LP vs Gas vs Diesel Generator
The coach I'm looking at has an LP onan generator. I've always owned gas and diesel gensets. Which leads me to my question. What are the pro's and con's of each fuel type?
Forum Discussion
Diesel Pros:
Best bang per buck for fuel used.
No issues with carbs.
Diesel doesn't go bad as quickly as gasoline.
Diesel Cons:
Larger, heavier, and vibrate more than gas/lp generators.
More expensive to buy and maintain.
Gas Pros:
Fuel easily available in the US
Good energy/volume ratio.
Least expensive to buy.
Gas Cons:
Need to keep maintained else one will be replacing carbs often.
LP gas pros:
No worry about varnish.
LP gas cons:
Very hard to find in some places.
Can't fill from a Jerry can, which means the whole rig will need to be taken to a filler.
Least amount of energy per gallon of fuel.
LP gas tanks tend to be small, so less run time.
Less wattage than gasoline.
Given my choice, gasoline first (especially if the motorhome is a gasser), diesel second, and LP gas third.
For example (and I'm using rough estimates), if I get an upfitted Sprinter, a Powertech diesel generator can keep stuff going at 1500-2000 watts for 72 hours (0.2 gallons/hour, 24 gallon fuel tank, last 1/4 just for the engine). A LP gas generator might last me 12-16 hours before it runs dry because they usually have 6-10 gallons at most. A comparable gasser chassis with a 26 gallon gas tank would last me about 34-36 hours on a small Onan generator.
Maintaining, the gassers tend to have people who know what they are doing with them almost anywhere. Similar with the LP gas models. The diesels are almost completely different.
Lots of trade-offs. I'd figure out the fuel type around the chassis, so you can use the vehicle's fuel tank to power the generator.
Best bang per buck for fuel used.
No issues with carbs.
Diesel doesn't go bad as quickly as gasoline.
Diesel Cons:
Larger, heavier, and vibrate more than gas/lp generators.
More expensive to buy and maintain.
Gas Pros:
Fuel easily available in the US
Good energy/volume ratio.
Least expensive to buy.
Gas Cons:
Need to keep maintained else one will be replacing carbs often.
LP gas pros:
No worry about varnish.
LP gas cons:
Very hard to find in some places.
Can't fill from a Jerry can, which means the whole rig will need to be taken to a filler.
Least amount of energy per gallon of fuel.
LP gas tanks tend to be small, so less run time.
Less wattage than gasoline.
Given my choice, gasoline first (especially if the motorhome is a gasser), diesel second, and LP gas third.
For example (and I'm using rough estimates), if I get an upfitted Sprinter, a Powertech diesel generator can keep stuff going at 1500-2000 watts for 72 hours (0.2 gallons/hour, 24 gallon fuel tank, last 1/4 just for the engine). A LP gas generator might last me 12-16 hours before it runs dry because they usually have 6-10 gallons at most. A comparable gasser chassis with a 26 gallon gas tank would last me about 34-36 hours on a small Onan generator.
Maintaining, the gassers tend to have people who know what they are doing with them almost anywhere. Similar with the LP gas models. The diesels are almost completely different.
Lots of trade-offs. I'd figure out the fuel type around the chassis, so you can use the vehicle's fuel tank to power the generator.
