Ran out of propane

Totally ran out of propane now my generator won’t start any thoughts? Thor ace 29.5

The Onan generator in a Thor ACE 29.5 runs on gasoline and has nothing, zero, zip, nada to do with anything propane UNLESS a previous owner did a generator modification.
 
Totally ran out of propane now my generator won’t start any thoughts? Thor ace 29.5

Assuming your generator needs propane, is going to get propane an option?

Your post is tad cryptic, but are you trying to say you are just having bad luck? Meaning that you happen to run out of propane, and as life would have it you tried to start the genny and it will not start?
 
Is your fuel tank at or below 1/4 tank, there is a safety to leave 1/4tank of gas to get to gas station.

Mine doesn't and I think an impromptu survey a few months back found no one who had experienced this in real life.

I know it's the official word and I know thor does whatever can be done with whatever non-drug-screened worker shows up that day...
.but
I ran mine 64 miles into the low fuel light and the generator kept running.

I was experimenting/verifing is why I ran so low. First cough and I'd have put my five gallon reserve into it.
 
Last edited:
Mine doesn't and I think an impromptu survey a few months back found no one who had experienced this in real life.

I know it's the official word and I know thor does whatever can be done with whatever non-drug-screened worker shows up that day...
.but
I ran mine 64 miles into the low fuel light and the generator kept running.

Thank you for the information
 
Mine doesn't and I think an impromptu survey a few months back found no one who had experienced this in real life.

I know it's the official word and I know thor does whatever can be done with whatever non-drug-screened worker shows up that day...
.but
I ran mine 64 miles into the low fuel light and the generator kept running.

I was experimenting/verifing is why I ran so low. First cough and I'd have put my five gallon reserve into it.

Mine also runs with the fuel light illuminated.
 
Mine doesn't and I think an impromptu survey a few months back found no one who had experienced this in real life.

I know it's the official word and I know thor does whatever can be done with whatever non-drug-screened worker shows up that day...
.but
I ran mine 64 miles into the low fuel light and the generator kept running.

I was experimenting/verifing is why I ran so low. First cough and I'd have put my five gallon reserve into it.

This is yet another one of those things that I feel like I have been lied to about. But I have never checked to see what happens. I just no my genny has never cutoff except some extremely rare moment but starting right back up.

But questions a thinking man would ask before spreading folklore.

1. Just because of being below 1/4 tank, I am no closer to running out of gas with genny running. After all 1/4 tanks means about 150 miles before E, I need a Calculator to count the number of gas stations I will pass in 150 miles.

2. If it were to cut off, what is the design for how it cuts itself off? Is it out of gas? Is it some electronic sensor in the tank that tells the genny to shutdown?

3. I have heard some say the real reason is damage to fuel pump? If so, why no issues with portable generators, lawnmowers etc.? Besides if you were worried about low fuel for fuel pump, doesn't designing the fuel system to starve off fuel to the generator is just increasing the likelihood of the theoretical fuel pump damage?

Next trip, I will get down to 1/8 of tank and start my genny . That should be with about 60 miles to E?
 
Let some people tell and they might say the genny's are still running below 1/4 tank due to TMC quality issues. :hide:

Textbook vs reality
Theory vs fact
Experience vs dictate
Reality vs wishfullness.

Textbook equals wishfullness.
Textbook(brochure) ≠ experience
 
I thought that the quarter tank was “mechanical” in that the fuel take off for the generator was above the 1/4 tank elevation. Seems hard to goof up if the tanks are supplied with the generator takeoff port. Guess I was wrong.
 
Mine doesn't and I think an impromptu survey a few months back found no one who had experienced this in real life.

I know it's the official word and I know thor does whatever can be done with whatever non-drug-screened worker shows up that day...
.but
I ran mine 64 miles into the low fuel light and the generator kept running.

I was experimenting/verifing is why I ran so low. First cough and I'd have put my five gallon reserve into it.

I found this in Thor web owners site, so at least Thor thinks generators stop at 1/4 tank. Then again the top line says there are LP generators along with gas and diesel
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3369.jpg
    IMG_3369.jpg
    114.8 KB · Views: 38
I've been reading about the 1/4 tank rule for a long time on this forum and wanted to test this theory but never let the gas tank get low enough.

I had finally let the tank run low enough to test the generator.
The low fuel light was on and the generator fired right up!

This was a while ago but I remember that the generator ran for quite a while and finally shut off.

My 2 cents.
 
I found this in Thor web owners site, so at least Thor thinks generators stop at 1/4 tank. Then again the top line says there are LP generators along with gas and diesel

Unfortunately, as we have found in many areas of MH construction, there is the engineering plan of construction, and then there is the actual unskilled labor construction. The "tech" cuts a chunk of pickup hose and installs it. If it doesn't fit he pull it out and cuts some off. Repeats until it goes in. Rulers or tape measures to follow the engineering drawing not needed (take too much time). If it fits, it ships.
 
Maybe, potentially, doubtfully,
The quarter tank scenario is while the vehicle is not running.
I don't know how that would work but I could see the value of not waking up empty though I cannot see the value of the ac quitting 120 miles from empty and 80 miles from Jake's(some of you know that stretch) while you're operating the vehicle and monitoring systems(this quarter tank design is ludicrously adult day-care level).

I think it's a case of the initial cube dwelling engineer being over ridden by final cube dwelling accountant and none told the fourth-party adv agency who never told the printer and no one at thor has ever read the website or brochure or if they did read it they did the Imogen Coca face and ate the sandwich anyway.

I'm not really caring how it came to be written...I just know no one(percentage wise)has said they've experienced it.
 
Last edited:

Try RV LIFE Pro Free for 7 Days

  • New Ad-Free experience on this RV LIFE Community.
  • Plan the best RV Safe travel with RV LIFE Trip Wizard.
  • Navigate with our RV Safe GPS mobile app.
  • and much more...
Try RV LIFE Pro Today
Back
Top