Thinking about a generator

rjxj wrote:
I dont think it's going to work well in a compartment. The heat and exhaust vent would be hard to duct properly. If it was in a compartment I wouldn't sleep while it's running and I wouldn't be gone and leave it running so it may as well be in the truck.

I bolted mine into the truck bed and made a 12 gauge hinged lid cabinet over it. One end has a large axial fan that starts running when the gen fires up. The other end of the enclosure has a grill at the exhaust side. I sometimes leave the lid open when it's been hot and ran the ac for a few hours. It also has remote start and a long enough cord that I can park the truck with the hood to the pin and the noise goes away from the rig. With it pointed away from the rig we can barely tell that it's running. You will also get vibration when the gen is on or in the rig.

I did a propane conversion on a Champion 3500 and wouldn't do it again. Gasoline is on every street corner and propane also has other issues.

That is a top notch setup. Very nice.

I second not permanently mounting genny on trailer. Vibration, CO, heat build up.

I installed a tri-fuel carb on my Yamaha 2400, and it worked like a charm. The beauty is you can still run it on gasoline when necessary. Completely interchangeable whenever necessary without having to make any modifications.

These guys make fittings for Honda I series generators, they are intended for mounting portable generators in a generator shed. The idea is to direct the exhaust and waste heat out a duct, and keep the shed cooler and without CO and CO2. I would think these would work well in mounting a portable in either a box (with ventilation) or in a compartment of a trailer (again, with ventilation).

gcloss wrote:

rjxj wrote:
I dont think it's going to work well in a compartment. The heat and exhaust vent would be hard to duct properly. If it was in a compartment I wouldn't sleep while it's running and I wouldn't be gone and leave it running so it may as well be in the truck.

I bolted mine into the truck bed and made a 12 gauge hinged lid cabinet over it. One end has a large axial fan that starts running when the gen fires up. The other end of the enclosure has a grill at the exhaust side. I sometimes leave the lid open when it's been hot and ran the ac for a few hours. It also has remote start and a long enough cord that I can park the truck with the hood to the pin and the noise goes away from the rig. With it pointed away from the rig we can barely tell that it's running. You will also get vibration when the gen is on or in the rig.

I did a propane conversion on a Champion 3500 and wouldn't do it again. Gasoline is on every street corner and propane also has other issues.

Sounds like you did a great mounting of your genny. Do you have any pics?

It's a little tight when changing the oil but no big deal.


120 volt Axial fan from Grainger







Prop rod for lid

Another option ----- champion makes a 9375 dual fuel generator with one RV 50A, one RV 30A receptacles so a direct plug in. Propane quick connect and a 20 ft extension hose or run off 5 gal fuel tank built in. 26.5 inch tall will fit in bed. Downside with built in 12V battery for electric starting (also has recoil start) it weighs 231 lbs so ramp and winch system needed to put in and out of truck bed. Read up on this on CW internet sales site.

My personal preference would be to mount one on a rear cargo rack, with an extended run tank plumbed in. No need to move it in and out of the truck, can be covered and secured when not in use. Problem with mounting a Honda, Yamaha or flavor of your choice, in the front cargo compartment, is that you are adding something that it's not designed for. Almost all gen-prepped units are designed for an Onan gen-pack, with built-in venting, cooling and exhaust.

Lyle

RV Mfg. has been installing generators in forward compartments, side compartments etc. for many years.

People have been doing installs same. Even setting them up on cargo carriers on rear of trailers

A portable Honda 3000......I would carry it in truck bed. Then set it out when boondocking and run it. Keep it portable. Just chain it down and use gas.

Here on the EAST side of the USA we always run into the generator run time restrictions just about everywhere for public camp grounds and Natl Forest areas. If you are at a private camp ground then you can do it if the owners don't mind. The EAST side does not have many DISPERSED areas for us to use. Out WEST they have alot of DISPERSED wide open ranges to camp in and they can run their generators just about anytime they want too...

We mainly just use our 2KW generator which lives secured in the back of our truck bed to get our larger battery bank recharged back up from the 50% -90% charge state each morning in the quickest time possible which is around three hours of generator run time. Then we are good to this all over again the next day/night run off our batteries.

Of course this does not include the use of air conditioners which doesnt bother us all that much...

Roy Ken

rjxj wrote:
I dont think it's going to work well in a compartment. The heat and exhaust vent would be hard to duct properly. If it was in a compartment I wouldn't sleep while it's running and I wouldn't be gone and leave it running so it may as well be in the truck.

I bolted mine into the truck bed and made a 12 gauge hinged lid cabinet over it. One end has a large axial fan that starts running when the gen fires up. The other end of the enclosure has a grill at the exhaust side. I sometimes leave the lid open when it's been hot and ran the ac for a few hours. It also has remote start and a long enough cord that I can park the truck with the hood to the pin and the noise goes away from the rig. With it pointed away from the rig we can barely tell that it's running. You will also get vibration when the gen is on or in the rig.

I did a propane conversion on a Champion 3500 and wouldn't do it again. Gasoline is on every street corner and propane also has other issues.

Sounds like you did a great mounting of your genny. Do you have any pics?

I dont think it's going to work well in a compartment. The heat and exhaust vent would be hard to duct properly. If it was in a compartment I wouldn't sleep while it's running and I wouldn't be gone and leave it running so it may as well be in the truck.

I bolted mine into the truck bed and made a 12 gauge hinged lid cabinet over it. One end has a large axial fan that starts running when the gen fires up. The other end of the enclosure has a grill at the exhaust side. I sometimes leave the lid open when it's been hot and ran the ac for a few hours. It also has remote start and a long enough cord that I can park the truck with the hood to the pin and the noise goes away from the rig. With it pointed away from the rig we can barely tell that it's running. You will also get vibration when the gen is on or in the rig.

I did a propane conversion on a Champion 3500 and wouldn't do it again. Gasoline is on every street corner and propane also has other issues.

If you're going out to boondock, I wouldn't hook it into propane. It's a lot easier to go anywhere with a five gal gas container and get gas than it is to go find propane out in the middle of no where especially late in the evening after your generator ran you out of propane and the refer, furnace and stove no longer work.

Bill