http://www.generatorsales.com/order/Honda-GX390-Tri-Fuel-kit.asp?page=Honda_GX390_Tri_Fuel_Kit

Anyone have any experience with these tri-fuel conversions?

Bump for feedback from anyone with experience.  I've been looking at a pair of EU2000's or 3000's since I sold mine (and literally moved onto an island in hurricane country ).  Storing gasoline has become such a troublesome thing - even if you have the proper cans and non-ethanol gas.  A large propane tank underground or using existing natural gas lines seems like such a more economical and safe alternative to storing 20+ gas cans in your garage or outbuilding (and rotating every 6 months).

Here's to hoping somebody has experience with these.  If not, I will certainly post feedback in a few months....

Would also like to know. Going to be getting a conversion for my EU2000 in the near future and would like to hear peoples thoughts on them.

I installed a tri-fuel kit on my Honda 3000is and it works as expected. It was a simple install. To switch to propane or natural gas, the fuel (gasoline) tank has to be empty which is no big deal, just run it dry until you need to use another fuel source. Having the ability to use propane is nice since it is easy to store and doesn't go bad or need additives to store long term like gasoline. Natural gas is also nice if you have a outside connector to plug into, I have a natural gas connector for a barbeque on my patio. It is good to have a backup plan.

Has anyone ever compared consumption of 1 gallon of gas equals how many gallons / lbs of propane?

That's a fair question!  Here are the consumption statistics listed on every generator at the link someone provided above (in this case, an EU2000i):

1/2 Load
Gasoline: 0.093 gallons/hour
LP: 0.101 gallons/hour
NG: 35 ft^3/hour

3/4 Load
Gasoline: 0.197 gallons/hour
LP: 0.206 gallons/hour
NG: 48 ft^3/hour

Full Load
Gasoline: 0.275 gallons/hour
LP: 0.297 gallons/hour
NG: 55 ft^3/hour

What I have seen is that propane contains roughly 75% of the energy of PURE gasoline.  Therefore, a generator will consume slightly more propane (about 8% based on numbers above) AND produce less energy (10% to 20% less power is a number I've heard tossed around).  I believe these numbers are based on non-ethanol gasoline, though, and ethanol significantly decreases the energy levels (again, I've read numbers around 10%).  Of course, propane is a higher octane than gasoline (104 to 112), and has been shown to double engine life in many scenarios.  While an engine tuned to LP can overcome many of the limitations listed with energy density and octane differences, I doubt these generator conversion kits do that.  In addition to safer storage and energy content, though - one must also look at the cost of propane versus gasoline.  Gas in my area is approaching $4/gallon, while propane is closer to $3/gallon.  I can also get a 500 gallon underground propane tank dropped in my front yard, whereas the EPA would have you for lunch if you tried that with gasoline. I also bought a pile of 20lb LP tanks off craigslist and then took them to my local Walmart for a blue rhino exchange over time.  LP's storage life is supposedly limited only by the container it is stored in.  The same is definitely not true of ethanol-blended gas! For sake of argument - we could roughly state that gasoline has 25% more energy for 25% more cost, making these fuels roughly equivalent in price per energy unit of your choice.  I believe LP is very superior to gasoline when it comes to storage, though (both storage life and storage options).  

The thing to understand is that a tri-fuel generator is not locked in to a single fuel - it uses whichever of the three fuels you have available.  If you run out of gas - you can use your propane tanks. If you have natural gas piped to your house - you can use that!  If the NG lines go down, then you fall back to gas/LP.  I'm sure you understand that, but to me - survival is about options, because you never know what you're going to have on hand in an event.  Personally, I think the slightly higher cost of having a multi-fuel generator is a great alternative IF it doesn't degrade performance with gasoline and offers reasonable performance with other fuels.

Which kit/company did you go with for the conversion? There's a couple different ones.

