Neubie Various Thoughts

[TomC]

Seen lots of repeat threads on much the same subjects.  Touch on a few- you'all add a few.  -Buy the bus that has the engine and transmission of your choice.  Too expensive to change later. -Use a Diesel powered generator. Gasoline is a pain and has limited gas tank life (like 60 days), propane you need a big or multiple tanks.  Also, use a 3,600rpm Diesel gen.  It'll have more than enough engine life, cost less, weigh less and sometimes even quieter. -Reefers-there's a real good reason houses don't use absorbtion reefers.  They're expensive and tempermental.  I have a Norcold compressor type without any problems in 12 years.-Use two sewage tanks.  One for gray (sink & shower water) black (toilet).  If you use biodegradable soap, you many times can discretely dump the gray without harm. I have a 45 gal black and it takes two weeks with two of us to fill it. -Both my wife and I like big windows.  Have seen many conversions where limited windows were used.  We're out here to see the scenery. -Above all make sure you have the bus inspected by a professional for both mechanical and rust.  Just some thoughts.  Good Luck, TomC

[RJ]

TomC -

A few thoughts on your Newbie Thoughts:

Agree: Buy the bus with the powertrain you want.  Also, buy the newest coach you can afford, even if you have to stretch just a little bit.

Disagree: The consensus seems to be that an 1800 rpm Diesel genset is the way to go, not a 3600 rpm model.

Agree: Compressor-type reefers are more efficient than absorption, albeit at some additional operating expense.

Agree & Disagree:  Use of two waste tanks.  This one will go round & round forever.  Most new stick 'n staple rigs only have one tank.  Dumping of grey waste discretely is illegal in many communities nowdays, biodegradable soap or not.  Waste tank(s) total size should be 25 - 30% greater than fresh tank capacity

Agree:  Windows are a good thing - dual-pane are even better.

Totally Agree:  Having the bus inspected by a competent bus mechanic is well worth the cost to avoid an expensive mistake.

Good post, Tom!

[Hartley]

I would not want to park within 100 feet of you if you ran a 3,600 rpm diesel generator... That screaching and whining carries a long way.

1,800 rpm is the ONLY option, Slow and reasonably quiet

Maybe that was a Typo?

[paulcjhastings]

Why here is an attenuated diesel generator that is 70 decibels at 7meters(approx 21 feet for us in the US).

http://www.hardysolar.com/shop/product.php?productid=17347&cat=0&page=1

70 decibels is about normal street noise, normal conversation is 60 decibels I'm sure that we all know people whose normal conversation level is closer to 70db ;^)

Decibel levels of common sounds
http://home.earthlink.net/~dnitzer/4HaasEaton/Decibel.html

What is the decibel level of a 1800rpm attenuated diesel generator?

Paul

[Ross]

Windows should be sized to be functional.  Huge windows are pointless if you will just obscure them with furniture or cabinets and huge windows are not as energy efficient as an insulated wall.  That's where proper planning comes in. 

Ross

[Chaz]

That generator looks like a good deal!!! What's wrong with it? All the ones I seen are WAAAAAAY higher than that!
I was told that I would be better off with around a 6.5k gen. But then W.T.H.D.I.K???
Jerry Lieber has me on track with a Trace Inverter that I think may help with down sizing my gen.

  By the way, THIS is a great thread!! Thank you from me and my gang of newbies! 

   Chaz

[belfert]

For starters, that generator is most certainly Chinese and probably hard to get parts for if the need arises.  It has an air cooled engine.

70 DB is loud.  My Powertech is rated at 62 DB I believe and it is not the most quiet. 

I would choose a Generac or Onan gas generator over this one if you want to stay around $2000.

Brian Elfert

[DrivingMissLazy]

Yea, and you want a db rating at 6 feet not 20 feet.
Richard

For starters, that generator is most certainly Chinese and probably hard to get parts for if the need arises.  It has an air cooled engine.

