So I was thinking, hey, I got a fancy schmancy Onan, built right into the camper, so why would I need to buy some portable unit to run various things in the house during an emergency?!So I grab my 20A 50' cord, thinking I'll just fire up the genny and plug the ext cord into the outlet on the outside of the camper, run it into the house and feed a few things off a decent powerstrip with individual cords.Then I got to thinking.... Sure that all SOUNDS like it would work, but would it? Here's why I question it. Running a 20A cord from the "genny" to the house is good enough to power multiple other individual cords, but the outlet on the camper, I'M GUESSING, is a measly 14 ga. going back to the genny output. Hence, I would not be really running a 20A cord from the genny!right?So, can I tap into the genny somewhere else that I can wire up an additional outside plug on the camper that is truly heavy enough to run my ext cord that will then feed all the little other cords in the house?I'm not an electrician (obviously, that's why I'm asking) but I have the mechanical ability to do such a mod, and believe that I COULD have an issue if I try to power too much stuff off the ext cord, since the outlet back to the genny is most likely wired with smaller gage wire, I'm sure.thanks!mikey

Yes, in theory you could do this.Adjacent to the genset should be a junction box. You could add a recpatcle there.There is the potential of overloading the genset. It would be good to know what size genset you have.

You do NOT mention connecting generator power to house power(connecting to house wiring). GOOD. Such connectionscan feed onto power lines, and KILL linesmen. Thishas happened recently...........the linesmen, workingstorm damage, do not expect 'hot' lines.

The linemen will come to your house if you back-feed the system. You don't want this to happen.Turn off the main breaker. A properly wired transfer switch would be better.

Running extension cords direct to appliances will work. Use a power strip with a 15a breaker to reduce concerns of overload.Way better to have an electrician install an inlet, transfer switch and probably a sub panel for the items you want powered. This will allow full power from the ONAN and utilize the normal home electric distribution.

Go out and buy a 3500/4000 watt Champion genny for about $325.00 at Tractor Supply or Lowes. We did when we had our house. With the 240 outlet, a transfer switch and proper wiring done by an electrician, all we had to do was turn off the high draw appliances in the house and fire up the genny. No cords to run thru the house. With the built in 30 amp 115 volt RV plug already built into genny, it was great to bring camping too. Best of both worlds. Genny $325.00.... Transfer sw, cord, 240 adapter, licenced electrician, transfer sw. $850.00

Use onboard Onan to power house in emergency?

Artum_Snowbird
Explorer
Nov 05, 2013
Yes indeed, this has been done, and will continue to be done too. Certainly just taking a good extension cord from your rig to the house will power things, and likely, as I do with my Honda 2K, you will run one big thing at a time and just keep freezers and fridges going. After three days we were making coffee first in the coffee maker, then connecting to the upstairs TV and watching the news in bed!

The biggest issue might be fuel usage compared to a Honda 2K. You should know how much it takes to keep your onboard running. In an emergency, being frugal with your consumption of fuel might be the key to having success.
pkunk
Explorer
Nov 05, 2013
There's usually a junction box near the genny that connects to the transfer switch. On my Onan 5500 there are 2 circuits (20A & 30A) that I jumped to a split duplex to give me 2 feeds. I can run 2 extension cords to different areas.
weathershak
Explorer
Nov 05, 2013
Go out and buy a 3500/4000 watt Champion genny for about $325.00 at Tractor Supply or Lowes. We did when we had our house. With the 240 outlet, a transfer switch and proper wiring done by an electrician, all we had to do was turn off the high draw appliances in the house and fire up the genny. No cords to run thru the house.
With the built in 30 amp 115 volt RV plug already built into genny, it was great to bring camping too. Best of both worlds.
Genny $325.00.... Transfer sw, cord, 240 adapter, licenced electrician, transfer sw. $850.00
time2roll
Nomad
Nov 05, 2013
Running extension cords direct to appliances will work. Use a power strip with a 15a breaker to reduce concerns of overload.

Way better to have an electrician install an inlet, transfer switch and probably a sub panel for the items you want powered. This will allow full power from the ONAN and utilize the normal home electric distribution.
Pangaea_Ron
Explorer
Nov 05, 2013
The linemen will come to your house if you back-feed the system. You don't want this to happen.

Turn off the main breaker. A properly wired transfer switch would be better.
NORM_WADDELL
Explorer
Nov 05, 2013
You do NOT mention connecting generator power to house power
(connecting to house wiring). GOOD. Such connections
can feed onto power lines, and KILL linesmen. This
has happened recently...........the linesmen, working
storm damage, do not expect 'hot' lines.
enblethen
Nomad
Nov 05, 2013
Yes, in theory you could do this.
Adjacent to the genset should be a junction box. You could add a recpatcle there.
There is the potential of overloading the genset.
It would be good to know what size genset you have.

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