What are the best generator mounting options when towing a vehicle?

[Romani Bus]

What are the best Generator Mounting Options when towing a vehicle? My wife and I have a 40 foot international school bus that’s been converted. Without cutting into the side skirts of the bus, what are the best options for mounting or carrying a 10,000 W generator? We will be towing a 2006 Jeep Wrangler that’s been lifted behind the bus. I was thinking of getting a heavy duty cargo carrier that I could then attach a ball hitch behind and then attach the jeep to it.

[family wagon]

The idea of towing through a hitch-mount cargo carrier doesn't sit well with me, especially at the tail of a front-engine bus. That's a long lever between the rear axle and the ball mount on a cargo carrier out back. I don't have any idea how much force it takes to put a bend in a hitch extension like that, but the long leverage would have to help make it possible.

Maybe you could clarify whether the generator is simply to be hauled and you'll set it somewhere when parked and wanting to run the generator, or whether you're looking for a place to mount it for both transport and operation (and maybe operation while underway).

Inside the bus or Jeep come to mind. Hitch carrier on the back of the Jeep does, too. Reconsidering whether you really need 10 kW might also be in order; for many folks that's quite a lot of generator.

[Romani Bus]

I would ideally like to mount the generator and keep it mounted. I would like to have the ability to open the back door of the bus if we need to. The only thing that we would necessarily have to run on the generator would be the AC unit and the lights and at times the refrigerator. What size generator would you recommend if you feel that that one is too big?

[ol trunt]

I'd recommend a 3K inverter quiet generator like a Honda or a Yamaha. Both make high quality low db units that will do what you need. New is best because of the warranty but a good used unit can be had on ebay or Craig's list--just insist that they be serviced and checked out by the appropriate dealer. I use a 3K Yamaha on my bus to run a 6k btu ac, 900 watt microwave and mini fridge without any problem as far as power generation is concerned. If I add a 45 watt converter to the system it pops the circuit breaker in the distribution panel but doesn't seem to bother the genny. I kind of have to play "Green Acres" with my electricity usage but thats not the fault of the genny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbk81X6WHA4

. Jack

[ol trunt]

Oh, wait. This one is better:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGPMadwqPKQ

Jack

[Twigg]

Could you elaborate a little on why you need a 10kW generator, and why you have ruled out the obvious solution, when the solution you proposed is actually more difficult?

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Romani Bus

Without cutting into the side skirts of the bus, what are the best options for mounting or carrying a 10,000 W generator?

Why not cut into the skirts? She don't mind.

10Kw genset is pretty heavy, you would want it near the rear axle. I have a 10Kw Onan mounted in a slide-out sound enclosure. Seems to be a good system, Coachbuilder installed it there.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Why not cut into the skirts? She don't mind.

10Kw genset is pretty heavy, you would want it near the rear axle. I have a 10Kw Onan mounted in a slide-out sound enclosure. Seems to be a good system, Coachbuilder installed it there.

Attachment 16816

Yeah, its best to have the weight between the axles, like BB did with your bookmobile.

[Romani Bus]

We decided to go with a smaller inverter generator. We are going to mount the generator on the back door of the bus. We are having a friend weld up a platform with brackets that will bolt with backing plates straight through the back door on the bottom. The generator that we got it’s just about 95 pounds. We can leave it there while we travel and it will be easily removed if we want to run it away from the bus. Also, we are installing a under carriage box for two propane tanks. Making it easier for us to utilize two regular 20 pound propane tanks. I’ll post photos as soon as we have everything mounted.

[cadillackid]

id be concerned about adding 95 lbs to the hinges of that back door.. people on the jeep forums have gotten into trouble this way mounting larger than factory sopare tires on their back door / tailgate. the constant vibrating down the road creates forces greater than 95 lbs.. esp at the back of a bus where is pretty bouncey.. the generator likely wont care but seems the back door isnt designed for continuous use of that extra weight..
-Christopher

[Romani Bus]

[/U]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

id be concerned about adding 95 lbs to the hinges of that back door.. people on the jeep forums have gotten into trouble this way mounting larger than factory sopare tires on their back door / tailgate. the constant vibrating down the road creates forces greater than 95 lbs.. esp at the back of a bus where is pretty bouncey.. the generator likely wont care but seems the back door isnt designed for continuous use of that extra weight..
-Christopher

We thought about that and we are adding after market heavyweight hinges.

[Versatile]

I wouldn't do that..

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Romani Bus

[/U]

We thought about that and we are adding after market heavyweight hinges.

I'm sure it will work just fine while parked. Once you get bouncing along the Country roads may be different story.

The new beefy hinges will hold, but you will require reinforcing the sheet metal they bold-into. Let us know what you go with for Science.

[Hvbuzz]

I built a trailer for my generator... Works really well, if you plan to always have a trailer behind you.

20160706_083424 by Hvbuzz, on Flickr

[rydawg3000]

I hope this thread isn't completely dead:

Anyone ever used something like this on their bus?

https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Cargo/Mo...SABEgKdQvD_BwE

IF the dimensions work out, this seems like a cool solution for housing both our generator (predator 3000) and our out door unit for the mini-split (Pioneer 12,000 BTU).

Anybody use something similar? seems like a good way to still have access to using the back door which is important for us. The only thing I don't like of course is the price for getting two of them, I'm sure my welder could rig something similar up but customized for us. But these also look so clean and easy to use.

[magnakansas]

Example, you have 300 lbs of generator on this thing.... you turn too sharp and the rear tires are ontop of the curb.. you drive off the curb and the tires drop that 8 inch drop off the curb, you have a full load.. the impact the body of the bus sees right over the axle is about 10g's ( 1 g one gravity, or in this case 300 lbs) 11 feet behind the axle is about 15 to 18 g's of force. so the mount will see almost no weight during the drop and then when it hits the planet earth again,,,,,4500lbs to 5400lbs of force downwards.. pot holes, curb cuts, very rough roads, etc...... a really good way to fatigue the metal and that leads to cracks,,, undiscovered cracks get big enough... stuff falls off.

The idea is sound, the brackets that look like frame extensions, do not look beefy enough for the job, nor do the bolts.

william

[rydawg3000]

Originally Posted by magnakansas

Example, you have 300 lbs of generator on this thing.... you turn too sharp and the rear tires are ontop of the curb.. you drive off the curb and the tires drop that 8 inch drop off the curb, you have a full load.. the impact the body of the bus sees right over the axle is about 10g's ( 1 g one gravity, or in this case 300 lbs) 11 feet behind the axle is about 15 to 18 g's of force. so the mount will see almost no weight during the drop and then when it hits the planet earth again,,,,,4500lbs to 5400lbs of force downwards.. pot holes, curb cuts, very rough roads, etc...... a really good way to fatigue the metal and that leads to cracks,,, undiscovered cracks get big enough... stuff falls off.

The idea is sound, the brackets that look like frame extensions, do not look beefy enough for the job, nor do the bolts.

william

Yes, we have abandoned this idea upon further research and with your science/math lesson.
I'm assuming the standard mounting brackets that are sold by the mini split manufacturer are not strong enough on their own to support the jostling of the outdoor unit. Perhaps they could be used for the initial install and then reinforced somehow.

We have decided to (ideally) mount the outdoor unit right below one of the rear windows beside the door, right above the brake/reverse lights. Still undecided how to exactly mount it until we do some further research and until we actually get the unit.