I used the tri-fuel converter offered by Central Maine Diesel, the same company as the link provided in the OP. The tri-fuel converter price looks to be the same as what I paid 4 years ago. http://www.generatorsales.com/order/Honda-EU3000iS-Tri-Fuel-Kit.asp?page=Honda_EU3000iS_Tri_Fuel_Kit

I'm going to be pulling the trigger on a tri fuel conversion in the next few days so any additional feedback is appreciated.  I'll probably go with generator sales.com unless anyone has negative feedback about them. I'm a little concerned that there appears to be a frame modification required to rlace the air filter on the Honda GX390 that I'll be converting.

I've installed a couple of the CMD conversions that Guilty mentioned above-one on an eu2000i and another on a larger non-inverter Honda. They were easy to install and work great-in both cases I opted to keep the original carbs for spare oarts.

At half load, an eu2000i will run for around 40 hours on a single 20# BBQ propane tank.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

I think it's about time for me to do the same thing...

One thing I noticed after the 2008 ice storm was that propane seemed to be in abundance, while most local gas stations were closed because they didn't have backup power. Every mom and pop convenience store up here seems to have a Blue Rhino propane cylinder exchange, so genset fuel would have been easy for me-if only I had converted my gensets in time for that storm. The 120 pounds of propane I keep on-hand now will last a good long time with judicious use.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

I have the CMD kit for my hondas and they work great. I run mostly propane in mine because propane stores so much better than gas. You cant go wrong with these kits.  They work, and installation is pretty easy. Enjoy.

I converted my Yamaha 2400 inverter generator to tri-fuel several years ago. Since I have a 1000 gallon underground propane tank on the farm, it was a no brainer.   I set mine up so I can quick connect it to the buried tank or one of the 5 or so BBQ/RV type tanks I have.  Since it is an inverter, and the engine is the same Yamaha engine used in their larger size genny, I actually noticed no noticeable change in output power.  It does use very slightly more fuel for the same runtimes though.  (I think the 10% figure given above is a good ballpark #)  The conversion was pretty easy, but I am good with tools and engines so YMMV.  I also have tested mine in the deep winter of Montana and had no starting or running problems at well below zero temps.

AutumnSong, could you please describe how the quick connect fitting works or what it looks like? Is it similar to a QD air hose coupling? I ask because a friend of mine has a 500 gallon propane tank on his property for heat and hot water, and he would like to do the same thing you have done.

Thank you in advance for your help

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Very similar to a QD air hose coupling.  I bought mine from the local propane supplier.  Here are a few pics.  The underground tank also has a female end QD fitting just like the one pictured for the BBQ tank.

In for info.

Ahh, that was perfect-thank you for the pics and the explanation. You answered all of my questions

Thanks again.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

I bought a converted EU2000 from Central Maine Diesel and they were fine to deal with.  I have only used it once so far, but it worked.

I sent my Honda GX390 carburetor off to Central Maine Diesel for tri fuel conversion on Friday.  If you send in thecarberator they can add the conversion unit in such a way that if they had just shipped it for me to install I would have had to cut the frame of my generator to get the air filter back on.   Anyway it was $277 for the tri fuel conversion, a 5' hose and fittings to connect directly to a 20lb propane tank and return shipping.  I'll post pics when I ffp get it back.

Behind our gas grill we have this natural gas fitting



Behind our garage we have this which I'm 99% sure is natural gas also.



Does anyone have any tips for installing a quick disconnect fitting to attach the generator hose to?  Are natural gas fittings a standard size?  (3/8" ID maybe?)

I tried to get that cap off with no luck. Righty tighty lefty loosey???  I didn't try all that hard though because I figure I'll get the right fittings before I start messing around.

You might want to locate the shutoff valve nearest the pipe cap before you remove it...

Not a big deal, because the pressure is low [~1/2 psi] and you can screw the cap right back on–– but there is a slight chance for ignition...



CCW to remove. Put some penetrating oil on the exposed threads a few days before the big day...  lol

Any H-W store will have a rated gas valve to screw on there. Be sure to plug it if you aren't going to use it.

Tagged for reference.  We'll be picking up an EU6500 for our cabin/BOL, and since we don't have NG there I'll need it to be propane primarily with petrol backup.

What Expy said.... plus

You can get the shut-off valve and any nipples or threaded pipe that you will need at Home depot. They are standard pipe sizes. Also, use either pipe dope or Teflon thread tape on the connections (also available at HD), but be positive that either is rated for natural gas use. Some are not.

