Propane generator on Airstream's low pressure port - Actual Experiences, please.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by AstroBruce

Am I misunderstanding, or are you saying you run the a/c on solar?

Bruce

Hi, Bruce. That's off topic for this thread, but with a big enough system that's definitely possible, within certain limits. Here's just one example: http://www.technomadia.com/2016/06/r...ting-inverter/

Feel free to discuss in another thread.
Thanks!

[AstroBruce]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

Hi, Bruce. That's off topic for this thread, but with a big enough system that's definitely possible, within certain limits. Here's just one example: http://www.technomadia.com/2016/06/r...ting-inverter/

Feel free to discuss in another thread.
Thanks!

Sorry. Didn't intend to highjack the thread. I guess I DID misunderstand.

Bruce

[guskmg]

I was getting freeze ups with only one A/C. When I had freeze ups, I tee'd directly into the high pressure side of the bottles. Now, on my second trailer I used Ys on the high pressure side to the first stage genny regulator thru a 3-way valve to select the desired bottle. No more freeze ups although the regulator still gets pretty cold. My experience tells me two A/Cs on at once will require too many BTUs. If I need more A/C, the next option will be to go to a larger capacity Acme valve, i.e., from green to black or red.
guskmg

[KJRitchie]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

Just to wrap up this short thread, here's what we've decided to buy: http://www.genconnexdirect.net/honda...g_packages.htm

Scroll down to "Package RV 2", which includes a Honda EU2000 Companion and all the fixin's. .

Checked out their website and shows "Coming Soon". I wonder how long it will be before they're available.

Kelvin

[OTRA15]

Do the genconnex packages keep the OEM Honda warranty intact, like US Carb does for the Yamaha units? [see Post #10 for links re: our Yamaha 1000 tri-fuel]

At the bottom of the genconnex page linked earlier is this: "Please note we are not a Honda dealer and do not service gasoline generators." At the top this page, it refers to a limited warranty for 3 years, but does this include the gasoline generator, or just genconnex's conversion work?

If the propane modification voids the Honda warranty, what happens if the generator itself breaks down and needs repair?

PS -- US Carb has a new website: http://www.motorsnorkel.com/

Here is the 2000: http://www.motorsnorkel.com/yamaha-e...line-only.html

PS2 -- Post #5 here contains further info. about the US Carb and Yamaha warranty.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

Checked out their website and shows "Coming Soon". I wonder how long it will be before they're available.

Not sure why it says that. Mine is already en-route from them, according to UPS.

[OTRA15]

The logical explanation might be that they have many orders, and cannot fill all of them until Honda supplies enough generators? To say "coming soon" may be simple honesty . . . ?

A simple phone call or online inquiry by interested purchasers would probably work . . .

[Adiredneck]

Following. I just received my two Yamaha 2000 tri-fuels from USCarb yesterday. There were a couple of features that I liked better than on the Honda, but to each their own. Full warranty on Yamaha because USC is a licensed dealer. Interested in reading about using the quick-connect and various plumbing combinations, as that is the next step in my project/education. Good thread...!

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Adiredneck

Following. I just received my two Yamaha 2000 tri-fuels from USCarb yesterday. There were a couple of features that I liked better than on the Honda, but to each their own. Full warranty on Yamaha because USC is a licensed dealer. Interested in reading about using the quick-connect and various plumbing combinations, as that is the next step in my project/education. Good thread...!

We got 2 10' quick-connect hoses with shut-offs which worked with our OEM FC20 low pressure propane port and the new Yamaha 1000, which comes with various brass bushings to make this work. You have to get some pipe dope and propane-rated Teflon tape. Easy.

10' hose: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Male quick-connect needed at gen bushing: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[ The parts you need may be different -- YMMV ]

Two of these connect to get the gen behind the trailer near the back or sides of most sites -- whichever makes for the quietest run. We even stuck the gen in the back of the van once, with moving pads loosely around part of it, to muffle the sound.

See Post #6 (and later) in this thread for more detail:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f448...ay-150492.html

We have used the Yamaha 1000 on three recent trips, and the sound of the ocean at the CG was much louder than the gen. Nice!

Good luck.

Peter

[KJRitchie]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

Not sure why it says that. Mine is already en-route from them, according to UPS.

I contacted them via their contact page last night and they responded very quickly. If ordered this week it would be delivered by next week.

I'm liking this design over the others. I can just see an externally mounted regulator getting damaged when the generator is jammed in the back of the truck unless its in a plastic box. I'd prefer hauling a 20lb propane tank vs 3 to 5 gallons of gas not to mention having to worry about the carburetor getting fowled by bad or old fuel. I can use the propane tank for the BBQ and the propane campfire too.

I guess buying a new modified generator voids the factory warranty.

The RV1 and RV2 are identical kits except the RV2 has the grounding receptacle. What happens if I just connect my 30amp shore power cable to the generator via a 30amp to 15amp pigtail adapter?

Kelvin

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

. . . .
I guess buying a new modified generator voids the factory warranty.
. . .

Not for the Yamaha units. Is there some reason you would not consider a Yamaha from US Carb, Kelvin, or from some other vendor? Other AS owners here have gone that route, and seem pleased, as linked in earlier posts on this thread.

Thanks,

Peter

PS -- Edit -- OK I guess your objection to the externally mounted equipment refers to the Yamahas.

[KJRitchie]

I think the Genconnex is the only one that puts the regulator inside the case which is appealing to me.

