gasoline RV generator vs propane

brholt wrote:
One of the advantageous of a built in generator is that when traveling in very hot weather you can start it up a half hour or so before you get to your campsite and run the AC while you travel. This can nicely cool down the camper by the time you get to your site.

Plus when you get up on a chilly or rainy morning, you push a button on the wall to start the generator for the coffee maker, toaster, microwave, etc. And no unloading and pluging in a remote gen set in the Wally World parking lot!

Just another thought....a gallon of gasoline has 114,000 BTU....a gallon of propane has 91,500 BTU....probably why the gasoline generators are a little more efficient.

A little sideline trivia...A gallon of ethanol only has 76,100 BTU....This and the way it destroys rubber is why it is a BAD idea for internal combustion engines.

One of the advantageous of a built in generator is that when traveling in very hot weather you can start it up a half hour or so before you get to your campsite and run the AC while you travel. This can nicely cool down the camper by the time you get to your site.

Thanks for all the great replies. Lots to think about. I was considering selling my existing camper, and buying another that is "generator ready". But alas, I decided to stick with my 1050 for now, and it has a propane generator.

But my concern is that sometimes I will go to an event like a drag race, or speed week at Bonneville, where I am dry camping. If it is hot enough to run the ac, the propane bottles get burned up pretty fast.

mkirsch wrote:
Conversely, you also have to dedicate space to carry gas cans, while the propane is already on board.

If you are running the generator continuously, you probably don't want a built-in shaking the camper all the time. Then again, if you don't use it much maybe you would be better served using that generator bay for something else.

To me it looks like the discussion always ends up settling at a portable gasoline powered generator regardless of how you plan on using it. It's detached from the camper so you won't constantly feel it running. You can leave it at home if you won't need it on a particular trip, and save some weight.

The only downside is the extra gas cans, which end up being a necessary evil.

The only time we "need" our genny is ski camping...which for us is a 2-3 day trip. I fill the 1 gal on board tank of the H2K and that gives us 10-12 hrs run time.
More than enough for a ski weekend, which usually equals 6-8 hrs of run time total (3-4 hrs/night). So we don't usually carry any gas cans.
The rest of the year we have a VERY large compartment to put other stuff in...so I agree, you really have to think about how much you "need" a genny.
Bill

Besides the occasional times when I charge batteries boondocking, I use my generator for small bursts of time along the road. The propane one does ok for that.

I agree that you need to decide how you plan to use the generator and then deal with the pluses and minuses of that choice.

Conversely, you also have to dedicate space to carry gas cans, while the propane is already on board.

If you are running the generator continuously, you probably don't want a built-in shaking the camper all the time. Then again, if you don't use it much maybe you would be better served using that generator bay for something else.

To me it looks like the discussion always ends up settling at a portable gasoline powered generator regardless of how you plan on using it. It's detached from the camper so you won't constantly feel it running. You can leave it at home if you won't need it on a particular trip, and save some weight.

The only downside is the extra gas cans, which end up being a necessary evil.

camper19709 wrote:
I have had both gas and LP generators in my motorhomes. I prefer gas because you only have ONE fuel to worry about.

It evidently escaped you that this is a truck camper forum so the generator cannot draw from the truck's fuel tank as with a motorhome.

If I went with a generator it would be a portable gas powered one as they have better sound dampening and run quieter than any mounted inside the camper's body. People have use the camper's generator compartment and built a sliding shelf so the generator can travel inside the camper but easily made to operate outside of it.

Propane generators burn a lot of propane, most 0.3 lbs. per hour of use or a complete LPG tank in 60 hours and then it is time to find a propane fill station to get your camper's propane tank refilled. A lot easier to get gasoline while traveling.

I always carry my honda 2000, ac, charge batteries, rin satellie receiver, and most of all to run my air compressor to fill my tirres.

I agree with billtex, we need to know what your needs are, because if you are not using it, you are hauling around dead weight and that space the genny is in can be used for a lot of other stuff!

I only bring the Honda along when I know I will be boondocking and might need to run the AC for a bit or winter camping to charge the batteries for an hour if my solar can't keep up.