Running A Generator While On The Road

[EagleFixer]

Hi All,
Sorry if this has been asked before but here goes. We just purchased our first toy hauler. It's a KZ Sportsmen Sportster 355TH12 fifth-wheel. This is also our first fifth-wheel. The unit came with an Onan RV QG 4000 EVAP generator. It also has an outside kitchen with a dorm-style refrigerator. I've been wondering how would items in the fridge keep cold while on the road and not connected to shore power. While reading through the genny handbook, in the Q&A section one of the questions is "Is it practical to power the roof air conditioner with my generator while traveling on the road?" and the answer is "Yes, that is what a generator is for, portable electrical power". Am I reading this wrong or does it mean the generator can be operating while the RV is in motion?

Thanks in advance for your replies.
Eagle Fixer

[BigBlockTank]

Everybody has their own configuration. I was a RV technician long before I ever got my first RV.

Running the generator while traveling is just fine. If you are traveling a good distance (all day), I would stop about 2 hours before the destination, and fire up the generator, and the A/C units so it's cool when you get there. If it's cold, obviously you don't want to do that.

A generator in good repair, and tuned, and all components in good working order, should use about a gallon of gas an hour, under load. For a motorhome, it's so much cheaper, and more efficient to run the generator and roof A/C's than to run the dash A/C. The dash unit cools the front of the coach, and nothing else. And......it uses more than a gallon an hour, as your traveling.

I've had a 40' toy hauler, a pop up, and now I'm on to motorhomes. I run my generator almost all the time.

If you wanted to get an inverter, as somebody suggested, look into a solar panel for the roof. It will charge batteries as you travel, and sit in a park. You could use a small inverter just big enough to power just what you need and not the whole 5er.

Another subject that ALWAYS brings out the gloves, is 6 volt batteries. If you have the room, and can run 4 6 volt batteries, with a solar charger, you'll be hard pressed to run those batteries down. Unless you have an inverter big enough to run a street.

[Bedlam]

The charge wire off your 7-pin connector has a lot of loss due its small gauge and long run length. Although it is good for a trickle charge, it is easy to draw more power than it can provide. Your truck has plenty of reserve charging power so you can run heavier gauge dedicated runs on the truck and trailer with an Anderson connector between them.

[CJW8]

I'd get a 1000 watt inverter, mount it close to the batteries and run an extension cord or a power circuit to the fridge. Your batteries will be charging as you are driving, probably enough to keep up with the inverter. Or, as others have said, load it up and turn it on 1-2 days before your trip. Keep the door closed and it'll still be cold when you get there.

[taken]

No, it won't damage converter. On the two 6v's. There are batteries and then there are batteries. Don't get some just because they are 6v. Many like Trojan brand. I went Lifeline because they are AGM. They are more expensive but the best you can get.

[EagleFixer]

The outside fridge is the 110V dorm-style fridge. Probably the only thing out there will soda, water, and adult beverages. The dealer is installing 2x 6V golf cart batteries. I hadn't really considered having the AC going while in transit but I can see the benefits. Would running the genny with the trailer plugged into the TV possibly damage the converter?

[joebedford]

06Fargo wrote:
We have run our generator to run the furnace when travelling in cold weather

Why would you do that? My furnace runs on propane with a bit of 12V. Truck's alternator provides the 12V. You need the generator?

[deltabravo]

turbojimmy wrote:
Sounds like the outdoor kitchen has a dorm-style fridge which is presumably electric only. I would keep everything in the propane/electric fridge if possible and run that on propane. Transfer what you need outside when you're hooked up to shore power. The generator will be using a lot of fuel to run that little fridge.

And, like others have said, there's no reason you can't run the generator while you're moving but the question is whether it's efficient to do so. I only run mine for the A/C, not the fridge. Although if I happen to be running the genny for the A/C I'll switch the fridge to electric.

Ditto on the above.

Only time I'd likely use the small outside fridge is when connected to shorepower, or if I had a huge battery bank, inverter and large solar array.
Running the gen just to power that small outside fridge is an inefficient use of propane.

I'd have no problems running the gen while going down the road.

[2btowed]

Answer to question,is yes you can run jenny while towing,but as most have said ,do'nt do it just to run the outside frig.If you have at least 2 good batts you could see amp draw on little frig and get small inverter to run it .Truck will help charge batts as you drive, so it should make it.It would work this way when boondocking also.You could also get 12v/120v unit and replace the little frig .That is what I did and it is a great improvement.A little pricey but 125 cans of 30 degree is nice...

[bighatnohorse]

Most people run with the propane tanks left open.
Those that close off the propane tanks are concerned with being in a wreck with an open propane tank.
Something to consider. . .

[benb21601]

I run mine in transit all summer long. Nice to get to the destination and be nice and cool inside.

[taken]

We do it to start the AC on a hot day before we get to the campground. Works great... No worries.... You may stall it from time to time if it's a carb version. I am considering swapping ours out for an EFI model next year to avoid this issue...

[rockhillmanor]

Fridge inside the RV on propane all the time.

[turbojimmy]

Sounds like the outdoor kitchen has a dorm-style fridge which is presumably electric only. I would keep everything in the propane/electric fridge if possible and run that on propane. Transfer what you need outside when you're hooked up to shore power. The generator will be using a lot of fuel to run that little fridge. As others mentioned you'll also find that stuff will stay cold in the fridge for a long time. I cool my fridge down a day before I leave, shut it off while I'm on the road, and fire it back up when I get where I'm going (so long as where I'm going is 3 hours away or less). When I do use the fridge on the road I use propane.

And, like others have said, there's no reason you can't run the generator while you're moving but the question is whether it's efficient to do so. I only run mine for the A/C, not the fridge. Although if I happen to be running the genny for the A/C I'll switch the fridge to electric.

[jareddustin]

if just wanting to run the frig just use propane, if you are worried about it be cold, alot of people have put small computer type fans in the fridge to keep the air moving and have said it did wonders on another site(glamisdunes.com) there was a whole thread on it. do some research and you should find a bunch on it. this is something i want to do with my fridge, it helps alot when it is hot outside. running the gen should not get it any colder than propane will, and while driving the flowing air will help cool the vent and coils on the outside of the fridge.