| Author | Message | ||
| les marston (Les_marston)
Registered Member Username: Les_marston Post Number: 35 Registered: 1-2010 Posted From: 68.151.248.141 Rating: N/A |
I have seen a lot of used generators for sale on our local buy and sell web page. A number of them are in the output range that I would be looking for. I know that they are not R.V. generators and as such would be louder and not as efficient. BUT they are very price attractive. Any safety or other reason I should not use one until I can buy the proper one. I promise I won't run it if I have neighbors. | ||
| Laryn Christley (Barn_owl)
Registered Member Username: Barn_owl Post Number: 657 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 71.254.44.252  Rating: N/A |
What is your price range? I see Onan Gensets on craigslist all of the time, and you would spend less doing it one time, not two. | ||
| les marston (Les_marston)
Registered Member Username: Les_marston Post Number: 36 Registered: 1-2010 Posted From: 68.151.248.141 Rating: N/A |
Hey Laryn I guess part of the problem is that I want to get the cart before the horse. We are in the early stages of our conversion and sort of see it as a 5 year process reaching completion about the same time we retire. Some of the thought process is that technology will progress in the 5 years so I am a bit reluctant to go out and buy a gen set that will almost be what we will want but not quite. I still want to have one to set up the system. I know it will be a temporary unit. That way I won't be tempted to settle when the time comes. The Units that I have seen on Kijiji here in Edmonton are running in the $500 to $900 range for 5500 to 6500 watt units I was thinking that at worst I would be able to resell the generator for most of what I paid for it when the time comes. My main concern is safety. On the other hand if a smoking deal came up on a RV generator I would be very interested. I know that we will be needing the generator for the type of travel we want to do and have 5 years to get it right Thanks for the reply Les | ||
| George M. Todd (George_todd)
Registered Member Username: George_todd Post Number: 979 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 99.37.31.150 Rating: N/A |
Les, This has been discussed here before, sorry I don't remember what the header would be in the archives. Anyhow, you CANNOT mount a construction/temporary power type generator in a compartment of a bus, period. These type of generators take their cooling air in around the crank pulley, and blow it across the engine fins, where the hot air just goes away. When you put this type in a compartment, it takes its own hot air back thru again and again, with the result quickly being overheating and a fire! An air-cooled RV type generator takes cooling air in over a much more closely shrouded head and block, and exhausts the hot air out a tight fitting at the bottom of the compartment. All the cooling air is taken in thru screens/louvers in the outside of the compartment, which keeps it cool. Water-cooled generators can be installed with the radiator in another compartment for silencing, they need a water cooled exhaust manifold, and/or some other method of compartment cooling. RV generators have fuel pumps for remote tanks, and automatic shutdown for over-temp and low oil. Also remote start/stop. My advice is to wait for the right deal on the right type. G | ||
| Sean Welsh (Sean)
Registered Member Username: Sean Post Number: 1071 Registered: 1-2003 Posted From: 67.142.130.22  Rating: N/A |
Les, If you are talking about picking up a cheap generator that you can carry in a bay, but set up on the ground away from the bus when you need to run it, then your plan is sound. However, there are specific requirements for any compartment in which combustion engines and their fuel supply will travel, outlined in NFPA 1192. Pay careful and specific attention to ventilation of the compartment; most fuel fumes are heavier than air and the rules require venting at both the high and low points of the compartment. If you are talking about trying to "install" a generator and run it while attached to the bus, code and safe practice require any such generator to be explicitly listed for RV use, and to be installed in accordance with that listing. That would generally rule out most inexpensive contractor-style generators any anything with an integral fuel tank. The reasons are numerous, including the one George cited above. -Sean http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com | ||
| Jim Shepherd (Rv_safetyman)
Registered Member Username: Rv_safetyman Post Number: 304 Registered: 1-2004 Posted From: 75.253.158.62 Rating: N/A |
Les, you talk about generator technology changing. Sean will probably disagree, but there has not been much change in the technology over the years. For the typical RV, you have a name brand diesel engine that will have readily available parts, and a generator head from one of several good sources - again with good parts availability. The good units will run for tens of thousands of hours with only normal maintenance. Two things have changed in recent years. The control circuitry has become quite sophisticated and computer based (not necessarily a good thing in my opinion -- I like the basic control system on my Wrico). The second technology that seems to be becoming more popular is the variable speed/inverter based generators. I HATE those darn things!!! As humans, we seem to be able to get comfortable with a uniform sound, but when the sound is constantly changing, it drives some people up the wall. Just a note on noise. There are two aspects of noise: 1) sound pressure level (db) and 2) quality. Folks tend to concentrate on db of the item, when indeed, the quality is more important in my opinion. The best example is fingernails on the chalk board. Even at low db, the sound is TERRIBLE. Back to the subject, my vote would be to go for a GOOD RV unit and be done with it. Jim | ||
