Built in Generator -or not. NEWBIE - Montana Owners Club

relocater · 08-08-2007, 03:50 PM

I'm getting ready to bite the bullet and order my Montana. What I'm not sure of is if I should
order one with the generator or get one after I take delivery. The downside of ordering one seems to be the high cost. Any feedback would be much appreciated.

rames14 · 08-08-2007, 04:23 PM

Relocater -

You will find a lot of threads on this from the past. The answer is as varied as which truck or which Montana to buy. Decide first how you will use it and what you will run with it. We spend time boondocking in the mountains in Colorado on vacation. We use a Honda 2000, which sips gas, is quiet and weighs less than 50 lbs. If we decide we need more power in the future, we can can buy a second unit, have 4000 watts available and be able to run our A/C along with other electronics. Others mount their gen sets in their truck beds. Lots of options and the one that is right is the one that fits your lifestyle.

illapah · 08-08-2007, 04:33 PM

IF you think a generator is in your future, you may think to have it sent generator ready which will make later installation a bit cleaner and cheaper.

Mudchief · 08-08-2007, 05:08 PM

Relocater, you will get a lot of opinions on this. I think it depends on how you are going to use it. The portables work great but it is not for me. I like to push a button when I need electricity and not have to drag out the generator and cords. But for others that is not a problem. I agree with Illaph at least order the generator prep. I have a remote start on mine and start it while driving down the road so when I stop the unit is cool inside.

traveltunes · 08-08-2007, 07:25 PM

Hello and welcome to the forum. You should find all the answers you need here and if you don't, a lot of information and advice. Like a lot of people told me here "If you want it done the right way, have the factory install it" At least it will be covered under your factory warranty and not a dealer job. Unless you know of a really good dealer in which you can put your trust into,then like us, order it from the factory. Ordering from the factory is a lot less expensive than having it done at a later date. Just my $.02 worth.

Glenn and Lorraine · 08-09-2007, 02:55 AM

WELCOME relocater to the MOC Family.

I don't have a generator but quite often I wish I did. Still not enough times to warrant buying one. In our situation carrying a generator is just extra weight with the unit and the extra fuel you have to carry along. Also, a generator takes up space better utilized for other "stuff".
BUT, IF I had any intention of boon-docking I would definitely have one and there are 2 reasons I would be ordering it factory installed with the trailer.
#1- It will be covered under your factory warranty. Meaning even the installation is covered and that can be handled by any Montana dealer any where. A dealer installation unit is ONLY covered by the installing dealer.
#2- The cost of the installation and generator is added to and financed with the rig spreading your payments over the life of the loan and typically at a lower interest rate.

relocater · 08-09-2007, 03:37 AM

Thanks everyone. So far I've gotten answers to questions I hadn't even thought about.

Jim Jarvis · 08-09-2007, 03:45 AM

I have a built in gen set and use it a lot as we do almost all dry camping. Having said that my next move is to get into solar and plan to use the gen set less. If I had it to do over again I think I would invest more in solar at the beginning and buy a smaller Honda gen set to augment the solar.

bsmeaton · 08-09-2007, 05:15 AM

Roadside lunch and short nap - 2 ACs running, TV, microwave. Just a button, no cords.

All about how you use the Monty. Fulltimers might find the space more valuable, but us Vacationers are on the road a lot (or we are not going to get anywhere) and I find this to be the primary use for the built-in generator - more so than even the occassional boondocking.

Not sure I would agree on the warranty justification. The Generator Prep is warrantied by Keystone, but regardless of whether you bought the generator yourself, bought it from the Dealer, or bought it from the factory - they all send you to authorized Cummins/Onan for service. Nobody else will touch it.

traveltunes · 08-09-2007, 09:41 AM

As far as extra fuel goes, ours is the LP model and it is tied direcly to the propane system of the unit.

Bill and Lisa · 08-09-2007, 10:36 AM

Some other considerations
Noise/Vibration - Installed Generator located right below the bedroom. You can postition a portable generator at the back of the unit.

Weight, especially pin weight on the TV. The installed Generator is about as far forward as youcan mount it. If you think you are going to be close on exeeding weight limits this could be a consideration.

