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D Boyes · 02-17-2021, 08:49 AM

Good Day: My Name is Darrell and I am new to your forum. Great site well thought out and informative.
I purchased a 1986 HR low miles and great shape. The original generator had been removed?? and I have installed a portable to replace it. I thought this would be relatively easy, but I am unable to locate any switching device for Generator to AC cord plug in. Does anyone happen to know how these were installed originally? I have been told the original generator
was a Kohler. I am unable to locate a remote switch anywhere and thought that there should be one somewhere. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards:
D. Boyes

MSHappyCampers · 02-17-2021, 08:53 AM

Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined us!

Congrats on the new rig! I can't answer the generator question, but wanted to caution you about one thing. Permanently mounted generators have exhaust pipes to the outside. Portable heaters don't normally have exhaust pipes. Without it, you could possibly kill yourself with carbon monoxide fumes! Be safe, have fun, and keep her between the ditches!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

Gary RVRoamer · 02-17-2021, 09:15 AM

I'm not familiar with that coach, but back in the day it was common to merely plug the shore cord into an outlet wired to the generator. Auto-transfer switches were a high end feature, even 10 years later.

If there was an auto-transfer switch, the shore cord will be wired to it. Follow the shore cord back through the coach and you will find it if there is one. It may be immediately behind the 120vac load center (breaker box).

NRR · 02-17-2021, 03:08 PM

Follow the “shore cord” back into its storage box. If it is a manual transfer there will be a box you can see just inside where you can plug in the end of the “shore cord”. That how my rig is. It is a KISS design. It is one thing I want to change. So I do not have to go outside ever when I turn on the generator.

n2zon · 02-17-2021, 06:59 PM

Congrats on the new to you rig.

A few words of warning. I'll be blunt. Portable generators are not usually designed to be run inside any sort of enclosure. Generators that *are* so designed have clearance and vent specifications, and appropriate exhaust routing. If the genset you installed does not (or even if it does but you didn't follow the specs--they are not "recommendations"), your installation is dangerous from both fire safety and carbon monoxide poisoning perspectives. You really need to either put it outside and away from the coach while it runs or get a genset designed to run in an enclosure.