fuel duration on an immobilized vehicle with engine running

Hi guys i'm going camping this weekend and some of my camping tools need electricity. I will use my bed outlet but to do so ideally i would probably need to leave the truck running. After how long will I run out of fuel considering my truck is on park and my tank is filled?

 

My rough guess would be around 40 hours with a very rough guess of around 1/2 gallon or 1.89 litres usage per hour.

 

Get this

 

Or this. That OP already has.

 

x2^ car engine is made to run a car, first and foremost. That^ is made to produce electricity

 

Or just run the truck that makes electricity instead of hauling around a 350 lb. generator in the truck.

 

The generator will consume less gas than the truck's engine

 

Make sure the bed outlet can keep up with your tools before you go. I use it to charge batteries on my cordless tools but most corded tools will just trip the outlet.

 

OP make sure your tools dont exceed 400W. I brought a water kettle last time we went froading for the weekend and it kept tripping it.

 

Depending on the load and the generator. 12 horse generator with a small load will burn around 7.5 gallons in 8 hours. If the OP is camping, the truck will most likely consume less fuel with a small load than the generator previously posted. If it were a Honda EU 2000i, it would burn considerably less fuel. But at a $1000.00 dollar price tag, I'd prefer saving some $ and idling for the next few camping trips.

 

X2

 

If I understand the book correctly idling will not produce the 400 watt capacity from the outlet. You will need to up the idle some. By the way that is only about 3 amps so you are not going to run very much.
I suggest that you purchase a mini generator, something like this, http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/202757...rizontal1-3-_-NA-_-202757603-_-N#.UeHFzb4o7cs and forget the truck outlet as they are mostly show and not very practical.

 

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. I am your cheap generator. I am throwing my rod.

 

your truck was toatally designed for long periods of idling because they did something magical with the oil-pump to make it oil more than anything else out there. I idle mine 24/7.

don't listen to that guy. I would not suggest idling the truck for a weekend. oil pressure is one of many downsides. it was designed to move, not idle. idling should only be used to keep the motor running at red-lights.

 

Not sure who this statement is directed towards, but do you agree that Toyota would engineer a oiling system that would providing inadequate oil psi during any sustainable RPM?

 

no one in particular, it was just a circumstantial statement. certainly not directed towards you as I view you as a respectable taco person.

from my understanding, it sounds like the op wants to idle his truck for a weekend strait. I do not think the taco was designed for that. I would guess its ideal operating rpm to be around 2k.

things designed for that have idle and operational rpm. maybe 1200 no load, and 2000 with load. the oiling systems of these is designed around those two rpms. the taco has to deal with anywhere between 700 or so and 5500. oiling is not ideal at either point but im sure its perfect somewhere in the middle. probably highway rpm

 

I've heard rich talk about idling before, I never realized it was as hard on engines as it is. If he was in here he'd set you all straight haha. In summary of my understanding it'd be very hard on your engine to idle through a full tank of gas. The lubrication system isn't designed around idling rpms.

 

Not wanting to come across as being combative, just curious. I guess I read the OP's statement as using his truck to power camping tools intermittently, not continuously for an entire weekend. Although I do not follow the anti extended idling viewpoint, I do see why people are opposed to it. I do have experience with extended idling in a Dodge 3500 Van, on multiple nights in a row at various places throughout the country to maintain heat or a/c. This extended idling went on night after night for a few months on end with no ill effects on the van. It's got over 350,000 and still running strong. I guess to each their own, maybe I just got lucky.

 

guessing the van is diesel and lists oil capacity in gallons instead of quarts. also, diesels have a relatively low redline and are able to properly oil better at idle since they were designed to run only a couple hundred rpm higher.

 

Nope, 5.9 V8. Still on factory plugs. Quite possibly the most reliable Dodge in history apparently.