On Board Generator vs Portable Generator

[placergold]

We are researching the purchase of a new toy hauler. And one of the options we are struggling with is whether or not to go with a portable generator, or the factory installed generator. Your opinions and experience on this subject would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[marcsbigfoot20b]

placergold wrote:
We plan to be on the road for a year or more. So we will be camping/traveling in all temperature extremes. It sounds like the best way to go is to have a built in Onan, and a portable generator too. But, storage will be a factor, so it has to be one or the other for us. The Toy Hauler(s) we are looking at are max 28' overall. To help with battery charging, we will definitely be getting a solar panel. Were also going to get a cab high truck bed shell, I have a wood framed raised bed for it. Its great when you want to leave your trailer behind and use your 4x4 truck to get back in the hills and camp out for a few days.
colliehauler, I looked at the TH forum first, but it didn't seem very active. But, I'll take your suggestion and post the question there and see if I can get any valuable feedback, thanks.

My travel trailer came with an Onan 2500 LP built in.
I also use my Honda 2000i and always bring it with me camping.

Pros: Honda is portable, take it anywhere or don't, its quiet, long run time.
Onan LP super convenient push button, built in, no theft, no gummed up carb if it sits.

Cons: Honda wants to grow legs so you have to chain it down, limited power, lug it along.
Onan LP eats propane under load, more noisy and some vibration since its mounted on the trailer.

BTW I have my metal detector and pans ready, just need some land with gold on it.

[Aridon]

If its a propane generator on board I'd take a portable in a heart beat. The propane tanks you get on a hauler or really any fifth wheel or MH aren't big enough and it is a PIA to take them down and get them filled when you are burning through them with heavy get set useage.

If you have a diesel or gas built in with dual 30 gal tank in the hauler then built is in the way to go. Easy decision. Just match your fuel type to your toys or truck depending on your needs.

Otherwise I'd get the portable. If your going to have to deal with swapping tanks or hauling small gas cans you might as well just deal with the portable and gain the extra storage in the unit. If you have a builtin with the convenience of a large holding tank for the fuel than a built in is the way to go.

[mlts22]

My experience, if you can get a toy hauler, get a gasoline powered Onan generator to go with it. It won't disappear like portable ones do, has a -lot- of runtime (a 30 gallon tank can run the genset for days at a time), is easy to service, and will always come in handy. Plus, with a fuel station, the generator's gasoline tank can be used for additional fuel storage for the main vehicle.

My next rig will have an inbuilt generator. It is worth it.

[IdaD]

I have a couple of generators. Next trailer will have an on board unit, probably a gas version in a toy hauler. Gas seems like it would be less of a hassle compared to refilling propane tanks.

[placergold]

We plan to be on the road for a year or more. So we will be camping/traveling in all temperature extremes. It sounds like the best way to go is to have a built in Onan, and a portable generator too. But, storage will be a factor, so it has to be one or the other for us. The Toy Hauler(s) we are looking at are max 28' overall. To help with battery charging, we will definitely be getting a solar panel. Were also going to get a cab high truck bed shell, I have a wood framed raised bed for it. Its great when you want to leave your trailer behind and use your 4x4 truck to get back in the hills and camp out for a few days.
colliehauler, I looked at the TH forum first, but it didn't seem very active. But, I'll take your suggestion and post the question there and see if I can get any valuable feedback, thanks.

[colliehauler]

Another option is to ask in the TH forum where people actually own toyhaulers. Or ask the moderator to move it to the toyhauler section.

[wa8yxm]

Somewhere in S.E. Michigan is a Genrac 1000, this is a fully enclosed (Traditional (non inverter)) Generator with a true 1,000 watt capacity Fuel consumption and sound levels compete with the Honda 2000i It has my Screen ID on it (WA8YXM) and if anyone finds it, Please report to me and Redford Police Dept.. Thank you.

Now: Why did I post that?

The ONAN on my Class A is nice it can run everythyin A/C's Microwave Water heater and more all without breaking out in a sweat.. Clearly a little 1KW job is not going to do that.. But...

It also burns at least 1/2 gallon of gasoline every hour, More if loaded.

The 1KW will run just one thing in this RV.. The battery charger/converter

So a six hour run to re-charge the batteries is about 4-5 Gallons, More if I run A/C.

That little Genrac 1KW.. It can charge those same batteries for 8 hours, on about 2 quarts.

[rbp111]

I own two Honda generators. They are easy to operate, yes. A friend has the on-board generator and likes it. So they are a wash when it comes to the convenience factor.

The problem is not so much the convenience of using the generator. The issue is the space used by the on-board generator. If you don't need the room the generator needs under the front of the trailer, then get the on-board style. If you need the space for things then you would strongly consider the portable types.

[tinner12002]

placergold wrote:
We are researching the purchase of a new toy hauler. And one of the options we are struggling with is whether or not to go with a portable generator, or the factory installed generator. Your opinions and experience on this subject would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I actually have both, I run the onboard when needed and then just run my Honda, (1), when were listening to music or just need some 110 power.

[Strabo]

Push button, prime unit. Push button again....Purrr. Electric power. 1120 hours on our onan 4k....

Worship the onboard genny.

[pianotuna]

If you do not wish to run the air conditioner then a decent solar system can meet all your needs.

As to a generator--I'd get the 3400 watt Champion inverter generator which comes with remote electric start.

[time2roll]

Unless you need off-grid air conditioning I would suggest consider large solar, battery and inverter. Maybe a small portable generator to supplement. I assume you camp in the sun a bit being from AZ.

[Sandia_Man]

Our TH is nearly a decade old and we have put over a 1K hours on our onboard Onan thus far. As stated repeatedly above, the convenience of pressing a single button to power your entire rig as if plugged in to shorepower makes for great peace of mind when RVing off the grid. Still runs like a champ and has never failed to provide power even under the most strenuous circumstances.

We are in the market for a new rig in the near future although we are still keeping our TH for trips when using our toys is the primary focus. To that end, and since our new rig will be a non-TH model, I decided to get a portable inverter genny. Being babied by the Onan for it's convenience and capabilities, I needed as close to the same from the portable I intended to buy.

Lo and behold, just after getting our rig ready this past Spring, an opportunity to pick up a Champion 3100 remote start for a killer price materialized and I pulled the trigger. We live and therefore RV predominately at high elevations with occasional calls to power our AC or portable electric heaters for several hours daily when temperatures dictate such usage.

Never an issue for our Onan, but to my overt satisfaction, the Champion doesn't miss a beat performing these feats, even tested above 8K elevation. It runs over 6 hours when doing so on just 1.5 gallons of gas, Onan uses 3 times more fuel accomplishing this task. We love and still use our Onan, but it is way overkill most times. In steps the Champion 3100 with it's one button convenience.

[randy328]

My first TH I had a Honda 3000 that I mounted on the tongue. Worked fine, but my current TH has an Onan built in. I love the built in unit so much better, can start and stop it from inside, it draws from a 30gal onboard tank that is also the fuel station for my bikes. I do racing events and can run it 48 hours if I don't use a lot of gas in the bikes.

Like others said, I can run AC and microwave, TV, 2-way radios, chargers, etc with no issues.

[beemerphile1]

I like having both.