LP generators fuel consumption

Lantley wrote:

Aka the breeze wrote:
the ease of just pressing a button to start when needed sounds real nice , not to mention running booth AC's...

Not many ( if all ) real world answers here yet...

On edit... Actually , no real word answers

7 hours out of a 20# tank. My RV came standard with 4-20# tanks. For 80# total
Efficiency is not the strong point of the LP genset.
However it is great for occasional use.
The trade off in efficiency is there are no gas cans and no stale gas carb. issues to deal with. Genset is very reliable.
I am happy with mt lp Onan.
Keep in mind I am a convenience user. Lunch breaks, Wal mart overnights,
Marina Boon-docking, I do not go off the grid for long stretches. Seldom off the grids for more than 2-3 days.
If you are a heavy user to the point efficiency matters gas or diesel maybe better. But as an occasional user.
The reliability and convenience can't be beat.

Thanks , this is the type of answer I was looking for... I am on shore power 90% of the time... It's for the 2-3 times a year we go boondocking...and for the short stops during travel with the dogs...We can cool down the RV and they can stay there...so basically, we would be the same type of user...so it sounds like 28 hrs at full use out of 2 40# tanks is not out of the question...

Lantley wrote:

Kayteg1 wrote:
Did someone shop around for new inverter generators?
Honda made top-notch use from the idea, while my 2004 3600W Generac with its inverter is pretty loud and at 1/2 load rated for 0.4 gallons of propane/hr.
Sure way better than 1+ for the above, but far cry from Honda.

The Onan is not very loud, but I imagine louder than Honda inverters. Can Honda inverters run both A/C's with just the push of a button?
It's all about the convenience a built in LP is the most convenient way to go for a large towable RV

I never run 2 AC on Honda 3000, but my AC takes 7 amps when running, so good chance is it might.
Then "convenience" is distance word. It is not convenient for me to have noise and teeth rattling vibration.
Honda 3000 has electric starter and no problem to add remote, while having it set 20' from RV you will never hear it with normal noise.
What makes me really upset is that inverter technology is over 10 years old, yet nobody can put Honda quality inside RV compartment.
Maybe like "Mexico" said in another thread - we are waiting for China to beat us to it.

Seems lots of apples and oranges being posted.

If it helps, on full 20# propane will provide about the same generator output as 4 gallons of gasoline.

YMMV

Kayteg1 wrote:
Did someone shop around for new inverter generators?
Honda made top-notch use from the idea, while my 2004 3600W Generac with its inverter is pretty loud and at 1/2 load rated for 0.4 gallons of propane/hr.
Sure way better than 1+ for the above, but far cry from Honda.

The Onan is not very loud, but I imagine louder than Honda inverters. Can Honda inverters run both A/C's with just the push of a button?
It's all about the convenience a built in LP is the most convenient way to go for a large towable RV

Did someone shop around for new inverter generators?
Honda made top-notch use from the idea, while my 2004 3600W Generac with its inverter is pretty loud and at 1/2 load rated for 0.4 gallons of propane/hr.
Sure way better than 1+ for the above, but far cry from Honda.

Aka the breeze wrote:
the ease of just pressing a button to start when needed sounds real nice , not to mention running booth AC's...

Not many ( if all ) real world answers here yet...

On edit... Actually , no real word answers

7 hours out of a 20# tank. My RV came standard with 4-20# tanks. For 80# total
Efficiency is not the strong point of the LP genset.
However it is great for occasional use.
The trade off in efficiency is there are no gas cans and no stale gas carb. issues to deal with. Genset is very reliable.
I am happy with mt lp Onan.
Keep in mind I am a convenience user. Lunch breaks, Wal mart overnights,
Marina Boon-docking, I do not go off the grid for long stretches. Seldom off the grids for more than 2-3 days.
If you are a heavy user to the point efficiency matters gas or diesel maybe better. But as an occasional user.
The reliability and convenience can't be beat.

I have read all the literature , I have been using twin 2,000's... I just can't believe that at full load , you will be hard pressed to get 24 hrs off 2 bottles??

There are so many folks using them , the ease of just pressing a button to start when needed sounds real nice , not to mention running booth AC's...

Not many ( if all ) real world answers here yet...

On edit... Actually , no real word answers

Don't do it. You will be sorry.

The 1+ sounds about right.
I remember having gasoline generac with about 4500W and that was using honest 1 gallon with small load.
That is why I love my Honda EU3000.
Powering 15k AC at full blast, honda is using 0.2 gallons of gas per hr.
Propane is having lower BTU, so it should take more of it, but when the BTU difference is just few % -the LP engines tend to use about 20% more than their gasoline counterparts.
I think this is due the fact that propane carburetors are less advanced that gasoline ones.

Buy flexible paint for the LP tanks 'cause they're gonna wrinkle. LP is superb for very short run on-call service. I had a 2.5 18-turn Onan connected to a 20-lb pot. For lights and soldering. I figured it used .15/gal/hr. But the load was in the hundreds of watts.