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Message |
David Evans (Dmd)
Registered Member
Username: Dmd
Post Number: 133
Registered: 10-2004
Posted From: 71.125.9.251
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 08, 2007 - 9:29 pm: | |
We have used our coach for 10years without a gen set. It was a home in one spot for 10 months plugged in to 110 and then a 2-3 day run down the east coast to Fla,with short 3-5 day trips here and there usually at campgrounds or friends and relatives (plugged in when available)Then back North. Would have loved to have one but dident really need one with the invertor. We are putting alot of moola and effort into our bus getting her ready for our next adventure and would like to have a little more comfort traveling. We will be traveling North South East and West and even to Canada and Alaska. I think it will entail 1-3 weeks of travel and then 3 months in a RV park or campground and repeat this at least once more maybe twice. I know i want A/C while driving and most likely extra heating while driving and for sure while parked. We have a propane 42,000 btu hot air furnace now that does a decent job usually. The cost/difficulty of a hot water heating system doesent seem to be practical altho I would like to use a propane Precision Temp system. We dont have alot of bay space on our old bus and thought maybe a APU (auxillary power unit) that the truckers use might work in this application. They can make heat and a/c for the drivers area and power an invertor for our fridge while underway and parked overnite. The other/usual option is a genset that would give enough power to run both the a/c's and the fridge and maybe some heat off the coolant system. The APU has a smaller footprint and is a couple of hundred pounds lighter. Cost is similar. As i reread this, i guess the gen set makes more sense but the size and weight are important also. Ok thanks in advance for your ideas and opinions. |
Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member
Username: Buswarrior
Post Number: 979
Registered: 12-2000
Posted From: 70.48.193.243
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 08, 2007 - 10:40 pm: | |
Hello David.
The heat and AC capacities for a truck APU will be too small for a bus. There is only sufficient BTU for a truck cab and sleeper.
If you have been successfully operating without a generator for this long, you might be quite happy with one of the smaller gasoline models, Honda or Yamaha. Dead quiet, able to run an AC, and if you have a vented compartment and extend the exhaust just a little, down the road a'running you may go.
happy coaching!
buswarrior |
Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member
Username: Gusc
Post Number: 282
Registered: 11-2005
Posted From: 63.97.117.13
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 09, 2007 - 12:38 am: | |
The Honda EV water cooled series is great, I'm installing one right now. 6 or 4 KW. |
FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member
Username: Fast_fred
Post Number: 90
Registered: 10-2006
Posted From: 4.235.203.41
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 09, 2007 - 5:52 am: | |
I would think your needs are the ideal profile for propane.
While diesel is nice for folks that need noisemaker 24/7/360, your use for a few days a year will do fine with out the cost and maint of a diesel set.
I too would pick the 6kw Honda RV unit , in propane.
FF |
JR Lynch (Njt5047)
Registered Member
Username: Njt5047
Post Number: 119
Registered: 7-2006
Posted From: 69.132.226.200
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 09, 2007 - 9:47 pm: | |
FWIW, Yamaha offers a small diesel powered 6.5 unit (EDL6500). Makes 240 or 120VAC. I've used one for going onto 4 years without issues other than noise...and that's under control now.
If removed from its sound enclosure it'll fit into an unmodified MC9 condensor compartment. Using just diesel is convenient...although I use LP for almost everything else.
It's powered by a Kubota 2 cylinder that's layed down. Very compact generator. Starts readily in very cold weather...has glow plugs. Water cooled. Easy to build remote control too. They are selling for about $4K. You would have to remove the unit from the sound enclosure to use it.
We use it to run the OTR AC.
The 240 circuits could be right handy as a home backup generator...if the bus is close enough to run a service line.
Good luck, JR |
Frank Allen (Frank66)
Registered Member
Username: Frank66
Post Number: 44
Registered: 10-2005
Posted From: 152.163.100.138
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 10:40 am: | |
I use a onan gas 7 kw marque model , it has sound deadining all around it, does not vibrate, takes air from the bottom of compartment and ejects out the bottom, i have no sound deading in the compartment, it is as quiet as one gets and ive never had anyproblems that amount to anything. this is a very nice little unit i bought new yrs ago to replace the onan deisel that caught on fire and nearly cost me the whole rig, problem was a fuel leak and just the right conditions to ignite . I love hondas they make good stuff but this little unit is hard to beat and it will run two a/c s and have lots left over (66 amps) is also aproved for satate parks because it has a spark areester and the noise level is exceptable, love it
Frank Allen
4106 |
Les Lampman (Lblampman)
Registered Member
Username: Lblampman
Post Number: 1
Registered: 1-2007
Posted From: 24.16.10.3
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 10:51 am: | |
JR...thanks for the info on that Yamaha. I found a blurb about it online and it looks interesting. Did you pull in out of its enclosure and do away with the fuel tank it comes with and such? I guess what I'm really asking is how readily it adapts to being installed like a regular RV-type genset?
And to all:
I have a Honda EV4010 water-cooled generator in my old Class C Beaver. I've considered moving it over to the bus but I'm unsure about the hassle of needing gasoline for the genset in addition to diesel for the main engine.
For those that have used that setup; what size gas tank have you found is appropriate for running just the generator?
I've also contemplated a propane generator but it seems much more difficult to carry a large quantity of propane onboard as oppossed to the same quantity of gasoline?
I sure welcome your thoughts and suggestions.
