My Back-Up Unit

[Shane T]

Just saw Andy's post with his 30yr old Hydracat and thought I'd show some pics of my 30yr old TurboTech Commander. It was my first TM when I bought it used in 1987. Other than having the same basic layout it doesn't look at all original. It came with a 20 horse Onan connected with a Dodge coupler to #4 Sutorbilt, Cat 290 w/clutch, Stoddard silencer, and 95 gallon aluminium recovery tank. Water is heated with a 120,000 btu Little Giant. It's had many renovations over the years. First the engine wore out so I upgraded to the 23 horse Kohler. After the blower went out I replaced it with the Roots 45. I never really liked the Cat 290 so I just replaced it with a 310. This past winter I stripped it down, cleaned, painted and re-plumbed it.

It is pumbed with 2.5" into one end of the recovery lid and out the other end with 2.5" using Greenies elbows. I also put a 14" Kunkle in the lid. This engine and blower combination have well over 6000 hrs and the only thing I've had to do over the years is routine maintence. I love using this unit.

 

[Nate The Great]

Sweet! Paid for itself 100x plus! Good job on the upgrades and rebuild. What's the hard line/pipe for the propane intake hose for? Why'd you make it a hard line?

 

[Shane T]

Sweet! Paid for itself 100x plus! Good job on the upgrades and rebuild. What's the hard line/pipe for the propane intake hose for? Why'd you make it a hard line?

I have my propane tank mounted in the back corner of the van and the flexible hose was to short to reach in a safe and out of the way manner.

 

[Doug Cox]

Looking good, Shane.

 

[Mikey P]

very cool!

 

[Larry Cobb]

Shane;

I hope your propane tank is not mounted in the van.

I know you have run this unit for a long time, but that is still not safe.

Nice job on the rebuild.

Larry

 

[tmdry]

Very cool

 

[George V]

The number one hit song in 1987 was Bon Jovi - Living on a Prayer.

0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDK9QqIzhwk0]

It's been reported that Bon Jovi came up with the album name after he had his carpets cleaned, slipped on the linoleom, and whacked his head against the table.

 

[Shane T]

Shane;

I hope your propane tank is not mounted in the van.

I know you have run this unit for a long time, but that is still not safe.

Nice job on the rebuild.

Larry

With all due repect, that's a bunch of baloney. Do you use a propane fired grill?

 

[rhino1]

I always wondered about the warnings I heard about having the propane tank in the van, so why not? If it leaks, you can sure smell it, I guess there is the chance the van will fill up with propane and explode, but a likelier scenario is that your gasoline fuel tap will leak into the van and it will explode when your heater fires.

Has something happened to someone that caused the scare about carrying propane?

 

[Larry Cobb]

Shane & Rhino;

I had a customer who put a FULL 10 gallon propane tank into his van.

The van heated up in the Texas sun.

The tank vented to relieve pressure inside the van.

Undetermined source lit the propane causing a fire that destroyed the TM and the van.

Customer lost the TM and van.

Larry

 

[rhino1]

I wonder if he left the pilot light on the heater? I have done that before, its easy to forget.

The heater controls on my LG started to allow gas to flow whether the pilot was lit or not.... I was inside a house when my drone was setting up and we heard a BOOM!!! That thing went off like a cannon and scared the hell out of everyone.

I liked that heater, but now that I have employees I fear for their safety with the LG.

 

[Larry Cobb]

Rhino;

That is the nice thing about Heat Exchangers.

No open flame to get something started.

No refueling either.

Larry