Solar in winter months?

[in h]

Probably as long as it was designed to.

Mr Whippy vans seem to have standard van engines, just like motorhomes. So how is it that they can idle all day with impunity, but it allegedly causes train crashes and glazed bores in motorhome enginess?
Seriously, it would be interesting to know how long an ice cream van engine lasts, considering their unusual pattern of use.

 

[trevskoda]

That's the essential question. How long does a Mr Whippy engine last, with it idling all day, every day?

Across the road where i worked was a ice cream depd with many vans and a team of grease monkeys changing engines on a weekly turn,most were vans over 5 years old and smoked like puffing billy.

 

[in h]

I'm guessing that an ice cream van engine is running about ten hours a day on average, seven days a week (with a few days off at Xmas).
Given that it's the equivalent of very gentle driving, let's assume it's like travelling at 20 mph.
So how far would the equivalent mileage be after five years?
20 * 10 * 360 * 5 = 360,000 miles.
Smoking after that "mileage" (or even half of that), doesn't seem like premature failure to me

 

[nabsim]

I have run my generator a few times in the last couple of months due to insufficient sun power and I have not yet used a gallon of petrol. I am certain I would have used more diesel running the engine at 1200rpm+. An leg genie costs considerably more than petrol so quite a payback difference although it does mean you dont need to carry and additional fuel source.

I will continue to run my 50cc petrol engine rather than my 2,7 litre turbo diesel to charge my batteries unless I am forced to fall back to the engine or until a Mercedes mechanic assures me it will not do any harm to my engine.

 

[in h]

50cc? What is the wattage? My generator has a 160cc Honda engine. I suspect that it cost a medium-sized fortune, but it was there when I bought the van.
If you want a fair bit of power, it is really useful. It uses 230g per kw per hour, according to the spec. So with a 1KW load, that's about 22p per hour.
In my experience of using petrol generators, they work out at about one hour per litre (half an hour per litre for smelly 2-stroke ones) though it does depend on the load.
If you are only charging a battery, perhaps half that consumption. So your gallon ought to last five to ten hours. That's about £1.25 per hour.
A motorhome engine idling will probably use about two thirds of that much diesel. Say about £0.85 per hour.
But then there is the maintenance aspect. Again, the motorhome engine works out cheaper.

 

[nabsim]

50cc? What is the wattage? My generator has a 160cc Honda engine. I suspect that it cost a medium-sized fortune, but it was there when I bought the van.
If you want a fair bit of power, it is really useful. It uses 230g per kw per hour, according to the spec. So with a 1KW load, that's about 22p per hour.
In my experience of using petrol generators, they work out at about one hour per litre (half an hour per litre for smelly 2-stroke ones) though it does depend on the load.
If you are only charging a battery, perhaps half that consumption. So your gallon ought to last five to ten hours. That's about £1.25 per hour.
A motorhome engine idling will probably use about two thirds of that much diesel. Say about £0.85 per hour.
But then there is the maintenance aspect. Again, the motorhome engine works out cheaper.

It runs a lot longer than that, it’s only a 1Kw unit though and as I only run the mains chargers from it usually it’s a fast idle but nowhere near flat out.
I guessed at 50cc, it’s whatever the Hyundai HY1000 has fitted

 

[SquirrellCook]

Don’t camp on railway lines as you may cause a train crash..........Pork!

 

[wildebus]

It runs a lot longer than that, it’s only a 1Kw unit though and as I only run the mains chargers from it usually it’s a fast idle but nowhere near flat out.
I guessed at 50cc, it’s whatever the Hyundai HY1000 has fitted

50cc is likely right or maybe even smaller. My 1700W (2200W Peak) Generator has a 79cc engine.

 

[in h]

It runs a lot longer than that, it’s only a 1Kw unit though and as I only run the mains chargers from it usually it’s a fast idle but nowhere near flat out.
I guessed at 50cc, it’s whatever the Hyundai HY1000 has fitted

You're right.
Google says it is a 49cc engine and (depending where you look) that it uses 420g/kw/h, or that it runs at half load (475W) for 6.5 hours on a full tank of 2.2 litres or 2.7 litres. Conflicting figures!

Later: found another spec that says it runs 4.5 hours on 2.2 litres at 50% load. Which is rather less good.

