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TheBum ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 26 Feb 2016 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 1407 |
![]() Posted: 16 Aug 2021 at 1:12pm |
I've converted one of my EU2000i generators to tri-fuel and just haven't gotten around to the other one. The idea of carrying propane tanks vs. gasoline tanks has a very strong appeal to me.
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Alan
2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats |
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offgrid ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
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Fall is of course peak hurricane season on the OBX so keep an eye on that. I like the Tropical Tidbits website, good access to all the major weather prediction models.
Do bug out early if one is coming that way, once the mandatory evac starts you will take many hours to get off Hatteras Island. There are usually one or two evacs a year, typically in Sept/Oct. Nov can be a good month on the OBX, the water stays pretty warm well into the early winter keeping the air temps up, and the hurricane risk drops quickly in late Oct. The campgrounds all stay open till the end of Nov. Also don't head that way for a week or so after a storm, you will be driving through salt water which will destroy an rpod, not to mention your TV. Even if there are only a couple of inches of salt water and you go slow it's bad because of the idiot tourists who blast through the low spots and spray it all over your car. |
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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Leo B ![]() podders Helping podders - pHp ![]() Joined: 13 Jan 2012 Location: Lyndonville, VT Online Status: Offline Posts: 4518 |
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Vann,
That is some great info!! I did the Hutch mountain conversion on our EU2200 short time back. It has worked great on projects and camping so far, Really didnt want to carry cans of gas. We already have twin 20's on the front of the camper and a 20 pounder with our weber Q. We love the Cape Hatteras area, but we usually wait until the fall when the temps are a little cooler. |
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Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
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jato ![]() Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3324 |
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In northern Michigan the cost to fill a completely empty tank ranges in price from $ 10 (Tractor Supply) to $ 12 (local hardware store). The cost for 20 lbs propane is between 50 cents to 60 cents/lb. To exchange a tank (Blue Rhino) the cost ranges from $ 19.99 to $ 24.99 and also remember that these tanks are only filled 75% full or looking at it to compare with the above rate - 15 lbs. The cost for this luxury (exchanging tank) ranges from $ 1.33 to $ 1.67/lb. The math is simple, I will get mine filled, not exchanged.
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God's pod
'11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
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offgrid ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
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StephenH, Oregon Inlet has pedestals at many sites now. Much better if you can get one than using a generator and having to shut it off and swelter during nighttime quiet hours.
When we lived in Hatteras Village it was actually cheaper to swap tanks than to go to one of the few places which would fill them. While camping at Ocracoke once we went through a full cylinder in a day and a half during a hot spell. So that was over $20 a day but worth it to stay cool. The generator was on to run the a/c pretty much all but the quiet hours. I put it behind a dune with the exhaust facing away from the campground and ran a 100 ft extension cord to keep the mouse down as much as possible. |
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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StephenH ![]() podders Helping podders - pHp ![]() ![]() Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6417 |
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Thanks. We have a total of 4 full propane tanks. Two on the tongue and two that will be in the truck bed. I don't anticipate needing to purchase any while we are there. However, it is good to know. I get them filled at Costco. I don't like using exchanges because I have gotten old tanks, one of which leaked when I was using exchange tanks. Mine are new enough to be in their initial certification stage. I may reconsider when they are older.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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Pod People ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 22 Sep 2011 Location: Chapel Hill,NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 1088 |
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there were lots of places for propane replacement tanks in several of the small towns. Buxton, Avon and Frisco all had stores with propane available. the Cape Hatteras lighthouse is closed for renovations, but the museum and visitor center is open. Gas is expensive on the outer banks-more so as you go further south. We filled up just before highway 64 turns off onto NC 12.There were 2 stations immediately before the NC12 intersection that had the lowest prices according to "Gas Buddy" Lots of traffic moving slowly down NC 12 all the way to Frisco. Vann
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StephenH ![]() podders Helping podders - pHp ![]() ![]() Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6417 |
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We'll be headed down to the beach soon. We have a reservation at the Oregon Inlet campground on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. While there, we are going to Maneo to see "The Lost Colony." We saw it years ago. We will be taking our generator and will see how much propane we use. I don't have the monitoring capability that you have, but I still should be able to get a good estimate since I will be starting with full propane tanks.
I don't anticipate the temperatures being quite as high. The storms that have come through have cut the top temperature a bit. Still, I will need to also use power for recharging our battery so my estimate will not just be for running the AC. Highs are projected to be in the mid-80s and lows in the upper 70s. With the dew points in the mid-70s, it will feel hotter.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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Pod People ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: 22 Sep 2011 Location: Chapel Hill,NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 1088 |
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We just returned from a 4 day trip to the NC Outer Banks. We were in Frisco campground near Cape Hatteras and used the Honda EU2200 with Hutch Mountain Propane conversion kit and a MicroAire Easy Start on our Dometic 13,500 air conditioner. It was HOT with NO clouds or rain. Afternoon highs were 94-96 with evenings low at 84
We used the a/c only late afternoon and evening after we returned from the beach. The generator would start and run the a/c without problems on ECO mode. We downloaded the Bluetooth app and saw that the generator was idling at about 400 watt output. When the blower came on, it initially would go up to about 1100-1200 watts and then settle at 900 watts. When the a/c compressor kicked in, the wattage rose to 1950 watts and then settled to 1760 watts. It ran continuously between 1750-1800.
Here are the totals- Used 3.3 gallons of propane with 18 hours of generator operation. The propane cost $8.98 at Costco. Propane weighs 4.24 pounds/gallon, so we used 13.99 pounds. This gave a total of 0.183 gal/hour or 0.773 pounds per hour. Overall, A/C cost us $8.98 for 3 nights, $2.99 per night or $0.498 per hour.
Pretty good price when it was 84 degrees at night.!! We were very happy with the generator, the propane conversion and the Easy Start.
Vann |
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