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keith simpson

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Dec 5, 2017
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new to class a RV. looking to buy my first class a . its a 2003 expedition from fleetwood with a freightliner  300hp Cummings. it also has a 6500 watt propane generator. my question is about the generator, whats the pro and cons of a propane generator. The motor has about 90,000 miles on it. Any info would be appreciated. AND anything else i need to think about. Thanks
 
Hi Keith
Welcome to the forum.  I would  not buy a thing with a propane generator.  Just my opinion.
 
Keith,

In my opinion the main disadvantage of a propane generator is the fact that the Diesel generators almost always draw fuel from the common tank and therefore usually have much more potential capacity for running the generator longer without refueling. 

The downside is that the pickup for the generator is usually set higher in the tank so it will cut off at about 1/4 tank.  This is to prevent you from running out of diesel when using the generator and stranding your RV with no fuel for the engine.

Even with this drawback most of us would prefer the diesel generator.

And Welcome to the Forum.
 
Keep looking until you find a coach with the generator using the same type of fuel the coach does. You will get mighty tired of filling that LP tank all the time, generators use a lot.
 
    The only good thing about a propane generator is the carburetor does not gum up and stick as often as a gasoline. They will still go bad and the heat exchanger may corrode inside but much more reliable than a gasoline. Also have less power but run cleaner.  Still prefer a diesel!
 
The '03 Expedition uses the Cummins 5.9L 200 hp engine.

If you expect to be using the genset a lot, an LP genset can be a nuisance due to frequent re-fueling.  An LP genset gulps fuel faster than diesel (or gas) simply because LP contains less energy per gallon. Plus, the fuel tank is smaller than the main diesel tank. You can expect about 25% greater fuel consumption vs a diesel genset. [Note: the 6500 watt LP is the same genset as the 7000 watt gas, converted to use LP. It is rated lower wattage due to the lesser energy in LP]

If you only use the genset occasionally, you may not care about this. However, many Class A owners find it convenient to run the genset while driving so as to power the house a/c and cool the entire coach instead of just the dash area.  With the interior wide open behind the driver seat, the dash a/c on most A's is inadequate to cool the front of the coach in hot weather or intense sun.
 
I think a diesel generator would be nice, but an expensive upgrade unless you buy a motorhome with one in it already. Nowadays I would even be leary of a gasoline powered generator as the gasoline now has ethanol in it and if left for a long time without use can gum up the carb. Just had that happen to my old boat with a carb on it. Had to replace the carb.


Bill
 
......as the gasoline now has ethanol in it and if left for a long time without use can gum up the carb
Click to expand...

I never had problems with the carb on my 2 stroke boat engine (not an outboard that could be removed) as the carb was drained by running it dry before hauling and storage but.... The gasoline with ethanol was a real PITA, it goes bad all by itself over the winter. Had many Spring recommissionings where the engine would not fire up due to bad gas. Easy to detect as the smell of the gasoline always gave it away. Had to drain the tank several times and replace the gas over the years.
 
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