Got an LP gas generator?

Rich Bock · 10-17-2004, 01:14 PM

We have been looking hard at the AD model in a Vectra/Horizon. Now Itasca has come out with a virtually identidal layout in the Meridian series - the 39F - which will be available beginning in December. The Meridian has a 6500 LP gas generator standard, with a 7500 diesel for $4655 extra. I don't use a generator often and I like the idea that LP won't gum up the fuel system if you don't use it regularly. LP gas has less heat energy that gasoline or diesel so I'm guessing that they really suck up the propane. I'd apprefciate hearing from folks who have an LP generator - pro and con.

Rich Bock · 10-17-2004, 01:14 PM

We have been looking hard at the AD model in a Vectra/Horizon. Now Itasca has come out with a virtually identidal layout in the Meridian series - the 39F - which will be available beginning in December. The Meridian has a 6500 LP gas generator standard, with a 7500 diesel for $4655 extra. I don't use a generator often and I like the idea that LP won't gum up the fuel system if you don't use it regularly. LP gas has less heat energy that gasoline or diesel so I'm guessing that they really suck up the propane. I'd apprefciate hearing from folks who have an LP generator - pro and con.

bflem · 10-17-2004, 04:35 PM

The most important reason to excercise the generater is to dry out the windings and keep them from getting corrision. The propane gen will use about one gallon per hour of liquid propane. If you can live with that usage you may be ok with propane, if you run the generater for about 30 hours you will be looking for a refill.

Kiwi · 10-19-2004, 11:22 AM

Older gas units that are not fuel injected are where most of the "old" stories about fuel gumming in the float bowl originate.

Diesel is fuel injected and has a low evaporation rate. It does not gum up when setting idle. In fact diesel engines usually start even after sitting a year.

As bflem stated, you want to run the gen to keep the windings dry.

Not only does propane burn a gallon an hour, but your propane tank is much smaller than your fuel tank.

I have the 7500 diesel generator, the speed and fuel consumption is controlled by the load. In the South, after my unit has cooled down and only one A/C compressor runs, the Gen burns about a quarter of a gallon an hour.

A diesel engine gets some lubrication from the fuel and I believe will last longer. It also will give you a much higher resale value.

For me, it was a no-brainer.... I had to have diesel generator.

Walt

Tcloud7 · 10-19-2004, 01:21 PM

I have the 34 G Adventur 1999 Diesel. It has a Lp gen 6500 with a 80 gal tank. Uses about ! gal per hour

Don.

DonavonP · 10-19-2004, 04:39 PM

I've had all three types of fueled generators. I liked the diesel the best but currrently have a gasoline and it works fine.

The only one I had trouble with was the LP unit. I would slowly lose power when it was below 35 degrees or so. My LP gas supplier injected some isopropyl
alcohol into the LP tank and it worked fine from then on. It took a special
tool (home made) to inject the alcohol.

If you do get an LP unit and have fuel regulator problems, it's much more
cost effective to go to a fork lift repair company for repairs.

Ken Roberts · 10-19-2004, 05:36 PM

I too have had all 3 fuel types and to me the 2 that we have had with diesel have been the most trouble free. Our '99 Discovery had an Onan LP and we had several problems, in fact the last being a fuel regulator that shut down was the icing on the cake where wife and I agreed that the # 1 requirement in any coach upgrade would be to NOT have an LP generator.

When a fuel regulator shuts down due to contaminants in the LP that neither you nor the LP supplier had any clue about, get out your Platinum credit card. The part itself is less than $25; however, if that generator is not on a slide-out tray it will cost mega-bucks to get it out of the coach and back in again. Ours was a litte over $900 labor at Cummins in Cleveland,OH. BTW, replacement of a fuel regulator is considered "Routine Maintenance" by most coach manufacturers and by probably all extended warranty providers-so you get hung with the entire bill. As someone else also mentioned you will get some of your diesel premium money back when/if you sell or trade the coach.

For me, I will never have another LP generator again. Good luck however you elect to proceed as the above is purely my opinion, Ken Roberts, Crossville, TN...

MDCalvert · 01-24-2005, 10:22 AM

My 1999 Adventurer has an LP fueled genset. I had horrible problems with it after I first bought the coach -- new. The genset would not start or run. I took it to my Winnie dealer and they sent me to Cummins/Onan. They said the problem ws fuel contamination and charged me $700 to R&R the genset and rebuild the fuel regulator. That cured the problem, but Onan stressed that when I am not going to be using the genset for any extended period, I need to ALWAYS turn off the liquid fuel valve at the tank and let the genset run until it starves for fuel and quits. If I don't do that, i.e., if I allow fuel to sit in the line between the tank and the genset, the first and second stages of the regulator will accumulate the oil residue from the LPG and it will clog the orifices in the stages of the regulator.
As to which genset is "best" -- If I had a choice, I would buy a diesel fueled genset everytime. They are quieter. They use the primary fuel source, diesel fuel, of which my coach carries 96 gallons -- versus 28 gallons of LPG. If I am camping during the colder parts of the year, I will be running my furnace (SF-42, 40,000 BTU) and cooking and if I run the genset, the entire LPG tank is consumed in three days! Running the genset on diesel would allow me to stay in place for four more days without moving to go and get a refill of LPG.
When I fulltimed with my coach, I eventually added an "Extend-a-stay" connector in the LPG vapor fuel line and used two 100 lb LPG tanks to provide all of the LPG vapor I used. A tank would last about eight days during the coldest periods (near freezing temps). There is no viable means to supply liquid LPG to the genset from a commercially supplied LPG tank. They won't service a stand-a-lone tank that has a liquid take off.
Bottom line: Go for the diesel fueled genset. You will have less problems and they are much quieter. In fact, I attended an RV in Knoxville TN on Sunday and there was a coach with an Onan diesel genset, They had it slid out, on display, while it was running and you could barely hear the noise from ten feet away. My PLG unit is very noisey.
Good luck.