“Under hood generator”
We are shopping for a good used Class B van camper. A number of them are being offered with what they call an “under the hood generator”, which I take to mean a second, larger alternator to provide A...
Forum Discussion
Poking around online, the only "under hood generators" I found were large after market alternators paired with a large inverter to supply AC.
These can work but they come with some downsides:
- You are putting hours on your main engine which is likely far more expensive than a small dedicated generator. Ask about required RPM to generate the rated amperage. Most alternators need to run faster than idle to do more than low output.
- Large alternators get used on cruising boats frequently and due to the heavy loads, if they aren't perfectly aligned and tensioned, they tend to eat up belts and are hard on the bearings supporting the pulleys.
Now if it was mated to something like the hybrid F-150, that would be a different ball game.
These can work but they come with some downsides:
- You are putting hours on your main engine which is likely far more expensive than a small dedicated generator. Ask about required RPM to generate the rated amperage. Most alternators need to run faster than idle to do more than low output.
- Large alternators get used on cruising boats frequently and due to the heavy loads, if they aren't perfectly aligned and tensioned, they tend to eat up belts and are hard on the bearings supporting the pulleys.
Now if it was mated to something like the hybrid F-150, that would be a different ball game.
