PowerTech Generators?

Bluebird, Foretravel and Country Coach have installed Powertech in the past. That seems like an important data point.

Yea! Lot of kid stuff being posted now. Mine is better they yours and so forth. If you are happy with what you have? So be it! All I can say is that it is hard to keep up with Onan generators. They are powered by Kabota or Cummins and have served the RV industry for many years. Some here are bringing up the generators on tour buses which is silly of a comparison. It would be like saying the air conditioners on our locomotives which I rode on were better just because they were installed on a piece of equipment that cost millions of dollars. They really did not work all that good. LOL!

JTHarley wrote:
Hmmmm…..gotta wonder why powertech is used in foretravel and prevost coaches……I don't think they would "skimp" when it comes to generators, a critical part of the coach, in units that are close to a million and way more than a million dollars.

If you had a loud one, most likely it was because the coach builder either put it in a bad location AND did not insulate or soundproof the bay very well.

Those companies don't skimp- they don't need to.
I've seen very few tour busses with Oanans and lots of them with PT's.

The suggestion that these products are somehow 2nd rate is balderdash.

They are every bit the equal of an Onan product if not better and they actually use very similar if not identical power plants in many cases.

I called Pt this morning to order some parts (fuel and oil filters) and they connected me to a competent person - in under 20 seconds and I was getting parts ordered and questions answered- try that with Onan.

I found 3 different part numbers for my RVQD 8000 oil filters in one place, and had a hell of a time figuring out what fuel filters to buy.

Its the genset end and casing thats the largest difference - then build philosophy next.
Powertech chose to put a bigger more powerful engine in it and run it much slower 1800RPM so it will put out 8KW 24X7 without breaking a sweat. Basically carry rated load at a little over 50% output.

Lets look at the beef-

RVQD-8000 719CC Kubota variable rpm 16.8 HP @3600

PT-8000 cat version 1.13 Litres 26 HP @ 300RPM - engine runs at continuous 1800RPM.

PT-8ksi2 Kubota 1105 version 1.12 litres 24.8 hp @3000 rpm runs at 1800 RPM.

Powertech puts more muscle than Oanan at the 8KW level and works it lighter. To get the comparable cubic discplacement from onan you have to order their commercial line of generators many of which do not have full housings like the Powertechs.

As another poster mention I arm one of the few that have a cat engine and genset in my motorhome.

UD

Hmmmm…..gotta wonder why powertech is used in foretravel and prevost coaches……I don't think they would "skimp" when it comes to generators, a critical part of the coach, in units that are close to a million and way more than a million dollars.

If you had a loud one, most likely it was because the coach builder either put it in a bad location AND did not insulate or soundproof the bay very well.

I've got a powertech in my Prevost coach……I've had 5 Onan's in my previous fiberglass coaches……I run mine all the time and it is very, very quiet…I'm sure it may be the way Prevost insulate and soundproof the generator bay. Both the DW and I use it in rest areas and when we dry camp on the way to florida….doesn't bother either of us and we get a good night sleep.

Toot Mc wrote:
I have the power tech gen set in my Beaver. It has the cat (perkins) 3 cylinder engine and it is perfect. I really like it and it seems to be very efficient. I removed Propane gen set and installed Power reck generator my self. Best thing i ever bought for Motor home. Especially aftor I sold the propane gen set for more than it was worth.

Id did the very same modification recently yanking the propane genset and installing a powe tech 8000 with a "perkapillar" into my Beaver Monterey. Hands down best mod yet.

I have an onan RVQD 8000 in a Sprinter 3500 used for Pet grooming and I find the Powertech to have about the same noise level- from what Ive experienced almost all "sealed box" water cooled diesels in the same power range have about the same sound level the difference being the installation and sound deadening one chooses to install larger muffler etc...

As far as ease of maintenance - absolutely no contest the Powetech presents the fuel, air, and oil filter right behind the service cover, I can get to filters much more easily than most other brands- especially compared to the Onan RVQD 8000 that has the air filter underneath the unit forcing you to work blind getting it on and off, and the fuel filter below the block but above the base is a royal PIA to get to, both present easy access to the oil filter.

Winner for serviceability - Powertech.

It also holds almost twice the coolant and has a much larger radiator.

These are great pieces of equipment that if treated right will offer long lifespan with easy service and minimal hassles.

Uncle Dave

Powertech generators are louder then the Onan generators. As far as to how good they are? It all depends. Some like them and some don't.

I have the power tech gen set in my Beaver. It has the cat (perkins) 3 cylinder engine and it is perfect. I really like it and it seems to be very efficient. I removed Propane gen set and installed Power reck generator my self. Best thing i ever bought for Motor home. Especially aftor I sold the propane gen set for more than it was worth.

I have a 12.5 powertech in a quiet box. I have had a 10 and an 8 as well. Well built and not any louder then the onan. I have 3760 hours on mine now. I had over 5K hours on the last one. They were standard in Foretravels for a long time.

The standard equipment on my 05 Newmar Dutch Star was a 8.0 "Quiet Series" Powertech genny. The Onan QD was an option. I have the Onan, but I can't believe Newmar would put a second rate genny in any of their coaches.
Since PT had a quiet series, there might have been lesser models that were not as quiet.