Generator manual says 'do not operate it while raining.'

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I_did_that

Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2022
Posts
24
Location
Texas
Friends, I have a newbie question:

What do people do to safely run a generator while raining? Googling I saw a product that would cover the generator while raining, but that would take-up valuable real estate in my RV, which is 19ft. Also, the cover costs $135 on Amazon. Any ideas?
 
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I put ours under the fifth wheel king pin over-hang area. Works pretty well. But, I've not had any issues with rain if it gets wet. I have 2 Cummins Onan P4500i inverter generators.

At home, for power outages, they sit under the porch canopy. No issues there.
 
After Hurricane, I've seen people set a generator up and run in, then it rains and the generator is sitting in a water puddle. THEN some guy comes out to plug an extension cord in to the genny.
That usually does not end well.
 
After Hurricane, I've seen people set a generator up and run in, then it rains and the generator is sitting in a water puddle. THEN some guy comes out to plug an extension cord in to the genny.
That usually does not end well.
I refer to those type as 'shallow-enders'...as in, the gene pool.
 
If you do put it under any awning, make sure the door to the rv is not open. All the fumes will end up inside the rv. We went to a hot air balloon weekend one time and the guy next to me had a portable genny running next to his rv adjacent to ours. All the fumes did go inside our rig. Told management about it and they gave h I’m 3 choices. Either buy one of those pipes that directs the flow up to his roof, move to another area where they would be alone or leave. He bought the pipe and wasn’t happy with me. His wife came over and apologized to us for her loud mouth husband.
 
We made up a "tent" using some plastic pipes with 3 way elbow connectors and clip on a Tarp. Packs up fairly small.
 
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We have a rubber matt with a couple of bungees to cover our Onan 4500i.. Covers the switches and plugs enough to keep them dry. Have used it multiple times in driving rain with no problems....
 
I was camping over the holiday weekend and saw a neighbor with this setup. Picture's not too clear but that's a dog kennel with a tarp over it. It was running when I snapped this, later when off I noted they put the tarp completely over it. I guess it could do double duty as both dog and generator shelter.

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Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
So stick it on top of a couple of boards to keep it out of puddles. And under the RV is a good idea, but maybe away from open windows. Also, it is a good idea to pick your camping spot carefully when you make reservations. I have a built-in generator, but I try to choose a place that is away from others, especially tenters, when I can--like maybe the end of a row.
 
I like the old fashion "Pup Tent" (Tarp hung over a paracord) Takes up nearly no space in the RV.. Just make sure the genny can breath
You need..

1 Tarp
several Tent stakes
One Paracord
Two End supports I will describe two designs
One Pole. just a pole
Two "Two boards and a hinge (form a "V" inverted when open)
And that's it.. IT all rolls up in the tarp when traveling
 
I use a polyethylene sheet thats about 3 feet wide and 6 feet long and about 1/8 inch thick. I think the sheet was designed for people to sit at ground level while working a garden. It rolls up into a 5" diameter 3 foot long roll. I just unroll it and drape it over my generator. a couple of bungees keep it covering the generator. It's covered my inverter generator while boondocking in the rain and covered my open frame generator for 14 days during and after hurricane sandy. Its really easy to remove and re install for refueling.
I also discovered that you can use it to drag a good sized pile of firewood to where ever you want on your camp site.
Safe travels and all the best.
 
I used a Boliy genset since 2008 and never was concerned about rain. The only thing that did happen was sunlight turned the red plastic housing to dull orange..
I hauled the Boliy in my truck-bed and ran the shore power cord to it. Most trips I never moved it from the truck.
This past winter I gave it to a SIL and bought a new Pulsar dual-fuel genset.
 

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