| Author | Message | ||
| Jason Simons (Bigblock01)
Registered Member Username: Bigblock01 Post Number: 5 Registered: 6-2008 Posted From: 207.69.139.142  Rating: N/A |
I am look around trying to decide what kind of gen to go with. We have a gospel group with about 8 people and I am going to be running 2 maybe 3 15000 btu heat pumps, a full size refidgerator, microwave, a few lights, and maybe 2 tvs. I have been looking for a water cooled diesel 10 kw to 15 kw. A friend of mine asked me about using an air cooled Honda any thoughts from you guys that know more about this are greatly appreciated. I have planed a 50 amp shorepower system. I am not going to use 3 airs unless the 2 don't get it cool enough. I insulated the closed off windows with foam and tinted all the rest to about 5% so I feel that 2 will do the job that was what I have seen on here as the recomendation. | ||
| Luvrbus (Luvrbus)
Registered Member Username: Luvrbus Post Number: 494 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 74.32.83.140 Rating: N/A |
Jason, I don't think the Honda will work for you unless they have come out with a new one the EV6010 (the one for RVs) is just a 6000w/120 volt. I know they make 11000 w for construction.With 8 people aboard you are going to be running 3 ACs more that 2 and if you don't have the road air in your coach 3 are going to struggle going down the highway. me I would go with a 12.5 diesel I had rather have a little over than to be at the max with a 10 kw (Message edited by luvrbus on August 11, 2008) (Message edited by luvrbus on August 11, 2008) | ||
| Jason Simons (Bigblock01)
Registered Member Username: Bigblock01 Post Number: 6 Registered: 6-2008 Posted From: 209.177.247.193 Rating: N/A |
Thanks for the advice. I do still have the bus a/c it works fine just got to find the freon leak. I have to charge it about every 2 to 3 weeks. I am look at a wrico gen that is probably what I'll finally go with they have a 13 kw on their site if anyone knows of one used I might be interested. If I fined a used one what would be concidered high hours on one. Also in ideas on which heat pump is best Carrier or Duo Therm? | ||
| Luvrbus (Luvrbus)
Registered Member Username: Luvrbus Post Number: 495 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 74.32.83.140 Rating: N/A |
Dick (Wrico) has good generators call him he may have a used one he got in on trade.For ACs you can get the best buy on Carrier and they are good units (Message edited by luvrbus on August 11, 2008) | ||
| Joe Franklin (Franklinga)
Registered Member Username: Franklinga Post Number: 6 Registered: 1-2005 Posted From: 66.189.246.185 Rating: N/A |
I agree with the 12.5 kw diesel. An air cooled generator is just not going to hold up under prolonged loads that are typical with a coach. I have an Onan 12.5 quiet diesel and it's just right. I have 2 Carrier rooftops and 1 central unit that gets the job done. If I had it to do over, I would have just installed 3 rooftops and not bother with the central unit. Takes up too much space and it's a lot more work to install. | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 1330 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.69.141.161  Rating: N/A |
Air cooled are too loud, and require far too much air flow for a bus conversion. Used from Wrico would be a safe and economical choice, as far as reputation from busnuts are concerned. happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| John MC9 (John_mc9)
Registered Member Username: John_mc9 Post Number: 617 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 66.217.103.185  Rating: N/A |
13.5 rootops are fine, but 8.5 units use less power, and three would give enough cooling capacity to suit nearly anyone! One home window air unit rated at 5kbtu cools a 20X10 room; How many are needed for a 35X7 area? | ||
| James Robinson (Jjrbus)
Registered Member Username: Jjrbus Post Number: 146 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 99.206.7.151 Rating: N/A |
One home window air unit rated at 5kbtu cools a 20X10 room; How many are needed for a 35X7 area? I've wondered about this myself. It could be argued that there is much more window area on a bus. also a bus is steel not wood. A house does not sit on blacktop etc. My bus has the double roof, spray foam insulation, thermo windows and is painted ultra white. I belive the 13.5 roof tops are way too big for it. I have not wanted to spend the money to try a smaller unit. | ||
| Jack Campbell (Blue_goose)
Registered Member Username: Blue_goose Post Number: 100 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 71.100.201.35  Rating: N/A |
My first airs were 9kbtu units. Had to change after the first summer. I have 3 13,000btu units. Takes 2 most of the time in hot summer and some times 3 to get it cool if they have been off. You can always turn them to low if it is too much. Lots of difference in cooling a house with dead air space in the roof. Full 8 ft ceiling make a large difference. Jack | ||
| Don Evans (Doninwa)
Registered Member Username: Doninwa Post Number: 137 Registered: 1-2007 Posted From: 208.81.157.90  Rating: N/A |
13.5 rooftops are fine, but 8.5 units use less power, and three would give enough cooling capacity to suit nearly anyone! One home window air unit rated at 5kbtu cools a 20X10 room; How many are needed for a 35X7 area?.......... Your house doesn't spend much time with a 60 or 70MPH wind blowing on all sides with up to triple digit temps either. Metal is a good heat sink, in this case the heat is going in rather than out. Another note on cooling. Since many more people have thermometer guns these days, take a walk around the RV park and compare temps on the sunny sides of RV of different colors and materials. White rules and bare stainless cooks. Our first bus is a combination of med-dark blue and stainless. Can't touch either in direct sun. Sometimes the door swells so much it gets tight! Don 4107 | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Registered Member Username: Jackconrad Post Number: 802 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.3.173.51  Rating: N/A |
