002 - 12:14 pm: | |
The Honda Water cooled RV units are great1
Very quiet , before you do anything ,
But it should be in a soundproof box too.
At least the exhaust won't kill the campers on the next site.
With a boat hot water heater ( uses genset cooling for hot water + 120V)you can run 2 air cond and have all the hot water needed.
Not bad for $2500 or so 6.5KW.
FAST FRED |
Ron in SD (63.98.220.66)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 07, 2002 - 12:47 pm: | |
Fast Fred,
I have been thinking about doing this type of setup for my coach.
I looking to tie the bus cooling system, the gen set and a fuel fired hot water heater all into one system with zone valves to control the heat.
Do you have a good location for a boat type hot water heater?
And also for toe kick blower or larger units for the coach heat?
Thanks
Ron |
Scott Whitney (66.214.66.193)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 07, 2002 - 2:03 pm: | |
I have a detachable roof pipe to bring exhaust up to the roofline. It is similar to what they sell at Camping World, but, of course, I made mine. . . I got some surplus flexible exhaust line, a 90 elbow, and adapter to fit the muffler. When camped I can stick it on - it hangs from the drip rail. It helps to get any residual exhaust noise aimed to the sky. Also, projects fumes above head level so they arrive two campsite over instead of right next door. : ^ ) Since it is flexible, it can also be put on the ground and routed around a corner or something if I desire. (not sure why I'd want to, but) Looks a bit industrial, but then so does my whole bus so it fits . . .
Scott |
Scott Whitney (66.214.66.193)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 07, 2002 - 2:08 pm: | |
Oh, an after thought. . . If you run a permanent exhaust thru the roof, make sure that if it ever leaked, that fumes would not be able to get inside the coach. In other words, don't run it thru an inside wall. . .
I have see a genny with a permanent roof exhaust, but I believe it was routed up thru the engine compartment. Nice set-up.
Scott |
RJ Long (24.127.8.58)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 07, 2002 - 7:50 pm: | |
John, here is a copy of some comments I made to another busnut in a private email regarding genset exhaust:
Remember too, that the more 90 degree bends the air flow has to make, the quieter the genset will be!
Another thought: when fabricating the exhaust, the more 90 degree bends, the more restriction (back pressure) in the system, making the engine work harder. There will be less restriction in the system if you use what we call out here "sweep 90s" (or "sweep ells") instead of a straight 90 (straight ells). Ask a guy in the plumbing section of Home Depot or Lowes to show you the difference. Or use two 45s to make a 90.
Slickest genset exhaust system I've seen on a GM was in a 4106 like ours. Fellow had the genset in the HVAC compartment immediately behind the RF wheel. Cooling air came into the compartment thru the old HVAC intake in the sidewall, below the window. He used a squirrel cage fan & motor out of a plain old Chevy heater to help draw in the air. (Motor operated only when the genset was running.) Exhausted cooling air out into the area between the front wheels, ducted down in such a way that it didn't blow back into the compartment while traveling or kick up dust while parked. (Engine cooling was plumbed into the old coach heating system lines back to the main radiator.)
Genset exhaust was routed straight down (with a flex coupling, as unit was on a slide-out) and straight back, tucked up into a curbside of centerline rib as much as possible. When it got to the rear wheels, it went thru two 140 hp Corvair mufflers that were mounted on the bulkhead ahead of the axle. Up thru one, then down thru the other and exiting out the street side. Very slick, and VERY quiet.
In addition, for campgrounds, he had some additional detachable pipe that routed the exhaust up to the roof in order to keep the neighbors happy. Stowed this pipe on some clips attached to the inside of the baggage bay door (George Lowry's got a similar system.) Neat idea.
HTH,
RJ
PD4106-2784
Fresno CA |
Stephen Fessenden (Sffess) (63.27.89.250)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 07, 2002 - 9:37 pm: | |
No need to run a 12 volt blower for your genset cooling. Since it produces 120 Volts AC, you can just use a 120 volt blower. For you scavengers, Air Conditioning and heating service people throw them away all the time when the customer buys a new furnace or A/C. You might try for a 2 speed one since you rarely will need high speed. |
Jim Stacy (32.101.44.146)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 07, 2002 - 10:22 pm: | |
The exhaust from my old Onan 6.5 air cooled is routed under the coach to the left rear wheelwell, up through the inner, forward corner, through a "class B" double walled pipe in a corner of the closet and out the ceiling with a small flap on the top.
You can put your face on the pipe when the gen set is running and it isn't in my neighbors window. It's much more quiet than stock but it's still a "noise maker". I prefer using my solar.
BTW the flexible solar panels are not the same quality as the rigid panels.
Jim stacy |
Peter Broadribb (Madbrit) (216.67.215.186)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 26, 2002 - 5:33 am: | |
What happened with Bobm's 15kw genset? Where is it located and how much or was it sold?
Peter. |