I wonder why Yamaha would warranty such a drastic modification?

One thing I've read about Yamaha their dealer network isn't as extensive as Hondas if anything should happen but then with the Genconnex generator you would have to ship the generator back to them for any warranty work. They offer a 3yr warranty.

Kelvin

[Rocinante]

Re: warranty. Yes, this voids the Honda warranty, though Genconnex warrants them. Not the same, we fully realize.

Meanwhile, the sales rep from US Carb told us their mod *also* voids the manufacturer's warranty. (Before anybody gets huffy about that please know he put this in writing to us via an email, and so we chose to believe him.)

So, for us the warranty question was a wash, we didn't care about tri-fuel, and we liked the simple elegance of the Genconnex solution. Your priorities and resulting choices may differ. 😎

Soon we hope to post about our actual experience with our generator vs. chit-chatting and armchair quarterbacking on the subject. 😏

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

I contacted them via their contact page last night and they responded very quickly. If ordered this week it would be delivered by next week.
...
The RV1 and RV2 are identical kits except the RV2 has the grounding receptacle. What happens if I just connect my 30amp shore power cable to the generator via a 30amp to 15amp pigtail adapter?

Kelvin

Some surge suppressors and transfer switches will not pass power from a generator that does not have the neutral connected to the safety ground. My eU2000i does not, but I have neither a surge suppressor nor transfer switch. I don't know what your trailer has. If you have a surge suppressor or two shore power connectors you probably need the grounded receptacle, but you can make one easily if there is a significant cost difference. Simply take a plug and connect a wire from the silver screw (neutral) to the green screw (ground) and plug it in to the other socket on your generator.

Al

[rocco52]

Anyone notice that Propane costs more than gas? In my area it is 70 cents a gallon more than gas. Plus you have the cost of the conversion. I do buy into the convenience thing. It would be very handy to just plug in and not have to pack a gas can. In my case I have a pickup so the generators "live" in the back of the truck along with the gas can.However for someone with an SUV TV a Generator mounted on top of the Battery Box running on Propane would be the way to go.

[jcanavera]

Just to clarify the US Carb warranty statement on the Yamaha generators. It does not void the Yamaha warranty, however they do have the right to refuse a warranty claim if they feel that the claim was caused by the fuel modification. I'm comfortable enough with Yamaha's coverage and knowledge that the tri-fuel conversion is engineered well. Quite honestly if Yamaha had experience problems with this conversion, they would have pulled the warranty some time ago. With all things being equal, I probably would have gone with Honda only because of my experience with Honda products. The lack of warranty however was a deal breaker and I'm perfectly happy with my Yamaha choice. I bought the Yamaha new from US Carb with the tri-fuel kit installed by them. US Carb registered the generator directly with Yamaha and a few weeks later I received a free one year warranty extension from Yamaha. Don't know how long that warranty extension deal will last but I do feel good about the 4 years of protection.

Jack

[Rocinante]

Sorry, rocco52, this is armchair quarterbacking of the worst and least helpful sort. You may want to read the first post to understand why I as the OP don't want a gasoline-fired generator. The cost of fuel was not an issue. Let's move on, shall we? If you want to talk gasoline vs. propane as an argument thread, feel free to start a different discussion.

Oh, JCanavera, thanks for posting your actual experience re: the warranty on a tri-fuel generator. Perhaps our sales rep there was misinformed. Too bad, it probably cost him a sale.

Originally Posted by rocco52

Anyone notice that Propane costs more than gas? In my area it is 70 cents a gallon more than gas. Plus you have the cost of the conversion. I do buy into the convenience thing. It would be very handy to just plug in and not have to pack a gas can. In my case I have a pickup so the generators "live" in the back of the truck along with the gas can.However for someone with an SUV TV a Generator mounted on top of the Battery Box running on Propane would be the way to go.

[OTRA15]

Ditto to Jack Canavera on the Yamaha warranty from US Carb. We recently got ours with the 1-year extension in the mail.

Peter

[Rocinante]

One more excellent post I found on another thread regarding actual experiences, this one showing how to connect two propane-fired generators to the low-pressure port.

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

We got the kits from Genconnex for our pair of Honda 2000s. We got 3 hoses with the kits.

Two of them are meant to connect directly from the LP tanks to the generators. They have a regulator built in to the hose (low vs high pressure was mentioned earlier). Note the tank threaded fitting on one end and the 3/8" female quick disconnect fitting on the other. The Genconnex kit has a 3/8" male QD fitting on the generator.

We got one of these with each generator:

Attachment 263994

Also, I FINALLY got my Weber Q120 converted as well and had the Torjik folks ( http://torjik.com/#_convertaq ) create a custom hose to connect to a 3/8" fitting as well. So I can use this hose to run the Weber from my AS LP tanks or a 20# tank away from the AS (like at home). These hoses also allow me to run the generator from home off a 20# tank should that be needed.

Genconnex also custom-made a 3rd hose for me to connect from the RV port (1/4" quick disconnect) to a T fitting that splits off to feed the pair of connected generators with a 3/8" fitting. Each hose input to the generator has its own on/off valve so in theory I could run one generator off the RV port and close the other line, or even run the grill off the other line.

Attachment 263995

You can definitely do either/both if you like.

[Rocinante]

Just posted our unboxing / setup video for the GenConnex-enhanced Honda Eu2000i Companion: http://www.casarocinante.com/Blog-As...deos/i-8NPvBvs

We're very pleased with this unit.