mtngal
CA/TX
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Joined: 12/30/2008
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I read lots of old threads and have seen a couple references to using the generator for AC while on road. What are the advantages to this?
Do you use the gen for other things too? What are the steps for this process? Thanks for sharing your experience with a newbie!
Diana
03 RT 190V
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sch911
Rochester Hills, MI
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Joined: 04/13/2003
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Do it all the time when it's hot. Start the generator either before you start off or while underway. Turn on A/C. At that point you can use any other 120V AC item. Like the Microwave or the TV.
We also run the chassis dash air at the same time.
Test & System Engineer (Thermal Systems incl. towing, Detroit 3)
2003 Damon Challenger 348 Class A - F53 Triton V10
Posted by Macintosh
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PSW
Oklahoma City
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Joined: 10/21/2002
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I have always been curious why folks do that with a B. I live in a very hot part of the country and the dash air cools our Roadtrek just fine. That has been my experience in all four Bs we have had over the last 25 years. Maybe it is necessary in Arizona or somewhere, but the heat index is often over 100 here and I never have had to resort to supplementing the dash air.
PSW
2007 Roadtrek 210 Popular
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loving retirement
SF Bay Area
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Powering the house AC while on the road from the generator works great while in the mountains out west. Doing so will most likely accomplish three things: helps keep the coach cooler, helps prevent over heating the engine, and prevents the need to keep turning the dash AC off at each new long up grade. As I recall my Onan 2.8 uses about 0.6 gals an hour at full power. Does that mean that when I am only powering my "CoolCat" heat pump that I am only using 0.3 or 0.4 gals an hour?
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reppans
CT
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Joined: 10/09/2007
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I do that for the monthly genset exercise. Darn thing is so loud, it's about the only place I can find to run the gen without disturbing others.
(oh yeah.. Heard it on this board)
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100ton
Huntington Beach, California
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One thing that I am curious about. If I were to (while towing) run my portable generator to supply 110 to my 5th wheel for whatever reason, wouldn't that create some sort of conflict (potential problem) with the charging of my house battery due to the fact that the truck alternator is also throwing a charge to the same battery?
I have a feeling that something would have to "give" and the result would be costly.
I am thinking that it would be necessary to either interrupt the tow vehicles alternator connection or the converters connection to the 5th wheel house battery.
Does anyone out there have any experience with this situation?
Thanks,
Robert
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wsfurrie
Arizona
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Joined: 09/14/2007
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Class A owners do it all the time. The big benefit is that when you arrive at your destination the rest of the rig is cool. I have done it with an A and with our B, never had any problems with the coach battery, which is the same set up as one in a trailer. It is probably not as likely to be used that way with a B, as the dash air will work most of the time in that small a space.
Wayne
Wayne
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My Roadtrek
Tucson, AZ.
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Joined: 03/20/2002
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100ton wrote:One thing that I am curious about. If I were to (while towing) run my portable generator to supply 110 to my 5th wheel for whatever reason, wouldn't that create some sort of conflict (potential problem) with the charging of my house battery due to the fact that the truck alternator is also throwing a charge to the same battery?
I have a feeling that something would have to "give" and the result would be costly.
I am thinking that it would be necessary to either interrupt the tow vehicles alternator connection or the converters connection to the 5th wheel house battery.
Does anyone out there have any experience with this situation?
Thanks,
Robert
This is the Class B forum, you might want to ask your question over in the 5th Wheel forum.
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topless
Wichita, KS
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mtngal wrote:I read lots of old threads and have seen a couple references to using the generator for AC while on road. What are the advantages to this?
Hot Popcorn!
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Airstreamer67
Pineville, LA USA
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Joined: 11/07/2002
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There is no problem with charging the battery from two or more sources, as long as they are all 12-volt direct current, which in this case they are. The battery is being charged via 12vdc from the vehicle engine's alternator and 12vdc from the coach's converter or inverter powered by the generator.
So, the 120vac from the generator is not in the mix, except indirectly via the converter or inverter.
The coach battery should not overcharge, since both the alternator and converter-or-inverter taper their individual charges according to the needs of the battery. When the battery is full, the two sources back off. Using both sources to charge the battery only means the battery will possibly charge faster due to the increased charging capacity.
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