Good Sam Club Open Roads Forum: Running a/c off generator while towing
Open Roads Forum Already a member? Login here.   If not, Register Today!  |  Help

Newest  |  Active  |  Popular  |  RVing FAQ Forum Rules  |  Forum Posting Help and Support  |  Contact  

Search:   Advanced Search

Search only in Travel Trailers

Open Roads Forum  >  Travel Trailers  >  General Q&A

 > Running a/c off generator while towing

Reply to Topic  |  Subscribe  |  Print Topic  |  Post New Topic  | 
Page of 3  
Prev  |  Next
rhagfo

Portland, OR

Senior Member

Joined: 07/06/2012

View Profile



Good Sam RV Club Member

Offline
Posted: 06/03/22 06:21am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

midnightsadie wrote:

wouldn,t the cold air get sucked out?


Do you travel with all your trailer windows open?? In truth trailers are pretty tight. In winter when traveling in cold weather we run the furnace when traveling so the rig isn’t an ice box when we arrive. It is toasty warm when we open the door.


Russ & Paula the Beagle Belle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 Aisin DRW 4X4 Long bed.
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS, 32' GVWR 12,360#

"Visit and Enjoy Oregon State Parks"


BarabooBob

Baraboo, WI

Senior Member

Joined: 12/28/2015

View Profile



Good Sam RV Club Member

Offline
Posted: 06/03/22 07:08am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

How are you going to plug the trailer into the generator? Does your trailer cord go out the front of the TT? Is your generator a built in unit? I would worry about the cord being pulled out of trailer if you have the generator mounted outside the camper or in the truck bed.


Bob & Dawn Married 34 years
2017 Viking 17RD
2011 Ford F150 3.5L Ecoboost 420 lb/ft
Retired


Trent1980

Louisiana

New Member

Joined: 06/02/2022

View Profile


Offline
Posted: 06/03/22 07:33am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

BarabooBob wrote:

How are you going to plug the trailer into the generator? Does your trailer cord go out the front of the TT? Is your generator a built in unit? I would worry about the cord being pulled out of trailer if you have the generator mounted outside the camper or in the truck bed.


I was going to mount generator in the back on the bumper, closer to cord, if it will work ?????

afidel

Cleveland

Senior Member

Joined: 12/23/2016

View Profile


Offline
Posted: 06/03/22 09:25am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

valhalla360 wrote:

dodge guy wrote:

If you can mount the generator safely then yes that would be great.


Not just the generator but the cord also (not so much of an issue with a built in generator)

If traveling in really hot weather, we just open everything up to flush out the hot air. Assuming it's not rainy or dusty, doing it 10-15min before arrival then driving will be even better. Then turn on the air/con.

This is where the MaxxAir vent covers come in handy, we set the bedroom to suck in and the bathroom is always exhaust so just turn those on and I can have it down to ambient in about an hour, rain or shine.


2019 Dutchman Kodiak 293RLSL
2015 GMC 1500 Sierra 4x4 5.3 3.42 full bed
Equalizer 10k WDH


Gdetrailer

PA

Senior Member

Joined: 01/05/2007

View Profile



Posted: 06/03/22 09:30am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

BarabooBob wrote:

How are you going to plug the trailer into the generator? Does your trailer cord go out the front of the TT? Is your generator a built in unit? I would worry about the cord being pulled out of trailer if you have the generator mounted outside the camper or in the truck bed.


You can securely wire tie the cord (or an extension cord) under the trailer right to the trailer tongue. Then just like your 7 pin trailer cord leave some slack and loop to the vehicle and run to your gen.

Myself, My shore cord uses a hatch with a mouse flap, it is big enough to get my hand inside the door..

So.. I mounted a 30A socket INSIDE the hatch, ran 10/2 with ground Romex inside the trailer up to the tongue and terminated that to a 15A/20A plug. Now I can run a short 12/3 extension cord from the gen in the truck bed to the plug on the tongue for a quick way to power the trailer at any rest stop I want power..

