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Best Practice: Generator Operation

January 16, 2014, 10:02:22 am

While b-docking, is it best to have the generator on Auto start or is it best to manually start the generator when you need to charge?

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Re: Best Practice: Generator Operation

Reply #1 – January 16, 2014, 10:13:57 am

The answer is "it depends on you".

A smart owner can do a better job than autostart.  Ones who pay less attention are better off letting autostart take over.

Example:  You know when you will be needing 120 VAC.  Timing generator runs for those times materially shortens run time compared with having the inverter produce the 120 VAC and then running the generator later to recharge the batteries.

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Re: Best Practice: Generator Operation

Reply #2 – January 16, 2014, 06:44:39 pm

We don't have "autostart" but, at least for us, it depends upon how many people are close by and what time it is. Breakfast is a good time to run the generator even with solar panels since that makes it convenient to use the  microwave as well as giving the batteries a bit of juice before the sun has come up far enough to recharge the overnight power draw.

Without solar panels we can go days with just an hour of generator use at breakfast in the morning and another hour at dinner time in the evening. Even with solar panels it can't hurt to give the genny a little exercise.

Craig

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Re: Best Practice: Generator Operation

Reply #3 – January 16, 2014, 06:59:15 pm

Hmmm..

My Dad SOB has a honda1100 watt, h runs just to charge his batteries, says it costs 1/4 what it costs to run his 5K genset.

Been thinking about that big grill area up front for just such a gen.

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Re: Best Practice: Generator Operation

Reply #4 – January 16, 2014, 11:29:44 pm

John,

Go to the 2Kw Honda specs and then 5Kw diesel generator specs. The 2Kw Honda will use .30/gal hr producing 2000 watts. A decent 5Kw diesel generator will only use .20/gal hr at 40% output (2Kw) and only about .5/gal hr producing 5Kw. The diesel fuel has a lot more energy per gallon plus it can operate on much less than the 14 to 1 air fuel ratio that gas engines need at all power settings. At idle, a diesel can see 120 to 1 air fuel ratio. That's why they get such great fuel consumption in city driving.

While the Honda would be much friendlier for other campers, the exhaust would have to be well engineered as gasoline engines produce much more CO (carbon monoxide) than diesels do. Hard to kill yourself if diesel fumes leak into the cabin. RV manufactures have spent a lot of time designing the exhaust systems on propane and gasoline generators for their safe installation.

Storing fuel is also a concern. Keeping a gas can in a compartment could be disastrous. Our propane tank compartments are open below the tanks to let leaking vapors out.

Yes, there is a lot of wasted space up front. Could have mounted radiators and a spare tire with a little more planning.

My take.

Pierce

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Re: Best Practice: Generator Operation

Reply #5 – January 17, 2014, 08:06:20 am

Thanks Pierce,

His is a gas coach and the 1100 watt is about 2/3 gas use.
KISS something to be said about 2 fuels.. didnt think about that.

Gotta figure out about that front area.. for sure the AC ram air and the Speers AUX radiator mods. Then storage.. hmmm

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Re: Best Practice: Generator Operation

Reply #6 – January 17, 2014, 10:37:33 am

John,

If you modified the front AC, you could go to a ebay supplier (search for aluminum or racing radiators) and have one made that would span both open grill areas and then could duct it so it got all the grill ram air. Does not matter that the cabin bulkhead is a couple of feet behind, it would work fine. Electric fans for both sides. There is room to bring a couple of tubes up the driver's side above the water tank, top of the storage compartment and behind the generator. With that setup, you could get rid of the hydraulic fan setup in the back and just install a couple of electric fans there. When you think about it, almost any kind of vehicle has a heavy load on it's cooling system while stopped in traffic. Once you are heading down the road, the ram air does the job for the fans. With a rear engine RV, it's like it's always stopped in traffic with no ram air, only the fans to cool it. See radiators at: aluminum radiator wide | eBay

If you pulled the tow hooks and the short rectangular tubing off, you could also stick a couple of radiators where the removable panels are in the lower front.

My 4107 bus had the spare tire in the front with the bumper just folding down and the tire sliding out. It was only 96" wide and had air bags. It was full monocoque so had an advantage front and back space wise but our air tanks could have been moved and the big rectangular tubing moved just a little to let the spare fit up in there. A VW Vanagon type spare holder could be made so the tire could be slid under the nose and then up into place.  Close now but have measured a dozen times and just too narrow.

It's just frustrating when you slide under and look at all the empty space.

Pierce

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