Running generator for 12+ hours?

Cruising boaters commonly run gennys 24/7 until it is time for an oil change, then start it up & go again.

Fla904 wrote:
Was a really rough trip...15 hour drives are no joke tho, you all were definitely right about that. Talk about exhausting and boring!

Hope your emergency is being taken care of! Nice you could be flexible and return to take care of whatever it was.

Part of the difficulty in traveling is you never know what will come up. You could do better than expected, you could do worse with traffic or roads, or something else. 50MPH seems a nice average. Sometimes I do a bit better and am happy about that. Sometimes I do a bit worse, and am not as upset as I would be if I expected to get 60 MPH.

I've learned that vacation time starts whenever you want it to start. For me it used to start when I reached my destination. When I decided my vacation starts when I leave my house the traveling became much more enjoyable. Now vacation can start with the planning, and working on my trailer, and stocking it, etc. I am having a much more enjoyable time. Still don't care for gardening, though.

Blessings your way!

OMG, you actually turned around and went right back the next day!?!? Wow, what a drag! Hope everything (the family issue) turned out alright.

Next time, take at least 2 days each direction, and see some of the sights along the way; it'll be a much more pleasurable trip, I guarantee.

4x4van wrote:

Fla904 wrote:

4x4van wrote:

Fla904 wrote:

I went from west palm beach to jacksonville fl in the rv when I bought it and that was well over 300 miles and it took me 3 hours going between 60 and 65 mph using the cruise control. maybe everyone drives different, idk.. I do not tow anything tho that could be why..

300 miles in 4 hours (your correction) is not 60-65mph, it's 75mph, and was likely done in one shot, non-stop, point to point (and even then, 75 is really cookin' in an RV, since to average 75, you must be moving 77-80 much of the time). ANY slow downs eat into your average much more than most realize.

You'll likely only get about 8mpg, so you will need to stop for fuel at least 2X, maybe 3X during that 800 mile day. Every time you pull off the freeway for fuel, you slow, stop, wait at traffic lights, slowly drive to the station, wait in line and maneuver to the pumps. Pump (40+ gallons), pay, then maneuver out of the station, back down the surface streets, waiting at traffic signals, and finally get back on the freeway and back up to speed. All of that significantly hurts your overall mph average.

Your optimism is refreshing (if not a bit humorous), but 800 miles per day is likely to take at least 13-14 hours under the best case scenario. And I certainly wouldn't want to do it for more than 1 or 2 days max. Just "sitting on your butt" for 14 hours gets tiring real fast, putting everyone around you in jeopardy.

To put it in perspective; About 10-12 years ago, I did a non-stop trip from SoCal to Oregon, right at about 1100 miles, class C with no toad/trailer. We drove non-stop, other than for fuel, and those stops were right next to the freeway offramps. I would drive for a tank, pull into a station, fill up, then climb into bed while my brother-in-law took over the wheel for the next tank. Repeat every 250-300 miles. No stops for food, no stops for bathroom. Cruise control set at 67mph. But it took just under 18 hours, which is just a bit over 60mph average.

However, be sure to check back in after the trip and tell us how it went; Curious if your youthful exhuberance wins out over our old world experience! :)

We left Florida at 5am were now in Dallas at 8pm. Went 63 mph three fill ups and stopped at Cracker Barrel for dinner.

So our old world experience was pretty much right on the money, eh? :) Although you were driving 63mph, you actually only averaged about 55mph (assuming the shortest route from Tallahassee to Dallas per Google Maps; 830 miles, and 15 hours).

I guess so! Was a really rough trip. Louisiana has THE WORST roads I've ever seen, the rv took a beating on the interstates there. Texas roads were not much better. I guess I'm spoiled on these Florida/Georgia roads. We went to Dallas and had to turn around the next day for a family emergency was a very big waste of time and was not by any means enjoyable. Hoping to go at it again in the new year. 15 hour drives are no joke tho, you all were definitely right about that. Talk about exhausting and boring!

Fla904 wrote:

4x4van wrote:

Fla904 wrote:

I went from west palm beach to jacksonville fl in the rv when I bought it and that was well over 300 miles and it took me 3 hours going between 60 and 65 mph using the cruise control. maybe everyone drives different, idk.. I do not tow anything tho that could be why..

