Before I buy my Montana I need to understand what's involved in installing a geny

[KausalityKid]

There's an awful lot of information on the net about this topic, but so much of it is geared towards someone who already owns an RV and had some fundamental knowledge. I don't, I'm a newbie. The Montana I'm buying is an unusual floorplan, but that has nothing to do with do's and don't's of this topic. I'm buying a High Country 318TH. It has all the pre-wiring, 2 AC units, and of course kitchen appliances and such. It's a 41'.

Am I to understand that I need to install gas tanks also with fuel lines? I know there's all the arguments over has type, or go solar. I'd like to add solar inn the future, but for now just want to install a generator in case I'm parking at Walmart or boondocking. I can't for the life of me figure out how many watts. I'm thinking 5000 should be enough to run AC, watch TV, work on a computer, etc. I'd like to avoid the cost of paying for installation. Oh yeah, converter vs. non. I'm assuming converter.

Any help? I'll go search the forums also

[DQDick]

Easiest way is to go with a propane powered generator that way you don't have another fuel on board. You should get a Generator kit for your rig which should include insulation and a transfer switch.

[bleedmichigan]

Originally Posted by KausalityKid

There's an awful lot of information on the net about this topic, but so much of it is geared towards someone who already owns an RV and had some fundamental knowledge. I don't, I'm a newbie. The Montana I'm buying is an unusual floorplan, but that has nothing to do with do's and don't's of this topic. I'm buying a High Country 318TH. It has all the pre-wiring, 2 AC units, and of course kitchen appliances and such. It's a 41'.

Am I to understand that I need to install gas tanks also with fuel lines? I know there's all the arguments over has type, or go solar. I'd like to add solar inn the future, but for now just want to install a generator in case I'm parking at Walmart or boondocking. I can't for the life of me figure out how many watts. I'm thinking 5000 should be enough to run AC, watch TV, work on a computer, etc. I'd like to avoid the cost of paying for installation. Oh yeah, converter vs. non. I'm assuming converter.

Any help? I'll go search the forums also

Does the RV have a generator prep? If so it is meant for an onan propane generator. If not save the money on the onboard gen set and get a Wen, predator, or Honda inverter gen set and just plug into it.

[rames14]

Kausality Kid, welcome to the forum. Your generator choice depends on what you want to do and your equipment. As said,if you want an on board generator, it will use propane. Most people use portable generators as mentioned. One of the nice things about generators is you can start will one and if you need more, buy another one and use a parallel kit. We are in Quartzite right now and we have about 30 Montana’s here. Most have some solar but everyone has some form of generator (solar doesn’t work at night or on cloudy days). Honda is the prevalent brand, with everything from 1000’s on up. We have two Honda 2000’s in our truck with a 6 gallon fuel tank in between. We also have 1200 watts of solar. The two Honda’s can run anything in our Montana. But, not two AC’s and the microwave. So, decide what you need to run, and decide how you will carry it. How will you get it in and out if it’s not built in? Don’t forget to look where you are putting that weight, also. Is it on your pin or on a back tray in a trailer hitch? You have lots of options.

[DutchmenSport]

We considered a generator for our Montana High Country 375FL for quite a while. I had an older generator we used with our previous camper (stand alone portable), that worked OK keeping batteries charged, but it never had enough "umph" to actually run the AC.

So, when we got the Montana, we decided on getting a proper generator. Thus, started a 2 year search, research, and debate. We considered everything. We considered ever portable generator made on planet earth. We also considered every type of generator that could be permanently installed in the camper (front compartment). We considered gas, propane, and diesel powered generators. It was a maze of confusion for sure.

About the time we were ready to simply give up, I stumbled into the Onan P4500i inverter generator. Although it's heavier than when I wanted, it had all the features and the power we were wanting. The only problem was, they are costly. There are much cheaper generators, but when considering ALL factors, this one seemed to make the most logical sense.

