Bounder: Generator while driving?

[rmueller]

RV nube question...

Other than the extra gas, is it ok to run the generator (Bounder 35k 2014) while driving. On our recent trip to Florida it got pretty warm in the back, running one of the rooftop A/C's would have been nice.

ron

[J Birder]

Absolutely no good reason not to run it.

Joel

[Dtwallace]

This one has been kick around a lot. Yes you can run your gen when traveling, your coach can be operated that way for your convenience and comfort.

DTW

[DicknBambi]

We have run our AC while on the road and have had no problems. The front AC doesn't even start to keep the house cool while driving and when you arrive at your next destination the house is already comfortable. Just us.

[wa8yxm]

Not only is it OK but if you are in the HOT Georgia, or Arizonia or ____ Just about any state south of OHIO.. IT IS A MUST this time of year.

[plasma800]

Run it as much as you want - won't hurt a thing.

[olddog49]

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

Not only is it OK but if you are in the HOT Georgia, or Arizonia or ____ Just about any state south of OHIO.. IT IS A MUST this time of year.

Absolutely, we do it all the time. don't bother with the dash AC, it isn't worth a flip anyways. Our 35 K 2014 remain comfy and cool, once arriving at destination, whip out the power cord and plug into shore, kill genny and flip on breaker... Based on article read, the use of the genny traveling down the road will use 1.5 gal. per hour, not sure how true that is, but maybe that is better than the extra strain on the V10 and gas usage. Happy Travels...

[jbrv]

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

Not only is it OK but if you are in the HOT Georgia, or Arizonia or ____ Just about any state south of OHIO.. IT IS A MUST this time of year.

It is not a must to all. I Drove my rig through Ga a 10 days or so ago and into Florida. We almost never run the coach air or the dash air.

Yes it gets warm but nothing we can not handle. We have a fridge full of cold drinks and windows open moving air. It gets to be about 90 in the rv but moving air makes that feel fine. Parked it is to hot. Hard on the fridge, it has to work hard to keep up.

To each their own. 90 in the shade and moving air is fine for us, low sixty and we are getting out large jackets and checking propane levels to think about running the heater.

[Jimalberta]

Our dash air keeps the coach comfy while driving. However it certainly does not hurt to run the gen and the roof air.


2001 American Eagle 40 US 8.9 ISL, towing 1999 Cherokee or 2008 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 with Polaris RZR in the back.

[JacknKay]

Originally Posted by olddog49

Absolutely, we do it all the time. don't bother with the dash AC, it isn't worth a flip anyways. Our 35 K 2014 remain comfy and cool, once arriving at destination, whip out the power cord and plug into shore, kill genny and flip on breaker... Based on article read, the use of the genny traveling down the road will use 1.5 gal. per hour, not sure how true that is, but maybe that is better than the extra strain on the V10 and gas usage. Happy Travels...

The Onan Rep I talked to at a Tiffin Rally said a gas coach uses less that 1/gal per hour fuel at full load. At half load only about half that. Coarse it depends on what Genset you have.


Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

[Mike505]

When we purchased our Motorhome, we were told that we SHOULD run our generator when driving. It's more fuel efficient than running the front a/c and heat. Good luck!
Kim

[jbrv]

Originally Posted by Mike505

When we purchased our Motorhome, we were told that we SHOULD run our generator when driving. It's more fuel efficient than running the front a/c and heat. Good luck!
Kim

Heater does not have a much if any effect on gas mileage. The only difference between heat and no heat is a small fan running powered by the battery that is getting charged by the alternator anyway. The heat is created by the coolant in the engine that is already hot. heat on just moves it to a different place and passes air over the hot area and into the cabin.

Dash ac does effect mpg a bit more but not a lot at highway speed. The compressor is driven by the engine forcing the engine to work a little harder. In a small under powered car it is noticed but with the large engines in RVS at highway speed it almost nothing to add turning on the ac. Yes a little reduced mpg but not enough that most people would notice.

Windows wide open (like I tend to do) is the worst for mpg. It creates lots of extra drag and at the end of the day there is a reduction in mpg. Unless i get lucky to find a Semi or some other large rv doing a steady speed and i can sit back and ride in the air wake and my drag is greatly reduced. Even at a distance of 50 yards there is still enough air moved by the front vehicle to reduce drag on the second and increase mpg

I was always interested in this subject and learned by trial and error. In 2002 I owned one of the first "hybrid" production (honda had a hybrid out before the prius) cars in the USA. I had a 55 mile highway commute to and from work. Drove even more once at the area where i worked. I kept detailed records at the time of my highway mpg with different conditions. The best mpg was ac off window up (i am not counting drafting, If i draft a truck all the number go up a lot), next was ac on windows up, then some windows open the right amount to not create to much drag but still give me some moving air. Windows all down or one window all the way down and others up was the worse, created to much drag. I did this testing every workday over 4 years and close to 200k miles. Yes i know it is nuts. I enjoyed it.

Rain kills mpg (wet roads create drag), so does cold weather (not just for winter mix fuel but other reasons also)

Do not forget tire pressure also is a huge factor in mpg. Even tire types matter when trying to maximize mpg. Low rolling resistance tires on trucks ( I have not looked but I assume there are some for rvs also) have tested to increase mpg by 3%.

a few % points here and there with speed, tire type, tire inflation, windows up and most can get almost a 10% change in mpg easy. If you are getting 7mpg without trying hard. 10% is now 7.7mpg. for an 80 gallong tank that is 56 more miles. at 7.7mpg that 56 miles is about 7 gallons of fuel. 7 gallons of fuel at 2.50 a gallon is...........17.50 every tank of gas.

Finally my years of testing and trials is useful to someone? Doubt it. I am well aware how strange it is that i was that into testing mpg. No need to point it out.

[denlock]

Yes, run your genny. It's good to "excersize" it. We even put a crock pot in the sink and have dinner cooking.