500 watts, 210 grammes per hour, or 283ml, works out at 3.5 hours per litre.
Or 6.5/2.2=2.95 or 6.5/2.7=2.40 hours per litre. Or 2,45 hours per litre
So it's 15.89, 13.39 or 10.89 hours per gallon - or 9.28
Wonder which is correct?
That's a wide variation, but all are more economical than any petrol generator I've used.
Say 13 hours per gallon, that'd make it about 9p per hour, 18p per KWh, cheaper than running the engine. But not a lot cheaper.
Or perhaps the 9.28 figure was right, which makes it 28p per KWh

 

[St3v3]

A motorhome engine idling will probably use about two thirds of that much diesel.

Great factual argument there

 

[in h]

Accurate measurements depend on the engine, the temperature, the load and probably some other factors.
It would be impossible to be more precise in a generic statement like that.
Only a fool would expect more precision. I do hope you're not a fool, but you're just trying to get in a malicious snipe.

 

[in h]

I am certain I would have used more diesel running the engine at 1200rpm+.

Sorry, I overlooked this bit earlier. Why would you run it at 1200rpm+?
Mine charges at pretty near full whack at idle, no need to speed it up.
I'm pretty certain that the original alternator did too, but it was only the standard 90A one that Mercedes fitted, which I replaced.
Does your alternator not charge at tickover?

 

[2cv]

Sorry, I overlooked this bit earlier. Why would you run it at 1200rpm+?
Mine charges at pretty near full whack at idle, no need to speed it up.
I'm pretty certain that the original alternator did too, but it was only the standard 90A one that Mercedes fitted, which I replaced.
Does your alternator not charge at tickover?

See post #41

 

[St3v3]

Accurate measurements depend on the engine, the temperature, the load and probably some other factors.
It would be impossible to be more precise in a generic statement like that.
Only a fool would expect more precision. I do hope you're not a fool, but you're just trying to get in a malicious snipe.

Perhaps your post (if it was necessary at all) should have read "it's impossible to decide which is cheaper, there are too many variables."

Unless you're desperate to try and prove your point that running the MH engine is somehow better. But only a fool would do that I suppose.

 

[Trotter]

Accurate measurements depend on the engine, the temperature, the load and probably some other factors.
It would be impossible to be more precise in a generic statement like that.
Only a fool would expect more precision. I do hope you're not a fool, but you're just trying to get in a malicious snipe.

Why do you type comments like this? We realise you are not on here to make friends, your copy book was marked years ago. Often, to many of us, you’re posts come over as obnoxious, merely for the sake of it. Not to make a point, but to get a reaction.
I’m sure if you were to look elsewhere. You’d find somewhere you’d find likeminded people. TBH, it’s getting tedious.

 

[in h]

Perhaps your post (if it was necessary at all) should have read "it's impossible to decide which is cheaper, there are too many variables."

It's impossible to be precise, but you can very realistically give a likely range.
I used to have a car that gave an accurate reading on consumption at tickover. Turning the A/C on made a noticeable difference. Turning on the HRW made a small difference. The lights made much less difference. Running cold added perhaps 20%.
Nevertheless, it was always between 0.4 and 0.6 gallons per hour, so "about half a gallon per hour" would be right. That was a three lite petrol engine.
I would expect rather less fuel to be used by an idling diesel.
I know you're desperate to pick holes in what I post, but the reality is that running the engine costs about the same as running a generator.
Of course, that's only for charging batteries. Big mains loads would need a generator.

 

[in h]

See post #41

Ah, I see. I think you were told nonsense there, as any ice cream firm can confirm.

 

[in h]

i like it Del god i hope he dosnt start coming to meets FFS lololol

No risk at all.

 

[St3v3]

I know you're desperate to pick holes in what I post, but the reality is that running the engine costs about the same as running a generator.

So your gallon ought to last five to ten hours. That's about £1.25 per hour.
A motorhome engine idling will probably use about two thirds of that much diesel. Say about £0.85 per hour.
But then there is the maintenance aspect. Again, the motorhome engine works out cheaper.

Ummm.....

 

[in h]

It is about the same, but just a little cheaper.
Driving along the motorway at 70mph costs about £18 per hour. That's not about the same. But £1, give or take, is.
You forgot about the £500 cost of buying a generator.