Generator what to do? (1 Viewer)

[michndan]

Right need to get ready for snowboarding. Last year had the generator and Gerry can in the garage and could smell the fuel fumes. So don't know if to build an air tight box to put the generator and fuel can in when not in use to stop the fumes or do I put a gas conversion on it and run from my BBQ point? I can buy a lot of fuel for £179 that the kit costs and will use valuable gas but undecided. The wife will not put up with the smell again this year for sure. I don't want to seal under the bed either so no option there. What would you do?

 

[pyro]

Three suggestions:

• Buy a new Gerry can and make sure you wipe it down carefully after fuelling up?
• Get a rack and box (Fiamma) to store it outside at the back of the van?
• Leave wife behind?

 

[michndan]

Do you think it is just the Gerry can or the generator tank aswell?

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[icantremember]

Go for the lpg conversion ... I have one and it's much safer and cleaner than having to carry petrol.

 

[tacr2man]

LPG conversion would stop the problem for sure , and would pay for itself over time as lot cheaper to run , also better for environment and less likely to upset others .
Mine is lpg and runs from main fitted tank

 

[pappajohn]

Strange...I carried a gennie and fuel can in the lockers under the lounge seats for a couple of years and never once smelt petrol fumes.
I was a cigarette smoker then as well and I'm still here.
Anyone who gets fumes is storing fuel wrongly..

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[two]

If you go for LPG conversion, you may still need petrol to get it started.

 

[icantremember]

If you go for LPG conversion, you may still need petrol to get it started.

Why?

 

[rosalan]

Tell me where you are so that I can move away from the noise and fumes.

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[two]

Why?

It's the way they work. Just won't start on gas alone (but I don't know why).

 

[sallylillian]

https://aspenfuel.co.uk/uses/, no smell not cheap .

 

[Minxy]

Surely an air-tight box/container is the answer? The ones with seals on the lids ... one for the genny and one of the fuel can if it won't fit in the same one.

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[Minxy]

The genny smell might be coming purely from the filler cap which usually has a breather hole in it of some sort otherwise the fuel couldn't be drawn into the 'engine', so you could try temporarily bunging this up, either putting something over the filler hole before screwing the cap on (we used to use a piece of a strong plastic bag when we needed to stop the smell from the fuel tank of our scooter when transporting it many years ago), or tape on the outside of the cap over the hole/breather. As for the fuel can, either in a sealed container or you could use a 'dry sac' which may stop the smell although I've never tried using one for this purpose!

 

[icantremember]

It's the way they work. Just won't start on gas alone (but I don't know why).

Funny that ... I have had mine for around 10 years and never had to use petrol to start it. First pull primes the gas and second pull it starts.

 

[michndan]

There is a lever on the cap of the Honda maybe that shuts the breather off will have a look.

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[michndan]

Gas would normally be a no brainier for me but can only last 6 days on 2 11kg gaslow so am worried about using even more

 

[Bart]

i would go the LPG conversion , ofc it would break my heart to spend the £180 on the conversion, but nothing worse than the smell of petrol below the bed when u sleeping above it.
Even better would be to ditch the genny

 

[Minxy]

Gas would normally be a no brainier for me but can only last 6 days on 2 11kg gaslow so am worried about using even more

What on earth are you using that much gas for ... you got a gas power heated hot tub?

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[michndan]

One bottle does 3 days skiing. The heating is never off add cooking and they don't last long when way below freezing. And ditching the genny is not an option when no hook up and low sun in the alps solar is not enough to keep batteries topped up even with 2.

 

[two]

Funny that ... I have had mine for around 10 years and never had to use petrol to start it. First pull primes the gas and second pull it starts.

Had a big one that only started on petrol, then needed to be switched over.
Swapped to Honda and that's never had petrol in it.
R

 

[Ivory55]

How much petrol do you use running the generator when you’re skiing ?

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[pyro]

Sounds to me that the air breather on the filler cap of the generator is being left open, hence the smell

£500 or so will get you a Fiamma 360 box with bike rack, which is one (expensive) solution that will give you more carrying space and a bike rack to boot

Boy, you use a lot of gas!

 

[michndan]

Around 20l but is variable on so many factors stayed in Les Menuires last year as snow was poor elsewhere at xmas so only used 2l as had EHU after some one left. But don't know where we will end up this year.

 

[michndan]

I would say gas usage is fair judging by what everyone else uses when skiing.
It's a big van and very cold outside I probably only fill once during summer the heating is a thirsty beast

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[tonyidle]

It's the way they work. Just won't start on gas alone (but I don't know why).

That's a myth perpetuated by the Autogas conversion industry. Any petrol engine, of any size, can be started and run on LPG. After all how would it know?

 

[tonyidle]

As mentioned - try sealing the tank breather whilst in transit. My genny (make escapes me at the moment because I've never used it) has a device on the filler cap to do just that.

 

[Ranger]

What works quite well is to put the generator or fuel in a large vacuum bag (the sort you put clothes in and suck the air out) compress and seal by hand but DO NOT I repeat DO NOT suck the air out with a vacuum cleaner because you would be trying to pull petrol laden air through a sparking electric motor. I knew someone who got severe burns using a vacuum in the presence of fuel.

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[tacr2man]

It's the way they work. Just won't start on gas alone (but I don't know why).

Mine seems to do OK on gas press the button on the dash and off it goes 1 litre engine and 6.5 kva The only other fuel on the vehicle is diesel for the engine .

 

[bigtwin]

Tell me where you are so that I can move away from the noise and fumes.

What a valuable contribution to the thread; not.

Ian

 

[michndan]

What works quite well is to put the generator or fuel in a large vacuum bag (the sort you put clothes in and suck the air out) compress and seal by hand but DO NOT I repeat DO NOT suck the air out with a vacuum cleaner because you would be trying to pull petrol laden air through a sparking electric motor. I knew someone who got severe burns using a vacuum in the presence of fuel.

Good idea will try it out

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