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Weight/balance Vs. Generator Storage

C

Cyn111

Newbie
First post to the forum and first day as a proud Camp-Inn owner! Yesterday I purchased #111, a 2005 550 Ultra, and took her immediately on our maiden voyage together.

I already know I will want to carry a small generator, most likely a Honda 2K, and will want to devise a permanent transport solution so it's there when I need it but out of the way (yet still in/on the trailer) when I don't. (When running it'll get moved a few feet away from the trailer as needed). Some questions about weight, as well as an invitation for insight/info on other potential solutions, for the options I'm coming up with so far:

Option #1: Tongue mounted lockable box. Almost certainly would require removing the propane bottle and possibly switching from a side-mounted hitch jack to a center mount. (I would go with a 1# refillable bottle instead, mounted in left side galley cubby, and tuck a spare or two in as well). This is my favorite option but I'm concerned that the added weight might be approaching my Subaru Forester's 200# tongue weight limit. I'm finding it challenging to confirm this because the Camp-Inn website lists the tongue weight specs as "130-175 lbs". If the reality is closer to 130, I should be fine, if closer to 175, the combined weight of the gennie + box would take me over.

Option #2: that left side galley cubby is almost, but not quite, big enough for a Honda 2K to fit inside. Length and width are fine, but with the handle the generator would be about 1" too tall. I'm actually considering getting one and cutting off the handle (most likely replacing with some kind of sturdy nylon strap situation)...after making absolutely sure that would work. I'm concerned that this weight in the galley plus a full cooler and full fresh water tank may weigh down the back of the trailer. Has anyone tried this idea or found a comparable small gennie that does fit in the cubby?

Option #3: install a swingaway hitch frame (StowAway Cargo Carriers - Versatility in Action.) and mount a box on it that could double as a cooler stand. I like this option quite a bit but same weight concerns as #2 above and would want to be sure there weren't other structural implications. Also this proves challenging for my tight parking situation, but isn't insurmountable.

Option #4: install a cargo rack and carry it in a cargo box on the trailer's roof. Probably fine for weight balance, terrible for fuel efficiency and even worse for human ergonomics. (I am considering this option for lighter weight items though, like chairs, side tent, canopy, etc. and welcome any input/insight on that front)

Other options, i.e. carrying it in the cabin, on the counter in the galley, or in my car, are last resorts. I want it to have a dedicated home.

Thanks a million and stay tuned for my next set of newbie questions regarding best AC solutions. :)
 
Cynthia, This is a photo of our 560 being towed by a 2013 Forester. As you can see we are really loaded down with stuff. We went on a 12,000 mile trip set up this way and had no problems as far as weight is concerned and still got around 21 miles to the gallon on average and that is with the stock non turbo engine. We carry mostly the lighter things in the box on top of the trailer and heavier things in the box on top of the Forester and the back of the Forester was loaded down also. I would not be too concerned with going over the 200 lb limit by a little on the tongue weight for I'm pretty sure ours is over that but as you can see I did add a composite propane tank to help cut down on the weight also.
Bruce
 

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Congratulations! and welcome to the group!!
Our 550 Ultra is only about 60 some units newer than yours, so has the smaller original battery like yours. We have a Yamaha 2K gen. which is similar in size to the Honda you refer to, that we carry only when we know we will not have electric hookups, and think we may want to use the AC or the aux. ceramic heater based on the forecast. When our battery is fully charged it will give us at least four days (have never run it dead) of operating the water pump, lights, and TV/radio etc. When we do carry the gen. we carry it in the tow vehicle. I'm not sure about the Honda, but ours has both a fuel shut off for the engine that we use to shut the engine down, and a vent closure on the fuel cap, and we have never had a whiff of fuel smell in the car from it. There really isn't a good place in or on the TD to carry it without modding either the gen or the TD, but if your TD has the optional receiver hitch on the back, it is made to carry up to 150 lbs which the gen. and swing away carrier should fall well within. We use that receiver hitch to carry our bikes, and I would guess the two of them and the carrier are of a similar weight.
 
I have the Yamaha 2K and put it where the cooler traditionally goes. There's actually room for both the generator and a Rotopax 2 gallon fuel tank, which has always been enough for us. Rotopax are commonly used by Jeeper's as they are mountable and can be placed on their sides/horizontal/vertical/etc. My wife and I prefer to leave our cooler/fridge in the back of our SUV as opposed to the standard location. It's in the car with the A/C while we're under way so less ice required, it never has to be moved in/out if there are night time critters/neighbors, our food is with us when we do day excursions in our SUV or we're stopping at a grocery store the cold items/ice go directly in. We use a fridge 24/7 in our SUV now, but same idea. Works perfect for us, and the generator is heavy enough it doesn't shift anywhere.
 
bherbig said:
Cynthia, This is a photo of our 560 being towed by a 2013 Forester. As you can see we are really loaded down with stuff. We went on a 12,000 mile trip set up this way and had no problems as far as weight is concerned and still got around 21 miles to the gallon on average and that is with the stock non turbo engine. We carry mostly the lighter things in the box on top of the trailer and heavier things in the box on top of the Forester and the back of the Forester was loaded down also. I would not be too concerned with going over the 200 lb limit by a little on the tongue weight for I'm pretty sure ours is over that but as you can see I did add a composite propane tank to help cut down on the weight also.
Bruce
Click to expand...
Hey, Bruce very interested in more details on the composite propane tank.
How much weighs, how much gas capacity?
How is it holding up to life on the road?
 
