Forum Discussion

howardwheeler's avatar
Aug 24, 2013

Converting Onan from LP to gasoline

I have a Onan 5500 propane generator in my fifth wheel. It eats propane at a prodigious rate. Has anyone converted from LP to gasoline? What I'd actually like to do is make it dual fuel so I could hook up auxiliary gas tanks when I need an extended run. I can handle a few five gallon gasoline tanks but dry camping with only propane simply does last long enough.
  • I'm not finding a conversion kit for propane to gasoline. I founds lots of gas to propane. Do you have a link?
  • howardwheeler wrote:
    Maybe I'm wrong but the standard cylinder is 30 lbs or around 6 or seven gallons. I've never heard of a fith wheel with an eighty gallon propane capacity. They do make them with 80 pound capacity, usually with four 20 lbs tanks. Eighty gallons would be sufficient but I couldn't put anything that big in my unit.



    Most (maybe all?) Open Range 5'ers come with 4-20 lb. tanks from the factory. I understand you may not want to carry extra LP, But carry extra LP is just as easy and less messy than carrying gas cans.
    I agree finding gas stations and filling tanks would be easier with gas
  • First convert it to gasoline. When that's done...

    Buy a "dual fuel" kit which sits atop the carburetor. Your local Onan repair shop can help with the 1st the 2nd part go to your local propane distributor the one that has a repair shop out back.
  • I believe there's some confusion. The standard tanks on fifth wheels are 30 lbs not 30 gallons. The Open Range units have 4 20 lbs tanks not 4 20 gallon tanks. A twenty pound tank doesn't even hold five gallons. I think it's somewhere between four and five gallons. I wish I could carry 60 or eighty gallons, but I'm afraid it's pounds not gallons that fifth wheel capacities are measured in.
  • FWIW:

    At 60°F, propane weighs 4.2 lbs. per gallon.

    Therefore:

    A 20 lb. tank holds 4.76 gallons.

    A 30 lb. tank holds 7.14 gallons.

    A 20 gallon tank would hold 84 lbs. of propane.

    A 30 gallon tank would hold 126 lbs. of propane.
  • But, since you can only fill a propane tank to 80% of capacity, those capacity numbers would be lowered by 20%.
  • howardwheeler wrote:
    I believe there's some confusion. The standard tanks on fifth wheels are 30 lbs not 30 gallons. The Open Range units have 4 20 lbs tanks not 4 20 gallon tanks. A twenty pound tank doesn't even hold five gallons. I think it's somewhere between four and five gallons. I wish I could carry 60 or eighty gallons, but I'm afraid it's pounds not gallons that fifth wheel capacities are measured in.

    I stand correct on the gallon vs. pound however the physical tank size didn't change.
    Bottom line is just get an extra tank. If you currently have 2-30# tanks get a 3rd or even a 4th. Which will give you 90# or 120# total. I think lp is still more convenient and reliable than dealing with gas cans.
    Is your thought to have a built in gasoline tank or do you plan to use portable gasoline tanks and set them up each time you use genset?

    I guess the biggest issue is how many hours per day do you need to run your genset. How much gas required vs. how much additional lp required.Once you determine the amount of fuel required it may be obvious as to which fuel source will be best.
    Are you trying use it 24 hours a day? 8 hours a day? How many continuous days?