| les marston (Les_marston)
Registered Member Username: Les_marston Post Number: 38 Registered: 1-2010 Posted From: 68.151.248.141 Rating: N/A |
George and Sean I knew I would get a conclusive answer. so much for the idea of a non RV type generator. Thanks for the info Les | ||
| Sean Welsh (Sean)
Registered Member Username: Sean Post Number: 1072 Registered: 1-2003 Posted From: 67.142.130.36 Rating: N/A |
"Sean will probably disagree" I disagree, Jim: I don't disagree  Seriously, I think your comments are right on the money. In fact, my own generator is a 25 year old model, and it works perfectly well without a single electronic component in it, and I am happy to have such a reliable old workhorse. -Sean http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Registered Member Username: Jackconrad Post Number: 1268 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 173.150.197.88  Rating: N/A |
I agree with Jim, simple is better. The control circuits on our PowerTech consist of a switch and 3 "cube" relays plus a low oil & hot engine sensor. Jack | ||
| les marston (Les_marston)
Registered Member Username: Les_marston Post Number: 39 Registered: 1-2010 Posted From: 68.151.248.141 Rating: N/A |
Well Jim I suppose that you are right about the two aspects of sound and of course we can measure the volume in db but how do we quantify the other? Is some meter to measure annoying available? Some of the advancements that I expect are quieter, more compact and lighter. Is this to much to ask? Sean Just for the record was that disagreeing or agreeing to disagree or were you agreeing? I am so confused Les | ||
| larry currier (Larryc)
Registered Member Username: Larryc Post Number: 326 Registered: 2-2007 Posted From: 207.200.116.13 Rating: N/A |
Les, Stay away from the inexpensive made in China units. They won't last and they have little resale value. A used Genuine Honda with battery start and auto start can be found pretty cheap. You could put all the wiring in place and install the big dog when you find one. I don't see much advantage comming in the near future as far as any new ground breaking generators in the next 5 years. Generators are pretty well at the plateau when it comes to technology. I like Japanese and I like diesel Marine quality units, they are hard to beat. | ||
| niles steckbauer (Niles500)
Registered Member Username: Niles500 Post Number: 962 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 173.78.39.41 Rating: N/A |
I think when Jim was referring to "quality" of noise he was talking about "frequency" or Hz (correct me if I'm wrong) - extreme low frequencies and high frequencies are annoying to most adults, although this can be readily handled to some extent by installing the correct types of of deadening materials for a specific frequency within the genset compartment - FWIW | ||
| Laryn Christley (Barn_owl)
Registered Member Username: Barn_owl Post Number: 658 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 71.254.44.252 Rating: N/A |
Page after page with prices all over the place. http://craiglook.com/all.html?q=rv+generator | ||
| Bill Holstein (Billmoocow)
Registered Member Username: Billmoocow Post Number: 80 Registered: 5-2009 Posted From: 98.232.207.25  Rating: N/A |
I bought my onan 4000 watt for $180!!! Just got to look for the deals all the time! My whole bus is nothing but craigs list. Thought about naming it Craig. | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 1141 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 66.82.9.82  Rating: N/A |
"Some of the advancements that I expect are quieter, more compact and lighter. Is this to much to ask?" An interesting problem came up with a couple of boaters that replaced diesel Onan (really old ,60's or so) with newer Jap diesel units. Their fuel consumption (mostly light loaded) went UP! Go figure? FF | ||
| Jim Wilke (Jim Bob) (Pd41044039)
Registered Member Username: Pd41044039 Post Number: 466 Registered: 2-2001 Posted From: 184.0.3.170 Rating: |
How does a guy with a small generator and a BIG engine or two in his boat figure fuel consumption with any degree of accuracy? And... If they used consumption figures from some years back on the old genset with today's consumption with the new genset, they probably did not take notice that today's ULSD fuel gives less "MPGs" than old dirty diesel, just like today's gasoline blends. My diesel vehicles have gotten progressively worse fuel mileage as the fuel has evolved. | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 1143 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 66.82.9.57 Rating: N/A |
Many boats will use a "day tank" where the fuel is pumped and stored after a large bunch of filtering. These are frequently high in the boat to provide a gravity feed to the main engine and will have a sight glass to monitor the tanks contents. Boaters are far more concerned with fuel consumption than most bus owners because with simple throttle changes they can change the fuel burn by 300%. A boat can run full throttle , say 10K at 10 GPH 8K might be 5 gph and 6K only 2.5gph Unfortuniatly for bus campers , running the slab at 40 mph might get great mileage but would be too exposed to a rear ending. FF |
