The available factory made aluminum diamond plate boxes run $1200. I'm far too cheap to buy one. Time for a Macgyver moment.
After reading the specs on the factory model, I went to Home depot and found this tool storage box for $60. It's a little longer, but the genny still fits in.
To attach the box to the truck and prevent / deter theft, I elected to use the hole in the middle of the bed of the truck meant for the 5th wheel attachment. It is a 2 3/8" diameter hole, 4 inches deep, through a heavy steel frame which is bolted to the truck. Strong enough for a 5er, strong enough for this job.
After reading the specs on the factory model, I went to Home depot and found this tool storage box for $60. It's a little longer, but the genny still fits in.
To attach the box to the truck and prevent / deter theft, I elected to use the hole in the middle of the bed of the truck meant for the 5th wheel attachment. It is a 2 3/8" diameter hole, 4 inches deep, through a heavy steel frame which is bolted to the truck. Strong enough for a 5er, strong enough for this job.
I guess you don't have any overheating problems for the generator running inside the closed up box. I do see your vents and fan to move fresh air around... I guess your fan just plugs into the generator socket haha...
My 2KW Honda sets secured to the inside of my truck which has a lockable hard folding plastic FOLD-A-COVER bed covers and tailgate.
With my setup I only need to run my small generator three hours each morning usually during breakfast running my on-board PD9260C Converter/charger unit to recharge my 50% charged state battery bank back up to its 90% charge state in a three hour period.
We will make coffee for the day stored in a thermos during this three hour generator run... The only takes less than five minutes to grind and brew a 10-Cup capacity.. Can also use the microwave during this time as well... The rest of the items we run comes from the batteries and 600WATT PSW Power Inverter...
Everybody at the camp sites are always asking in the evenings how are you guys doing this with our trailer area all lit up , HDTV running, Ham Radio going, etc... and no generator noise....
We are setup to run all we want running when camping off the power grid running from our very quiet battery bank. I have to drop the tailgate and move my generator out onto the tailgate when doing this. Then just plug the trailer shore power cable into the generator 120VAC receptacle. This is our routine at 8AM each morning haha... Everyone else at the camp site gets to run their generators at this time as well - like an alarm clock...
My generator goes where we go - Never left unattended at the camp site...
Been using the Out of sight - Out of mind routine for several years now with my 2KW Generator setup.
Here on the East side of the USA we are constantly running into generator run time restrictions. Not many dispersed camping locations here...
When I finally get some added solar panels I will be able to cut the generator back to only an one hour run time and then the solar panels can complete the battery charge during the rest of the high sun day...
The Air conditioning is about the only high wattage toy we do without when camping off the power grid... Fans do just great at night for us...
Roy Ken
My 2KW Honda sets secured to the inside of my truck which has a lockable hard folding plastic FOLD-A-COVER bed covers and tailgate.
With my setup I only need to run my small generator three hours each morning usually during breakfast running my on-board PD9260C Converter/charger unit to recharge my 50% charged state battery bank back up to its 90% charge state in a three hour period.
We will make coffee for the day stored in a thermos during this three hour generator run... The only takes less than five minutes to grind and brew a 10-Cup capacity.. Can also use the microwave during this time as well... The rest of the items we run comes from the batteries and 600WATT PSW Power Inverter...
Everybody at the camp sites are always asking in the evenings how are you guys doing this with our trailer area all lit up , HDTV running, Ham Radio going, etc... and no generator noise....
We are setup to run all we want running when camping off the power grid running from our very quiet battery bank. I have to drop the tailgate and move my generator out onto the tailgate when doing this. Then just plug the trailer shore power cable into the generator 120VAC receptacle. This is our routine at 8AM each morning haha... Everyone else at the camp site gets to run their generators at this time as well - like an alarm clock...
My generator goes where we go - Never left unattended at the camp site...
Been using the Out of sight - Out of mind routine for several years now with my 2KW Generator setup.
Here on the East side of the USA we are constantly running into generator run time restrictions. Not many dispersed camping locations here...
When I finally get some added solar panels I will be able to cut the generator back to only an one hour run time and then the solar panels can complete the battery charge during the rest of the high sun day...
The Air conditioning is about the only high wattage toy we do without when camping off the power grid... Fans do just great at night for us...
Roy Ken
A rotary switch $14 was added to allow for either the generator OR the shore power. The generator / rotary switch is tapped in after the PI surge protector.
The power inlet on the TT was purchased along with the cord noted above.
