If I remember correctly, you can carry 25 lbs of propane without placarding. I'd have to look it up to be sure. I haven't the foggiest how much a propane generator uses per hour.

 

I wish you would hurry and and get that thing running before the hot weather ends so we don't have to wait till next year to here how good it works.

 

It's running already. I'll still be using it this winter to charge the batteries and run the block heater from time to time. I think I may add a 1000 - 1500 watt inverter to the system at some point too.

 

I felt good enough today to do some tests with the generator. It is about 85 degrees outside. The temps inside the box are sitting at between 105 and 110, with the engine itself a little over 120 degrees. That's with the AC set at 67 degrees, and the battery charger running.

The first thing I have noticed is that the exhaust will not work the way I have it positioned now. The fumes are coming up into the truck, and standing outside, you can smell them. My stepdad is going to get a flange built for me so I can use the 1 1/4" flex tube that I purchased for the diesel generator, and I when I get back home I will be running an exhaust pipe up the rear of the sleeper to divert the exhaust fumes away from the truck. Beyond that, it seems to be working quite well. I think I'd also like to try to rig together a thermostat for inside the box, so that the fan doesn't stay on all the time.

But so far, so good. No fires......yet.

 

Maybe you mentioned it already but how do you monitor the battery so you don't over charge the system?

Steve's apu has an monitor that will start it up below a threshold and shut it off above a threshold. How would you rig (no pun intended) this up yourself?

 

Rev,how's the gas consumption/refilling?

 

The charger is a "smart charger". It only charges what the batteries need. When they get enough charge, it shuts down. It's a pretty neat charger, and I've never seen one like this before.

I haven't run it enough to know how the consumption rates are yet. The fumes are bad enough that I'm not going to be able to run it for long periods of time until I get the exhaust situation fixed. I've filled it once, and the lady at the gas station gave me a funny look when I came in and paid for $5.00 worth of unleaded gasoline for my semi truck. She hesitated several times. I think I threw her off. :lol:

 

Rev, I can't remember if you have a CO detector/alarm but please get one if you don't. I had a motorhome/portable gen setup that I thought was safe after much consideration of how the exhaust was routed. (It was pointed toward the back wall of the motorhome but I thought it was far enough away to dissipate) I just bought the alarm as an afterthought not thinking that it was really needed. Long story short, my wife and I would not be here if I hadn't. It still gives me chills to think that I almost went without it. I even thought the alarm was malfunctioning when it first sounded, false-alarming, until tests proved otherwise.

 

What if I'm trying to kill myself and this generator is a cry for help? :shock:


(a co2 detector will be purchased)

 

this is the one we have in our truck
http://templates.earthstores.com/127...6E&prod=404021