| Author | Message | ||
| Roger Dalke (Roger_d)
Registered Member Username: Roger_d Post Number: 30 Registered: 8-2007 Posted From: 205.206.150.254 Rating: N/A |
Are these a viable option for a bus or should it only be water cooled? Noise, reliability, etc. Opinions welcome, and would also like to hear from any who've used them. Thanks Roger | ||
| Paul Lawry (Dreamscape)
Registered Member Username: Dreamscape Post Number: 653 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 64.40.216.39  Rating: N/A |
We have an older Onan 12KW air cooled diesel fired unit. It's noisy and works great! It came with the bus when I bought in 03, so I have nothing to compare it too. I've heard the radiator units are quieter. We've used it mainly for powering the roof tops in the summer when we are on the road. Plugged into a pole the rest of the time! So there ya go! | ||
| FloridaCliff (Floridacracker)
Registered Member Username: Floridacracker Post Number: 426 Registered: 7-2004 Posted From: 68.204.16.36 Rating: N/A |
Air cooled will always be noisier. Several reasons, it takes a lot of air to cool it, which means a large noisey fan, it must have open ventilation for the heat to be exhausted and fresh air around the unit, so it will be open to the outside, and letting noise out to you and neighbors. Air cooled units have a much shorter life span. But if you find a deal and like Paul, you only run it down the road, it may be the way to go for you. But I will tell you from my own experience. Better to save and buy what you want, then to by cheap. I would have an extra $1500 in my wallet from generator purchases. "Buy cheap, Buy twice" | ||
| joe padberg (Joemc7ab)
Registered Member Username: Joemc7ab Post Number: 400 Registered: 6-2004 Posted From: 66.38.159.33 Rating: N/A |
Roger If you want to hear an aircooled Onan and become thorougly anoyed, frustrated and upset at the loudness of the the thing (3 KW) come to my house and I will let you have it for the same amount that you left me the last time you visited, a hundred canuckies, and you can take it home. Now that has to be the deal of the year for a diesel genset. Joe. | ||
| Jack Fids (Jack_fids)
Registered Member Username: Jack_fids Post Number: 37 Registered: 1-2009 Posted From: 32.176.156.181 Rating: N/A |
I have a friend who lives on the most southern farm/ranch in the world, south of Ushuaia, terra del Fuego, no fooling! Tommy runs his entire operation on a 6-cyl Lister Air-cooled Diesel generator. The thing is a fuel miser like no tomorrow and I recall really quiet for it's size. The one thing that really fascinated me was that a Lister allows a person to add cylinders to increase output as needed in addition to being a minimum consumer of petroleum & straightforward simple. I've always wondered why I've never heard of anyone using a Lister A/C Diesel for main power on a boat? ...Fred...? | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 1153 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 69.19.14.29  Rating: N/A |
The simplest is to mount the air cooled (or any ) noisemaker on a trailer . Then with a 50 or 100ft power hose you can boondock with out hearing the racket. The trunk of a towd might be big enough . A boat is an echo chamber , all hard stuff . I did see a 1 lung Lister in a 55ft motor sailor built by a shipyard owner, but it was LOUD!!! That was before No Noise which is a marine product with 2lb sq ft lead and 2 inches of noise absorbtion foam . To get a fairly quiet air cooled noisemaker ,an old OHNO propane would be best. If you camp where 24/7 noisemaker is required diesel is sadly probably the cheapest in the long run. For only minor use one of the Honda portables might work , with a BIG chain to a nearby tree. FF (Message edited by Fast_Fred on April 22, 2010) | ||
| George M. Todd (George_todd)
Registered Member Username: George_todd Post Number: 998 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 64.55.111.6 Rating: N/A |
To answer Jack's question, heat. The marine engines are water cooled, usually thru a heat exchanger, and with a water cooled exhaust manifold also. An air cooled engine will overheat the engine room, just like a temporary/construction type generator will overheat a bus bay. G | ||
| john degemis (Degemis)
Registered Member Username: Degemis Post Number: 97 Registered: 3-2008 Posted From: 68.113.39.64  Rating: N/A |
I have a 8k Onan quite Diesel that is air cooled I have to watch the light on the panel to see if it running. Outside you can hear the fan/airflow but not loud at all. | ||
| Tom Christman (Tchristman)
Registered Member Username: Tchristman Post Number: 214 Registered: 1-2006 Posted From: 66.218.33.156 Rating: N/A |
The 8kw Onan Quiet Diesel uses a water cooled engine, but with a rather noisy radiator fan. On my truck 12kw, I am using a water cooled 3 cylinder Kubota (D1305) completely enclosed in a sound cabinet with a blower to push cooling air through and a remote radiator with a variable speed electric fan. My goal is to have the generator as silent running on the outside as possible so as not to bother neighbors. I wish more bus converters would keep that in mind. There is no such thing as a too quiet generator. Good Luck, TomC |