A friend of mine posted this on Facebook.A Mornin’ Redneck Moment…Working Drive Security today at the Ryman Auditorium when a guy drives up in an old, but running, pick-up truck. He stopped to ask a question about parking and there was a gas powered generator in the bed. It was running and had an extension cord plugged in to it. When I asked him what he had plugged in to the generator, he explained that the heater was broken and it would cost him $1,000 to get it fixed. He then opened his door and there on the floor on the passenger side was a small electric heater running as fast and as hot as it would go.

We were returning home from a trip and were about 100 miles from home when the alternator went out on our truck. I had a battery charger with us so I hooked it up to the battery and ran an extension cord to the generator in the bed and fired it up. We made it home fine.:)

My 2KW Gnerator sits secured in the tailgate corner of my truck bed. My truck bed has the FOLD-A-COVER hard plastic folding covers.The main purpose for my truck mounted generator is re-charhging my trailer batteries at 8AM each morning when camping off the power grid but also has been my PLAN B thing for the past 6 years now for many other times when myself and others need some power... No telling how many times I have run down my truck start battery when using my emergency radio comms I do a lot of...This setup Charges batteries, jump starts stranded folks by charging their battery for five minutes with my portable battery charger, makes great fresh ground bean coffee for us in about five minutes of generator run time using our Cusinart Coffee grind and serve coffee pot, and any number of PLAn B items...Always got to have a PLAN B...Roy Ken

I've got a 'cheap' Remington electric pole saw. I once backed the camper down into the back yard among the trees of the little church I attend, and used the Onan to power it. A 70' poplar had broken part-way off in a big windstorm, and was hanging over our 'nature trail'. The extension pole was just long enough to reach the break, so I could cut thru it at the hinge point and drop the top of the tree safely onto the ground. I then went home & got the pickup with the 'real' chainsaw and winch, and removed it from the trail. That lil' Remington pulls a heck of a starting surge, maybe due to the chain friction. Almost bogged the Onan 2800 down every time I pulled the trigger, but it kept going. I cut the tree up later and gave the wood to one of the girls who also goes there.Jim, "If the zombies chase us, I'm tripping you!"

I'm sure duct tape is somehow involved in this story. :)

On a trip to a NFS campground this past summer the neighbors in the next campsite could not get their diesel pickup to start. Took my Honda Eu2000i Genny and 12A battery charger over. Plugged the charger into the generator and hooked up to the truck batteries and fired up the Honda. After a few minutes on the "charge" setting and another 10 on the 8A charge setting his truck started right up. I recommended that he 1) get the batteries load tested after arriving at home, and 2) get his alternator load tested if the batteries checked out good.

Another use for your generator. | Good Sam Community

AprilWhine
Explorer
Mar 10, 2014
broark01
Explorer
Mar 10, 2014
Gonzo42 wrote:
...and if/when it ever gives up the ghost, it makes a dandy boat anchor.

Technically, I think you have to empty the oil and gasoline, otherwise they do!
rockhillmanor
Explorer
Mar 10, 2014
AprilWhine wrote:
yup, they sure ARE pretty innovative aren't they!

Are those bullet holes in the tail gate and ac unit?
bob_b1
Explorer
Mar 10, 2014
RAS43 wrote:
We were returning home from a trip and were about 100 miles from home when the alternator went out on our truck. I had a battery charger with us so I hooked it up to the battery and ran an extension cord to the generator in the bed and fired it up. We made it home fine.:)

We ran 800 miles that way. Stuff always happens when you are far away from the house.
mlts22
Explorer
Mar 10, 2014
DiskDoctr wrote:
Yep! And if you're broken down or need a hand with a repair, WHO do you hope will come by- a guy in a suit in a fancy car on his 3 cell phones, or a Redneck in his pickup with a toolbox in the back and a boatload of get-er-done-ness in him? :B

In a previous job, I had a cow-orker who kept making negative comments about the generator in the pickup truck...

Guess who was the first person who was able to give her a jump from a battery charger without risking damage to her precious vehicle's electrical system? Yep. Never heard a peep from her again about it.

Of course, when I was dry camping recently, the people next to me were unable to fire up their inboard genset due to low house batteries. Out came my battery charger and extension cord, and I got them squared away.
time2roll
Nomad
Mar 10, 2014
Mine just collects dust and takes up space in the garage :(
DiskDoctr
Explorer
Mar 11, 2014
mlts22 wrote:
DiskDoctr wrote:
Yep! And if you're broken down or need a hand with a repair, WHO do you hope will come by- a guy in a suit in a fancy car on his 3 cell phones, or a Redneck in his pickup with a toolbox in the back and a boatload of get-er-done-ness in him? :B

In a previous job, I had a cow-orker who kept making negative comments about the generator in the pickup truck...

Guess who was the first person who was able to give her a jump from a battery charger without risking damage to her precious vehicle's electrical system? Yep. Never heard a peep from her again about it.

Of course, when I was dry camping recently, the people next to me were unable to fire up their inboard genset due to low house batteries. Out came my battery charger and extension cord, and I got them squared away.

Good form, Mate! :B
jmckelvy
Explorer
Mar 11, 2014
I've used my Honda EU2000 to run my electric chainsaw. Some of the areas we camp at in Wyoming have lots of dead trees around the campground. Many of the dead trees are cut down and sawed into managable lengths and left for campers to use. The electric chainsaw makes quick work of the job without all the noise of a gas saw.

Sure beats doing it the old fashioned way.

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