70 DB is loud.  My Powertech is rated at 62 DB I believe and it is not the most quiet. 

I would choose a Generac or Onan gas generator over this one if you want to stay around $2000.

Brian Elfert

[Chaz]

Thanx. I thought it was too good to be true. I was thinking about a Honda powered gen from SAMS. I know it's gas, but...... It's something like 65k or 68 k and only about 1000.oo I will NOW check on the db rating and rpm.

  Thanx, Chaz

  p.s. I have a 4k now.

[Jeremy]

I originally went to buy a diesel generator, but was persuaded against it by the dealer as they were both more expensive and more noisy. There is slightly extra hassle in having to carry a can of petrol for the generator, rather than having it plumbed in to the bus tank, but overall I think I made the right choice. The generator I bought has a 'smart throttle' device, so it only does enough rpms to produce the power you are using - most of the time it is very quiet indeed. I think the 'quality' of the noise is an issue too - a modern petrol generator will emit a smooth 'purr' compared to the harsher rattle of a diesel.

Bear in mind also that 'decibels' work on a logrithmic scale, not a linear scale, so small differences in the dB number represent a big difference in the loudness. Also, to get really complicated, decibels are actually a measure of sound power rather than amplitude (or even sound pressure, which is what you should really be measuring).

Jeremy

[H3Jim]

I have an 1800 rpm, 13k diesel generator I bought from Wrico.  I mounted it in a quiet box, and whilie there is a hum, is not very loud at all.  Its easy to have a normal converstaion while sitting or standing next to it.  I am very happy to have it plumbed into the diesel bus tank, only one fuel to worry about.  235 gals, so as long as I'm not on a 1/4 tanks, I'm fine for anything or anywhere I want to go.  I would not do it any other way

[belfert]

Thanx. I thought it was too good to be true. I was thinking about a Honda powered gen from SAMS. I know it's gas, but...... It's something like 65k or 68 k and only about 1000.oo I will NOW check on the db rating and rpm.

Any open frame construction type generator is going to be LOUD!  It really doesn't matter who makes the engine.  A better muffler helps somewhat, but most of the noise is not from the exhaust.  You will have trouble cooling a construction type generator in a bay unless you do a lot of customization.

You can get a Generac Quietpact 5.5KW with sound enclosure for $2100 shipped.  I wouldn't personally buy a Generac, but it will be way better than a contruction type.

Brian Elfert

[DrivingMissLazy]

Brian, based on dozens of posts on this and other boards, and my personal experience, I think you would be better off with a construction genset than a Generac. LOL
Richard

 I wouldn't personally buy a Generac, but it will be way better than a contruction type.
Brian Elfert

[Chaz]

I agree with you both! I think Generacs are junk!! (care to hear how I really feel?  ) I've owned some of their junk and regretted it. Never again.

Ok, so me trying to be the "creative one" (not always the best thing to do)    if I was to get this construction gen, bought a better muffler, sound proofed the bay -which I am doing anyway, what else would I have to do? Maybe have a small fan that comes on with the gen to keep air moving insde. Just curious. I'm always trying to be creative in some way and hopefully"occassionally" come up with a good idea that will help others.

Chaz

[Ace]

All generators should be sound proofed IF you plan on going to camp grounds or rallies where there will be other coaches close by.

Mine is a 12.5 wrico diesel and even without being fully insulated and the bay doors closed i can barely hear it outside or inside. I plan to do more to make it even quieter.

I know a lot of people plumb their diesel gensets directly into the coach tank and that works but IF you have a seperate tank for the generator, you can One, know exactly how much fuel you have IN the bus and IN the gen tank, and Two, in some instances you can purchase off road fuel for the generator which would probably be a little cheaper than on-road fuel! Another thing to think about is IF your on the road and NEED to change your fuel filters for whatever reason, you will have a seperate supply of fuel in the gen tank to do so!

Using a gas generator is ok but in the end you will see that a diesel is much more efficient in all aspects!

Ace