We did the temperature gun test several years ago in our backyard. About 3 PM, mid July. 2 Buses, our white with red stripes and a friends dark metallic green with a gold and mauve stripe. Temps shot on the west side of both buses in direct sunlight. White=113, red 123. Gold 124, Mauve 120 and dark green was 146. I did not shoot the temp of the stainless steel. The hotter the skin, the more heat that is being absorbed. All that extra heat has to be removed by the ACs. Jack (Message edited by JackConrad on August 13, 2008) | ||
| Jason Simons (Bigblock01)
Registered Member Username: Bigblock01 Post Number: 7 Registered: 6-2008 Posted From: 209.177.247.193 Rating: N/A |
Thanks for all the input our coach is white with some black trim. I have always like white because I felt it was cooler. I'm going to try to find a 12.5 water cooled diesel I think I'll start with 2 15000 and see how that works for us on count of cost cause we still got coach air to help in motion then if not satisfied it want be hard to add the other in middle. | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 432 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 208.100.193.47 Rating: N/A |
Gensets like most diesels suffer from long term underloading. Instead of getting a huge noisemaker , have you considered an intelligent inverter ? The noisemaker handles the running loads , the inverter handles the 3X overload when a unit is starting -- for a half second. The noisemaker then can run at 80% instead of under 50%.Longer life, lower fuel use result. FF | ||
| Len Silva (Lsilva)
Registered Member Username: Lsilva Post Number: 160 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 71.99.8.151 Rating: N/A |
Here is an air conditioner calculator from Consumer Reports: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/appliances/heating-cooling-and-air/air-conditioners/rep orts/sizing-worksheet/index.htm When I plugged a worst case for a 40' coach, I came up with 27,000BTU. This doesn't take into consideration the losses from a constant 70 MPH wind. | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Registered Member Username: Jackconrad Post Number: 803 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.3.173.51 Rating: N/A |
I have a 102A3 in my yard that I am doing the interior for a man in Illinois. It is sitting in the sun (no shade). The coach has 6 large (3'X5') windows with no interior covering on them. The coach exterior is mostly gray with black trim and a white roof. Coach has 2" spray foam and nothing inside except walls (no furniture to hold heat). The coach has 3 15K Carrier roof ACs. Even when turning on 2 ACs with the interior at 90+, the 2 Acs cool it down quickly and maintain a comfortable temp inside. Jack | ||
| Jason Simons (Bigblock01)
Registered Member Username: Bigblock01 Post Number: 8 Registered: 6-2008 Posted From: 209.177.247.193 Rating: N/A |
Fast Fred I have not looked at the invertor setup it crossed my mined but I will have to give it a look. We don't have a lot of bay space open our sound equipment for the band and product table take up 4 of the 6. I plan to put the gen in one of the other 2. We currently use the oem restroom if we deside to change then I got holding tanks, but I'll give it a look and see how much room I'd need to install and the $'s. I've only been a member here a short time but yall have all give some great info in a lot of the posts it has been a big help to me. | ||
| John Jewett (Jayjay)
Registered Member Username: Jayjay Post Number: 386 Registered: 1-2001 Posted From: 66.138.255.133 Rating: N/A |
Jason, figure about 500BTU/HR (non active) for each person on board. Eight bodies equals 4,000 BTU of heat per hour. That alone is almost half of one of your AC's. Infrared therm on the black stripe on my bus in 'Vegas in Aug was 154 deg. bare aluminum was 136, and white was 119. OAT was 104. ...JJ | ||
| David Lower (Dave_l)
Registered Member Username: Dave_l Post Number: 47 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 204.110.227.11  Rating: N/A |
Hello. What do you guys think of useing one of those standby gen sets that the Home depot sells;15kw liquid cooled, propane power'd in a enclosed insulated cabinet, 30 db noise rated comes with 6 circuit pre-wired panel automatic disconect to go from line to gen power. I was thinking of puting it on one of those track systems that you could slide it out to service. weight is about 400 pounds, cost about 8000 canadian. Thanks for the advise George. Dave L (Message edited by dave l on August 21, 2008) | ||
| Len Silva (Lsilva)
Registered Member Username: Lsilva Post Number: 162 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 71.99.19.85 Rating: N/A |
"Hello. What do you guys think of useing one of those standby gen sets that the Home depot sells;15kw liquid cooled, propane power'd in a enclosed insulated cabinet, 30 db noise rated comes with 6 circuit pre-wired panel automatic disconect to go from line to gen power. I was thinking of puting it on one of those track systems that you could slide it out to service. weight is about 400 pounds, cost about 8000 canadian." I believe those are Generacs. Nuff said. | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 526 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 207.231.75.253 Rating: N/A |
Dave, Regardless of the brand, they are NOT a COMPARTMENT MOUNTED generator! Part of the reason the manufacturers get what they do for rv generators is cooling. Compartment mounted generators take in their cooling air from the compartment, which must be designed with a screened intake on the top or side, draw it over the engine and the exhaust manifold, then blow the hot air out the bottom, through a sealed opening. A standby generator which is designed to sit in the open outside a house takes in its cooling air at the radiator, and blows warm air over the engine, manifold, and generator, then exhausts it wherever. In a compartment, it would take back its own hot air, and overheat quickly. BTTDB, George |