We are prepping for our trip to NASCAR next weekend, and we are adding a day this year. We have two MH going for the spring race as usual. The extra day is what has us scrathing our heads. I have a Onan5500 and buddy has a Onan6500. We run the gensets the entire time. While often at a full load, we have been able to find usage rates for 1/2 loads. We are trying to determine how much extra fuel to bring. The track is fairly sticky about the amount of "Extra Fuel" allowed in each campsite.
Best we can tell, at a 1/2 load is .7 gph.
I run usually 1 AC, outdoor stereo, and refer. My refer won't run on LP yet. I have that on my list to fix.
Buddy runs usually 1 AC, and margarita mchine.
We are going to bring another cooler for the groceries requiring cold storage, which would enable me to have mine off during the race. The margarita machine only runs for a couple of nights.
Using the 1/2 load theory, we will be about 20gallons short. Does this seem right? Or are we doing the math wrong? I appreciate the help and apologize for the lentgh, I know someone will ask for more details so I will keep track.
On my previous Onan, the fuel consumption was rated at 1/2 gal an hour. I found that hard to believe, but apparently they are that efficient.
Have you thought of sharing the power? Have your buddy plug into your generator when it is running and you do the same when his is running. An Onan 5500 should be able to carry a constant 40 amps, or both A/C's plus misc stuff, without overloading. JMHO
Holiday Rambler Navigator DP, Mustang Convertible, and Honda VT1100C Shadow.
Ovaleye wrote: At half load using your numbers you can run about 28.5 hours on 20 gallons.
So roughly 60 gallons give or take? I am going to be short, but not as bad as feared. If I am not mistaken, we have a 75 gallon tank, of which the genny only gets to feed down to a 1/4 tankish. Depends on where the factory actually tapped. We top off right before we pull in, so call it 1AM Friday morning when we are starting the consumption race. looking at about 84 hours of run time, loads varying for 1 or 2 AC's, jukebox, margarita machine, etc....
Have you thought of sharing the power? Have your buddy plug into your generator when it is running and you do the same when his is running. An Onan 5500 should be able to carry a constant 40 amps, or both A/C's plus misc stuff, without overloading. JMHO
Hey Fishinghat,
We do share the load as it where. I power my coach and the stereo, he powers his and the margarita machine. We have 14 people in our spring gathering, and the travel trailer will run its own portable for times they need electrical service. Charge batteries, run AC, whatnot. We found out the hard way that the margarita machine is a power hungry pig, I can't support it on mine with the stereo and 1 AC running.
At 2007 January prices, in Quartsite AZ running the genset half time (I ran morning and evening most days I burned about $100/week... Figure 30 ish gallons.
Running day and night (You do have a Gen-Turi right) you will either need more gas or, if you don't have a Gen-turi.. You may need a coffin.
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business John is Near Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
No, neither of us has the genturi. Either homemade version or store-bought. Keep in mind we will be at Texas Motorspeedway, and the winds average about 20MPH the entire weekend. We have very little to no protection from the wind while out there. Coffin requirements come mainly from over indulgence of brews.
DevilDawg
I have stated this a few times....My Onan 6500 with both airs and the PD9245 working sucks up (measured from a 2 gallon can) 1 gallon per hour.....
The air conditioners pull down a total of 17 or less (slightly) amps and the PD9245 as measured yesterday with batteries fully charged sucked up 15 watts with a "kill o watt" measuring it.....
The Margarita machine is the most important....Please share your fuel with him
Jim83Itasca, have no fear. We will make sure the Machine gets All the Power it requires. We use it for bait to bring in the hotties. LOL.
wa8yxm, I hear you on the Genturi and your regards on how it is safer. I am not sure if you have ever been through north Texas or not, but on the plains there is nothing to slow the winds down. I could put a 40 foot stack there and it wouldn't do any better on moving the exhaust. If I was at a rally, in a different environment, I would make one in a hearbeat. Just personally haven't had the need yet. I know for about $20 or so I could make one, just have other things going on right now. Like trying to make our Propane firepit work with a decent fuel consumption-vs-flame height. They wanted $200 plus for one of these, and we are out about $40 in materials. LOL. I love Redneck engineering at times.
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