Newbie Question - Propane Generator

[Comfort]

My husband and I love our new 2013 16' Bambi and have taken a handful of trips to very nice parks. We are ready to tackle the beach and need to purchase a generator. We have heard good things about using a propane generator (quiet, utilize the propane tanks on board, etc.) However, we don't know where to start. I am hoping the generator would be able to run the AC and all the bells and whistles 100% of the time we are on our short weekend trips. Any advice would be so helpful as I have no idea what I'm doing. Thanks

[Kyle401]

I don't camp with a generator, so this isn't from personal experience. However, I would buy a 3000W Yamaha tri-fuel generator if I were planning on a lot of boondocking. They are quiet and can use propane, natural gas, or gasoline. A single unit will provide 25 amps which is enough to run an AC unit and a few other items.

[Phoenix]

Here's a link to another similar thread, which has enough info to get started:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f448...ml#post1293467

I doubt if using propane instead of gasoline makes any difference in exhaust sound level.

Suggest you visit a local dealer or rental shop to see different models. Hondas and Yamahas are widely available, and you may wish to rent one for a weekend as a trial, before purchasing.

Also, try lifting them. The larger ones are quite heavy, and the weight may influence your decision.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

Here's a link to another similar thread, which has enough info to get started:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f448...ml#post1293467

I doubt if using propane instead of gasoline makes any difference in exhaust sound level.

Suggest you visit a local dealer or rental shop to see different models. Hondas and Yamahas are widely available, and you may wish to rent one for a weekend as a trial, before purchasing.

Also, try lifting them. The larger ones are quite heavy, and the weight may influence your decision.

^
X2

Especially the weight factor...make sure your comfortable handling the dern thing.

Honda or Yamaha, I've used both...go with the best.

Bob

[Protagonist]

My Airstream Interstate came with a built-in 2kW Onan propane generator.

Propane generators aren't any quieter than gasoline generators. internal combustion is internal combustion, no matter what the fuel.

The biggest advantage to propane is, when you're not using your generator, you don't have ethanol degrading in the carburator bowl and creating problems for you. Also, refueling a hot engine is safer, because you just disconnect one propane cylinder and connect another, no flammable gasoline to spill on hot surfaces and flare up. But refueling a hot engine doesn't happen often enough for that to be a deciding factor.

Propane generators will also be slightly lighter in weight for the same size generator, because there's no built-in fuel tank to add weight; they use external propane tanks that can be lifted separately.

You could plumb them to use your trailer's propane supply, but a separate tank is better because then you can set the generator farther away from the trailer to cut down on the effective noise levels.

[AldeanFan]

I have the Twin Honda 2000's
Together they will run the AC, I can lift them myself, they are quiet, and I have the option of binging just one if I will not need AC.

The 3000w was too much to lift in and out of the truck myself.

I use Gas and don't find it to be too inconvenient. Most any engine can be converted to propane if you want.

[Comfort]

Thanks for the great advice. I am thinking we should go with Gas and maybe even the Twin Honda 2000's like AldeanFan suggested. My husband thinks we should just grab a generator from from a big box store and hit the road. I must admit his budget of $500 and my ideas don't quite match. I'll let you know what we decide to do.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by Comfort

Thanks for the great advice. I am thinking we should go with Gas and maybe even the Twin Honda 2000's like AldeanFan suggested. My husband thinks we should just grab a generator from from a big box store and hit the road. I must admit his budget of $500 and my ideas don't quite match. I'll let you know what we decide to do.

Hi, you won't need to tell us what "we" decide to do. Wife wins period. I can picture it now: Nice Airstream, nice tow vehicle, and other campers about to chase you out of the camp ground because of loud, cheap, generator.

[crisen]

You get what you pay for with generators, the $500 one is going to sound like your lawn tractor and you won't like it and neither will anyone near you.

[Len n Jeanne]

We have one Honda 2000. It's been reliable, lift-able, and not the noisiest one on the block.

We also got a second battery installed. It won't run the AC but does extend our ability to boondock without cranking up the generator.

[Comfort]

My husband is looking at the Champion 3100 W Inverter. Is anyone familiar with that model? It's about half the price of Honda.

[dlb435]

I've got a Generac 2KW propane RV generator. I mounted it on a small cart so I can move it about easily. I can ramp it up into the bed of my truck to use for bare location camping.
Don't think you will be able to use the tanks on your camper. These things suck down fuel like crazy. I bring a seperate 100 gallon tank for the generator. I can run for 6 days on this tank if I take it easy on fuel. The small tanks you can get at tank exchanges will power you up for about one day.
Since it's an RV generator, it's got the quiet pack built in and does not make much noise.
Pros: Quiet, all the power I need, easy to maintane, cheaper on fuel that a gas unit.
Cons: Expensive, not easy to move, requires extra fuel tanks, need to add a cart to move it.

[dlb435]

Inverters use an emormous amount of DC amps. For every 1 amp at 120 VAC you will need 10 amps of DC power from a 12 volt battery.
In practical terms: To run the microwave for 15 minutes you will need a DC current of 100 amps for 15 minutes. That means you will need a 100 amp hour battery that weighs in at 85 pounds and cost $250.00 plus the price of a charger. All this and you will only be able to run on AC at 10 amps for about 45 minutes.
Better to go with a small generator.
I do have a small inverter to run only the TV. I can use it for about 3-4 hours without running my battery down.
The battery will get me though one night with the heater on before it needs a recharge.

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by dlb435

Inverters use an emormous amount of DC amps. For every 1 amp at 120 VAC you will need 10 amps of DC power from a 12 volt battery.
In practical terms: To run the microwave for 15 minutes you will need a DC current of 100 amps for 15 minutes. That means you will need a 100 amp hour battery that weighs in at 85 pounds and cost $250.00 plus the price of a charger. All this and you will only be able to run on AC at 10 amps for about 45 minutes.
Better to go with a small generator.
I do have a small inverter to run only the TV. I can use it for about 3-4 hours without running my battery down.
The battery will get me though one night with the heater on before it needs a recharge.

If you're responding to Comfort's post about the Champion, I'm pretty sure it's an inverter-based generator (same essential technology as the quiet Honda and Yamaha models) rather than a battery-driven inverter.

I was really really thinking about those Champion offerings, they occasionally stock them at Costco and the price was very attractive. Before I made a decision, someone in my WBCCI unit decided the 3k Yamaha he already had wasn't enough for all his needs (building a cabin somewhere remote, he wanted to run power tools and the AC in the trailer at the same time.) I got a smoking deal on a low-hours EF3000iSEB.

My take on the Champions is that they should probably be good for a while, but they don't have the dealer support that a Yamaha or Honda will, so I'm not sold on their long-term utility.