Running the generator when driving

[AnneV]

Hi everyone, newbie alert here  ;D

I'm new to the forum so in brief - no RV yet, just planning to buy and keep one in the US in a year or two. Learning everything I can about it. Right now, looks like we're going for a truck+5th wheel combo.

Now to my question. I've been reading questions about running the generator in motorhomes while driving. People seem to do that to keep the a/c working so the entire space stays cool.

What I'm wondering about is whether you can do that in a towable too? When driving and towing, do you keep the generator on so that the fridge and other appliances keep working? Or do you shut them off? Could you pull over a couple of hours before your final destination, turn on the a/c in the 5th wheel or trailer and keep driving so that the place is cool when you arrive?

I can't think of a reason not to do that, except that I'm seeing the question pop up in motorhome forums and not trailer/5th wheel ones. I wonder if I'm missing something here.

 

[darsben]

If you get a RV refrigerator it can be run on propane while underway. If  residential fridge it would need power. Each option has its own benefits and draw backs.

A generator certainty could be run while traveling to cool the rig. If in the bed of the tow vehicle wiring would need to be done to get the power to the generator. If generator "built in" then no wiring necessary.

 

[UTTransplant]

Not many 5ers have a residential refrigerator. If they do, I think a generator would be built in to the unit. The truck pulling the trailer should have enough alternator power available to charge batteries while traveling. As for driving a motorhome with the generator running, we did that in Mississippi and Alabama in he summer when picking up our unit. It was miserably hot weather with high humidity. We haven?t needed to do it since. Our experience with travel trailers was they get hot fast, but they also cool down fast when we needed them to. Unless someone is in frail health and heat is medically troublesome, you should be able to get by with turning on the AC when you get parked. I do admit we plug into electricity before we do anything else though!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

You don''t see much about this because most towable RVs don't even have built-in generators.  If they do,  they can probably be run if they have external air intake and exhaust. Some may have a generator in an enclosed area and will need to have a door open to get adequate air for cooling and combustion, and to get rid of exhaust. Installations can vary widely, so check carefully if buyng a towable RV with a generator.

As others have indicated, the fridge can usually be run by itself, either because it has propane as an alternate power source (RV absorption fridge) or battery & inverter (residential fridge).

Since people aren't riding in the trailer while underway, most just wait until arrival to turn the a/c on.

 

[grashley]

My FW has "Generator Prep", which means it is wired and constructed for a generator to be installed.  It has no generator, and the one to go in the hole is a few thousand dollars.  I can get portable generator for half that price.

If the fridge was cold before you started the day's travels and the door stays closed, it can go several hours and stay cold.  With that said, either style fridge will have the needed power source to run while traveling.

As others, the FIRST  thing I do is to plug into power and verify I gave clean power.  Then I turn on A/C, level the camper and connect other utilities.  By then, the camper is cool.

If you have a generator properly installed, there is no reason you could not run it while towing the FW.

 

[AnneV]

Thanks for all the replies! I think I have a better grasp of this now. Much appreciated!

 

[John From Detroit]

To answer your question it depends on where the exhaust pipe is. If it extends to the side or rear. NO problem.. If it extends to the front........ I'd not do it but do not know if it is safe or not.

To insure proper operation a Generator should be run at least 1/2 hour under 1/2 load every month. some say longer (like 1-2 hours) I normally do this in my motor home.. While changing campgrounds.