That setup also does double duty when I stop at any relatives home for a day or two for plugging into their outdoor 15A/20A outlets without pulling the 30A shore cord out..

As far as running the gen while driving, never tried that. I have a cover on my truck bed so have to open the cover to run the gen..

In theory, it could work although I vaguely remember some posts yrs ago that some folks had issues keeping their portable gen running.. Might have to do with the gen not protected from high speed winds and or vacuum created when driving..

Myself, just start the gen when we stop and run the A/C for 10 - 20 minutes is enough time to take the edge off of the heat buildup, works pretty well for us even in 90F+ temps.

valhalla360

No paticular place.

Senior Member

Joined: 08/19/2009

View Profile



Good Sam RV Club Member


Posted: 06/03/22 09:43am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

afidel wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

dodge guy wrote:

If you can mount the generator safely then yes that would be great.


Not just the generator but the cord also (not so much of an issue with a built in generator)

If traveling in really hot weather, we just open everything up to flush out the hot air. Assuming it's not rainy or dusty, doing it 10-15min before arrival then driving will be even better. Then turn on the air/con.

This is where the MaxxAir vent covers come in handy, we set the bedroom to suck in and the bathroom is always exhaust so just turn those on and I can have it down to ambient in about an hour, rain or shine.


Vent covers are on my To-Do list. Had them on prior rigs. Then yes, just leave them open a bit before even hooking up.


Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV


katysdad

Virginia

Senior Member

Joined: 08/03/2010

View Profile



Posted: 06/03/22 10:46am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Trent1980 wrote:

BarabooBob wrote:

How are you going to plug the trailer into the generator? Does your trailer cord go out the front of the TT? Is your generator a built in unit? I would worry about the cord being pulled out of trailer if you have the generator mounted outside the camper or in the truck bed.


I was going to mount generator in the back on the bumper, closer to cord, if it will work ?????


Rear trailer bumpers are not built to carry any weight. Have seen more than enough torn off just from bike carriers or spare tires due to very thin material the bumper is made out of. A place to keep sewer hose is about all they were built to handle.


Dodge Ram 3500 DRW Diesel

Trent1980

Louisiana

New Member

Joined: 06/02/2022

View Profile


Offline
Posted: 06/03/22 11:04am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

katysdad wrote:

Trent1980 wrote:

BarabooBob wrote:

How are you going to plug the trailer into the generator? Does your trailer cord go out the front of the TT? Is your generator a built in unit? I would worry about the cord being pulled out of trailer if you have the generator mounted outside the camper or in the truck bed.


I was going to mount generator in the back on the bumper, closer to cord, if it will work ?????


Rear trailer bumpers are not built to carry any weight. Have seen more than enough torn off just from bike carriers or spare tires due to very thin material the bumper is made out of. A place to keep sewer hose is about all they were built to handle.


Thanks for the input

pianotuna

Regina, SK, Canada

Senior Member

Joined: 12/18/2004

View Profile


Offline
Posted: 06/03/22 11:54am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

I had a cage made up to hold the generator. It is welded to the main frame.


Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

jdc1

Rescue, Ca

Senior Member

Joined: 05/30/2011

View Profile


Offline
Posted: 06/03/22 12:17pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

My AC cools the trailer while I am setting it up (10 minutes).

Reply to Topic  |  Subscribe  |  Print Topic  |  Post New Topic  | 
Page of 3  
Prev  |  Next

Open Roads Forum  >  Travel Trailers  >  General Q&A

 > Running a/c off generator while towing
Search:   Advanced Search

Search only in Travel Trailers


New posts No new posts
Closed, new posts Closed, no new posts
Moved, new posts Moved, no new posts

Adjust text size:




© 2023 CWI, Inc. © 2023 Good Sam Enterprises, LLC. All Rights Reserved.