Lets Talk Generators!

[WIbluebird]

The APUs from semi trucks look pretty useable for skoolie purposes. I have no idea how much power they put out but you can get them for $1500-3k in my area depending on hours.

[Booyah45828]

Originally Posted by randydupree

My wanderlodge has a 17.5kw.
You never have enough power,go big or go home!
I have 3 15,000 heat pumps.
Real deal,in extreme hot weather you need plenty of power.
Plus you get a diesel that will run forever,Kubota.

This. It's not fun when you're having to jockey cords and loads to try and keep the generator breakers from tripping.

Go big or go home, marginal is never fun.

[Booyah45828]

Originally Posted by WIbluebird

The APUs from semi trucks look pretty useable for skoolie purposes. I have no idea how much power they put out but you can get them for $1500-3k in my area depending on hours.

Depends on the apu.

They all typically have a diesel pony motor. That at a minimum powers an a/c compressor and a DC alternator. The more expensive ones will have an AC generator head as well to give you so many watts of 120VAC.

The generator on my bus was originally an apu from a semi truck. You can read about my generator build Here. FWIW, If I had to do it again, I'd likely just buy an off the shelf unit for a few grand. I had quite a few hiccups, trials, and tribulations with this thing over the years. And at the end of the day, I likely have around the $2k into it that I would have had in the onan that randydupree is trying to sell.

Then again, I'm about to do it all over again by building an inverter diesel generator. Isn't there a name for somebody who makes the same mistake twice

[Booyah45828]

Originally Posted by randydupree

My wanderlodge has a 17.5kw.
You never have enough power,go big or go home!
I have 3 15,000 heat pumps.
Real deal,in extreme hot weather you need plenty of power.
Plus you get a diesel that will run forever,Kubota.

Are you the guy on youtube that did side by side comparisons of diesel generators? I watched a few of your videos when I was looking at buying a used powertech generator. If that was you, thanks, your videos were the only ones I could find detailing the powertech brand and were really helpful in giving me peace of mind about them.

[peterbylt]

Go BIG or Go Home, I went BIG, Power Tech 20kw.

I was not intending to install anything close to this size, the original plans were to get something in the 6 or 7 kw range.

Then the Power tech fell right into my lap, another Busnut bought a bus for parts for his bus, parked it right beside mine in the yard, pulled a bunch of parts off of it and then offered me the Power Tech 20kw with less than 100 hours on it to me for $2000, impossible to refuse.

This thing will power everything I have plus the surrounding 2 or 3 busses.

I got the generator, slide mount, Electrical connection box, Wiring complete with remote start panel and exhaust system.

The slide out mount is good for generator maintenance.

The only downside is it takes up quite a bit of Luggage bay space and weighs almost 900 lbs.

I just finished installing it this week, and got it started, I plumbed it into the main Bus diesel tank.

I made sure the Generator fuel Pickup was a couple inches above the Engine fuel pickup so as not to run the bus out of fuel with the generator.

Took almost 40 feet of fuel line to get it installed, 20 foot Pickup and return lines.

A load switch is in the future, currently wired with an outlet to plug the Busses shore power cord into.






Peter

[EastCoastCB]

I get that, to a point. But a unit like that simply wouldn't even fit on my shorty.

And while a little extra power is great if I only need 4000w a larger unit will only use more fuel.

[Ronnie]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I get that, to a point. But a unit like that simply wouldn't even fit on my shorty.

And while a little extra power is great if I only need 4000w a larger unit will only use more fuel.

Oh it will fit put it in through the back door and bolt it down in the middle of the floor. You now have a power station.

My 4000 watt does everything I need even running a small welder. So I am with you on this. Size the genny for your needs.