Rambling thoughts on LP and genset and such

I can see where it would be confusing. The propane tank is like a BBQ tank, but mounted on its side, not a DOT tank!

The outside where the tank is accessed is a small plastic box inside a larger wooden box in the RV. I would have posted a picture but it is time consuming on this site and does not always work.

Yes I am considering an all electric coach, there are many of them around. My last rig had a residential fridge and electric hot water tank. LP cook top, no oven but I seldom cooked inside.

Being I am in FL the genset will be on most of the time for AC so I am looking at using the most energy efficient set possible, plus adding an 8K btu AC. Also this is a 21 foot rig, so adding a rack to the rear for a genset limits the places I can park.

Sometimes I look at something and think what a great idea, then with input I realize how bad an idea it is!

Thanks for the responses, greatly appreciated. Jim

I'm confused: "out side is 24X14X14, inside is 33X20X20." What does that mean? It's impossible for interior dimensions of ANY space to be larger than the exterior dimensions of that same space.

I'm also unclear on what/why you are proposing. Is it to replace the propane tank with a small generator? As RoyB pointed out, an external exhaust system would have to be installed, which is doable, but the bigger issue, IMO, is the resulting lack of propane. Fridge needs propane. Furnace needs propane. Water heater needs propane. Stove needs propane. Oven needs propane.

A motorhome with 110VAC generator, but no fridge, furnace, hot water, stove, or oven????????? I'm not sure I understand the goal here.

If instead, you are proposing to "move" the propane tank to your smaller generator compartment, and then install the generator in the old propane compartment...wow...lotsa work; re-routing propane lines, opening up that new compartment for open air ventilation (which I believe is legally required for a permanently mounted tank), installing electrical lines, installing/routing generator exhaust...

Again, I'm confused as to the goal here.

I'm assuming this is a built-in, permanently mounted tank, and not a space for portable bottles such as are used with BBQ grills. If it's the latter, this post won't make too much sense--just a fair warning.

Are you looking at the entire tank compartment, or just the portion visible from the outside door? I suspect maybe if you look up from underneath the vehicle, you'll see that the propane tank is larger than you expect and takes up most of the space there. I know my motorhome's propane tank is larger than the access panel view would tend to lead me to believe. (The propane tank should be in a space open on the bottom, or at the very least very well ventilated, so other than crawling around it should be pretty straightforward to see how large it actually is.)

At any rate, I can't see how replacing the tank with a generator would affect the handling or balance or anything badly. The tank, particularly when full, probably weighs not vastly more or less than a generator installation would. It seems like a practical approach to me, albeit with the problem of not having propane available. Maybe you could get a smaller propane tank that fits where the existing generator is and basically swap functions.

Of course, any such changes will require running electric wires and fuel lines and gas lines and so forth; it wouldn't be a trivial project due to the many details and the obvious need for safe installations.

The 93 Toyota is a popular motorhome and alot are still around. Being a 93 model sure makes it open for mods...


I would be hard pressed getting rid of the LP capability...

I definitely could get rid of the propane furnace for heat and perhaps use HYDRONIC type heat but that would still require LP to heat the hot water. This to me is one of the big safety features of having the tongue areas on the pulled type trailers to mount the propane tanks...

Using any enclosed area will require proper venting of deadly fumes from the generator including the 2KW Honda... There are external exhaust kits for the 2KW Hondas... The bath room being on the rear of the motorhome is helpful in this respect for both exhaust and noise mods... This is some serious planning and I don't even like the idea with the OEM inside installs of generators in the bigger motorhomes. It only has to go wrong just one time... This would scare me big time...

Sounds like a good project to me... Being a big OFF-ROAD RV Camper here would make me not do anything to get away from running off my large battery bank in my setup...

Roy Ken