All the best...
(Message edited by lblampman on January 10, 2007) |
David Evans (Dmd)
Registered Member
Username: Dmd
Post Number: 134
Registered: 10-2004
Posted From: 71.125.9.251
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 10:21 pm: | |
thanks for all the replies, i'm not up to speed on the propane units but i do know they are quiet but the exhaust smell was tuff for me.(been around diesel forever)I will have to explore them as we do have plenty of explosive gas on board.The diesel yamaha sounds good 2/3rds the price of a diesel. i will have to check the dimensions. Is it a 1800 or 3600
rpm unit? Thanks again everyone. |
Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member
Username: Gusc
Post Number: 284
Registered: 11-2005
Posted From: 63.97.117.28
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 1:23 am: | |
David,
The Honda EV series have spark arrestors as standard equipment so it should be as safe as a diesel.
If your 3703 was ever air conditioned it had a separate 24 gal gas tank installed. |
FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member
Username: Fast_fred
Post Number: 93
Registered: 10-2006
Posted From: 4.235.201.205
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 12, 2007 - 6:09 am: | |
, i'm not up to speed on the propane units but i do know they are quiet but the exhaust smell was tuff for me.
A properly operating propane unit will have almost NO smell.
The exhaust is not as poisonous as diesel, which is why OSHA lets propane vehicles operate INSIDE buildings.
FF |
David Evans (Dmd)
Registered Member
Username: Dmd
Post Number: 135
Registered: 10-2004
Posted From: 71.125.9.251
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 12, 2007 - 7:07 pm: | |
Thanks Fred and Gus. Glad to know that one propane unit wasent normal. Its the only one i ever noticed. I will check some out at a rally if possible. Gus ours did have a a/c unit and gas tank but it was removed during the repower. What i was refering to by the "explosive gas " was we have a vlarge horizontal propane tank for our stove,furnace etc. should be interesting to check out the specs. One of my attractions of the APU's was low fuel consumption. |
Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member
Username: Gusc
Post Number: 285
Registered: 11-2005
Posted From: 63.97.117.33
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 12, 2007 - 11:07 pm: | |
David,
What do you mean by very large LP? I thought I had a large one too when I got the bus but found it only held six gal. It was a long horizontal thing but not very large in diameter. It took all the original AC condenser/compressor space because of the mounting brackets and the length.
I just removed it and replaced it with two 20lb portable tanks as used for BBQ grills. The two hold 9.7 gal, can be exchanged for full ones at gas stations and use less space! When one runs out I know exactly how much I have left and no longer have to find an LP refill place to get more gas. I was tired of maneuvering into tight spots just to get 6 gal of LP! With the old Onan gen and long LP tank remover there is plenty of space for four 20 lb LP tanks and the Honda gen!
I don't have a furnace but I assume they use a lot of gas. We have a frige, water heater and two small heaters so we don't use much. If I need more LP I can add two more tanks.
I have no doubts that the Honda EV6010 will be a gas miser because everything else Honda makes is. |
Les Lampman (Lblampman)
Registered Member
Username: Lblampman
Post Number: 2
Registered: 1-2007
Posted From: 24.16.10.3
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 13, 2007 - 12:47 am: | |
I'm not sure what you would call a fuel miser; the EV6010 consumes .84 gph (my EV4010 uses about .7 gph). These are constant speed units and don't throttle down like the EU series. |
Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member
Username: Gusc
Post Number: 286
Registered: 11-2005
Posted From: 63.97.117.27
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 14, 2007 - 12:47 am: | |
I don't know what other gen use but trust that a water cooled Honda will be one of the best. I really have nothing to compare it to except my ancient Onan which used about 0.9 gph as I remember.
The main thing is the lack of noise and vibration!! |
David Evans (Dmd)
Registered Member
Username: Dmd
Post Number: 136
Registered: 10-2004
Posted From: 71.125.9.251
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 14, 2007 - 11:14 am: | |
Gus our tank is a 40 gal. It has always lasted a year or season with cooking and heat from Nov to Sept when i fill her up for the coming season.Yesterday I helped a friend check out his new 2005 Adventurer (winniebago) motorhome yesterday and payed alot of attention to the gen set.It was an Onan 5.5 Marquis in its own enclosure. It was a gas unit altho they thought it was a propane unit. Servicing would be fair on this setup. It was pretty quiet. |
James Stacy (Jimstacy)
Registered Member
Username: Jimstacy
Post Number: 21
Registered: 1-2001
Posted From: 70.244.3.227
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 16, 2007 - 8:44 pm: | |
Les,
Biggest problem with a genset dedicated gasoline tank is the fuel ages and the fuel system gets full of varnish. Most gensets don't get run anywere near enough for their own good. Propane does not deteriorate as quickly as gasoline. Propane gensets use a lot of propane but run much cleaner and troublefree than a gas supply that gets months if not years old. Best first choice is to use the same fuel as the drive engine. Next would be propane unless you have some way to keep gas fresh. |
Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member
Username: Gusc
Post Number: 289
Registered: 11-2005
Posted From: 63.97.117.31
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 11:42 pm: | |
Stale gasoline is a big poblem now with any machine. The answer is to run it on occasion, which, for a gen, should be done regardless of type of power just to keep the electrics exercised.
I use my gen gas tank as a gas supply for all my mowers and tractors plus my antique machinery. Works great and I usually don't have enough to last very long (24gal). |