Community Forums

WyoFree · 06-16-2022, 08:11 PM

Hi folks, I ordered my coach with a generator and I’m curious if you run yours while underway?

Is there any reason from a safety standpoint you wouldn’t run it?

My thought is on a 90 degree day when you stop for lunch. Would you run the genny to run the air conditioners to have the Coach cooled down before stopping for the day?

I run the generator in my diesel pusher while underway all the time. Is there anything different I should know about the fifth wheel?

**TonyDi** · 06-16-2022, 08:53 PM

You didn't say what kind of coach you are buying. However, We run our generator most of the time on the road. Especially it it is warm weather. Our pusher diesel generates a lot of heat and running the roof AC helps to keep the rear bedroom cool when we eventually stop. It is nice to stop at night and have a cool bedroom to sleep in.

Arch Hoagland · 06-16-2022, 09:03 PM

We run our generator while driving on very hot days so we can run the house air conditioners.

We'll also run it while driving to make a pot of coffee.

Old-Biscuit · 06-16-2022, 09:06 PM

If dangerous to use while in transit, I wouldn't want to use it when stationary

Run it and the RV A/C Units....dash A/C doesn't keep up

geordi · 06-16-2022, 09:08 PM

The generator doesn't care if you are stopped or traveling. It is designed to function in both scenarios.

I run mine all the time, there's a reason it has nearly 5k hours on it. You need the generator running to keep the coach comfortable, the only reason not to is when the comfort needed is HEAT not cooling.

**NLOVNIT** · 06-16-2022, 09:09 PM

Only ran generators in motorhomes. Never in towables. Not able to monitor it in something being towed.

scbwr · 06-17-2022, 04:53 AM

By posting your question on the fifth wheel forum, it may be causing some confusion. But, you do state that you ordered a coach and you will find that folks with motorhomes run generators while on the run if needed. I've ran ours when in really hot weather and the dash AC can't do the job. If stopped in a rest area, we'll run it to use the microwave.

As to running one in a fifth wheel while on the road, I never thought about it and have no experience. But, I tend to agree with the answer above that it would be safer to run it only while you are in the unit. But it would be interesting to hear what fifth wheel owners do, and why.

jacknife · 06-17-2022, 08:45 PM

As long as your lines are tight you can run it on propane . Most people don’t including me .You can buy an item called stop gas that will shut your gas down at the source 100% if a leak is detected . They will go thru a lot of propane dragging it down the road . You could stop an hr before you get somewhere then turn it on to cool things down .

Nwcid · 06-17-2022, 08:52 PM

I am following the trend here. You can, but i rarely do. I think I have run mine a time or two when it was really hot out. I stopped about 30 min before the destination and fired it up to cool things off.

One time I forgot to turn my fridge to gas and had run down my batteries. I kicked the generator on for about 30 min to charge things up. I have a 125 amp charger.

I have 60 gallons of gas for the generator and I burn about 0.6 gallons/hr with A/C use.

**NLOVNIT** · 06-17-2022, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scbwr

By posting your question on the fifth wheel forum, it may be causing some confusion...

Granted, the OP's use of "coach" is vague in his post, but I think he posted in this section based on the last sentence of the opening post specifically mentioning a fifth wheel.

As I stated, I never ran the generator in either towable while towing. Not safe, IMO.

Old-Biscuit · 06-17-2022, 10:36 PM

We have a 5th wheel.......have run gen & A/C Units MANY times for ANY Years?

What is the 'danger' that have folks worried?

Arch Hoagland · 06-17-2022, 10:39 PM

I also thought it was for a coach, not a fifth wheel.

I'd never run a generator in a trailer of any sort while pulling it.

If something went wrong you wouldn't know it until it was too late.

**NLOVNIT** · 06-17-2022, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arch Hoagland

...
If something went wrong you wouldn't know it until it was too late.

There are those who choose to run a generator in a TT or 5-r with no issue. But I won't. JMO.

WyoFree · 06-18-2022, 06:20 AM

Hi guys, Sorry I wasn’t more clear… My new coach is a fifth wheel. As I said I run the genny in my motorhome all the time. I don’t know why this would change in a 5’er but thought I’d ask the question.

My thought was “Does a 5’er vibrate too much that could cause problems? From comments I’ve read on the forum, a properly set up fifth wheel shouldn’t vibrate and bounce around than any other RV. And a fifth wheel is supposed to be especially stable.

I like what Old-Biscuit said if I can paraphrase “If you got it… Use it”! Remember I’m talking about a 5.5 Built in genny. Not a portable unit.