The power inlet on the TT was purchased along with the cord noted above.
upper wood plug detail
The bottom 1.5" has the full sized hole for the female nut. The upper section has room for only the carriage bolt. The sections are screwed together to allow everything to be taken apart when the genny goes in for repair.
The bottom 1.5" has the full sized hole for the female nut. The upper section has room for only the carriage bolt. The sections are screwed together to allow everything to be taken apart when the genny goes in for repair.
The lid needed to be notched a little to accommodate the gas cap on the genny. I used an inside pipe cutter to remove the box lid ribs.
The bolt sticking through the box feeds into a wooden plug, the width of the hole in the bed of the truck. To keep this plug in place, a 1/2" female union nut was let into the bottom and screwed onto the carriage bolt about half way. The whole thing is tightened to the bottom of the job box, letting the plug and female union nut stick out about 1/2" as the hole in the truck sets about 1/4" below the bed of the truck. This gives me a little room to feel when the plug hits the hole and centers itself.
A 3.5 inch galvanized steel bolt is threaded through a locking washer, a piece of flat steel* with a hole in it, then another 1 1/2 inch wooden plug to center the whole unit from the bottom. The bolt assembly is threaded up through the 5th wheel hole into the female union nut, then tightened with the same impact driver and socket as the stabilizer legs.
* The steel is 2 inches wide, 8 inches long and 1/4 inch thick to act as a giant washer.
The genny is now bolted to the truck, can be used in the rain, and while traveling.
The total cost was $169, saving around $1130, and enjoyed the experience.
The bolt sticking through the box feeds into a wooden plug, the width of the hole in the bed of the truck. To keep this plug in place, a 1/2" female union nut was let into the bottom and screwed onto the carriage bolt about half way. The whole thing is tightened to the bottom of the job box, letting the plug and female union nut stick out about 1/2" as the hole in the truck sets about 1/4" below the bed of the truck. This gives me a little room to feel when the plug hits the hole and centers itself.
A 3.5 inch galvanized steel bolt is threaded through a locking washer, a piece of flat steel* with a hole in it, then another 1 1/2 inch wooden plug to center the whole unit from the bottom. The bolt assembly is threaded up through the 5th wheel hole into the female union nut, then tightened with the same impact driver and socket as the stabilizer legs.
* The steel is 2 inches wide, 8 inches long and 1/4 inch thick to act as a giant washer.
The genny is now bolted to the truck, can be used in the rain, and while traveling.
The total cost was $169, saving around $1130, and enjoyed the experience.
The exhaust is another roof vent from home depot $20
The cord to the trailer was bought from Amazon, $92 which included the inlet box for the trailer. This shouldn't figure into the cost as I would have had to buy them anyway but thought to include them so y'all have an idea of the total cost.
The cord was notched into the side, just below the water tight lid.
8 holes were drilled in the bottom to let any rain water or spilled gasoline or oil escape.
The cord to the trailer was bought from Amazon, $92 which included the inlet box for the trailer. This shouldn't figure into the cost as I would have had to buy them anyway but thought to include them so y'all have an idea of the total cost.
The cord was notched into the side, just below the water tight lid.
8 holes were drilled in the bottom to let any rain water or spilled gasoline or oil escape.
The genny was set into the box, with the bolt sticking through the hole about one inch.
To get fresh air in, the factory specs a 665 CFM 12v fan. I found one on Ebay for $20. A 9 inch hole was cut in the side of the box. That hole was covered with a roofing vent cover from Home Depot $31.
The gaps were filled with backer rod, and everything was sealed with a silane caulking which is waterproof.
To get fresh air in, the factory specs a 665 CFM 12v fan. I found one on Ebay for $20. A 9 inch hole was cut in the side of the box. That hole was covered with a roofing vent cover from Home Depot $31.
The gaps were filled with backer rod, and everything was sealed with a silane caulking which is waterproof.
The 2x2 metal frame was removed from the bottom of the generator. This made it low enough to add a 3/4" thick piece of BC plywood bolted into the bottom of the generator using the factory supplied 6 threaded bolt holes.
The plywood has a cut out to accommodate the pan on the bottom of the genny.
A hole was drilled in the center to allow for a 1/2" galvanized carriage bold to be dropped through the plywood. This bolt is what attaches the plywood to the truck frame. The plywood is attached to the genny. The box is sammiched in between.
The plywood has a cut out to accommodate the pan on the bottom of the genny.
A hole was drilled in the center to allow for a 1/2" galvanized carriage bold to be dropped through the plywood. This bolt is what attaches the plywood to the truck frame. The plywood is attached to the genny. The box is sammiched in between.