Use some soapy water to check for leaks after you re-pressurize the system. You will see bubbles, and probably smell the gas.

You can also get the quick disconnect (both sides) along with a nat gas hose from HD in the BBQ section. I converted to nat gas in my BBQ about 16 years ago, and have loved never going to get a tank filled since. It also made it easier to decide to put a tri-fuel kit on my Champion Inverter generator.



One nice thing about running nat gas on your generator is you don't have to worry about draining fuel, varnish gumup or the like. You shut it off, pack it up and put it away. I even kept it in the dining room for a few days once. No smell. No hazard. I wish I had gotten a second Champion when they were available at Sam's. No more.

You can buy the QD connectors at U. S. Carburetion.  I actually had them make me up a custom hose.  We have a 500 gallon LP tank and had our heating contractor install a special tap and valve in our gas piping strictly for the generator.  It only takes a couple of minutes to connect the generator and get it running.

Not to derail this, but for you guys that are burying your LP tank - where did you source it and how did you choose? I think this will be our route, but I've never been without NG my entire life.

I bought my 1000 gallon direct bury propane tank from the local propane distributor.  As I recall it came with a sheet of specifications for the size of the hole I had to dig before it arrived.  I also had to have it backfilled with pea gravel after it was set and leveled before putting a thin layer of dirt over the top.  It also had specs as to how far away from buildings it was located.  We bought a tank that had both a tar like coating and anode bags to resist corrosion.  Our ground is high and dry but I have heard of people burying them in wet/high water areas where they can actually "float" back up to the surface.

Well I received my trifuel conversion kit from Central Maine Diesel last week and I started to install it today when I learned that I sent CMD the wrong carburetor. For my generator (Honda GX390 engine) you can either cut the frame or send in your carb to have it drilled.  Being the SF forum minded person that I am I see this as an opportunity to buy a new carb, send it in for conversion and then have my old carb as a backup. I also didn't want to be without a generator while waiting for return of the device. (had I been in the north east this would have been a prudent decision )

Well it seems that all the parts suppliers are now carrying a gx390 carb with a gas shutoff valve that won't allow me to reinstall my air filter.

So I bought the wrong one.

On Monday I am going to call CMD to see if I can return both carbs if they can drill my correct one and send it back to me.

I'm sure that they are probably several weeks/ months behind after Sandy hit.

Here are the two carbs side by side. The old correct carb is on the right.

Any thoughts on this guy's conversion?  youtube link

Instead of bolting the regulator to the actual generator, he has a small quick disconnect for the hose and it leaves it with a more clean look.  I'm not sure about the multi-regulator setup, seems awkward - wonder if there's a way to avoid that?  He has several other videos going over his conversion.

Advantage / disadvantages compared to the standard setup I see with the EU2000i where the regulator looks like it's bolted to the unit?

I was actually coming here to post the same thing.  Sorry, but those "bolt on" regulators on the outside of the generators would get broken off in a matter of months with my use.  The disadvantage (which is very minor) seems to be that you have to carry the hose/regulator with you (potential to lose them), and you have to "prime" the hose before starting the generator.  No big deal.  It's funny, but every picture of the regulator mounted on the outside shows the cover open (as if they couldn't get it closed with the regulator attached).  Maybe that's just coincidence.

The last thing I want is to have a pair of 2000's strapped down on my tailgate carrier wearing through their covers and banging the regulators against each other while bugging out.  I really like the route the guy in the video took, and am leaning towards doing that myself.

Does anyone know if this champion genny can be converted to tri fuel??

Champion Power Equipment 3500/ 4000-Watt RV Ready Remote Start Portable Generator Not CARB (46565) mod 46565



Thanks,
Tex

http://www.propanecarbs.com/championgenerators.html

I am interested in these too and also looking for advice.

I have a GX390 engine on my Costco PowerBoss 7000/9000 generator. Gas varnished the carburetor and I tried my best to clean it out, but still can get it started (it turns over with some gas behind the plug, but it won't if I try to use the carb). I took it to a repair shop yesterday to work on get it going, but since then I am now considering taking the $100 it will likely cost me to have them clean it up and putting it towards a tri-fuel kit.

