I'm preparing to make a long trip and buying a travel trailer. It will be something a bit older like early 2000s and around 24ftish. I'd like to be able to have my dogs ride in the trailer while traveling. I know this controversial but I've weighed the benefits and risks and I'm ok with it. Also there's no where else for them to ride. Way to big to ride in the cab, and the reason for posting here too hot to ride in the bed with a camper shell. A big problem that I'm presented with is the heat. Is it possible, and safe to wire up an generator that would ride on the back to run the ac in the camper? I'd have it sit on one of those receiver hitch platforms. How much power do these really pull? I'd like to run the fridge too but that's optional. How long could I run off the house batteries? Im talking 2000 miles of driving most likely almoat non stop ( ill have multiple drivers) Maybe wire the batteries to charge off my truck battery? I did that with an winch on my car trailer.

You can't run the air conditioning at all on the batteries you can run it on the generator everybody does.

I am one of the few here that have actually set up a TT to do this. It CAN be done. But it won't be easy or cheap. And for most it won't be practical. If you cannot do the mods that are necessary yourself, it will be VERY expensive.I installed a Onan Microquiet 4.0 using their underfloor mounting kit. I was wired with a ATF. I used about 45' of the thickest welding cable from it to the batteries. The genset was mounted just forward of the axles for best weight distribution. I installed a custom stainless steel 26 gallon gas tank for it. A fuel pressure regulator was used to prevent the carb from flooding from over pressure when climbing hills. A custom fire shield was installed.All of this stuff required many hours of fabrication and a lot of welding.It was a really slick setup, and was trouble free for over 1500 hours and many years until a lightening strike fried the genset.I posted on threads about this with pics on this forum back then. If you are interested in more details, a search should turn it up.It was before 2010, when I bought my present TT. I did not make this mod to it. Too much work, and the little Hondas do a fine job for me now.

In all practical theory, I see no reason why you could not run an air conditioner from a generator on your TT. After all, folks driving motor homes do this all the time. Their campers are equipped with the same air conditioners too. Figure out a safe and practical way to mount the generator and run the wire and it should work. Good luck!

It will work. But how will you know if there is a problem?

Can you just leave the roof vents open and a window cracked? I'm picturing a dog head sticking out of a trailer window. hahah

Running roof ac while driving | Good Sam Community

70 Replies

austinjenna
Explorer
Feb 09, 2017
austinjenna, it kinda sounds like you run a setup like what I'm trying to make. If so do you do anything to keep the genny out of the rain and such or just leave it be. Once parked I'll put a tarp over it since it won't be running but while driving I worry about rain messing with the electrical and it seems like a cover would get too hot and cause it to overheat.

I have a sliding retrax bed cover so I can put the generators forward of the hitch and slide the cover over them.
Thestigmach1
Explorer
Feb 09, 2017
austinjenna wrote:
That may be simpler for you. To me, all the connectors and junction boxes would cost more than a transfer switch. I find an ATS to be a more user friendly an elegant installation. Just a little less of a "jury" rigged set up. Either way will work.

A transfer switch would be desirable with a built in generator but hardly needed in this case.

While I do agree an ats is more needed for a built in genny I do wonder if all the junction boxes and extra plugs would end up costing just as much as an ats. They're around 70 on amazon furrion brand. Seems like I saw that name somewhere on here. Even if it does cost more I like having a clean looking install. Plus some of the campers I've looked at have the power cords the pull out instead of plugging in. The one I was going to buy ended up being a real pos so I'm still searching.

austinjenna, it kinda sounds like you run a setup like what I'm trying to make. If so do you do anything to keep the genny out of the rain and such or just leave it be. Once parked I'll put a tarp over it since it won't be running but while driving I worry about rain messing with the electrical and it seems like a cover would get too hot and cause it to overheat.
austinjenna
Explorer
Feb 08, 2017
That may be simpler for you. To me, all the connectors and junction boxes would cost more than a transfer switch. I find an ATS to be a more user friendly an elegant installation. Just a little less of a "jury" rigged set up. Either way will work.