One generator will supply 37 amps and has an actual 30 amp RV socket on the machine. And after testing it, it truly does, successfully handle a 15,000 BTU RV air conditioner, exactly the same as being plugged into shore power.

However, my wife insisted if we get a generator, she wanted something that would power both AC's at the same time, 13,500 and 15,000 AC/Heat Pump. So, we ended up getting 2 of these P4500i's. They are run paired together and spit out 50 amps. I've run absolutely everything in the camper, at the same time and the generators (in parallel) performed identical to being plugged into shore power.

Plus, they are on wheels, easy to move around, but yes .... they are heavy at over 100 pounds (dry). Add 2.4 gallons of fuel and about 3/4 quart of oil and they are heavy to life. But on wheels, they are easy to move around.

The next obstacle to over come was transporting them for actual camping. This resulted in picking up a pair of automotive style ramps, you could use for loading a golf cart, or a riding lawn mower with. That made pulling them up into the bed of the pick up truck a lot easier. The ride in the rear of the truck, under the trailer over hang, between the hitch and the tail gate, one on each side so the trailer king pin passes between them. With the tail gate locked, it's absolutely impossible for them to get stolen, unless the tail gate is destroyed. Then, it would still be difficult to get them out of the truck.

When running them, I run them in the back of the truck (when camping) and leave the truck pulled slightly under the over hang with the tail gate locked so it's still impossible to get them out (theft). My cord for the trailer plugs in the very rear, so I just run the cord under the trailer on the ground and plug in.

For us, this works. Everyone does it different, and what works for me might be an impossibility for you. Everyone does it different, everyone has different needs.

I do suggest, before investing in any kind of a generator, that you use your camper for a while and figure out what you truly need before investing your finances and then find out it was a bad choice, had you waited a little longer, tested your camper out first, your next choice would have been much better.

Good luck!

[JDDilly]

I don't think there is a 318TH, do you mean a 381TH? If so, I have a 2020 381TH and we love it. We haul a 4 seat golf cart in the garage, I wish there was a little more room, but that would take away some other place. If I am remembering correctly, all of these came with generator prep, so you could put a generator in the front compartment made for that. You also mentioned solar, which would be nice. However, I am no help with that because I haven't researched that enough. What I can say, watch you weight. I have weighed mine a couple times and with 1/2 tank fresh water, all waste tanks empty, LP full, and loaded ready to camp for about 4 weeks; we were close to max weight on the camper but had a lot of excess in the truck. What I have done is carry a Honda 3000 generator in the truck. That size does okay for us, we can run one air conditioner along with all other AC things. It works for us because we only stop for breaks to eat and maybe a nap, sometimes we will sleep in a truck stop for a little longer at night. The other issue is we can not use the bed without unloading the golf cart, so sleeping on the road is not a easy. The next modification I am going to do is add an 50 amp electric connection in front under the 5th wheel over hand. It would make it easier to connect the generator when on the road. At that time I may upgrade the transfer switch, there are some that are problematic and if that is what I have, I will change it. I do have an external EMS, but I may install a hard wired one while I am in there.

Over all we love the camper and the layout. We have had no real issues, only a few minor ones that are normal. One, that was my own fault, was the electric leveling. The first time we used it I was not connected to shore power or the TV, there was not enough power from the on board batteries to complete the auto level. From then on, after unhooking the TV, I connect shore power. When we pack up to leave, I get all connected to the TV and disconnect shore power last.

Good luck and enjoy your travels. You can send me a private message if would like to with questions. There are a lot of people on here that can help trouble shoot issues.

[KausalityKid]

Originally Posted by bleedmichigan

Does the RV have a generator prep? If so it is meant for an onan propane generator. If not save the money on the onboard gen set and get a Wen, predator, or Honda inverter gen set and just plug into it.

