FAQ - Installing aftermarket generator?

[Eksak]

Sent: 1/17/2008

I have the dual/mom switch, but I do not have a generator installed, there is a space for it, but the PO used it for storage.  I bought a 2500 watt generator, not the small quiet jobbers, but a generator.  Can I hook up this generator to the rig  in the space (it will fit) if not, then I will hook it up to the fixed 30 amp cable with an adapter and just use the "generator space" to haul it.  Lots of snow on the ground here in Alaska, and the threads have been a great source of information.  I love getting the emails showing pictures of the inside of the rigs, due to these pictures, I now have a small 850 watt microwave, and the ever important coffee pot.  Please keep the pictures coming.

-Shawn

[AlbuqHenry]

Sent: 1/18/2008 

I have the same thing, space for it, but no generator.... I was planning the same thing.  From what I have read on here a bit, to me, the biggest possible problem would be when the gen.  is running the vibration  might possible transfer to the whole rig.  I am not sure how the standard equipment ones mount. But if that is not a problem to you, you should be fine. I guess as long as there is a way to get fresh air, cooling air, and a way to get exhaust away, it should work  ....... On mine I can see where the fuel line goes to the rear tank. That would be nice to plumb in somehow.... not sure if a fuel pump would be needed.... I imagine the generators that I am thinking about using are gravity feed for the fuel.  I also see that where my power line goes from the circuit breaker in the gen compartment is too a plug by the converter.  looks like you plug the shoreline into that plug and get gen. power to the converter...  I plan on looking into the same set up in the future after I get my rig up and going. the budget is pointed another direction right now... lol  keep in touch and let me know what you find out and how yours comes out.  thanks - Henry

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 1/18/2008

Henry hit that nail on the head. The three biggest issues to installing a non-RV specific generator would be noise and vibration, enough cooling air, and most importantly, where to vent the exhaust.

An RV genny mounts to the platform inside the box with rubber isolators (sort of like rubber engine block mounts) and sometimes springs, to keep vibration and noise to a minimum.  It wouldn't be too hard to fabricate something like that yourself for a portable genny.

Cooling air might be a problem though...an RV genny draws air in through the louvers in the genny compartment door, and then blows the used warm air through a hole in the floor/platform under the rig.  You would have to come up with some sort of sheet metal shroud to channel the used warm air out of the compartment.

And most importantly, you need to vent the exhaust!  It can't just exit into the genny compartment, or even directly under the rig...carbon monoxide would come in through your floorboards, and you know how bad that is.  You would have to fabricate an exhaust pipe that exited through the floor of the genny compartment, and then went to a muffler (to keep the noise down) and then have a long enough tail pipe to exit out from under your rig at least 4 inches...and get yourself a CO detector.

Wiring it would be the easy part...just use an adapter and when running it, plug your shore cable into the adapter, and then into the genny.

Kev

[denisondc]

Sent: 1/19/2008

If you decide to just use the generator space to haul your portable generator - all you would need is some kind of 'tether' or tie-down, to keep the portable from bouncing around.
All of the RV gensets that I know about (that are gasoline powered) have a fuel pump - as the fuel level in your RV tank may be well below the carb of the genset. My old one has a small mechanical pump. Presumably in case of fire the engine would stop turning due to the fire, and the mechanical pump would stop feeding gasoline to the flames. I dont know how the modern gensets handle a safety-shut off for the fuel pump, but I believe they all do it.
For me - if we would be using a generator when folks might be asleep inside the RV, I would either buy a used genset, fix it, and modify the compartment to work with the exhaust & heated air routing, or would have a portable unit sitting on the ground a few feet from the RV.

A CO detector is always a good idea. CO is absorbed by the blood stream about 300 times more easily than Oxygen - so even a small level of CO deprives the brain of Oxygen.

[james]

Sent: 1/20/2008

Very good info , Installing a non RV generator can be verry tricky and possibly dangerous. RV gens. (onans) have a cooling system to move the Air across the Gen. & the engine. Exhaust must be moved away from the unit.
The gen. you are using is designed to be operated in open air.
The FUEL tank is usually mounted on top of the engine & gen. unit. Not a good idea to cramp all the heat and Gas vapors in a compartment under your bed or sofa!!!
I have 4 onans 2.5 to 4.0 sitting in my shop( needing nothing to just a little TLC)       Free or a small donation to anyone coming down I95 at I40 in NC. I think Denison Has been by in the past.
( Its not that I am such a good guy Fact is I need the space for an ford A model project my grandson and I are working on.)
Happy Camping
James Barefoot

[melyash]

Sent: 1/20/2008

I think everybody pretty much hit the nail on the head here, but if you decide to run it out doors, just leaning a couple board against it to cut down the noise helps quite a bit. I have a friend who has a small honda and he leans a piece of plywood on two sides and you can barely hear it run till you walk up to it.

Cheap "worksite" Generators do have a great advantage in price, but they are not very neighbor friendly due to the fact they have a very small muffler and putting on a bigger one can sometimes lead to problems in backpressure causing "runability" issues. I had a friend a few years back make a vented "doghouse" over his, to keep the weather off, and it worked great, it had slats kinda like louvered windows on both sides and they did help the noise some too. He piped the exaust out the top like a chimny. He assembled the 4 sides with wingnuts so it dissasembled easily. I think he was gonna redesign the roof so it broke down easier, but have no idea if he ever did. The generator was still pretty loud though... Matt