300 miles in 4 hours (your correction) is not 60-65mph, it's 75mph, and was likely done in one shot, non-stop, point to point (and even then, 75 is really cookin' in an RV, since to average 75, you must be moving 77-80 much of the time). ANY slow downs eat into your average much more than most realize.

You'll likely only get about 8mpg, so you will need to stop for fuel at least 2X, maybe 3X during that 800 mile day. Every time you pull off the freeway for fuel, you slow, stop, wait at traffic lights, slowly drive to the station, wait in line and maneuver to the pumps. Pump (40+ gallons), pay, then maneuver out of the station, back down the surface streets, waiting at traffic signals, and finally get back on the freeway and back up to speed. All of that significantly hurts your overall mph average.

Your optimism is refreshing (if not a bit humorous), but 800 miles per day is likely to take at least 13-14 hours under the best case scenario. And I certainly wouldn't want to do it for more than 1 or 2 days max. Just "sitting on your butt" for 14 hours gets tiring real fast, putting everyone around you in jeopardy.

To put it in perspective; About 10-12 years ago, I did a non-stop trip from SoCal to Oregon, right at about 1100 miles, class C with no toad/trailer. We drove non-stop, other than for fuel, and those stops were right next to the freeway offramps. I would drive for a tank, pull into a station, fill up, then climb into bed while my brother-in-law took over the wheel for the next tank. Repeat every 250-300 miles. No stops for food, no stops for bathroom. Cruise control set at 67mph. But it took just under 18 hours, which is just a bit over 60mph average.

However, be sure to check back in after the trip and tell us how it went; Curious if your youthful exhuberance wins out over our old world experience! :)

We left Florida at 5am were now in Dallas at 8pm. Went 63 mph three fill ups and stopped at Cracker Barrel for dinner.

So our old world experience was pretty much right on the money, eh? :) Although you were driving 63mph, you actually only averaged about 55.5mph (assuming the shortest route from Tallahassee to Dallas per Google Maps; 830 miles, and 15 hours), about 7mph less than your cruise setting; pretty much the same differential that I had on my Oregon trip . I do know that Tallahassee to Dallas is not a drive that I would want to make in one sitting!! More power to ya!!

My last rig had the exhaust tip just just past the outside edge of the body, horizontal. Having the exhaust gases in the rig is more than just a concern. Consider it a literal death trap until corrected. Once you trouble shoot the exhaust, call your local fire dept and ask them to check the rig's interior for carbon monoxide while the genset is running for a while. If they balk at the request (unlikely), ask for the Officer in charge. Please proceed carefully.

DrewE wrote:
What does the exhaust system for the generator look like? The generator exhaust pipe should typically extend a bit beyond the outside edge of the RV wall, often sneaking underneath the wall structure. If it's broken or rusted out or something, I could see how the fumes could tend to collect and more easily find their way inside.

Having windows or vents open downstream of the exhaust outlet could also be an invitation for it to get in. Opening roof vents in particular can tend to draw air out of the inside of the RV, making it a negative pressure area with respect to the outside, and tending to draw air in through whatever cracks or holes or whatever.

The exhaust pipe is maybe four inches and just goes straight down out of the rv. Will look into some flex pipe like the commenter above suggested.

What does the exhaust system for the generator look like? The generator exhaust pipe should typically extend a bit beyond the outside edge of the RV wall, often sneaking underneath the wall structure. If it's broken or rusted out or something, I could see how the fumes could tend to collect and more easily find their way inside.

Having windows or vents open downstream of the exhaust outlet could also be an invitation for it to get in. Opening roof vents in particular can tend to draw air out of the inside of the RV, making it a negative pressure area with respect to the outside, and tending to draw air in through whatever cracks or holes or whatever.

Fla904 wrote:
So I did notice while the gen was running the interior of the rv started smelling like a lawn mower.. Clearly the exhaust from the gen is coming into the rv which is really bad.
Even made me and my passenger Nauseous.. Anyone know how it could be getting in while driving down the high way?

Hook up the propane line for the fridge???

Or jury-rig some flex pipe off the generator exhaust up and back.

So I did notice while the gen was running the interior of the rv started smelling like a lawn mower.. Clearly the exhaust from the gen is coming into the rv which is really bad.
Even made me and my passenger Nauseous.. Anyone know how it could be getting in while driving down the high way?