Using Generator

Very nice, Hurst. Any idea on how long the ac will run with the fuel tank on the generator before having to refill? Or do you have a setup where it is hooked to an external gas tank to ensure run time of at least 10-12 hours?

 

just curious , but why not use a diesel powered generator that draws fuel from trucks tanks or extra diesel tank , which can be refilled while at fuel island ? thanks

 

A portable, high quality, low rpm (1500-1800), enclosed (so relatively quiet) "whisper" diesel generator may certainly be used with success...., at more than twice the initial purchase price, will be twice as loud and weigh over twice as much as the Honda EU3000IS, plus, the parts and service network is paltry in comparison to the Honda network.

 

I had it running on my back porch in regular mode and it powered the same AC and a Coleman oil filled radiator/heater for 10 hours and barely used 2 gals. It has a 3 1/2 gal tank. Its supposed to be able to run for 20 hours at 50% load.

I had it on economode today to see if it was enough to sustain the AC. Absolutely,.. no struggle at all. Until I'm actually out on the road and using it regularly,.. I honestly have no idea how long it will run in the 'real world' under a load.

Hurst

 

Cost/price for one. Noise for the other. I have yet to hear a "quiet" diesel generator and that didnt vibrate like a woman's pleasure device.

Later this fall I'll be adding a 10 gal tank for the generator.

Hurst

 

I can back up Hurst on the quietness of the Honda EU300is.

First is the noise level, in a typical truckstop you have to be standing within 5 ft of the gen or you can't hear it. If the guy next to you has a "quiet" APU you can stand right next to the Honda and the APU is still noisier.

The second point is that, to my ear, the Honda is a more pleasant sound irregardless of volume. It just kind of hums along while diesels are annoying.

Now some people could care less, personally I am sensitive to sound. I also park at shippers and recievers a lot with no other trucks and I like to take advantage of the silence.

Well, I topped off my 25 gal gas tank on the RV lane at Flying J a few hours ago, so I got about 100 hours of runtime before I need to worry about it again.

Also, I figured out that the ducting did not seal properly how I mounted this AC. So the cold air was leaking into the intake air and vice versa. I got that sealed up and it is absolutely blowing icicles now. bring on the heat !

p.s. - I like the box Hurst !

 

oh, and I don't think my setup looks too shabby either. There was always 2 items of contention with commercial APU owners vs. guys with gas gen setups.

1. looks, I was accused of having a "cobbled together" setup on my old truck. It didn't bother me per say, I certainly wasn't entering it in any truck shows.

2. Having to carry gas cans. I really didn't mind the cans. I am always ready to stretch my legs when I park anyway, so walking to the gas pumps is fine.

But on this truck, I wanted to show that you can have a pretty nice looking setup, and since I may have this truck for 10 or more years it was not hard to justify the aux fuel tank. I do have to bobtail to RV lane or gas pumps once a week or so, but it's a little something for guys who don't want to carry cans.

 

".... I don't think my setup looks too shabby either..."

UNDERSTATE Much...? Coolest looking auxiliary fuel tank I'VE ever seen.....

 

Dam it. Thanks for posting these. Again. Now you guys have me looking at extending this upcoming week's work I'm already doing on my 99 Century to do a proper inside install of the portable a/c setup with the 2000W Honda that came out of the 04 I got rid of. Still really liking that fuel tank setup Danny did. I could probably get that 25 gal reefer tank back from the guy that swapped me to a 50 gal on my trailer a few months ago when I had the reefer unit changed out LOL.

 

@Hurst...What is the A/C shelf braced with on the inside to prevent breaking the glass or binding down?