Running generator in TV bed while hooked up

[Alwims]

Do any of you run your Honda, Generac, Yamaha etc. in the bed of your pickup while the Monty is hooked up and stationary? Like stopping at a rest stop or Walmart to take a nap and run the bedroom air conditioner. If so, do you worry about exhaust or carbon monoxide getting into the Monty with the genny running under the bedroom? Or a better question, has anybody had a problem like this?

[TAKPAK]

Once a year, we dry camp with the military vehicle club here in Oregon at Ft. Stevens SP. No power at our campsite, so I run the Honda, and leave it in the bed of the truck. No problem. No smell, no noise, nothing. However, I do set the genny at the front of the bed, out from under the overhang. I also point the exhaust to the side, so it isn't blowing towards the Monty. Remember there is a CO monitor in the bedroom, in case something did go wrong. Also, the A/C unit is "recirculating" the inside air, not drawing anything in from outside.

[CATCRAW]

We run ours while hooked up at times. We have our Honda 3000 permanently up against the cab of the TV and we don't get any fumes or noise inside the Montana.

[Art-n-Marge]

Did you guys wire in a shore power connection near the front cap? I have dual gennys, but if they are in the truck bed, I don't have enough anaconda cord (and don't want to) to reach the rear power connector from the truck bed.

Fortunately, I have not had a need for 110v when I travel. I like TAKPAK's thinking on the gennys being in the front of the bed next to the cab (where I carry them anyway), but I know the cord won't reach. I prefer to keep the shore power cord as short as possible to minimize any power drain.

[Alwims]

quote:Originally posted by Art-n-Marge

Did you guys wire in a shore power connection near the front cap? I have dual gennys, but if they are in the truck bed, I don't have enough anaconda cord (and don't want to) to reach the rear power connector from the truck bed.

Fortunately, I have not had a need for 110v when I travel. I like TAKPAK's thinking on the gennys being in the front of the bed next to the cab (where I carry them anyway), but I know the cord won't reach. I prefer to keep the shore power cord as short as possible to minimize any power drain.

I did. I installed a Hughes Autoformer in the front storage area and fixed a dog bone to hook up to the genny from there by unhooking the autoformer and plugging the genny in. I also wired in a plug on the outside for the genny, close to the charger, for charging my battery bank when the sun doesn't shine well on my solar panels.

[Rainer]

quote:Originally posted by TAKPAK
I also point the exhaust to the side, so it isn't blowing towards the Monty.

That's probably not really necessary, as the front compartment of our Monte will hold the generator so it's right under the bedroom and as close to it as practically possible.

On my old TT, I had a 3' extension welded to the rear of the it where I put a 4300 watt Cummins-Onan gas generator. It was simple to pull the power cord from side and plug it in, a distance of only 7'.

But that was a lighter weight 30 amp cord, I can't imagine dragging a 50 amp cord from the bed of the pick-up to the back of Monte whenever I wanted generator power.

My recommendation is to put it nearer to the 50 amp connection and then use a high strength cable to lock it to the rear bumper so that it doesn't get legs and walk away.