Generator

Lantley wrote:

otrfun wrote:

2oldman wrote:

ktmrfs wrote:
and you might not have a CO problem the first time, the second time..... but if the wind blows wrong could be a big problem.

Agreed.. and it can be bad if the wind isn't blowing at all.

Agree, CO should be a consideration whenever operating any generator.

However, look at all the Onan 5500 generators OEM installed in the front cavity of a lot of 5th wheel toy haulers. The exhausts on many of these units typically exit just under the bedroom area, many times just 3-4 ft. underneath a bedroom window. Not to mention very few of these galvanized generator enclosures, which just happen to be sitting just under the bedroom floor, are sealed all that well. That's a LOT of CO flowing in and around the bedroom area. Here in the desert SW we see folks running these Onans 24/7, under all kind of wind conditions, with no issues.

From my perspective I would think a generator placed at the rear of a travel trailer, approx. 20-30 ft away from the bedroom area would be a lower CO threat than these OEM factory installed Onan units that have the exhaust exiting just a couple feet away from the bedroom area.

My current fiver has a generator beneath the bedroom as you describe. There is the potential for CO issues. Those units you see in the toyhaulers carry a risk as well.
My unit runs on LP which lessens the CO risk vs. gasoline but the potential for CO poisoning is still there.
Placement of the genset unit is relative, once the CO enters the cabin /living area it will fill the entire living area. Whether the source is located in the front or rear does not matter. The source could be your neighbors genset, under the wrong conditions the CO exhaust could still fill your RV.
A genturi is the only foolproof method to ensure the exhaust is kept away from the living space.Anything else is a gamble.

It's a given running a generator presents CO risks regardless how they're used.

My point is:

OEM's have placed generator exhausts within 3-4 feet of a sleeping area on many 5th wheels without incurring (to my knowledge) any liability issues for many years.

Some folks are saying it's unsafe to place an exhaust within 20-30 feet of a sleeping area (i.e., on the rear of a travel trailer).

So, when is it "safe" to run a generator? 5 ft. away? 20 ft? 50 ft? Only with a Genturi? Never?

Bottom line, each person has to put this CO risk into some kind of perspective that works for them. There are no guarantees.

I might add, several years ago, down in the FL Keys, we were camped next to a large toy hauler that was running an Onan 5500 18 hours a day with a Genturi installed. Depending on how the wind was blowing, at times our TT was filled with the smell of exhaust fumes from their Onan. We eventually had to move to another camping space for safety reasons. So, nothing is fool-proof.