Bill

bsmeaton · 08-09-2007, 11:11 AM

Don't know what others have experienced with their built-ins, but my Onan is so quiet and vibration free, I sometimes can't tell if it started, especially if there is traffic outside. When it is running, I can hear the hourmeter in the closet clicking over every minute - thatsa - quiet!

Broome101 · 08-09-2007, 11:25 AM

Same here as Brad, but what i will tell you is it will use the heck out of LP if you use it much. I used ours good bit few weeks back as the park was having power problems and it was very hot. SO I used it so we can run both AC's after about 2 -3 hours running I was out of LP, had to break out our spare tank I carry along. Would not be without a gen set ever again, especially after last year at beach storm hit transformer in park and wiped out all the pedestals, no AC or power for 2 full days in full sun. I was ready to pack up and leave, no worries with that again, next time all i have to do is flip a switch I have power, expensive insurance but too me worth it.

RC and Samantha · 08-09-2007, 11:46 AM

We ordered ours with Generator Prep and ended up with a Yamaha 3000 IEB (I think that is right?) We've thought about converting it to LP.

For us we'd never order the prep again or have an on board generator. Not that they aren't nice, cause they are, but they weigh quite a bit and pin weight is an issue for us. They were also mega expensive. They take up a lot of space in the front storage area. We have an early 2003 Montana so our basement is short.

We haven't had the chance to dry camp much, so we've really only used our generator a couple of times.

We do wish we'd have gotten into the solar energy thing and still may do that someday.

Patty

Jim Jarvis · 08-09-2007, 10:39 PM

Someone mentioned LP and fuel usage. Mine uses mega fuel and if you run it all day you had better be located near the propane refill station. I need the gen set but solar first is the way I'd go if starting over on a budget.

Mudchief · 08-10-2007, 02:50 AM

Like Brad said you do not know it is running other than the hour meter clicking. With the front air running you don't even hear that.

richfaa · 08-10-2007, 06:17 AM

If you do a lot of dry camping or boondocking and I mean a really lot then the built in gen, although very expensive, would be worth it. Prsonally we can not figure out why anyone would pay the money for a nice camper , any brand, then dry camp most of the time and spend more big bucks for a gen so you can get all the comforts of home.Oh well to each their own.. We do have a 3.5K Kipor in the back of the truck..just in case and we have been to Quartzsite, 1 night,We see the gen as a emergency device. For us it was a huge cost and we could not afford it or justify it..

bsmeaton · 08-10-2007, 06:29 AM

Rich, I actually look at it the opposite way.

If I were to do a lot of dry camping or boondocking, I would not get the built in, as it uses way too much fuel. I would get the Kippor or Honda and stick it in the trees behind me with a cord. I would also rethink the types of appliances I incorporated into the camper so I could make best use of the comfort through alternative power sources.

As it is, we figure we have a nice camper with nice features and the built in generator extends the use of those features away from the campground umbilical cord. To us it's a frivolous luxury just like the camper is, and we like it. When we pull into a rest stop and start the generator to make lunch, we feel just like those OTHER type people that have those fancy coaches that power themselves without the need to have a Ford tied onto the front.

richfaa · 08-10-2007, 09:07 AM

I do agree with you Brad . It is just a luxury we could not afford. Everything is a trade off,, We did not get the high Gloss finish, dual pane windows, fireplace, built in gen but opted for things like the V tailgate, bedsaver, Rear camera, Doran tire pressure monitor. The Kipor was a luxury in itself but we also can use it here at the house and have actually used it more here at home than with the camper.When we pull off for lunch on the road and it is like 100 degrees I would love to be able to push a button and have the gen crank up and turn the air on..but the old Federal Pension did not support such a luxury. The Kipor will run @ 10 /11 hours under a normal load.

dsprik · 08-10-2007, 04:23 PM

As a FTer, I would not be without my Kipor 3000 (same unit as Rich's 3500). It has saved our bacon too many times - power outages, inadvertent boondocking adventures (don't ask), etc.

For us, this would be one of the very first options - not built in - that we would buy if buying a new rig and if we didn't have the gen we have now. This would not even be considered an option for us. Please remember that I am saying this STRICTLY from a FTer perspective. I can see how longtimers and parttimers could have a totally different outlook.

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