Truck Camper with Built in Genset?

[smcrea]

I'm considering swapping my TT for a truck camper. However having a Gen Set is important to us.

Do they make a truck camper with a gen set? maybe one that runs on propane and enough power to run the AC?

OR,

Somewhere to store a genset such as a couple of Honda 2KW that I could run in tandem?

Thanks!

[Boondocking2019]

My 2020 Adventurer 89RBS has the built in 2500 Onan and we primarily Boondock for UTV backcountry exploring up to 5 days. Carry extra 2 Propane Tanks in the Cargo Trailer don’t worry about running out. There’s pro and con as previously written and we knew going into this Adventurer TC that the Generator was a must have for our Travels.

[woodworker414]

Devocamper, curious, what does you camper weigh, loaded?
I have '14 Chevy 3500HD,dually, CC, 4X4, 8' bed, DuraMax
I thought that camper was to heavy for my truck.

[n0arp]

Our AF1140 has a built-in Onan QG 2500 LP genset. It was loud and obnoxious in factory trim, so I purchased sound deadening material, vibration dampening mats, and a tractor muffler, and redid the installation to my standards. It's notably quieter and shakes the camper far less now. With the mods, it sounds more like the QG 5500 LP in our fifth wheel.

I abhor generators and try to run off solar/battery as much as possible, but like onboard generators because I can tie them into my Victron GX devices for automatic operation based on a variety of parameters. I want to be able to leave for the day and know that if for some reason our batteries don't make it the entire time we're gone, the generator will kick on and charge them. Especially when running air conditioning for the dogs (note: we do have environmental monitoring that sends SMS alerts of power failures, temperature anomalies, etc for our pet's safety).

[jaycocreek]

To be honest,I wish my TC had a built in gen..My previous Class C had one and it was convenient at times, especial for the AC to cool things down..

One reason I like Adventurer truck campers,most sizes have a gen set option..

[adamis]

Everyone's need for a genset is different, much of that probably determined by location. In the South, a genset for running the AC is important. The Pacific North West the AC isn't as critical so a genset is less important.

This idea is based on the idea that you live in an area where the AC is not critical and only occasionally used (perhaps while getting lunch during a rest stop).

If I was in the market for a new camper and I had to decide if I wanted to tick the generator box on the Purchase Order for a ~$3k fee, here would be my thoughts... What could I do differently for that amount of money and get something better?

My first idea would be to go with a super efficient AC unit with soft-start. Get two 100AH LiFePO4 batteries, 400w of solar and a good inverter capable of running the AC for ~30 minutes on battery power. Then my next move would be to look for an oversized alternator for the truck and rewiring the umbilical (or adding an additional one) with a DC to DC charger capable of moving enough juice to charge the batteries from 50% to full in an hour.

Get a remote start for the truck and now you have what I think is the ideal setup for the pacific Northwest. You can run the AC for a half hour without any genset while grabbing some lunch. You can run the coffee maker in the morning on battery power (for those that prefer their electric one) and you have plenty of power for typical small draw items during the day. Presumably if you really had to, you could run the AC longer with the truck idling. All of this without the need for a heavy, noisey generator that sucks propane.

Now, the naysayers I'm sure will complain about idling your truck for long periods of time. As I said at the beginning of my post, different locations have different needs. If you have to run your AC 8 hours a day for your camping experience, obviously you don't want to idle your truck for 8 hours a day for days on end. But in areas where AC is seldom used, I think this would be the way to go if you could overcome the technical challenges to implement it.

[Grit_dog]

So like most things, everything is a compromise in one way or another.

The noise and propane consumption of a built in vs the convenience of the same.
The versatility and gas sipping of a tag a long generator vs having to "deal" with it.
Can see advantages and disadvantages of both. Only way to have your cake and eat it too is to do like Devocamper and have an array of power sources at your fingertips.

But to answer the OP's question, many TC's come with built in generators.

[Grit_dog]

Lwiddis wrote:
If they would fit a generator and large propane tanks will severely your storage. I’d go with a Micro Air and one 2000 generator.

Huh? Another unfounded opinion. Doesn't the 2000 take up about the same space, somewhere, too? Just sayin...

[specta]

My first camper I had to have a divorced generator. My second camper had to have a built in generator.

The generator compartment is totally enclosed unlike the newer campers that the bottom of the generator compartment is open.

I have a new (1 year old) Onan QG 2500 LP generator. It does not vibrate and shake my camper. Its actually pretty quiet.

I fire it up just long enough in the morning to brew my coffee and when I return late afternoon to run my AC. With the AC going you can't even tell that the generator is running.

I rarely camp for more than 5 days at a time and I can carry 37 gallons of propane so running out is never a concern.

[JimK-NY]

My Northstar was wired and setup with a compartment for a generator. I am very happy to use a Honda gas feed generator. Propane generators use up the tanks in a hurry and propane refills can be hard to find in remote areas.

Since I rarely have hook ups, I have organized my activities to rely primarily on my batteries and solar. I am fussy about coffee and have found much better ways to make coffee without needing a generator and large coffee maker.

[deltabravo]

deltabravo wrote:
...That idea failed when i measure their height and realized a new AF is too tall for my shop...

Eric&Lisa wrote:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. Problems like this are simply opportunities to upgrade. New camper and a new shop to put it in.

New shop is out of the question until I sell my current estate and buy a new one. But I did end up deciding on a newer camper.

Eric&Lisa wrote:
Tell DW you have the forum's approval and recommendation to proceed.

No DW to seek approval from, I do what I want. There is no DW here.

Eric&Lisa wrote:
Just how tall is the new camper, and how short is your shop?

2016+ AF campers are about 4" taller than the older ones. 2016+ have an arched roof and cathedral ceiling inside.

Eric&Lisa wrote:
I looked up your existing AF 811, and it looks pretty much standard size to me. Are you only clearing today by fractions of an inch?

My old style 811 was 11' 10.5". It barely fit under my 12' shop door. In 2018 I swapped to an ultra low profile A/C (heat pump) which reduced my height by about 4"

[deltabravo]

smcrea wrote:
Do they make a truck camper with a gen set? maybe one that runs on propane and enough power to run the AC?

Yes, all but two Arctic Fox models are on-board genny capable.
The only two that aren'y are the 811 and 865 in the long bed versions.

[time2roll]

TC might come with a smaller 9000 BTU and would run fine on a single Honda 2200.

I always hear of large propane consumption with these built-in generators especially running the air near continuous. Just make sure you know the run time.

[specta]

mellow wrote:
There is something about rolling out of bed in your underwear and hitting that generator switch to make coffee in the morning while out in the middle of no where scratching my butt and admiring nature.

Yep.

I'm gone all day and not sitting in my camper.

I just fire it up to make coffee, run the microwave and the AC if its too hot inside.

[Eric_Lisa]

deltabravo wrote:
...That idea failed when i measure their height and realized a new AF is too tall for my shop...

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. Problems like this are simply opportunities to upgrade. New camper and a new shop to put it in. Tell DW you have the forum's approval and recommendation to proceed. :B

Smart-aleck comment aside... Just how tall is the new camper, and how short is your shop? I looked up your existing AF 811, and it looks pretty much standard size to me. Are you only clearing today by fractions of an inch?

-Eric