genny question

[blue1234]

My wife and I will be taking a road trip to florida in a couple weeks. I have a Raptor with a onan 5500. My question is has anyone ran their generaor while towing down the road and is it safe? I want to run the a/c units and keep it cool inside.

[gary31]

Do it all the time. I always fire up the genny when I am within an hour of the destination so it will be cool and ready when we arrive. Nothing like having to setup in a 100+ degree Camper when you have a genny sitting there ready to use. May not need to run them the whole way down unless you plan on making stops and resting in the camper but still you can stop and fire it before your next stop.

[canesfan]

Yes, you can run your genny going down the road. I'm sure there's someone out there someplace who can think of a reason why it isn't safe, but I have yet to come across a reason not to. I also leave my refer on LP going down the road. I have not blown up yet.

[notanlines]

Our Raptor Onan had 300 hours when sold and most of them were running while we travelled. Never the first problem and it was always cool when we stopped. I might add, I have never had any other travelers say it was unsafe.

[chuckster57]

ITS UNSAFE....there I said it.

Not really, your fine and I too run the refer on LP while towing it.

[JRTJH]

Motorhomes, all classes from class B to class C and A do it every day. Generators are essentially a standard option on those RV's and people operate them without problems both travelling and while parked. I haven't heard of any "while in motion" problems in years. There were some installation issues years ago where air flow over the generator was affected while in motion and the generator would overheat and shut down, but that wasn't a "generator problem" but an "installation problem".

I'd say, go for it, but the first couple of times you might want to stop after a few minutes to be sure your generator is getting enough air to stay cool. Once you know your "installation" is adequate, I'd believe if it works for you, it's an option available for future use.

[canesfan]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

ITS UNSAFE....there I said it.

Not really, your fine and I too run the refer on LP while towing it.

HAHAHA!!!




Thank you

[Johnny's Journey]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Not really, your fine and I too run the refer on LP while towing it.

For the Newbies that will take this seriously.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJMTQWWoMSw

[jsmith948]

This guy didn't mention the flow protection devices that will shut the gas off if the lines are damaged.

[canesfan]

I have 2 30 gallon gas tanks in the rear of my toy hauler with a gas line running to the genny in the front. I better have them all removed in case I have a blowout, even if my LP tanks are turned off.

[Johnny's Journey]

Originally Posted by canesfan

my LP tanks are turned off.

Lol. Forget the guy, "some" State Laws is only asking they be turned off. The bottles are fine, they are DOT. However things get tricky as always with laws. Example if traveling in a tunnel in Maryland with a propane tank is considered an offense and one can be fined for doing so even if it's off. Then theirs Virginia or Pennsylvania that say it's OK so long the bottle is off. Maybe Hamlet should look it this or maybe not ?

[Ken / Claudia]

If I made the refers, or built the trailers I would say do not travel with the refer on propane or even the bottles left on. Because the lawyers will say lets be as safe as we can with all advise. But, I would and do it anyway.
With that said I have been to vehicle crashes involving fire. Since vehicles have gone to fuel injection there is less of them. The last flipped over TT at highway speeds I was investigating had the propane bottles fly off the mounts and fly/roll well over 100 feet from crash site. Those tanks and regulators held. Sorry I do not remember if they were turned on or off.
Remember the OPD valves on all bottles since when 15 years ago. All real safe.
But, here's the thing about a fire and those bottles or and propane tanks. They have a bleed off valve. If a fire starts somewhere from any source in or on the RV. As the tanks get hot from a nearby fire they will have the bleed off valve open and vent propane. That propane venting near a fire causes a problem. It causes more heat and fire and the bottle may split open and that causes it to blow up like a bomb. That will happen if the valve is closed or open. Best advise to prevent that do not carry any propane. Will that be likely a NO. I and I guess most on here will carry or have propane, gas, diesel or other flammables in their TVs and TTs just be careful. Anyone have a electric TV.

[notanlines]

That Chuckster! What a scenes of humor! Haven't you left on that trip yet?

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by notanlines

That Chuckster! What a scenes of humor! Haven't you left on that trip yet?

Leaving this morning. With the LP on, gotta keep the ice cream frozen!!

[Johnny's Journey]

That'll make for a good substitute, cold compresses for any burns you may sustain along the way. That's thinking ahead.

[lonewolftx]

Originally Posted by gary31

Do it all the time. I always fire up the genny when I am within an hour of the destination so it will be cool and ready when we arrive. Nothing like having to setup in a 100+ degree Camper when you have a genny sitting there ready to use. May not need to run them the whole way down unless you plan on making stops and resting in the camper but still you can stop and fire it before your next stop.

Doesn’t this constitute a hard start on both your AC units? Understand this is not good. Or do you pull over and manually go inside rig to turn on ac units?

[gary31]

Just stop fire up the Genny, once its up and running I turn on the A/C. No different from when we are camping anywhere else.

[lonewolftx]

Originally Posted by gary31

Just stop fire up the Genny, once its up and running I turn on the A/C. No different from when we are camping anywhere else.

Thought you might be using the remote app on your phone to remotely start the genset while running down the hwy.

[cardinal96ss]

For what it's worth, and it may not be directly pertinent, but I had a propane grill burn up last year. I think the regulator failed, but it could have been a hose. At any rate the grill was lit and when what ever broke that full tank fueled a ferocious and intense fire that lasted about 7 minutes. Don't know if the safety valve should have shut that down, but it didn't.
That said I don't worry about the tanks on the RV or the installed propane fired generator.