Kevin said:
As to the genny in a box on end of CI rear hitch, my only worry is not so much the weight, per se, but where it sits at close to 150# load limit;
How much At the end of a longer moment arm, than for example: two bikes snuggled close to the hatch...

and would like to hear anecdotal accounts of
"how much that contributes to extra bouncing on ruff roads"
and
"To yaw induced sway of the tow".
Click to expand...

That's the same concern I have with adding a bike rack and an ebike. There's a lot of bouncing that occurs on a drive. That's a lot different than just towing additional weight on a smooth ride.

Might that cause damage (or worse) due to excessive pressure on a leveraged weight, created by the bouncing?
 
Kevin said:
Personally, I am quite comfortable with a 1sup rack, with two mt bikes or one ebike, as thats close to the rear of trailer, and from reading reviews by mtn and roadbikers who have a lot of experience and are technically oriented, and are particular about their bikes being carried safely.
Click to expand...

After doing some research I do think the 1up rack is probably one of the better ones. Especially if you only need it to carry one bike as it can be purchased with a single rack that can be expanded to two any time. That makes the rack lighter as well as contains all the weight closer to the trailer.
 
Kevin said:
Seth, resurrecting your older comment here, as its timely for weight reduction...

Thats a very interesting idea...propane stores stable much longer than gasoline.
And that website clarifies some of the myth behind energy density, gas vs propane...gonna have to take a close look at this...
This could mean one less jerry can of gas to lug around, if you bring a genny with this dual fuel capability.

Also good for power out at home...wildfires, earthquake, flood...just hook up to that bottle you keep for the BBQ...
Click to expand...
Just a quick note on propane-converted or multifuel generators.
We all should be aware that there is a LP Gas Outlet in the cluster of water filler, city water inlet, and water outlet. This is outboard of the sink, behind a locked door. Details in the CI manual

I’d always thought that would be a great place to pull propane for a gennie. IIRC, Camp Inn supplies a 4’ whip with a quick-disconnect on the camper side, and a 1-lb bottle connection on the other end. This could be adapted, I think, to whatever a generator might need. A longer whip is also available from CI.

I have no personal experience with this, these are just my ideas, but that would be a great place to run a gennie, never deal with gasoline, perhaps upgrade the 10-lb stock propane tank to a 20-lb, which also fits on the tongue without modification.

What I’m less clear about is where the gas pressure regulators would be if you did this. There’s the single stage regulator on the tank… I think there is a second stage mounted on the tongue? So I’d think that what’s at the LP Gas Outlet would be at the right pressure for a converted or multifuel generator. Hopefully someone will figure this out, confirm it, and post about it!
 
Seth,

You are correct. The output port on the side of the Camp-Inn will work with a generator. The connector has "line" pressure on it so that the appliance connected to this port has a high enough pressure on it for the appliance's regulator to work correctly. The LP conversions for the generators have a internal regulator which will provide the correct pressure to the carb.

The standard whips with the camper are intended to replace 1lb bottles. However all you have to do is spin on a reserve propane adapter to convert it for an appliance that is set up to run off of larger tanks. The Camp-Inns come with one of the two styles of reserve propane adapters. Depending on which hose fitting the generator has you can either use the supplied reserve propane adapter or you may have to purchase one of the other style reserve propane adapters out there.

Yes, you can swap the smaller 11lb tank for a 20lb LP tank at any time. This is great for really long trips (40 days or more typically) and then bring the smaller 11lb along as a spare. I don't think the generator would use enough fuel to dictate swapping over to the larger, heavier (and uglier) tank however. The 11lb would do the job no problem, really just not enough hours of generator operation to need more.

Cary
 
Kevin,

Yes, the standard Camp-Inn gas whip work with the single tank Mr Buddy heaters (not the dual tank version). Any appliance that is intended for 1lb bottles will connect right up.

We agree, a heater like that is a tent room is a great idea. Big time game changer for having a comfortable camping adventure in colder weather.


Cary
 
SethB said:
Just a quick note on propane-converted or multifuel generators.
We all should be aware that there is a LP Gas Outlet in the cluster of water filler, city water inlet, and water outlet. This is outboard of the sink, behind a locked door. Details in the CI manual

I’d always thought that would be a great place to pull propane for a gennie. IIRC, Camp Inn supplies a 4’ whip with a quick-disconnect on the camper side, and a 1-lb bottle connection on the other end. This could be adapted, I think, to whatever a generator might need. A longer whip is also available from CI.

I have no personal experience with this, these are just my ideas, but that would be a great place to run a gennie, never deal with gasoline, perhaps upgrade the 10-lb stock propane tank to a 20-lb, which also fits on the tongue without modification.

What I’m less clear about is where the gas pressure regulators would be if you did this. There’s the single stage regulator on the tank… I think there is a second stage mounted on the tongue? So I’d think that what’s at the LP Gas Outlet would be at the right pressure for a converted or multifuel generator. Hopefully someone will figure this out, confirm it, and post about it!
Click to expand...


Tried this….short answer, not enough gas :) The cubic feet requirement of a generator is higher than this outlet provides. Tried it with a Yamaha 2800Ishc
 
Freight Dog said:
I was considering getting one of these boxes and the hitch mount/base plate to store my Honda 2200 Companion generator on while boondocking. My 560 will have the optional 2” hitch on the back of the trailer traditionally used for storing bicycles. Thoughts?

https://www.rvgeneratorbox.com/product-details
Click to expand...
I use a similar generator box mounted on a Yakima swing away hitch mount. The picture is the only one I have and shows the mount in the stowed position. The second photo shows the open position but with just a cooler.
 

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