Options for Converting Generator to Propane

[bhayden]

My EF2800i from WiseGuy Sales should be here sometime this week. I didn't buy the completed conversion from US Carb as it would have been $500 more expensive. They sell the conversion kits for ~$200.

Anybody have an EF2800i that runs on propane? I have a few questions about the conversion. I'm wondering how clean the conversion is as far as having to cut away shrouds, etc. Does the regulator that comes with the kit mount to something or just hang free?

The kits are for low pressure propane and/or natural gas. I thought that means propane after the regulator on the TT which is I believe ~10 inches of water? That doesn't make sense if you want to hook up directly to a propane cylinder? How much pressure comes directly from the tank? Looks like the kit has a separate regulator and there is some amount of adjustment here. Natural gas I understand is only ~3" of water and less energy per liter as well.

US Carb offers two types of conversion, the Tri-Fuel option lets you keep the capability to run on gasoline and doesn't require permenant modification to the carburatior. I'm leaning heavily in this direction even though I don't anticipate running on gasoline. Is there much difference in efficiency and/or power between the Tri-Fuel and the Bi-Fuel conversion?

Any used someone other than US Carb as a source of the conversion kits? I'd prefer to buy this locally and leverage their expertise. What about the hour meter and tach? I figure the first ten hours will be easy to log and after that I'll be servicing on a time interval since it'll likely see less than 50 hours use anually (unless of course we have a monster power outage).

Thanks,
-Bernie

[CanoeStream]

Hello Bernie -- Did you follow Pick's progress on a similar conversion? Here & here. He comments back favorably from time to time. Good luck getting your questions answered!

[jzelle]

Originally Posted by bhayden

The kits are for low pressure propane and/or natural gas. I thought that means propane after the regulator on the TT which is I believe ~10 inches of water? That doesn't make sense if you want to hook up directly to a propane cylinder? How much pressure comes directly from the tank? Looks like the kit has a separate regulator and there is some amount of adjustment here. Natural gas I understand is only ~3" of water and less energy per liter as well.

Thanks,
-Bernie

Hi Bernie
I did the US Carb conversion on a EU2000i. The kit is designed to run on the low pressure side ( ie-after the regulator, 10" of water) of your system. The regulator they include brings it down to 0.5" of water and serves as an automatic shut-off as well, replacing the function of the float/needle valve.

[bhayden]

Mmm, this is getting a little more complcated than I'd hoped. I bought the Extended Stay kit to tie into the propane system on the trailer. I haven't installed it yet but I believe it taps in prior to the regulator. This way it can run things like the BBQ and heater designed to run directly from a propane cyclinder and also let you hook up an exchange cyclinder should you run dry on the main tanks at an inopportune time. Mostly the generator will be with the trailer but there's occasions I may want to take it else where and I'd still like to be able to run it on Propane. Maybe I have to do the Tri-Fuel option if I want to be able to separate the trailer and the generator? Seems odd that only people with RV's would be doing the propane conversion.

Doing a Google search I found Alternate Fuels Technologies, Inc. They do a pretty good job of explaining the different pressures you can see from propane applications and cover things a little more in depth than US Carburation.