Generator - diesel versus propane?

[Charliej]

Considering buying a new Solera 24M and wondering which generator to buy. Do any of you have any opinions or advice of propane versus diesel for the generator? Appreciate any advice - pros or cons. Thanks!

Charlie J.

[Taylorgso]

Originally Posted by Charliej

Considering buying a new Solera 24M and wondering which generator to buy. Do any of you have any opinions or advice of propane versus diesel for the generator? Appreciate any advice - pros or cons. Thanks!

Charlie J.

Charlie:
Solera is not currently available with the diesel generator (despite what the brochure says). You might be able to find one on a dealer's lot, but the factory is not building them with diesel gens at this time.

Unless you plan on dry camping a lot, you'll not be using the generator all that much. We've had our Solera since January, and have run the generator less than 1 hour - (mostly to brew coffee while under way), so the extra cost of the diesel generator for me would have been a poor investment.

[DebbieMH]

The propane tank for the gen will last awhile, unless you use the a/c. I have about 40 hours on mine. Filled up the propane tank 5 times since last October.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Taylorgso

We've had our Solera since January, and have run the generator less than 1 hour - (mostly to brew coffee while under way), so the extra cost of the diesel generator for me would have been a poor investment.

Regardless of need, I would recommend running that generator "under load" at least once a month for an hour. The unit will dry out over time (oil will not be on the moving parts; but in the pan)and the day you really need to fire it up, you might have a big problem at worst or cause premature wear at best.

Run "no load" (low or no amp draw) for 10 minutes and then ramp up the load slowly to it's maximum load (air conditioner, etc) over the remaining hour.

Use your owners manual for routine maintenance. Oil and filter changes as per the schedule.

[van_fl]

I run gen at least 1 hr each mth. I have the a diesel unit. I change the oil every 60 hr per the Onan manual. Have about 200 hr on the unit. We tend to run the gen a lot when we stop at restaurants to keep our French bull dogs cool as they don’t well with the heat. And making coffee under way . I use the same mobal 1 synthetic as the Sprinter. I Have had no problems with the unit.
PS. most problems with a gen is from not running it. It uses about .41 gal per hr

[Taylorgso]

Sometimes I wonder if we don't "over manage" things. We had our old DP for 20 years. It had a 7500Kw Onan Diesel Generator (made by Kubota, as I recall). The day before we traded it, there was slightly over 160 hours on the clock. It fired up immediately, and ran it for 15 minutes, under load, and it ran fine. Checked for leaks - none. Apparently never used any oil, and I only changed it once/year (usually when changed the pusher engine). As with our Solera, we used it mostly to brew coffee. That few minutes keeps cylinders lubed - I can't imagine what extra benefit is gained by running it for an hour! Extra maintenance certainly won't hurt anything, I'm sure. As a Cummins guy told me one time about the pusher engine - Starting that engine every couple weeks has no benefit - Any start after several days is a "dry" start, and more dry starts means more wear. I'm sure other technicians would disagree with him, though. Different strokes for different folks!

[Fla Lizard]

Charlie - our 24M was delivered today. We specifically ordered it with a diesel gen.

Audrey

[Taylorgso]

Originally Posted by Fla Lizard

Charlie - our 24M was delivered today. We specifically ordered it with a diesel gen.

Audrey

Whoopee! Congrats on finally getting delivery. Keep us posted on your impressions, etc.
Ed

[butch50]

Originally Posted by Fla Lizard

Charlie - our 24M was delivered today. We specifically ordered it with a diesel gen.

Audrey

Congrats on you new rig.

Man you are lucky getting the diesel gen. That is what I really want when we buy ours. Maybe we well just wait till they start offering the diesel gen again. I need to sell my rig first anyway so maybe be the time I'm ready it well be availabe again.

We drove to 650 miles one way to look at a left over 2013 MS with a diesel gen and was very disappointed as it was in such poor condition for a new unit. The bed was off the track and had tore up the side of the frame so they couldn't even show how it should work or with the bed down. There were many other things wrong with it. There is no way the unit should be shown in the condition it was in and it was on the front and center of the lot were it was one of the first MHs that you might wander into.

[CHILL]

Originally Posted by Fla Lizard

Charlie - our 24M was delivered today. We specifically ordered it with a diesel gen.

Audrey

Don't know how you pulled that one off? I was told it was not an option at the moment!!

[Charliej]

How did you pull that off, and why did you specifically want the diesel?

We are probably joining the blind faith club tomorrow. Given up on trying to see one.

Charlie

[Fla Lizard]

We wanted diesel partly because that is what we currently have on our big rig (downsizing) so it's what we're used to, and partly because we'd rather manage arriving at a site where we'll need to provide our own electricity with a nearly full tank of diesel that we can use for the generator down to about a quarter tank remaining at about .4 gal/hr versus having to keep track of propane tank levels that could be affected by the generator and stove and hot water heater and furnace?(holy smoke, I don't remember if there's a furnace in a Solera) and refrigerator (I would really hate to lose the refrigerator because I used all the propane running the generator).

As far as how we were lucky enough to get a unit with diesel, I think it was purely timing. I don't know for sure, but I assume we are getting the prototype unit that Solera evaluated and then decided not to use "going forward" (to use a management buzzword). Whether it'll be a good/bad deal for us to have a one-off remains to be seen.

[Fla Lizard]

From what our dealer is saying, we are the only one - maybe the prototype?

[Fla Lizard]

From what our dealer says we have the only one - maybe the prototype?

[butch50]

Originally Posted by Fla Lizard

From what our dealer says we have the only one - maybe the prototype?

Is it a Onan or is it a Power-Tech?

Onan is the one they were using and they were testing with a Power-Tech from what Brian posted.

Brian,

You need to jack them up on getting a diesel generator back into the units. Looks like there are quite a few people here that want them.

[Fla Lizard]

It is an Onan.

Sorry about the "double/triple post." My other half is traveling and decided to post the more detailed answer without my knowing. Then my computer did the double post. Not sure how that happened.

[van_fl]

you will like the Onan. watch the oil level as it only has .7 qt in it, Do not over fill or you will get a shut down. NEVER fill past the max line on the dip stick.

[bclemens]

We're working again on the Onan. They are back into production from what I understand, but not full production.

We're working on either that or doubling the LP tank...hopefully both.

[Taylorgso]

Originally Posted by bclemens

We're working again on the Onan. They are back into production from what I understand, but not full production.

We're working on either that or doubling the LP tank...hopefully both.

Will there be any chance of retrofitting a larger tank on a 2013 MS? A larger tank will be a great alternative to the diesel, and for those of us with older coaches and propane, a retrofit would be fantastic!

[bclemens]

From what I am told, a larger tank does fit. It's just a matter of the weight.