Manufacturer specs say nothing about generator prep only:
Battery Power Converter Yes

Battery Converter Amps 65


However, when I was walking through it yesterday looking at various switches for awnings, etc. there was a panel that I KNOW said Onan and I believe it said something about pre-start or on/off. I'm having it inspected - probably Tuesday - and will confirm it then. I've been to Keystones floor plan's site and brochures but have not yet seen anything about those switches and stuff, although it is pre-wired for every thing. I'm going top check their site again for information like that.


EDIT: Just looked at Options, not just Specs and Generator Prep is an option.

[Carl n Susan]

The remote start/stop switch for an Onan is a sure indicator of Generator Prep. The real give away is the metal cage in the front battery compartment.

[Ttman]

We are going to get a generator(s) for ours, but rather than spend a lot of extra money, and hassle with installing one, we are going to stay with portable generators. Less cost, less noise inside, easier to repair/replace, no need to fight to fill up an on board fuel tank, haul extra fuel weight (could fill up 2 gas cans close to destination after the trailer was set up), etc. it will take up some bed space, but not enough to make it a hassle. We are leaning towards two smaller ones that can be linked so if we aren’t running both AC units, we can run just one saving gas, etc. I’m sure opinions are going to vary widely, but when we looked at the pro’s and con’s portable linkable smaller won our decision process.

[Todd727]

Like everyone else has said, my Montana came with generator prep, but when I looked into it, I realized I would lose storage space and have a generator that only worked for the trailer. So, I bought the Honda 7000 inverter. Runs the whole camper AND I can use the generator for other tasks. IMO, the generator prep is eyewash.

[edbales]

I have always carried a gen set. Found if I carried a big enough one it was a hassle in the bed of my truck. Installed an on board Onan 5500 propane to avoid the gas even though they hog a lot of propane. I had the Gen Prep.. It was easy to install except for physically getting it into the Gen Enclosure .. Took 3 of us. It was easy to connect and used a standard 2 pole disconnect. It's quiet, mu neighbors barely know its running, will run 2 ACs as well as most other items except the Microwave with 2 ACs turned on. Even without the Gen Prep it would still be and easy job. The pieces are simple to install. I still carry a 2KW WEN inverter because most times with no AC it's all I need, cheap to run, and saves propane.

[Camp CA]

I considered an installed LP generator to augment our solar flex, but the quoted cost was $9600 a year ago and we normally plug in unless we are overnighting at a Harvest Host so purchased a dual fuel (gasoline/LP Gas) Champion Power Equipment 2500-Watt Gasoline/Propane Portable Inverter Generator #3629575Model #100899 39 lb for $587.

[Speck56]

2020 3761FL. Added propane 5000w genny. 3 solar panels, 3 lithium batteries. Boondocking is great. Love my generator and my solar. No brainer, get propane even though it eats it pretty quick.

[KausalityKid]

Originally Posted by Todd727

Like everyone else has said, my Montana came with generator prep, but when I looked into it, I realized I would lose storage space and have a generator that only worked for the trailer. So, I bought the Honda 7000 inverter. Runs the whole camper AND I can use the generator for other tasks. IMO, the generator prep is eyewash.

Can you elaborate. What type of geny did you buy (WATT, Propane, diesel, gas). You make it sound easy to bypass the gen prep and install a high end investor.

[KausalityKid]

Originally Posted by Camp CA

I considered an installed LP generator to augment our solar flex, but the quoted cost was $9600 a year ago and we normally plug in unless we are overnighting at a Harvest Host so purchased a dual fuel (gasoline/LP Gas) Champion Power Equipment 2500-Watt Gasoline/Propane Portable Inverter Generator #3629575Model #100899 39 lb for $587.

My concern is if I need to park at Walmart at night that I can run, at least, the AC/Furnace, TV, microwave, and frig. that I have enough of a geny to do that for the night.

[KausalityKid]

Originally Posted by Speck56

2020 3761FL. Added propane 5000w genny. 3 solar panels, 3 lithium batteries. Boondocking is great. Love my generator and my solar. No brainer, get propane even though it eats it pretty quick.

