Coltri MCH 6 EM and Portable Generators

[BubbleCam333]

Hi,

I plan on using my 2017 Coltri MCH6 EM in a remote location and wanted to know what portable generator would be suitable to safely run it. The generator would also be used to power a travel trailer while boondocking.


Thanks

 

[michael-fisch]

You are looking a a great big generator!
The MCH6 electric motor is rated at 2Kw AFAIK.
The starting current is usually 3x the operating current, so your generator has to be able to handle a 6KW surge, for a few seconds without browning out or tripping it's circuit breakers.
Get a little bit of reserve, to handle the travel trailer and you are looking at a 10KW generator which is usually trailer mounted.

Michael

 

[grf88]

Probably a lot easier to find a suitable gas motor for it.

 

[tbone1004]

@michael-fisch
looks like they have a 3 and a 3.5, with the 3.5 being 3kw.
Either way you can't calculate inrush current without knowing a lot more information, but that information is always on the motors dataplate so @BubbleCam333 will have to look at either.
Either way, you are probably going to want at least a 4kw generator.

May want to look at dual fuel since propane is often found onboard travel trailers and may be just as easy to find and deal with as gasoline, though diesel is obviously more efficient.

Something like this if gas only. Has a CO monitor on it which is good for camping, has electric start which is obviously nice to have
GP8000E COsense®- Generac Power Systems
Or this for dual fuel
7500-Watt Dual Fuel Generator - Champion Power Equipment

Also obviously not sure what you have available in your area, or which fuel is most ideal.

These are much bigger than just the pump probably needs, but the generators will automatically regulate based on load and you want overhead capacity for the trailer to be able to stay plugged in.

 

[michael-fisch]

Look at the MCH6 with gas engine and then buy the matching Honda gas engine off ebay for a fraction of what Coltri wants for it. I think I paid around $250 for the gas engine that I used a couple of times on my Bauer Junior II. After switching to RBs it was easy to take a weeks supply of tanks along on a dive trip so the gas engine was finally sold.
Michael

 

[tbone1004]

Look at the MCH6 with gas engine and then buy the matching Honda gas engine off ebay for a fraction of what Coltri wants for it. I think I paid around $250 for the gas engine that I used a couple of times on my Bauer Junior II. After switching to RBs it was easy to take a weeks supply of tanks along on a dive trip so the gas engine was finally sold.
Michael

if doing double duty as a camper generator though, it'll be cheaper/easier to just upsize the generator vs buying a generator and a gas motor, plus doesn't remove the flexibility of running off a plug when at home

 

[grf88]

if doing double duty as a camper generator though, it'll be cheaper/easier to just upsize the generator vs buying a generator and a gas motor, plus doesn't remove the flexibility of running off a plug when at home

It doesn't take very long to switch out motors. The size of generator required for the camper is probably significantly smaller than that required for both and I would think the difference in cost would more than cover the cost of the gas engine with money to spare.

 

[tbone1004]

It doesn't take very long to switch out motors. The size of generator required for the camper is probably significantly smaller than that required for both and I would think the difference in cost would more than cover the cost of the gas engine with money to spare.

maybe, depends on the camper though. Up where you are, there isn't much need for air conditioners, so a 1kw-2kw unit is probably enough to keep the batteries charged, run the fridge and lights, etc.
As the OP is in Saudi Arabia, I imagine an air conditioner is rather high priority. An air conditioner that takes 1kw to run and 3kw to start up is not uncommon, and often times there are two of them depending on the size of the camper.

 

[BubbleCam333]

Thank you all for the valuable input. I thought about changing to a Gas engine and even looked up the process on YouTube, but I wanted to stick with the electric engine because most of my tank filling is done at home in Riyadh and I'm more comfortable with EM for that application.

As for the trailer, it has a 13500 BTU AC which can easily be powered by a 3500W generator or even a smaller 2500W one if a Micro-Air EasyStart Soft Starter is installed.

Now I can always get the Honda Gas motor and install it for the trip and swap it with the EM after my trip but that would be a hassle and not practical.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Also consider safety.
With an electrical generator, you can keep the combustion engine at conspicuous distance form the air intake of the compressor, ensuring no contamination of the compressed air.
When mounting the combustion engine on the compressor, the distance between intake and exhaust is limited, and if the wind changes direction it is quite easy to contaminate the air in the cylinder with CO or other toxic gases emitted by the exhaust.
Keeping the compressor electrical is much safer, despite, the reduced efficiency and total weight you have to carry around.