SlowBro wrote:
Well, maybe nevermind. I found my cheap Chinese generator's manual, and the rated gallons per hour is 0.47 which is much lower than I thought. Even if the number is really twice that it's only about $12 to run for six hours, which isn't enough of a difference to justify using the van.
Yeah, I'll stick to the cheap genny--but feel comfortable knowing that if for some reason I can't use the genny, using it on the van once in a great while SHOULDN'T blow up the alternator.
Thanks all!
:)
Yep!
At least you do now realize the gen you already have will use far less fuel.. A very smart move for this application.
As far as "blowing up" your vehicles alternator, you most likely would not have done that, but just drives me nuts that folks think it is efficient to use the vehicle engine/alternator/drive train for a charging application like this as an inexpensive "substitute".
Break your vehicle just once and the cost to repair will be many times more than your portable gen.
Besides, using such an oversized engine in an underutilized mode like 1 HP of engine really flies in the face of being "Earth Friendly" when it comes to using considerably more carbon based fuels for no real good reason (and NO, I am not a "tree hugger").. Just pointing out an "oxymoron" which is counter culture to todays modern tree hugging society.
