Questions about running generator in back of truck

[Butch50]

I plan on carrying my Yamaha 3000iSEB in the bed of my truck. It will be in the front of the bed behind the cab. Is anyone using their generator where they could get wet while running or just driving down the road? If so are you having any problems with them because of it?

I planing on having some Diamond plate bent to fit under and behind the generator and then come across the top with some bent down bit on the front and sides a little to give it some protection. It would be mostly open on the front and sides for air circulation and heat.

In the past I mostly have had built in generators but with my 5th it is not designed for an on board generator so I have to do it some other way.

I know get solar and leave the generator home. I already own the generator so my only expense would be the Diamond plate.

Thanks

[packnrat]

i would say no problem, the ul deal is cause of a safety not in useing it.

while driving.
how often do you drive with the windows open?
long enougth to charge up the house batts from the pu alt?
to power something that requires 110 ac?
most reffers even poor ones will hold cold temps for hrs.
can you bend some sheat metal? just make a cover over the top and comes down about a 1/4 wat. with suport struts. aka: miny shead thing.
as to the exhaust??? send it down through a hole in the bed and outlet at the side of the truck?? up say about half a foot above the cab??.

[ctilsie242]

I've run my Yamaha 3000 iSE in the back of my truck, uncovered, from 2011 to 2016. My Champion 4000 watt now sits there in its place after the camshaft seized (I loaned the generator to someone... big mistake.)

Nothing wrong with it being in your truck, although the bed does cause echos of the noise.

Just make sure to secure it with at least two chains or a box as pictured above.

[gtnsmlr]

I have Honda 6500, I built a secure and weathertight box that works great for us. the air intake side is a weatherproof louver and the exaust and hot air are ducted seperatly out the other side. the genset has over 1000 hrs running in the desert and the snow with no issues.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Yamaha ESD 5500 genset. Pickup with CLOSED and locked rear slider window.

Put battery powered CO detector inside rear cab window.

Started generator

Drove

CO detector alarmed

Stopped

Shut off generator

[azrving]

I installed a transfer switch in my basement and ran the 10 gauge cord under the overhang and past the pin box. The cable is long enough to put the hood of the truck toward the pin box. On eco we sometimes forget to shut it off.

[Jayco-noslide]

I don't think about running it in rain but when I had a Honda a bought a factory cover for it.

[BFL13]

Using BBQ cover as tarp. Expose only the gen exhaust if it is raining.

Note- higher rails on newer trucks than this long box 2003 Chev. No issues with exhaust heat here. Tool box had to go down off the rails or 5er front corners would hit it. Gen is higher so must go forward of hitch to not get snagged under the 5er. (So no tool box with a short bed truck )

[Butch50]

Thanks for all the responses.

To answer some of the questions the generator will not be running while we travel. It will be only used when we are stopped to run one of the A/Cs. Most of the time the truck will be unhitched from the trailer.

Like I stated there will be some protection with the Diamond plate I plan on using over it. The generator will be sitting in the middle of the bed so I don't know if the exhaust would be to hot as it would be at least at least 25" from the side of the bed. If needed I would add some more exhaust to get above the bed to keep heat from the truck. It would be very hard to put my cover on it as it is hard to access my bed if I was to use it while the truck was hitched to the trailer. Being a Mega cab dually the rear fender comes out very quickly behind the cab which makes it almost impossible to get into the bed

Thanks

[valhalla360]

We have a box that sits over it when not in use to keep it dry but we have to remove the box to run it.

We try not to run it out in the rain.

It shouldn't be too hard to string up a small tarp if you will use it a lot in the rain. If it's a couple feet above the bed rails, it should leave plenty of air to cool it while keeping most moderate rains off it.

[SoundGuy]

Back when I owned a Honda EU2000i I first ran it while camping with the genset in the back of my Avalanche with the tailgate open but the cargo lids in place. That protected it from any rain (which is important) but it sure got hot running in there so I shifted the genset forward and placed a 10" fan in front of the genset ... one of the genset's outlets powered the trailer, the other was used to power the fan. This solved the overheating issue entirely and any exhaust was blown out the open tailgate.

[GordonThree]

Lots of folks seem very worried about exhaust. So Butch50 let me ask this.

Do you plan to run the generator while parked, having your fifth wheel extended over the generator? That sounds dangerous. Maybe with a bumper pull hitched up six feet away? Yup I've done it several times.

If you plan to run the generator while driving, I myself would not (and do not) worry about exhaust. I figure it gets plenty diluted while driving. I run one or two Yamaha generators in the bed depending on circumstances.

[WNYBob]

Do you have a back window that opens? If you haven't noticed the wind blows forward in the bed while moving. Plumbing the exhaust so that it doesn't come back at you may be an issue!

[Camreal]

I have used my 3500 several times in the back of the truck and it worked well. Be careful with the exhaust as it will burn or melt anything in its way.

[azrving]

My Honda is at the front of the box with the exhaust on the drivers side. I use a Honda vinyl cover when I'm not using it. I use it mostly in the desert so we haven't seen rain in 3 months. If it did rain hard enough I'd just put something over the electrical plug area to protect it. The exhaust side of the truck bed gets warm but nothing to damage anything.

I have a lot of solar but power AC, micro, coffee etc with the generator. I use a ton of power over night so I put the big amps back in with the genny when making coffee etc. Cloudy days need a genny on hand.