So are the diesel gensets really better?

[HB of CJ]

In most other applications; yes.  In a Bus Conversion; maybe.  Too many variables and situations.  Service life?  In a coach, one will PROPABLY never see any life advantage with a diesel gen set.  Noise?  Some water cooled 1800 rpm hi end gasoline plants are very very quiet.  Some excellent gasoline sets are cheaper than diesel.  Usually speaking, gasoline sets are smaller and lighter than diesel.

However, a nice water cooled 1800 rpm diesel gen set will be as quiet as a gas set and be about the same size INSTALLED, but will probably be more expensive.  Good answers already about fuel consumption and same fuel type.  Finally, the cheap noisy 3600 rpm gas plants do work fine if you don't mind the noise and potential less reliablity.  It all may be about personnal engineering choices.  HB of CJ (old coot) 

[Lin]

If I were looking for a new generator, I would look for diesel first because of the fuel issue.  I might also look at propane.  Right now my ancient Kohler (I think it was originally put in service during the Civil War) is running fine.  For no reason at all, I believe that these old gas generators just keep on going.

[luvrbus]

Fwiw, We have a propane Onan 3800 in the Trek those puppies will burn some fuel about 1 gal+ per hour the old 6500 twin cylinder Onan we had in another MH wasn't all that bad on gasoline

good luck

[wal1809]

If I were to choose it would be a diesel gen fueled off of the main tank.  Set it and forget it type of deal. 

[Lin]

Heck, I thought the whole bus was going to be "set it and forget it."  It did not turn out quite like that though, so I would not expect anything in it to live up to that standard.

[trapper]

With the ethanol that is in the gas now it doesn't last long. Unless you use a fuel stabilizer or run it real often then you can look forward to cleaning out carburetors and  gas tanks. If I was going to buy a new generator I would either buy a propane unit but my first choice would be a diesel.

[artvonne]

  I did a lot of research years back concerning home backup power. Diesel is number one. Hospitals, circus's, road shows, police dept's, whatever you name, all commercial setups run diesels for standby/aux power for many reasons. Number one is economy. Number two is reliability. Burns less fuel and dont quit, cant think of two better reasons. Third, diesel fuel in underground tanks can last years, decades even with some additive. And they can run on other oil type fuels.

  I was lucky, the Bounder came with a Kubota 3 banger liquid cooled diesel gen, and the Bus came with a power tech 3 banger Isuzu diesel liquid cooled Gen. I would buy a used high quality name brand diesel gen over any new gas powered one any day, if price/power output were equal.

[Dirtball]

Study Kubotas 6600w lowboy, liquid cooled diesel , 3600rpm though. Check the dimensions and ease of maintaining. I know of one in Eastern Pa. that may be for sale with <200hrs. Fanatically maintained by a friend. He's upgrading his home backup genny and may sell the Kubota. Present cost is $5-6000, he'll probably take half that number. It's the unit in an orange enclosure. just google kubota lowboy 6600w. This unit has been in his climate controlled garage since new. .....too answer the "Better" question , yes , and why deal with E10, soon to be E15 gasoline, if you don't have too. I saw boat fuel tank yesterday ruined due to ethanol. Good news it's exposed in a vintage raceboat and an easy replacement with a custom aluminum tank. My local small engine repair guy can't keep up fixing every brand of small engine that have failed due to ethanol....fuel lines degrading, tanks melting, O-Rings shot, carbs gummed , water accumulates, etc.

[artvonne]

My local small engine repair guy can't keep up fixing every brand of small engine that have failed due to ethanol....fuel lines degrading, tanks melting, O-Rings shot, carbs gummed , water accumulates, etc.

  No kidding. If industry created that crap the gubermint would be all over it. But the gubermint created it, mandating our gasoline be almost worthless. Destructive actually. If they can find a way they will screw up diesel for us too. I have various small engine power equipment, log splitter, cement mixer, chain saws, etc., its a constant struggle trying to keep it all running. I have a friend who restores Ferrari's. Trying to find hose that can last 5 years with no risk of failure is almost impossible.

[luvrbus]

Same crap is going on with the Bio Diesel now

good luck

[robertglines1]

observation:It seams if they could control % to exact numbers there would be less problems. Both bio diesel and gas with eth. the problem is if it is suppose to be 10% it is actually between 5 and 25 %  There doesn't appear to be a way to control mix to exact specks.    Bob

[gus]

I think ethanol is about to take over this thread!!

The answer to that problem is frequent use of the genset, that should be done anyway for the sake of the gen head alone.

Bottom line is gas gensets are roughly half the cost.

The myth about 3600 rpm gas sets being noisier is just that, myth, at least for my liquid cooled Honda. This simply is not true. It is 1/5 as noisy as the gas air cooled 1800 rpm Onan I had and no noisier than my 1800 rpm diesel set.

[belfert]

I have a Powertech diesel, but I wonder if the Honda water cooled RV models would have worked just as well.  My biggest problem would probably be finding room for a 40 to 50 gallon gas tank.

There is a station locally that sells non-oxygenated gasoline that is 91 octane.  Not that much more expensive than regular gas and I buy it for all my small engines.  One of the local Boy Scout camps buys it for all of their small engines even though they paid about $6 a gallon delivered in 2008!  They said it is cheaper than paying for parts and labor for repairs.

[gus]

The 4104 gas tank is 24 gal, plenty for the Honda and a 12-15 gal tank would probably do just as well unless you do long-term dry camping.

A smaller tank will ensure fresher gas.

[bobofthenorth]

Study Kubotas 6600w lowboy, liquid cooled diesel , 3600rpm though. Check the dimensions and ease of maintaining. I know of one in Eastern Pa. that may be for sale with <200hrs.............

That looks like the successor to my G6500S, also known as the worst POS machine I ever owned.  If that is in fact the case give your friend my sympathy but on no account should you relieve him of his junk.  I think our 1800 RPM air cooled Onan is actually quieter than that Kubota and it will wake the dead.   

Run - don't walk - run away.