Without question a diesel generator would be far better out here than a gasoline generator. They're bullet-proof and last forever, or at least forever in expediting terms. Gas generators aren't meant for continuous duty use, or even the kind of punishment we put them through out here in expediting. Most are designed to last a few hundred hours, and good ones like the Hondas and Yamahas will last considerably more, while diesel generators are designed to last many thousands of hours, hundreds of thousands of hours in most cases. Even the price, while a lot initially, really isn't the barrier, since it's a one-time payment for something that lasts a really long time (if you get a good one, that is). But in a van, there's the significant problem with the weight of a diesel generator, plus where to have it mounted for easy access and maintenance. In a straight truck or a tractor, a diesel generator is a no-brainer, but it gets much more complicated in a van.
If there was room, and it was light enough, I'd have gotten an Onan diesel generator a long time ago. The $5000 price tag didn't phase me, but the weight and dimensions did, at least for a Sprinter, which already has a diesel fuel tank so a diesel generator would be the ideal. If I still had an E-350, I'd still be very, very tempted to mount an Onan under the carriage, even with the hassles of oil changes (although the maintenance on a diesel generator is far less frequent and time consuming than it is on a gasoline generator).
