Generator

[Greg A]

Heading to a nearby lake next week with the kayaks. Temps here are in the 90’s but cooling down still nicely at night. Have a site right on the water, but no utilities so tested the Wen 2000 generator with the new grounding plug.
Worked great, no errors on the EMS. Couldn’t run the AC on econo mode, but it started and ran fine on regular throttle.
Looks like we’ll be able to run AC for a couple of hours in the afternoon if we need it just to cool things down.

[Jim Bennett]

Getting near time to do a visit up here to escape that hot weather, Greg. Though, it will be hitting 25°C (77°F) here today. Just shy of melting temperatures.

A week of hanging out at a lake sounds like a mighty fun thing to do.

[Greg A]

Three more years, Jim and we’ll be heading ur direction. Gotta get the last one out of the nest so we can officially hit the road. Ron did some time at Lake Pleasant after Quartzsite which is where we’re heading and it’s quite a nice setup.

[azjack]

Greg, our son and his wife will be there this evening with two kayaks. They'll cross the lake to the bar and then back. He's up there about once a week as they are in NW Peoria.
Jack

[Ron in BC]

Yes, Lake Pleasant, nice place. Of course, after Q'site, any lake would look good.
Enjoy.

Bar, what bar?

Ron

[hotfishtacos]

Lake Pleasant must be a very popular getaway for Phoenix residents when it starts getting hot and it isn't very far away. A couple of cooler hours would be nice with the generator.

Finally went over to the "Dark Side" and purchased a Honda EU2200i (converted to propane) for those times when additional cooling is nice or a little battery charge-up is needed...to keep the ice frozen for margaritas. My battery monitoring system turns the generator off when the batteries are charged up to my set-point...only used when necessary.

[Rossue]

Noooo! Wasnt your original tagline "No generators"?

Well, i guess we can believe the "auto shutoff" claim, else you'd be just like the others we suspect of watching porn Seriously, why do people run them all day even when they arent running an AC

[hotfishtacos]

Yes! Good memory. ..."What generator??"

Originally Posted by Rossue

Noooo! Wasnt your original tagline "No generators"?

Well, i guess we can believe the "auto shutoff" claim, else you'd be just like the others we suspect of watching porn Seriously, why do people run them all day even when they arent running an AC

[sclifrickson]

Originally Posted by hotfishtacos

Lake Pleasant must be a very popular getaway for Phoenix residents when it starts getting hot and it isn't very far away. A couple of cooler hours would be nice with the generator.



Finally went over to the "Dark Side" and purchased a Honda EU2200i (converted to propane) for those times when additional cooling is nice or a little battery charge-up is needed...to keep the ice frozen for margaritas. My battery monitoring system turns the generator off when the batteries are charged up to my set-point...only used when necessary.

Would you mind sharing details about your propane conversion and your auto shutoff setup?

[hotfishtacos]

I still do not like generators because I feel they spoil the tranquility of camping but I sometimes need one so I purchased the smallest, quietest one I could find that will run my air conditioner and set it up on an automatic shut off for battery charging so it doesn't run any longer than necessary.

The generator I selected is Honda's new EU2200i which I converted to propane with this kit I installed made by HutchMountain.

Products | Hutch Mountain

I can now run on Propane, Natural Gas or Gasoline. I don't want to haul gasoline cans when I already have two propane tanks in front of the trailer.

I don't want to haul the generator inside my Honda Pilot so I built a hitch-mount with a lockable security plate system for the hitch receiver on the back of the Escape 19'. Two covers are installed over the generator while underway to keep it clean and dry. It is really secure back there. Even with this additional weight on the back of the trailer the tongue weight is still over 10%.

https://www.powerequipmentdirect.com...mpaign=product



I made a mounting bracket for the Low Pressure Switching Regulator to manage the propane flow to temporarily mount on the rear bumper near the generator when I'm using it.



To automatically shut off the generator I installed a programmable Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor system with Blue Tooth communication.



I also installed a 12VDC propane solenoid tied to the battery monitor switch relay to allow me to shut of propane supply to the generator when I want it to stop. It plugs right into the trailer low pressure supply quick disconnect receptacle. I can set the shut off limit based on desired % of battery charge. It works well allowing me to leave the trailer knowing the system will shutoff at the right time.

Originally Posted by sclifrickson

Would you mind sharing details about your propane conversion and your auto shutoff setup?

[Greg A]

Wow!

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by hotfishtacos

I don't want to haul the generator inside my Honda Pilot so I built a hitch-mount with a lockable security plate system for the hitch receiver on the back of the Escape 19'.

I have the Orbital LowPro LockDown Generator mount for my Yamaha 2400 and plan to mount it like your's. I would really like to see how you attached the generator mount to a receiver hitch. Any chance of seeing some pics and info for your mod?

[hotfishtacos]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

I have the Orbital LowPro LockDown Generator mount for my Yamaha 2400 and plan to mount it like your's. I would really like to see how you attached the generator mount to a receiver hitch. Any chance of seeing some pics and info for your mod?

Your generator mount is identical to mine. I ordered a receiver tube insert and cut it to maybe 16 inches...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

...then set the generator attached to the mount on top of the receiver tube to determine the center of balance and marked the plate...then drilled clearance holes through the generator mount and tapped the top of the receiver tube...maybe 6 places and installed and loctited Grade 8 5/16-18 bolts. When the generator is mounted the bolt heads are inaccessible under the generator.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I then installed a locking hitch pin to secure it into the receiver

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

...with a Hitch Tightener to keep everything tight and quiet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[sclifrickson]

Very nice!

I’m also quite pro-solar in general, but have come to recognize two scenarios that warrant a generator: Death Valley with no hookups for AC, or extended stays in rainforest under heavy canopy, leading to solar unable to keep up.

I have been eyeing the Hutch Mountain propane conversion and the Honda 2200 as well. I think that is the bee’s knees winning combo.

[hotfishtacos]

Your two scenarios are exactly why I went to the "Dark Side"...BTW, Hutch Mountain's products are a little expensive but the quality and support are stellar.

Originally Posted by sclifrickson

Very nice!

I’m also quite pro-solar in general, but have come to recognize two scenarios that warrant a generator: Death Valley with no hookups for AC, or extended stays in rainforest under heavy canopy, leading to solar unable to keep up.

I have been eyeing the Hutch Mountain propane conversion and the Honda 2200 as well. I think that is the bee’s knees winning combo.

[War Eagle]

FWIW, there is a guy in Indiana who makes RV generator boxes out of diamond plate aluminum (https://www.rvgeneratorbox.com/). Saw this one on the back of a Casita at a recent RV rally. Very well designed and constructed. He can run it with the doors closed and locked as long as he opens the circular cold air and the exhaust hatches on the sides. The hitch did have some wobble, so the owner added a couple of diagonal tie-down straps.

[cpaharley2008]

Hate to see that arrangement in a rear end accident.....

[Ron in BC]

Nicely done unit.

I've designed sound shields and one small thing that could be done with that design to reduce the sound even further would be to duct the air and exhaust ports. Even a simple hood, sort of like the hood on the new stove vents, would result in further reduction in sound. Lining it with foam would be even better.

Ron

[gbaglo]

There was a post a while back about somebody, and family, in a motor home, suffering CO poisoning from having the generator exhaust near an open window. Exhaust hoses might be a very good idea.

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Hate to see that arrangement in a rear end accident.....

I'd hate to see any fiberglass RV rear end accident, with or without that setup!