Generator- gasoline or propane?

We went with gas but didn't have much choice as it was factory installed, really a no-brainer since our rig already had a fuel station for our motorized toys. There are pros and cons to either choice, choosing which one depends primarily on how you plan to use it. We prefer dry-camping and boondocking and with 50 gallons of gas stored in our rig's onboard gas tanks we always have plenty of fuel available. Whether running our AC in the summer or a couple of space heaters in the winter, we love having the ability to run our entire rig, just like on shore power, with a simple flick of a switch

Another vote for propane, at least for the way we use it. We have three solar panels....when boondocking the majority of power comes from the panels. The genny is only used when we need the microwave, etc. We seldom boondock in extreme weather so the A/C is a non issue.

It's also great to have when stopping for lunch etc., easily starts and very low maintenance....gas gennys require alot of maintaining that we don't care to do.

I had a propane generator for 9 years and loved it. Out primary use was for lunch breaks at rest areas. Used it overnight one time to run the AC and it used less than 5 gallons of propane. If you need the AC overnight it is probably more desirable to go to a rv park. The generator is noisy right below the bed. The generator was flawless for the 9 years. If I was going to get another one it would be propane.

We've had our propane Onan generator for 17 years. It came with 2 orifices one for gas and one for propane. Dutch switched to propane and we love it. We go from no use to 10 days boondocking with no problems. We feel it is quite economical. When we travel the fridge is always on propane. We have a diesel truck but just don't want gas on board.
Should we ever get a new genny, it would be propane. We have 2 40 pound tanks. Hugs, Di

smkettner wrote:

Acei wrote:
I plan to get the LP generator (if I choose to go 5W route) because I plan to go relwellely heavy on solar hence only needing the generator on occasions (multiple cloudy days in a row). If your need is to use the generator more frequently, gas is the way to go otherwise you will need to carry LOTS of LP in your 5W.

If you go with big solar the only reason to have a built in generator is for air conditioning. I would prefer to just carry a Honda 1000 for the cloudy days. Save the weight and space of a built in generator for the inverter and more battery.

Not really. I've done the solar sizing spreadsheet and the power consumption is well spread out everywhere. And during the summer months, the generator won't be used much at all. Even during the winter months, the usage will be somewhat low. Given this, I would not want to worry about the maintenance of a gas gen, plus carrying infrequently used gas in addition. It's much simpler to have a LP gen as long as your generator need is light.

Of course, OP's requirement may not be the same.

Acei wrote:
I plan to get the LP generator (if I choose to go 5W route) because I plan to go relatively heavy on solar hence only needing the generator on occasions (multiple cloudy days in a row). If your need is to use the generator more frequently, gas is the way to go otherwise you will need to carry LOTS of LP in your 5W.

If you go with big solar the only reason to have a built in generator is for air conditioning. I would prefer to just carry a Honda 1000 for the cloudy days. Save the weight and space of a built in generator for the inverter and more battery.

It is by far easier to fill a gas tank than a propane tank.

I plan to get the LP generator (if I choose to go 5W route) because I plan to go relatively heavy on solar hence only needing the generator on occasions (multiple cloudy days in a row). If your need is to use the generator more frequently, gas is the way to go otherwise you will need to carry LOTS of LP in your 5W.

I think the choice depends on how you will use the generator.If using it for power while stopped at rest stops while traveling, propane makes since.If using it 14 to 20 hours a day at a Nascar race gasoline would be the way to go.

How often and for what do you expect to use the generator?
What is your prior experience and camping style?