A transfer switch would be desirable with a built in generator but hardly needed in this case.
hohenwald48
Explorer
Feb 08, 2017
That may be simpler for you. To me, all the connectors and junction boxes would cost more than a transfer switch. I find an ATS to be a more user friendly an elegant installation. Just a little less of a "jury" rigged set up. Either way will work.
austinjenna
Explorer
Feb 08, 2017
No transfer switch needed for my setup. I ran my cord secured along the frame to the pinbox where I can plug it into the generator. At the other end is a 30amp weatherproof box also secured to the frame, basically even too where my 30 amp receptacle is on the side of my fiver.

Mine is a 30amp twist lock on the trailer so I just made a cord-maybe 3ft that goes from where I normally plug my trailer in to the weatherproof box and I have power.

When I get to the campground, turn off generator, unplug from the side of the fiver, drag out my normal power cord and plug into the pedestal.

It doesn't get much more simple than that.
Thestigmach1
Explorer
Feb 04, 2017
hohenwald48 wrote:
austinjenna wrote:
If you are lucky enough to have the Marinco style power cable, it is simple to buy an extra cable that can be safely and securely run under the trailer and up to the generator. Eliminates the need for fancy and risky switching.

Thats what I did, keep it simple and cheap and it works well.

An extra cord will certainly keep it simple. However, it's pretty cheap and easy to simply add an ATS and let it take care of all the needed switching with no manual intervention. Either way will work. One's simply more convenient than the other. Your choice. And there's absolutely nothing at all risky about an ATS as long as you have the skills necessary to install one. :)

I always intended to run a second power cord underwhelming trailer. Most likely through conduit to protect it from road gremlins. Originally I wasn't going to run an ats just breakers on each side of the power one for shore one for generator so I could isolate the whole deal. But after looking at the price of an ats it would cost the same or close compared to the breaker set up. Plus that eliminates the problem of me forgetting that one is on. I'll still run a normal plug on the genny so I can disconnect it and use it for other things and store it inside since the camper will most likely spend a large portion of its life outside.
hohenwald48
Explorer
Jan 11, 2017
TomG2 wrote:
hohenwald48 wrote:
An extra cord will certainly keep it simple. However, it's pretty cheap and easy to simply add an ATS and let it take care of all the needed switching with no manual intervention. Either way will work. One's simply more convenient than the other. Your choice. And there's absolutely nothing at all risky about an ATS as long as you have the skills necessary to install one. :)

Where would the ATS be installed and what do they cost? Would it use the existing power cord or a second one also?

I installed mine directly in the main shore power line just prior to the breaker panel. My shore power is supplied by a Marinco (actually Furrion) removable power cord which I continue to use for shore power. And yes you do need to add wire from the generator to the ATS. Remember, we're talking about a "permanently" installed generator and not one sitting on the ground. You can get an ATS in the $80 range on Amazon. Mine was a little more because my trailer is wired for 50Amp service.

I used the ATS for simplicity of operation and because I didn't want to be driving down the road with a shore power cord dangling out the side of the trailer.
TomG2
Explorer
Jan 11, 2017
hohenwald48 wrote:
An extra cord will certainly keep it simple. However, it's pretty cheap and easy to simply add an ATS and let it take care of all the needed switching with no manual intervention. Either way will work. One's simply more convenient than the other. Your choice. And there's absolutely nothing at all risky about an ATS as long as you have the skills necessary to install one. :)

Where would the ATS be installed and what do they cost? Would it use the existing power cord or a second one also?
hohenwald48
Explorer
Jan 11, 2017
austinjenna wrote:
If you are lucky enough to have the Marinco style power cable, it is simple to buy an extra cable that can be safely and securely run under the trailer and up to the generator. Eliminates the need for fancy and risky switching.

Thats what I did, keep it simple and cheap and it works well.

An extra cord will certainly keep it simple. However, it's pretty cheap and easy to simply add an ATS and let it take care of all the needed switching with no manual intervention. Either way will work. One's simply more convenient than the other. Your choice. And there's absolutely nothing at all risky about an ATS as long as you have the skills necessary to install one. :)
austinjenna
Explorer
Jan 11, 2017
If you are lucky enough to have the Marinco style power cable, it is simple to buy an extra cable that can be safely and securely run under the trailer and up to the generator. Eliminates the need for fancy and risky switching.

Thats what I did, keep it simple and cheap and it works well.

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Running roof ac while driving

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