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Has anyone fit a small inverter generator inside the ambulance dual Eberspächer compartment? Something with electric start and enough power to start a small rooftop AC?

The generator would have to be stripped of the frame and gas tank of course.

Mike

PS: Are the ~1/4" white sheets under and behind the combustion chambers and muffler what I think they are? They remind me of sugar wafers or my junior high Bunsen burner base pads. They are falling apart with coin sized chunks and floculent dust all over the compartment.

Mike,
I too own a 712AMB. I have been pondering the same idea as you by stuffing a generator in the heater space. A rooftop A/C unit would be a very nice thing to have I agree. The short list of considerations to this project would be:

1) Electrical load. I would consider nothing less than 4500W generator to power an A/C load. So you have to fit a roughly 200lb unit in that space.

2) The unit is going to need air for combustion and needs to be exhausted.

3) The unit is going to generate heat and vibration.

4) Maintainance. You have to be able to take care of whatever you get to fit in that space.

I haven't gone so far as to see what would fit in there, but like I said I've pondered it. For the sake of ease, I'm considering outfitting a small trailer I have with generator, fuel, and whatnot and just tow that behind the vehicle. A short cord connects your generator with the loads on the truck. The obvious drawback to this is you have a trailer behind you.

Anyway.........if I start getting serious about doing this same project as you, or if you start doing it, we should compare notes.

Scott

Scott, of those concerns noise/vibration concerns me the most. There is already access to fresh air, gas and an exhaust path.

Mike

Scott, after the asbestos cleanup, noise/vibration concerns me the most. There is already access to fresh air, gas and an exhaust path. The generator would probably create much less heat that the dual Eberspächers.

There was a company making a roof AC unit that could start on a honda eu2000i reliably even at altitude but when they switched refrigerants consumption went up about 15% and they no longer make this claim. There are lots of tricks. A delay circuit which starts the compressor a few seconds after the fan decreases the surge current a bit but more importantly the fan wakes the generator out of eco mode. There are devices which disengage the start coil on the compressor much more quickly based by electronically detecting motion and are much less wasteful than thermal timers or centrifugal clutches--that and you can get a eu2200i in the same form factor as the eu2000i.

A 13.5k BTU AC will cool 400 square feet. The smallest roof top ac made these days is the Coleman Polar Cub (1320 running Watts) At 9.1k BTU it is still gross overkill for a glorified 47 square foot foam cooler

Mike

I've always thought the tire storage area on a amb would be a great place for a small generator on a slide out shelf. It'd be quieter pulled outside the box and no worries on exhaust etc. Of course you'd need to relocate the tire lol, but easier to mount a tire than a generator.

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Derrickbwg wrote: ↑Sat Feb 16, 2019 8:02 pm I've always thought the tire storage area on a amb would be a great place for a small generator on a slide out shelf. It'd be quieter pulled outside the box and no worries on exhaust etc. Of course you'd need to relocate the tire lol, but easier to mount a tire than a generator.

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I have other plans for that compartment

Mike

Remove the handle and this one fits inside the tool box of any Pinz
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Pulsar-1-20 ... /207111957

looks to be very loud..

take a look a the generac 3500 move then enough power to run a 13500 BTU a/c

murrayjp wrote: ↑Tue Feb 19, 2019 5:11 am looks to be very loud..

take a look a the generac 3500 move then enough power to run a 13500 BTU a/c

Might barely fit without the frame and the functions of the front panel relocated elsewhere but then again it might not. Compartmentg is only 14.5" deep. Would also need an aftermarket starter.

Not sure if it has a fuel pump. Im partial to ther Yamahas but unlike the Hondas they are gravity fed only.

Mike

I like the HF 3500 units. It will run a rooftop A/C no problem, with power to spare. Loads of folks have incorporated into storage boxes on busses. Basically need to perforate the door and create a baffle that "seals" around the exhaust if you plan to move it in or out. Otherwise i would run a length of flexible exhaust piping down and out.

I have not found a solid answer on the best way to use a fuel pump on these unit. I wonder if the needle valve can withstand 1.75-3psi of fuel pressure? Otherwise, they make a sealed fuel cap that has a line in for gravity and a second line out for vent. Mount a fuel can up high and let gravity do its things