Please give us more detail on the solar setup. It's something I want to do but please elaborate. What cost, what brand and models, etc.

[twindman]

Something that no one has mentioned - noise. Check the DB rating on these. The cheap ones are at least 10 Db higher - which is twice the noise. Db numbers are 10 = 2x noise. If you are in a Walmart, I don't know if neighbors would like a noise gen running all night.

[KausalityKid]

Originally Posted by bleedmichigan

Does the RV have a generator prep? If so it is meant for an onan propane generator. If not save the money on the onboard gen set and get a Wen, predator, or Honda inverter gen set and just plug into it.

There are a lot of responses to wade through, and for that I'm grateful. Because I bought it and it was delivered yesterday. However, I can't do anything with it until I can supply it power, so I need to solve the generator issue ASAP.


YES, I'm almost certain it has the generator prep because there is a panel that says 'Cummins Onan Gen Set with a Start/Stop switch and an LCD readout.


Here be my dilemma. Harbor Freight sells a gas powered Predator priced at $2,199
9500 Watt Super Quiet Inverter Generator with CO SECURE™ Technology

That is beloved by food truck owners and when i read the reviews quite a good number of people with RV's LOVE this generator because it's quiet and can be used both for their RV or as a whole house generator. I live in Florida so the ability to power the whole house also is a huge plus for me. Our current generator won't do that. So, I have been looking at a whole house Generac and those are quite expensive, and if it's LP powered there are so many restrictions it's ridiculous.


I'd much rather install this generator in the RV, but I'm not sure if I could use the gen prep switch to work with this. This gen has electric start so we are just talking about completing a circuit. The other issue is the size. This generator is just a bit to big to fit in the generator enclosure, but when I look at it from another opening it is a simple aluminum enclosure with plenty of unused space so that i could easily enlarge the housing.

[KausalityKid]

Originally Posted by JDDilly

I don't think there is a 318TH, do you mean a 381TH? If so, I have a 2020 381TH and we love it. We haul a 4 seat golf cart in the garage, I wish there was a little more room, but that would take away some other place. If I am remembering correctly, all of these came with generator prep, so you could put a generator in the front compartment made for that. You also mentioned solar, which would be nice. However, I am no help with that because I haven't researched that enough. What I can say, watch you weight. I have weighed mine a couple times and with 1/2 tank fresh water, all waste tanks empty, LP full, and loaded ready to camp for about 4 weeks; we were close to max weight on the camper but had a lot of excess in the truck. What I have done is carry a Honda 3000 generator in the truck. That size does okay for us, we can run one air conditioner along with all other AC things. It works for us because we only stop for breaks to eat and maybe a nap, sometimes we will sleep in a truck stop for a little longer at night. The other issue is we can not use the bed without unloading the golf cart, so sleeping on the road is not a easy. The next modification I am going to do is add an 50 amp electric connection in front under the 5th wheel over hand. It would make it easier to connect the generator when on the road. At that time I may upgrade the transfer switch, there are some that are problematic and if that is what I have, I will change it. I do have an external EMS, but I may install a hard wired one while I am in there.

Over all we love the camper and the layout. We have had no real issues, only a few minor ones that are normal. One, that was my own fault, was the electric leveling. The first time we used it I was not connected to shore power or the TV, there was not enough power from the on board batteries to complete the auto level. From then on, after unhooking the TV, I connect shore power. When we pack up to leave, I get all connected to the TV and disconnect shore power last.

Good luck and enjoy your travels. You can send me a private message if would like to with questions. There are a lot of people on here that can help trouble shoot issues.

You're the second person who mentioned putting it in your truck. I believe the one I want to buy from harbor freight will work, and it's inexpensive.


I have a 2019 Ram 3500 with the HO option. I can pull 30,000 lbs and it has 1,000 lbs of tourqe