Kohler, or Subaru-powered genset?

Mex-Busnut · July 13, 2011, 09:39:51 PM

Which would you choose?

The Subaru:

http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.mx/MLM-66271275-plantas-de-luz-generador-15625-watts-coleman-_JM

The Kohler:
http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.mx/MLM-66271302-planta-de-luz-generador-10000-watts-maximos-coleman-_JM

The Subaru-powered one is almost double price, but also has higher output. It has a 2-cylinder engine. According to their published specs, it would cost me about 90 cents U.S. per hour more in fuel to run.

Thanks in advance for your opinions!

robertglines1 · July 14, 2011, 05:49:28 AM

Neither are RV gen sets and are going to be very noisy and need allot of ventilation- will do in a pinch but not really best case for use. Food for the brain lots of camp grounds only supply you with 30 amp hook ups and more and more with 50 amp hook ups. Why have a gen set larger than what you can get plugged in? A little power management on our part and we can get by on 30 amps. We are a all Electric coach. Will do it next week in 90 degree weather at the 4-h fair. Look for a RV gen set.

TomC · July 14, 2011, 06:14:50 AM

What Bob says sounds good on paper-but in real applications, you should have a much bigger generator then just a 30 amper. When hooked up, I use just one leg of the 50 amp plug so I have 6,000 watts to play with. Except for my stove and furnace (both propane) everything else is electric. So for cooling purposes, two roof tops (I have three) when parked work just fine with enough electricity left over from the 50amp plug to run other items. But running down the road, if it is hot, I might run all three roof top A/C's (that's when my wife puts on a sweater) and I need my 10kw generator. Running all three, then stopping for lunch-running the microwave, maybe the water heater kicking on-almost everything in the bus can run simultaneously with the generator on. And there are times you just don't want to wait to rotate your electrical loads.

Those generators you're looking at are loud and almost impossible to silence in an enclosure since they are air cooled. Try to choose a water cooled generator-they're quieter, easier to cool, and can be installed in an enclosed sound proof cabinet. Onan and others makes reverse air cooled or vented air cooled generators made to be mounted inside. Just remember your neighbor-and there is no such thing as a too quiet generator!! Good Luck, TomC

robertglines1 · July 14, 2011, 06:25:49 AM

Tom;I went back and actually looked at gen set-Had assumed Kohler was Rv/commercial set didn't realized they made construction/home style. My wrong assumption. We do power manage. but do have to train wife

and plan ahead. so is challenge. We have a 7.5 Kohler for the road. I hesitate to tell someone not to use them :Would encourage not because of safety concerns of fire and carbonmonoxide poisoning myself. Would rather encourage them to find a used RV type gen set even if smaller. These are often over rated also as to continious out put. When Designing the load in the bus I keep everything as efficient as possible because I realize there is only so much power available at camp grounds and I can't afford to run gen set 24 hrs a day. 50 amps hook ups are common. 30amp are still out there in some places so be prepared. Bob PS My 7.5 RV Kohler 4cyl gas used 1/2 gal per hr on a recent power outage when we had our house plugged into our bus for three days. I paid $750 for it used 200hrs on it.

Busted Knuckle · July 14, 2011, 06:39:14 AM

TomC,
While I know an agree with your no generator too quiet philosophy.
And also agree with buying quality the 1st time.

Please keep in mind that he is doing this build on a very tight schedule and budget in order to have it on the road in time to deliver his daughter to college in Wisconsin this Fall.

We all know that money saved by doing it right the first time is the way to go, but sometimes $ ain't as important as other things such as the the time spent using it to take his daughter off to college in it.
Grin BK Grin

robertglines1 · July 14, 2011, 06:45:11 AM

With what BK said: mount it on a frame on rear bumper and run a cord inside to bus and go! Later sell it and put in a RV gen set when you can find a deal. I will even help look for one for you. Bob I Live about 400 miles South Of Madison

luvrbus · July 14, 2011, 06:51:52 AM

Check the rpm Doc those come in 1800 and 3600 rpm 1800 works best for and FWIW Subaru/Robin makes the engines gasoline for Onan except Kubota makes the larger propane and gasoline engines I saw a 10kw Onan propane with a Kubota engine in a RV
.I read these generator post all the time and it amazes me all the generators start out the same nothing special I have bought Dick Wrights and Onan's generators for construction use same one as they sell for RV use they just charge more when you say RV or marine LOL you gota do what you gota to do

good luck

bevans6 · July 14, 2011, 07:19:29 AM

I had a generator like those contruction types that came with my bus. I ran it for maybe 10 minutes before I started ripping it out. People talk about getting by with one till you can get something better, I disagree. I don't think they have any place at all in or near a bus or a campsite. You can bother people from a mile away with those things.

