Houseboat Generators & Gas

If we will be renting a houseboat, the 60 footer that you see at a lot of lakes, how much should i figure on gas for running the generator all day? we are just trying to guess on how much 2 boats for saturday morning to monday morning will be. any ideas?

2 boats X 3.50/gallon X ?????

Lots!

I wanna say that the last time we houseboated the generators used around 1 gallon per hour of operation. I'm sure that veries depending on load and generator type.

It depends on alot of factors. You'll be suprised at how little you'll run the generator. Most of the generators in the houseboats are small 4 cylinder motors so they burn about 3 gallons per hour under load. Also figure in boat gas for the house boat.

We typically go through 125 gals of fuel between 2 weighted ski boats riding 2-3 times a day, and another 60-75 gallons in the houseboat.
The houseboat can vary a lot though depending on...
1) How far you drive before tying up
2) How much you run the air conditioner
3) How late you stay up with all the lights and other electronics on.
4) Etc...

I'd base it on 200 gallons = $700 and refund money if you don't use it all. I've found it's much easier to over budget and give money back then it is to ask for more!

Hope this helps.

According the spec sheet for an Onan 8KW generator, full load fuel consumption is 1.4 gallons per hour.

I really doubt that you could possibly use 8 KW of electricty, even if the houseboat had a generator that large. You would have to be cooking on all four burners, running the microwave, water heater and air conditioner to do that.

I would expect the generator to use about ~1/2 a gallon an hour to run the A/C all day. It will probably be a drop in the bucket compared to what the main engines consumed getting the houseboat out to that spot.

I agree with Rod. However, being this late in the year, I would recommend going easy on the AC. You won't really need it, and that is a big killer. ... I thing the biggest killer is the heater for the jacuuzzi though. If you don't get one, then don't worry about that.

We just got off a Monday - Friday rental (4 nights) of the below houseboat and I'm looking at the gas bill now. It says 111.4gals and the generator ran the whole time. However, we only drive the houseboat ~5 miles to the cove we tie it up in.
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m163/paulbro/HB2K6/Mothership.jpg

(Message edited by P-hat in Cincy on August 24, 2006)

thanks for the info guys. i was told my trip from marina to the cove where we will tie up at will be a 2.5 hour trip. so yes, that will be most of it. we unfortunately werent able to get the one wiht a hot tub. but i can get a close estimate using a gallon an hour. i was told 1-1.5 and i figured that was with everything on like rod said.

Matt double check and make sure that the houseboat that you are renting does not have Inverters. If it does you will not need to run the Generator all the time. You only need to run it to charge up the inverters. A few of the boats that we have reneted have had these and they save a ton of Gas.

Try not to run the generator when you don't have too.

I start it every few hours to keep things charged, and if we need to cook, but that's it.

I usually budget for $150 worth of generator and houseboat gas. It always comes out cool.

Years ago I used to do houseboat trips to Lake Powell and none of the houseboats I ever rented even had a generator.

Now I have my own houseboat on the California Delta and most weekends I never run the generator at all. I have an inverter that will power the coffee maker, TV and blender. All the appliances run off propane. If it is really hot and I want the A/C or if we are out for more than two nights I may need to recharge the batteries, otherwise the genetator hardly runs.

New rental houseboats, however, seem to be built on the assumption that the people are idiots and that they can't live without things being just like at home. There are a number of rental boats I have seen that don't even have windows that will open so you have to run the A/C to survice. I think they do this so that the inside of the houseboat won't get soaked during water fights and other spring break type activities.

If the houseboat is a pontoon style and has a propane refrigerator, stove and water heater and it has windows that will open to get fresh air in then you won't want to run the generator more than you have to. They are noisey, smell, and there is always a threat of CO poisioning.

If the houseboat is equipped with electric appliances then you basically need to run the generator 24/7 just to keep the refrigerator cold.

Here is another houseboat question, I am planning my first trip next summer. Do you guys usually move gas from the houseboat tank to the wakeboats or how do you refuel the wakeboats? My worry would be emptying the houseboat tank or having to store fuel on the deck in containers which is a huge fire hazard.

Phat in cincy did you have a hot tub on that beast? If so did you heat it up?

Nick,
Yes there was a hot tub and yes we did heat it up. However, the water was in the mid-to-upper 80's and the temps in the lower-to-mid 90's so not a whole lot of use in the hot tub this year.

The houseboat we were on does have a gas pump to top of the wake boats, but we didn't use it this year. We had 2 marinas within a mile. We used it more last year tho.

(Message edited by Phat in Cincy on August 27, 2006)

We rented an 80 footer and ran the gen for all 7 days we were there and we spend aroun $700 at 3.20 a gal.