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View Poll Results: What do you use your generator for the majority of the time?
Most of the time I use it for dry camping. 43 34.40%
Most the time I use it while driving. 55 44.00%
I use it for dry camping and driving about the same amount of time. 27 21.60%
Voters: 125. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 06-25-2011, 09:08 AM   #21
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My wife is on oxygen 24/7, so run genset while on the road to power her concentrator. If we did not have it we would have to carry a trailer load of oxygen bottles with us or sigh just stay home. We also run the air and a cup of hot coffee is always welcome.

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Old 06-25-2011, 09:47 AM   #22
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The dash air in our rig must be a freak of nature because it does a fine job of keeping us cool while traveling so our gen set gets very little use. We spend a month per year at FILs place in rural Minnesota with only water and a 15 amp connection so we'll use it at times there for AC.

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Old 06-25-2011, 11:43 AM   #23
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Any time the outside temp is about 87* or above ours is on while traveling. It's run as much as 4 days before without a break. That's what they are for.
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Old 06-25-2011, 12:29 PM   #24
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Both for us. Of course, I don't have an automatic transfer switch in our setup

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Old 06-25-2011, 12:57 PM   #25
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C. Both for us.. I used it for the first time while driving to Tennessee when the outside temperatures were around 95 during the day.

We mostly dry camp at races and music festivals. We were just at Bonnaroo in Tennessee and ran the generator around 18 hours a day for the four days we were there.
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Old 06-25-2011, 02:04 PM   #26
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if its cool we use the inverter for coffe and micor duty while scooting down the road.
the heat lately we use the genny to run the roof a/c units dont give it a second thought
last week it was so hot i used the dash a/c and the roofs to maintain my comfort level,
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Old 06-25-2011, 02:33 PM   #27
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Lunch, when traveling to our destination we pull over to use the microwave and AC. As also use it on hot summer afternoons while on the road to power the AC. Our first dry camping in 10 years will be this summer.
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Old 06-25-2011, 03:11 PM   #28
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I don't dry camp so I don't use the genny. I run it about every 3 months for a little exercise. My first two MH's didn't even have a genny and no roof A/C. I roughed it. My dash air is great, cooling system ditto.
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Old 06-27-2011, 04:22 AM   #29
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We primarily use our generator while travelling as we are not dry campers. On the road, its run for a couple of days non-stop -- why 'save' it for someone else to enjoy!
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Old 07-05-2011, 02:12 AM   #30
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The likely reason for Winnebago and Parallax's peculiar stance relates to the design of your motorhome's transfer switch. In short, most transfer switches (frequently supplied by Parallax) were designed in a static environment. When you're going down the road, the internal contact switches are susceptible to failure, especially when you hit a bump. In this scenario, the AC simply shuts down. There are a few threads in this forum that raise this same issue.

At any rate, Parallax, understandably, takes the position that you shouldn't run your generator while driving because they could potentially be responsible for fixing any transfer switches that failed while the vehicle was in motion. Thus, if you have a problem with running your AC while in motion, it could be related to the limitations of the transfer switch. However, if you then went to Winnebago or Parallax and asked for them to remedy the problem, they would undoubtedly tell you that the switch was not designed for in-motion use. And from a design perspective, they would be right.

Luckily, most of us don't have this problem, but if you do, don't look to the manufacturer for a solution. They don't have one. Most people seem to eliminate the problem by replacing their transfer switch. But it is possible that you could get a new switch that exhibited the same limitation. You would probably have better luck lowering your tire pressure a little to soften the ride. Your gas mileage will go down slightly but you might solve the problem of the AC kicking off while driving down the road.

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Old 07-05-2011, 04:12 AM   #31
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You hit the nail on the head, but Winnebago is saying it's OK. The only skin they have in the game is they are saying, that while they don't see a problem with it, they have no financial or otherwise responsibility to remedy the situation. My feeling is a case could be made to make them responsible for collateral damage if they are recommending using the generator while driving while knowingly using a component that is expressly made to NOT be used this way. If Winnebago put their supply relationship with Parallax in jeopardy because of the engineering of the switch, it's quite likely that Parallax would see the light about how more than half of their customers use their product. I don't have a lot of hope about Winnebago using the leverage that they have, but you never know.

The other transfer switch manufacturers are saying that it's OK to do this, so I am going with a competitor.
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Old 08-06-2011, 07:24 PM   #32
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Living in Alabama and traveling heavily in the southeast, during the summer, our generator is running with both roof airs on anytime we're on the road. We also primarily dry camp so it runs 24/7 on most trips other than a once a day shutdown to check the oil. The longest dry trip we've taken was 2 weeks. Ran the whole time. No problem. I figure that's what it's for!
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Old 08-10-2011, 03:25 PM   #33
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We had no power at our house for a full day last year, so I parked the MH out front and ran an extension cord into the house to the fridge to keep the beer cold.
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Old 08-10-2011, 06:03 PM   #34
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Our dash air works well enough to keep us cool while on the road. The rest of the time we use it a few hours a day while dry camping.
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Old 08-10-2011, 07:00 PM   #35
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while driving
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Old 08-11-2011, 04:54 PM   #36
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None of the above. I always stay at campgrounds with electricity and my dash a/c keeps me cool. Maybe once in a while to run the zapper while at a rest stop for lunch. Oh, and if I am Wallycamping and it is hot. I have used it three times at home to power up my house breaker panel during power outages. The PO however put 500 hours on it dry camping in 35,000 miles and 6 years.
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Old 08-11-2011, 05:05 PM   #37
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Here in the PNW we tend to not get enough hot weather to run an A/C except in Eastern Washington.
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Old 08-11-2011, 05:15 PM   #38
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We use our while driving. It affords us the power to run our clocking device and warp drive systems. If its hot out we will divert one leg to the a/c located just aft of the bridge. Sometimes the 1st Officer will use some power for the small reactor located over the stove. Not sure what we will do if the gen goes on the blink.
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Old 08-11-2011, 05:35 PM   #39
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Old 08-14-2011, 07:49 AM   #40
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That is a real good subject for food for thought;; I say use it when you feel there is a need;; It allways Intreegs Me when someone in the group says our rig is X number of years old ( maybe 10 ) and there is less then 100 hours on the clock. My question is . WHY;; that is a unit that is/was built to run, Not just go along for the ride. We had a 1986 Winnebago With a 5k onan When we traded it the genset had over 2500 hours on the clock. It ran perfect. When it was running dry camping we even Had some cheap %$#@$% come and ask if they could plug in, he didn't feel that he need enough to start his. I say use it as often as you can. It will last longer that way;; Life is good;;
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