Generator

I have a DuroMax XP4400E generator mounted in the front storage compartment of our 5ver,I ran exhaust piping out the bottom which exits behind the left front jack.

I also mounted a 50 amp male plug in the compartment wired to the electric panel.I can connect it quickly with an adaptor.The generator gets used occasionally.

Generators are nice to have... just like 4 wheel drive and a 12k winch.

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

The dash air does significant cooling in a Motorhome while traveling down the road. A fifth wheel doesn't have that advantage. I'd lean towards having a portable Yamaha 3000 Sieb with a remote start kit on a rack at the back.

Reminds me of when I was a kid, one of the vans we had didn't have rear air/con. Once Dad got cold, the air got turned down...until someone reminded him that we were sweltering in the back.

To get a decent amount of cool thru a larger motorhome would require frost on the steering wheel with just the dash vents blowing. You can get just as much if not better cooling from opening the roof vents so the hot air is pulled out (assumes modern vent covers that can be open while driving)

To the OP: I think you answered your own questions, if you don't use it now, there is no reason to believe you will use it in the future. I would say most don't have a generator and portable units are more common among those that have them.

Running the air/con away from shore power is the most common reason to consider a generator.

avvidclif1 wrote:

is it friday yet? wrote:
We don't have one for our 5th wheel but I have been considering getting one. It would be nice to have while staying the night at Walmart's on our way south in the winter to run space heaters and keep the battery charged. I just found this one at Cabela's. Looks like a decent price for the Champion with a wheel kit and remote start.

Champion generator

Fire one of those up in a Wally World parking lot and they will probably ask you to leave. Sounds like a jack hammer and about as subtle.

Not necessarily. It all depends. I had that model and mounted it on my rear bumper and boxed it in. It didnt quiet it as much as I would have liked. You are right that it's much louder than a Honda or yammie but for $400.00 with remote start it's a great value. I did run mine all night in a Walmart one time with the ac on and it basically sucked but it did the job. I was the only person in the lot. We were sort of stuck in a no rv zone in Fl and asked at a no overnight Walmart and they let us stay.


I would describe the champion as a middle of the pack model. It's far better than the small muffler contractor types but certainly not a Honda. Again it's great for the money but to do it again, I think I would look at the ac unit closely and try to go more to a suit case size quieter Honda/Yammie wannabe type unit (Generac/Champ). Some ac will run on the borderline units, some wont.

If a generator is going to be used a lot, buy a QUIET one and be done with it. If you want to stop for lunch and it's 90 degrees and you want to fire something up, a cheap one will work. If you want to be in a gen allowed park at times, get a quiet one. JMO

C-Bears wrote:
I agree with others, it depends on how you are camping. I have a portable 4000 but we never take it on the road so it sits in storage.

Just a word of caution if you get a generator. Start it up every 3 or 4 weeks, put a load on it, and let it run for about 20 minutes (if you are not using it on a regular basis). You need to keep running fresh fuel through it plus on the electrical side of generators they will have issues if not ran with a load once and awhile.

Good point. I always run mine every couple weeks. Those with FOB's, dont forget to turn the main switch off when letting it sit or the battery may be dead next time. I speak for my Honda 3000 remote start.

I agree with others, it depends on how you are camping. I have a portable 4000 but we never take it on the road so it sits in storage.

Just a word of caution if you get a generator. Start it up every 3 or 4 weeks, put a load on it, and let it run for about 20 minutes (if you are not using it on a regular basis). You need to keep running fresh fuel through it plus on the electrical side of generators they will have issues if not ran with a load once and awhile.

is it friday yet? wrote:
We don't have one for our 5th wheel but I have been considering getting one. It would be nice to have while staying the night at Walmart's on our way south in the winter to run space heaters and keep the battery charged. I just found this one at Cabela's. Looks like a decent price for the Champion with a wheel kit and remote start.

Champion generator

Fire one of those up in a Wally World parking lot and they will probably ask you to leave. Sounds like a jack hammer and about as subtle.

We don't have one for our 5th wheel but I have been considering getting one. It would be nice to have while staying the night at Walmart's on our way south in the winter to run space heaters and keep the battery charged. I just found this one at Cabela's. Looks like a decent price for the Champion with a wheel kit and remote start.

Champion generator

I full time and wouldn't be without my Onan 5500. When boondocking a couple of times a year I never want for power or have to worry about low battery charge when it is time to pull the slides in and raise the rear stabilizer and operate the front landing gear to hook up. I prefer to have full voltage to all of these electric motors when putting a load on them. My home base location had a tornado a couple of years ago and he entire small town was without power for most of the day. I had the only coffee in town and gladly provided it to the utility workers and others cleaning up the mess. Food stops along the route and a/c that will work is great in the summer. Even an overnight at a truck stop and my own coffee from my own coffee pot is great.

I could go on and on. in 4.5 years I have 221 hours on the onan. Not a lot of usage, but well worth having. IMHO

I am glad I bought the Champion 4000....after 3 years have not had to use it for camping....when boon docking batteries have taken care of unit since only short stays...price fit budget to make it worth having....do use it a lot to run electric chain saw when gathering firewood....start it about once a month to bring it up to temp....good luck

Solar, four batteries and inverter. No generator. Only use to me would be to run the air conditioner all day or night. If I need air like that I am looking to plug in.