Mounting Generator

[bblake]

Looking for some advice.  Just picked up a 2004 Fleetwood Hemlock.  Thinking about buying a generator, but can't see where I might mount it. For those of you with a generator, do you have it mounted on the frame or just store it and wheel it away from the pup for use?  Recommended capacity?  I have AC and a 30 amp converter, figure I should be looking for a 3000-3500 watt generator.  Many thanks.

Bob
Buffy

[wavery]

Looking for some advice.  Just picked up a 2004 Fleetwood Hemlock.  Thinking about buying a generator, but can't see where I might mount it. For those of you with a generator, do you have it mounted on the frame or just store it and wheel it away from the pup for use?  Recommended capacity?  I have AC and a 30 amp converter, figure I should be looking for a 3000-3500 watt generator.  Many thanks.

Bob
Buffy

I like to recommend the Honda EU2000i (x2=4000W).  The Honda EU2000i is pretty maxed out with the AC alone (on my camper). Some people have reported that the Honda EU2000i won't run their AC at all. I plug my AC directly into my generator and NOT through the camper's long extension cord, converter and wiring. On our camper, that makes the difference between being able to run the AC or not. (your results may differ)

The real big plus on the EU2000i is that it only weighs 47# and is very small (easy to stow) and very quiet. The fact is, most of your use for the generator may not be for the AC, it may well be for a multitude of smaller items. I know, for US, we run the AC very seldom. However, it sure is nice to have the power when we need it.

The other really cool thing about the Honda EU2000i is if you want to have 4000W of power, you can run 2 of them, hooked together. It's a little more initial investment but running and upkeep is lower. Most 4000W generators are very large and very heavy (well over 100#) and they use a lot of fuel even if you are just running a battery charger or drill motor. If you have 2 of the Honda EU2000i generators, you only need to store/move 1 at a time and you can run only one if your consumption is less than 1800W.

Being light weight, you are also much more likely to pick it up and put it in your TV (covered up), over night, for security.

[harleywolf]

I am a new PUP owner, most the CG

[AustinBoston]

I thought maybe adding a hitch receiver to the rear of the PUP and getting one of those carriers that slides into it. Could haul the gen and the fuel there as well and maybe a few other small light items. Also thought about getting a LP powered gen. and plumbing the PUP for a gas line to the rear with an electric start inside. I currently have a single LP tank so would add a second but in either case I could dump the whole works when planning a full hook up trip. My concern would be weight distribution for towing and admittedly I haven

[dademt]

While I haven't done it yet, I am planning on adding a hitch to the front of my truck to mount a platform that will hold a generator ( which I still haven't purchased yet ).  Kind of funny giving advice on something I haven't done but that is what I have come up with as the best option for me and thought I would just pass it along.

[harleywolf]

Yea I knew the weight issue would be coming into play with that idea. We have a trunk on the front of our PUP and thats where I haul our firewood, I haven't done any math yet but my thought was that the firewood may balance out the extra weight on the back to keep the tongue weight close to correct for towing.

Now I hadn't considered using the front of our TV like DADEMT suggested. There's a good thought too, maybe a better solution even!

[mike4947]

Not really. Your trailer comes off the dealer's lot light in the tongue to start with. Before you spend money have the trailer and tongue weighed to see where you are to start with.

A lot of the '00 thru '04 Fleetwood trailers with front trunks were intentially designed with light tongue weight supposedly to compensate for the loading in the trunk. Except that all the other builders manage to do it and have sufficient tongue weight when the trunk is empty or full.
 
As for mounting a genset, you don't want a permanent mount of any kind. Think about sitting on a running lawnmower and you'll get some idea of what will happen inside the trailer with the genset running. Not so much noise transfer (but some will) but the vibration will have your teeth hurting in short order.

[harleywolf]

My trailer weight is 2800lb dry with a tongue weight of 300lb or so the dealer says. The trunk holds up to 150lb which in theory would increase my tongue weight to 450lb accordingly, so I thought that loading no more than a 100lb on the back would keep it in check (with a 100lb or so of firewood in front). But being new to pulling a PUP of course I could be ignorant to many factors. We were tent campers for 20 years pulling a 4x8 camp trailer that didn

[AustinBoston]

A lot of the '00 thru '04 Fleetwood trailers with front trunks were intentially designed with light tongue weight supposedly to compensate for the loading in the trunk. Except that all the other builders manage to do it and have sufficient tongue weight when the trunk is empty or full.

That certanly was a stupid design.  In order to get our tongue to 10% weight, we had to put nearly 200 lbs on the tongue.  Except that the front storage box is only rated for 150 lbs.  :confused:

Austin

[AustinBoston]

My trailer weight is 2800lb dry with a tongue weight of 300lb or so the dealer says. The trunk holds up to 150lb which in theory would increase my tongue weight to 450lb accordingly,

Either you or your dealer may be confusing actual weights with weight ratings.  The typical tongue weight rating for a 2800 lb trailer is in the 280-420 lb. range (10%-15% of the actual trailer gross weight).  The coupler may max out at 300 lbs (more likely 350 lbs); some manufacturers do stupid things like that.

Austin

[dademt]

The one thing I would consider is that if you are using the firewood for offset the generator in the back, what are you putting in there on the way home after you have burnt the firewood?  With that being said you are definately thinking this one out for all of us to learn from so thanks.

[mike4947]

Not to mention that weight that's added to the front trunk doesn't all go to tongue weight. Like a tetter totter weight distibution is based on where between the ball/coupler and the trailer axle the weight is.
If half way, 1/2 the weight goes toward tongue weight and 1/2 goes to axle weight. The closer to the ball the more goes to tongue weight and closer to the trailer axle the more goes to axle wight.

[harleywolf]

Didn

[Morphine]

You are going to put firewood in the front of the trailer, that is a great idea...........except what are you hauling the firewood to the camp for, to burn it.  Well unless you load the front storage with rocks or more firewood to haul home you will be back heavy for sure.  The sway that is caused by poor trailer weight distribution can be very unsafe to travel with.

[wavery]

You are going to put firewood in the front of the trailer, that is a great idea...........except what are you hauling the firewood to the camp for, to burn it.  Well unless you load the front storage with rocks or more firewood to haul home you will be back heavy for sure.  The sway that is caused by poor trailer weight distribution can be very unsafe to travel with.

Morphine :confused:
I gotta know why you chose that name. Are you a doctor or do you just get into a lot of accidents?? :p

I smell a story here. :book: