Chinese air cooled generators

[Busgeek]

Interested in experiences with the 6 to 12 kw generators which are 110/220 but with a 30 amp 220 plug.   Are they any good?  There are several on the market, all about the same looking.

[pickpaul]

Could you link to an example? Thanks, Paul.

[Brassman]

Like this one, maybe?

http://www.affordablegenerator.com/6kW_Diesel_Generator_p/6kw%20diesel%20generator.htm

Seems loud, and to do a fixed install you would need to do a lot of refit, and it won't make code.

[desi arnaz]

i pretty much have the same thing in my  a/c bay. it has never worked to perfection
and without fans would be 450 on one side and 186 on the other .with 12 inch fans blowing in it is 160 on 0ne side and 70 on the other. they do produce good power but seem to be rather loud as i was at a t&a truck stop and was told to turn it off as it was disturbing the truckers.

[Oonrahnjay]

i pretty much have the same thing in my  a/c bay. it has never worked to perfection and without fans would be 450 on one side and 186 on the other .with 12 inch fans blowing in it is 160 on 0ne side and 70 on the other. they do produce good power but seem to be rather loud as i was at a t&a truck stop and was told to turn it off as it was disturbing the truckers. 

   Does your generator have the enclosure like the one shown in that link, Thomas?  The "affordable generator" looks as if it's enclosed well but many Chinese products look good/perform ??  I was thinking that we'd hear from you on this one.

   Speaking of the noise, it has long been an accepted rule that 1800 RPM will be quieter than 3600 and water-cooled will be quieter than air cooled (of course, there are exceptions to this but it's a good general rule) so these units are going into the noise game with two strikes against them.  And as Thomas says, you will need to provide cooling air to it; this will draw power and may present mechanical challenges (grills, intakes, ducting etc.) and also make the sound issues worse.

    The good news is that these Chinese generators are significantly cheaper than "the usual" American brands.  The bad news is that most of the time, you get what you pay for.  There *may* be a bargain there (read Thomas's past threads on his difficulties in just getting his to run) but caveat emptor.

[desi arnaz]

same exact unit, different color different name on her. i found part of the problem was i had not hooked the return up to the tank and there had been some diesel spilled that had been burning and causing a lot of smoke. once that was fixed she seemed to work better but not perfect.

[Oonrahnjay]

same exact unit, different color different name  (snip)

    Yeah, that's what I thought.  The practice of a generic product that's built in China and sold under a lot of different brand names is often out on the suspect end of the scale.  As I said before, "buyer beware".

[robertglines1]

Not my favorite choice.  Would prefer one with a better control of electrical current, remote mounted fuel tank,intended for confined space operation.  That said do what you can. Be safe avoid the silent killer.  Lots of good RV intended used gen sets out there for same money. Will bring up discussion of whats the difference. In some cases not much. Mostly in safety of use design. This has been covered extensively over the last several months on the board. If necessary we will do it again. Without any regret. First of all we want each and ever bus nut to be ALIVE tomorrow. Dependability is second. Nothing ruins a outing more quickly than 100degrees and no Ac. Some have excellent service out of the contractor model gen sets. Most don't.  My opinion and experience only.   Bob

[buswarrior]

Most who start with a cheap generator (NOISE being the HUGE problem) quickly move up to something else, losing more money than if they had spent it on the right generator from the start.

You also want support for parts and service, which will be lacking for the cheap ones.

Save yourself the hassle, and get a generator your neighbours, your significant other, and ultimately, YOU, will be happy with right away, and tomorrow.

Rarely do we hear of anyone being upset with their Honda or Yamaha generator, to name just two.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[bevans6]

It's not rated or approved for permanent RV mount use, they are horribly loud (I know one person who had one for backup power at home, and couldn't keep it, it was that loud), they vibrate, and in general aren't what you want.  Yeah, I really thought about them when I was deciding what to do about a generator.  My local distributor refused to sell me one after I explained what I was planning, kudo's to him.

Brian

[robertglines1]

Was trying to find posted link.  5 people dead from carbon monoxide posion inside camper from gen set at rally.  gen set setting outside 5 ft away from camper .3 adults 2 toddlers  dead.  this year! close to me.  chance?   Had pictures of gen set all doors closed on camper with air on Hot weather. Genset setting 5 ft away. Family members found them the next morning. Depressing isn't words enough.        Bob      www.examiner.com/rving-in-national/five-die-camping        to make this work when you get to site type in search         5 die in camping

[Oonrahnjay]

(snip) It's not rated or approved for permanent RV mount use, they are horribly loud, they vibrate, and in general aren't what you want. 

    Yes.  Also the OP asked "110/220 but with a 30 amp 220 plug."  Another strike against them.  For RV use, you don't want a model with a "plug".  To meet code, insurance requirements, and safety practice, you want a unit that's designed to be hard-wired in, not "plugged in".

[Lin]

Compared to industry, we don't use a generator all that much.  However, when you do go traveling, it is essential that it start up and run trouble free.  I do not think that these type of generator can dependably offer that.  If you do not want to buy a good new diesel, look for a good used one.  There are also lots of good old gas gensets around.