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I think Jerry is referrring to an engine driven generator. Some coaches are equipped with 8000 watt engine driven generators which can handle the loads of AC units while driving. To retrofit a coach with one can be done, but I suspect it involves quite a bit.
JON
I saw one of these on an 06 Country prevost at BG and I understood the salesman to say that it was not on the new ones. Maybe some country coach owner can comment.
Probably would be an expensive project to add to a coach and if it was good would be on most coaches.
Miles has one on his CC..
I knew someone on here had one of them. I didn't think they were all that expensive and it was a better deal than more batteries and inverters.
Is that it running off the fan drive in the picture?
Jim:
If that is your engine compartment, I like it!
No such luck, just something I keep as an example of what I am striving to achieve. That picture looks better than new, like a museum piece that is never run.
JIM
The only one I saw up close and personal was an engine driven generator on the H3 Millenium that Nelson brought to POG I. But in addition if my memory hasn't left me for parts unknown that coach had 4 inverters, and a boatload of batteries.
I don't think there is any standard when it comes to how these coaches are set up beyond what converters do as normal practice. My guess is a coach equipped with an engine driven generator is set up by the converter to run AC units while being driven as an alternative to OTR. It is just an alternative to running the generator.
But it still does not negate the fact that energy is energy is energy. Whether the engine drives the alternator, or a generator, or you use the diesel powered generator it still costs money to produce the electric power to run the devices such as the AC units. I think a horsepower is 750 watts. Throw in some factor for efficiency losses and it should be fairly easy to see that no matter how you create the 120V power to run AC units, or if you are driving a big OTR compressor you arre still burning fuel.
This is gonna hurt...
Jim, I thought that described your bus?Quote:
like a museum piece that is never run.
Enough fun though, I sent a note to one of the Royale gurus who sent me this reply. Speaks for itself.
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Good Evening Jerry
It is called AuraGen http://www.aurasystems.com/pages/prod_home.html Royale Coach actually only install one and the last I know the gentlemen who owns the coach had the belt removed from it because the hype about it didn't match the performance of it. Company's such has Liberty, Marathon and the company that started it Millennium at one time made it a standard equipment but very shortly after it started they stopped and at least Liberty & Marathon won't even offer it as an option anymore to many failures to many problems. These are some of the problems robs horse power from the engine especially when pulling large trailers and in the mountains, lower fuel mileage, eats belts and the inability to shut it off. When you put all the above together it cost a lot up front for the generator and parts and then it keeps costing you money in mileage and belts. If you take in consideration that the on broad generator weather it is a 17kw or 20kw uses less then a gallon of fuel per hour verse I believe they are getting is about $10,000.00 for the generator and installation plus the fuel it takes to operate a person would be money ahead to just start your generator plus your generator produces more power then the AuraGen so there for you actually get more for less using your generator and you already own it.
Sorry to be so late on this thread but I am not able to get to this site as often as i would like. I do have one of the AuraGen systems on my bus. It is one AuraGen produced for Country Coach at 8.5KW. It consists of a belt driven generator, and electronic control unit and a small control panel. My bus has been on the road for over 6 years and the AuraGen has needed service once - you can be the judge of the reliability. When it failed they figured it was the electronic control unit and sent me a new one. Unfortunately that didn't fix it so they sent me a new generator. Unfortunately they sent the wrong model generator. They did send me the right model and needless to say that fixed the problem. Trying to do all this using overnight shipping of heavy items only added to the experience. After all the dust settled - the new belt driven generator fixed everything.
I am a little concerned about the current thinking of convertors to use big alternators to charge big batteries to run big inverters to run large motor loads. Even the 4KW invertors cannot truly handle the inrush starting currents of most compressors. The starting currents as published by compressor and motor maufacturers are never really the true instanteous currents at a loaded motor start. I was an electrical and electronic engineer for over 35 years before I retired so I appreciate the issues. Even with adding "hard start" methods to compressors to reduce inrush currents the problem may not always be resolved. I hate to say this but Jon is right - run the generator or if you have an AuraGen run it. The alternative is when running your AC off your inverter set your thermostat so low that is doesn't cycle when you are driving.
And as a note - I had a problem with my PowerTech generator in May - and although maybe not the most elegant solution - I just started the detroit diesel and turned on the 8.5KW AuraGen and survived.
Miles and Laura Circo
2004 Country Coach XLII D/S