Anybody have experience with an Evans generator?

[Mex-Busnut]

This brand is being sold by our Mexican Sears stores. The one I am looking at is Pro series, 8,500 watts and electric start. It comes with 12 months' warranty, but Sears offers three-year extended warranty for an additional fee.  Any thoughts? 

By the way, I am assuming an 8,500-watt gen set will handle the two roof-top airconditioners. Am I correct?

Thanks in advance!

[Nusa]

I assume you've seen http://www.evans.com.mx? My Spanish is only good enough to read food menus, but I do see the generator listed there.

[Mex-Busnut]

Yes, Nusa. Thanks. What I was wanting was more some experience such as "Good unit" or "Run like crazy away from it!"

[bevans6]

In general you want  to try to get a water cooled 1800 rpm generator.  Most less expensive generators are air cooled and 3600 rpm.  The advantage in both cases is noise and vibration - water cooling, aside from all it's other advantages, has the water jacket around the cylinders that really quiets down the noise from the engine.  That's why even with many fancy mufflers and exhaust systems you fail to really get a typical aircooled generator to be very quiet.  1800 rpm just runs the engine at half the speed, and that naturally lowers the vibration and noise.

To be correct, you also have to get a generator designed and rated for permanent installation in the vehicle, if that's your plan.  Portable generators are used by many, including me, but I rarely run mine when it's in its bay, I usually take it out and place it on the ground beside the bus if it's going to be on for more than half an hour.  It can run in the bay quite happily but I feel it gets too hot.  It's a Yamaha 3000 watt inverter type that is exceptionally quiet and low in vibration, but it is air cooled and it does throw off a lot of heat that gets trapped in the bay (the old AC condenser bay on my MCI).

My bus came with an almost brand new Yamaha 6500 watt construction type generator mounted in a luggage bay.  I ran it for less than 20 minutes before I started unbolting it and taking it out.  It was so loud, so harsh, that I could never run it in a camp site - I was embarrassed running it in my driveway!  My neighbour came over to see what I was doing, if I needed help in some way, from the noise...

Just general starting thoughts on generators, since I couldn't find the one you are looking at to see what it  was about.

Brian