Where to mount a Generator

[Mitcho]

hi all,
where do you all mount a generator on your Micro Minnie? I am thinking above the propane tanks but not sure that with it mounted there it will cause a problem with turn radius with my van and trailer. I thought about the rear bumper as the Gen is like 90 pounds but the spare tires is mounted there so thought it might be overweight.
Let me know what you all do. My plans is to mount a 4500 generator.
Thanks
Mitch

[creativepart]

In the rear of your Tow Vehicle? 4500w is larger than the generator on a 30’ Winnebago Vista motorhome. In other words, unusually large for your 21 or so foot travel trailer. Sounds like you’re about 1,500 watts over spec’d.

[Mitcho]

Creativepart,
Well per Winnebago they say I need at least a 3500W just for the AC so if I run the AC and the microwave with the 4500W I should be covered. Also the 3500W is about the same cost and weight as a 4500W.
Also I asked where one mounts there Gen, not what size you think I need. Just saying.

[Mitcho]

Creativepart,
You said my Cummins Portable 4500W is bigger than what is in a Vista? I had to look and per the spec sheet for the Vista is has a 5,500-watt Cummins Onan® MicroQuiet™ gas generator. I am sure it is not a portable like I am buying :-)

[Marine359]

Hey Mitcho,
You may want to reconsider adding so much weight with a big generator. IMHO, there’s no need for a big gennie in a small camper.
Install a Micro-Air Easy Start on your A/C compressor. Cost like $300.
I can vouch that if you install one, you can run the A/C from a 2,500w propane generator.
And if you use propane only to run the gennie, you can store it in the pass thru. No mount needed. My Champion 2500w dual fuel weighs only 39lbs, cost $600, and fits nicely in the pass thru. You could also put a converted Honda 2200 in the pass thru. So much easier, and clean. No messy gasoline. No mounting worries. Once you switch to propane, you can also safely carry it in side an suv. There are no fumes or odors.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by Mitcho

, I had to look and per the spec sheet for the Vista is has a 5,500-watt Cummins Onan® MicroQuiet™ gas generator. I am sure it is not a portable like I am buying :-)

Sorry, I should have checked first. A number of smaller motorhomes come with 4,000w generators. You have a smaller travel trailer. Hence, the comparison.

My 37’ motorhome has two A/C units and only has a 5,500w generator.

My only point is that you are sizing for continuous maximum use case, not typical use case.

It’s your rig, equip it as you see fit. Sorry if I offended you. I was legitimately trying to offer some helpful advice.

[No1Hunter]

I carry and use mine in the bed of my TV up by the cab. I strap it in place with the cargo eyes. If I need to use it, I simply plug into it, turn on the gas and push start.

[Mitcho]

Jim,
Yes I thought I could do the but it seems I have a GE AC that takes more on the start up so GE and Winnebago said I needed at least a 3500w gen.

No1Hunter yes but I have a van and I do not want it in the van as I have bicycles and other stuff in there.

Creativepart you did not offend me but you guessed on about something that you might have needed more info on like my Micro Minnie has a GE AC not the normal AC I am told but again it was a COVID build so I guess they had to put in whatever they could at the time. Knowing what I know now I might have looked for a non-covid build trailer but I got a good deal so fingers crossed

[DryCreek]

Originally Posted by Mitcho

Creativepart,
You said my Cummins Portable 4500W is bigger than what is in a Vista? I had to look and per the spec sheet for the Vista is has a 5,500-watt Cummins Onan® MicroQuiet™ gas generator. I am sure it is not a portable like I am buying :-)

My 30' Winnebago Class A motor home (Sightseer 29R) has a 4,000 watt Onan - just like the Vista 29V.

Link: https://www.winnebago.com/models/pro...fications=true

The Vista replaced the Sightseer as the entry-level Class A motorhome. In fact, the next size up Sightseer (30U) also had a 4KW genset.

Any of the 30 amp builds will be fine with the 4KW set. Maybe you were looking at the longer Vista models...

[Morich]

There may be times when small points can get to be killers, so I might ask some questions onthings you may or may not have thought about. One is how much experience you have with portable generator?
They tend to be much louder than the other generators which Winnebago adds to motorhomes and that extra noise can make it really bad to have it right on the RV.
And that also circles back to how you plan to use the RV and air conditioner.

Is the weather likely to make you want to use the Air at night where generator running may be a problem at the campground or is the noise only more likey to keep you from sleeeping?