Yeah, you can tell I have a big hate on for construction gennies

But well earned at racetracks all over the eastern seaboard... Just because it's a race track people think they can run those obnoxious things for hours and no one cares...

Brian

Busted Knuckle · July 14, 2011, 07:30:49 AM

They are building the bus as a dream, but he has stated more than once that the 1st job it will have is to deliver his precious daughter to college. (to me that says it is something they want to do in person very badly!)

Now back to quiet generators the infamous and banned Cody had/has a very very quiet HONDA generator that I personally consider to be " a construction type" in his Eagle and has a box fan plugged into one of the front outlets that runs when the generator does sucking out fumes from the original A/C compressor area in the engine compartment.

Maybe some of you that have better memories than I do could chime in as to what model it was Cody has.

BK

luvrbus · July 14, 2011, 07:48:46 AM

Brian, over the years I have seen people take the construction type generators and make those as quite as any RV type those generators are not all 3600 rpm generators fwiw Onan only made 2 models of 3600 rpm generators in 50 years not all these guys have fistful of dollars to throw at new diesel generators that are not used that much why not try and help a guy on budget instead of knocking it not saying you are knocking it.
Give you a example my new friends here Wed have 7.5 RV type diesel generator it not that quite has 200 hrs on it the sad part it won't run 2 roof tops long with out shutting down
I don't agree with AC stuff Bob is doing but he says it works for him and others and that is ok for me

Mex-Busnut · July 14, 2011, 08:08:28 AM

Thanks to all for your contributions!

One more problem is I am based 600 miles South of the U. S. border, so I am looking at what is available here, which isn't much, to be sure. I have spotted an abandoned S & S motorhome about 20 minutes from here, so maybe it has a genset I can buy from the property owner. But down here I also have to be sure to have legal paperwork for everything I install on my bus, or else I risk confiscation of my bus at a customs checkpoint. This is a Mexican-made bus, registered in Mexico, so the rules are different for me than for you tourists crossing the border.

Van · July 14, 2011, 08:30:06 AM

BK, I am pretty sure Cody's and my honda are similar, with the exception of an electric start (which mine does not have). It is a EM5000 honda, runs both 1350btu Mach plusIII roof warts (Hopfully the roof wart Hater's won't chime in too

) just fine! Funny, never had any one pull up next to me on the freeway to tell me it was to loud

Until the day I can swing a pinkies up high dollar generator, I Will get by with what I have right now

Happy generating!

bevans6 · July 14, 2011, 09:24:49 AM

I just have an opinion I guess!

That and a buck and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee these days. I use a Yamaha 3000 watt inverter generator, no it's not inexpensive and it will only run one roof top AC and it isn't rated for permanent install so I don't have it permanently installed. But it does a really good job. I thought Cody's was a Honda 3000 watt inverter, almost as quiet as mine, by the ratings anyway.

I figure that if they can make a car that idles so quiet that you can't hear it standing beside it, you can get a quiet generator too. I've just been burned too many times by people who run 3600 rpm construction generators all day to have any sympathy. That said, I started out with one, used it a lot, and was happy I had it at the time.

Feel free to ignore me, my cat does and I still like it...

Brian

luvrbus · July 14, 2011, 09:56:03 AM

I am not knocking you Brian just that the diesel generator guys here knock any type gas generator and to me the high dollar inverter type diesel generators drive me nuts changing speeds all the time park beside one of those at night running lol

good luck

bevans6 · July 14, 2011, 11:10:42 AM

I hear you!

When I get around to it, I think my generator is going to turn out to be a 1958 Austin Sprite engine running a couple of 24 volt alternators hooked up to my inverters. I already have the engine and the inverters, and I know I can make that engine run at 1500 rpm, get the 10 hp I need, and you couldn't tell it was running from five feet away. uses such a small amount of gas you have to keep taking some from the tank or it overflows...

Brian