Thoughts? I am also considering getting a EU2000i as they are much better on fuel efficiency and can either buy new or buy one of the already converted ones.

I keep 40 gallons of gas and 60-80lbs or propane on hand. My house rather large but at a minimum I need to power the furnace, a fridge, and a few lights. The PowerBoss can be wired into a transfer panel. Natural gas meter is on the opposite side of the house as the transfer box.

Looking for general reliability of the kits and advice on a) repair or conversion kit and b) also get a EU2000i w/ conversion kit.

Once I get my gx390 set up I'm going to convert my eu2000i also. In another thread there was a member here saying that they get 40hrs from a 20lb propane tank.  I've been eyeing a 100lb propane tank at lowes for $120.  Does anyone know if you can transport these tanks on their side for a short ride (10 miles)?  I would store and use them upright but I don't have a means to transport the 4' tall tank upright.

Before we got a bigger tank to haul on a trailer, we'd just take the 100 pounders and get them filled at any propane place and put them on their side in the truck. Never even gave it a second thought other than to protect the valve and drive carefully.

This is a little bump for moar info and to answer this question. OP, did you get your gennie up on Tri fuel? I also have a GX390 in a EM7000is (same as EM6500is). What generator is yours? I've seen in one case where a kit would work on a GX390, but not in an inverter generator like mine. Did the kit work on NG and LP? How long did it take them to turn the carb around?

Yes. You can transfer the tank on its side when full of propane. If its going to leak on it's side, it will leak upright too.

My only bad time I had with a large propane tank was I filled it, and parked in the hot Ca sun all afternoon.  It was 101 deg that day and the tank over pressured. It popped off a bit of propane. It sounded like a 737 was taking off. The truck was 30' from where I was digging footings for a house I was building. I killed the motor fast, came out of that JD 710 like a rocket, and hit the bottom of the ditch. After the tank stopped purging and the fuel dissipated (light wind that day), I came out of my bunker. Watered the tank down to cool it and put it in the shade.

Don't leave tanks in the sun. Ever. Remember this when hooking the tank to the gennie and powering your house.

Not yet but I have my correct carb enroute back to me via UPS right now.

Here in NC they will not fill them if you bring them in laying down or fill them if they know you are going to lay them down.

Some kinda of state law. That they have to be transported vertically.

Propane tanks are designed to be used in the sun, shade, on cool days or hot days.

I put a kit from USCarburation (sp?) on my generator.  Works great no problems.
Two hurricanes, liquid and gas fuel, real experience.

No idea about 100lb tanks because I use 20lb tanks exclusively. With that said, the forty hours per 20lb tank figure is indeed accurate for an eu2000i operating around half load


Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

CJan, some of the suppliers have a low profile 50# tank that is very pleasing in appearance. They also have 40 pounders. Maybe I will take a pix later.

I may have been the person who said about 40 hours to a 20lb tank, but if not that's what I got (and CJan_NH is right I was probably using about half load).

I thought about getting a 100lb tank, but ended up getting two 30 pounders and I think smaller tanks make more sense.  Right now I have 2 20lb tanks and 2 30lb tanks, and one 20lb tank is hooked up to my BBQ –– so I essentially always have 80 lbs for the generator.  During Sandy what I did was use my spare 20 lb tank and then swapped it locally whenever it ran out.  So I always had 60+lbs in reserve.  I will probably get another 30 lb tank (free shipping on Amazon!), but may try to rig up a natural gas connection instead.

Beyond the issue of moving the bigger tank around, there are laws here about transporting tanks, and I found that some of the places I called about buying the tank and having them fill it, after several conversations, mentioned they would not fill a 100lb tank that was not connected to something.  There ended up being multiple issues with a tank that big.  With the 100lb it may be a PITA to replenish if you use it a day here and a day there.  You won't want to haul it to add another 20 lbs to it, and places may not come to you for such a small amount.  It is easier to keep your reserve topped off with smaller tanks.

Just my $.02.

hey CJan_NH,
a little more detail on "easy to install" please?

ar-jedi