We each operate in the different ways and different places but something to think about in planning is how and when and how much noise is too much. Smaller portable that can be set away from the RV can be better as you can then build noise baffles to cut the noise way down. Built into the Rv and near the bed may not be good at all but depends on your specific situation. I can imagine they would vibrate a trailer big time?

[Mitcho]

Richard,
This is a travel trailer there is no real way to put any other generator on it other then a portable one. That said it will be a Cummings 4500 Duel Fuel one. Also this is at 100 pounds something I do not want to have to lift to move in and out of my van so that is way it will be on the front of the Micro Minnie.
The Gen will only be used when I need Air really. I am doing a trip in July were I will not be able to have the trailer plugged in for power and it will be HOT so the AC will be running each night after I am done cycling each day.
I looked into smaller gen but both GE who makes the AC unit and Winnebago say I need at least a 3500 Gen for the start up of the AC unit and if I happen to be using the Microwave well the 4500 should cover this as well.
Thanks for asking.

[Morich]

I see and follow the reasons okay. Can't say there is anything there that I would not agree with except that the AC and the microwave may have to be worked at different times. Not sure how to do that if the aC is working hard to bring a really hot trailer down as it may run for long times at a stretch as it may have a fight to get from near 100 down to livable??
But I also have gone trhough trying to get a dual fuel 3500 Champion generator quiet enough to sleep at night. I thought I had lived in the boonies at other houses but this power situation is the worst and bad enough to make me get a backup. But I also want to sleep and not drive the neighbors crazy!

Noise is a crazy thing to try to work around and figure out. I have brick walls which works pretty good to keep the noise out of the house but then it also reflects those sound waves so it got into working to make the noise bounce several times and be asorbed each time. A real mind bender for a while.

Sorry. Not seeing a good path for you. I've tried just staying up when doing RV, thinking I could wait until it cooled but that's not working at times .

[BobC]

I don't see where anyone has suggested two smaller, 2000W generators that can be "paralleled" to provide 4000W. Hondas and some other generators can do this with the proper combining cable system. That way, if you don't need to run your A/C you can leave one generator at home. If you need both, you're only lifting half the weight of a larger generator at a time.

https://www.electricgeneratorsdirect...enerators.html

Dual fuel generators that run on either gasoline or LPG are also available. That increases the storage options when using LPG since you're not carrying a generator full of gasoline or fumes. An LPG generator can be safely carried inside the TT. LPG conversion kits are also available for many gasoline-only generators but make sure the generator in question is convertible. My older Honda 2000i isn't convertible to LPG but the newer models aren't.

This doesn't have anything to do with your question, but I suggest you read up on generator sound ratings so you have a good understanding of decibel ratings so you can evaluate the sound levels of the different options. Decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale. A generator rated at 60dB(A) is about twice as loud as one rated at 57dB(A), not just 5% louder. Also, some manufacturers rate their generators only at 1/2 or 1/4 load, while others, like Honda (generally the quietest), lists theirs at both full and reduced loads. This can get complicated and some will argue that there are other, more appropriate measures but decibel, or more specifically dB(A) is the most common. Here are the noise level specs for the Honda:

Honda EU 2200i - 57 dB(A) at rated load, 48 dB(A) at 1/4 load

Note: If a generator doesn't list it's dB(A) as full or rated load, I'd assume that it's not a full-load rating. If you're powering an AC, you'll be operating at close to full load. For example, the Harbor Freight predator 2000W "Super Quiet" generator is rated at 58 dB(A), with an unspecified load rating. I wouldn't compare this to Honda's rated load 57 dB(A) but to Honda's 1/4 load rating of 48 dB(A), or, at best, something in between. If it was a full load rating, you can bet they'd have specified it as such. Similarly, Champion lists it's 2000W inverter generator at 53dB(A) without a specified load rating. There's no way it's that much quieter than the Honda at full load.

[hank857]

However the size you want you need to ensure it is mounted to the FRAME. I made one for my TT some years ago after I saw one on a TT in the south. They had a deck added and ran the gen when it was hot out so when they stopped the unit was cool. I used 2x2 thick wall tube and added 2 of the receiver hitch bumper pads used 1/2 bolts to retain. DO NOT just rely on the install tube to hold as it wont. I got the tubing long enough to reach under and about 2ft past the tube for the 'bumper and then used it to hold everything. You can get remote start gens I have a champion 4000 that I used. anyhow I also installed one of the hitch mount carrier bases and added a plastic cargo box to carry what I determined I would need for setup. I can take pics if you need to see how I rigged it up. BTW tubing was set to accept the partial weight that the bumper could hold with help.