Lifting and handling heavy generators

[CharlesinGA]

I posted this in the TT forum because 1) I have a TT (and sold the motorhome) and 2) I suspect that most portable gennys used by RV'ers are owned by TT owners.

I am considering a 3400-3500-3600 watt INVERTER generator. Looking real hard at the Harbor Freight Predator 3500 (will be on sale June 7-9th for $697), but may consider a Champion. These generators weigh in at about 100 lbs give or take a few. Now if the generator is in the back of a open bed pickup and you don't mind leaving it there, then you don't need to move it, but with a Leer Topper to keep stuff safe and dry, you gotta get the generator out to use it.

What do you do? I won't have any help, its just me. I can probably get it down without damaging it or me, but no way am I lifting it back up. Have people built some kind of lightweight divot hoist to unload it? Roll it down boards with ramp brackets to hook on the tailgate? What works for those with too heavy to lift generators?

Charles

[Crabbypatty]

I use this. Works great as we have a Honda 3000i about 150lbs.

https://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-capacity-pickup-truck-crane-60732.html

Happy trails

[CA_Traveler]

Another option is a ramp and foldable dolly. The dolly could be also help to move the generator around on the ground.

I bought the Titan 7' foldable (length wise) ramps ($110) because the Jeep cargo area is 29" high. However since one half is curved the storage space is 44x11x6" for each ramp. It's rated at 1500 lb hence has many other uses. The typical foldable dolly ($50) does have small wheels so rough ground can be a problem.

[wrenchbender]

I have a lid and still use the genny with the lid up .As far as lifting if you go with the Harbor Freight unit which I have there are options.One there is a lifting aide sold by Amazon that slips into the receiver and when not in use stows nicely along the bed wall.I use a pulley and a tree limb

[hawkeye-08]

My Dad had a custom platform built on back of his last trailer, had a locking cage that secured generator and two 5 gallon gas cans. He used cherry picker to load it at beginning of season and unload it at end.

We load our Honda 3000i in back of pickup and leave it there during our trips (run it with tailgate open and exhaust diverted up. Wife and I load and unload it as needed between trips.

[time2roll]

Are you expecting to run the A/C 24/7? Most parks have limited generator hours and you will never really cool off in the heat of summer.

For most everything else 200/400 watts of solar would work very well. Mounted on the roof there will be no lifting or other logistics.

Otherwise for utility power there are usually a few RV parks close enough.

[pianotuna]

http://www.campgroundreviews.com/search?query=Moab®ion_id=-1&orderby=cg_id&sort=asc&distance=10&ftype=&filter%5Bcg_electric%5D=yes

yields 14 campgrounds with power in the Moab Utah area. One of them is a State Park.

[CharlesinGA]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

How did you get the impression that few Western Campgrounds have power?

CharlesinGA wrote:


Here in the east, most organized campgrounds have power, but I am planning trips out west, and few campgrounds out there have power, so a generator would be needed more often than here in the east.

Charles

I should qualify that. The campgrounds I would be most likely to use (ie. state and National Park/Monument, and other public owned campgrounds.) I've spent a lot of time looking at the various parks, reviews, etc, and in a large national park, there might be one with hookups, and several more without. I attributed that to the distance and remoteness of the region. Yes, there are campgrounds with hookups, but here in the east, dang near every campground has electricity, and most have water. Its the norm here.

Looking again, Moab area no power in any of the public campgrounds along the Colorado River, Arches, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Dead Horse Point SP, all nothing. Bryce and Zion, nothing except for Watchman CG in Zion, the list goes on. So yes, there are some that have power, but most do not.

Charles

[trail-explorer]

2oldman wrote:
You're going to be living with a big heavy generator long after it was 'on sale.'

Ditto. This is why I went with two small ones, plus I get more output with two small ones than with one big one.
I only run them in tandem when I want A/C. Everything else, one will suffice.

[tragusa3]

I had an 80 pound Yamaha. I also had a topper on the truck. I kept it in the truck and cable locked to the bed. I put the generator on a plywood sled that I attached plastic to the bottom of. It would slide easily of my carpeted bed liner. I'd drop the tailgate, point the exhaust out of the bed and let her run. Very convenient and the best security option I had. Never had to lift it.

All that said, buying again, I would listen to the great advice above and get paralleled 2000 models. I have slowly learned over time not to buy based on price. Get what you need.

[Grit_dog]

^ Maybe he's going to the ones that don't have power? Wild guess, I know.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

How did you get the impression that few Western Campgrounds have power?

CharlesinGA wrote:


Here in the east, most organized campgrounds have power, but I am planning trips out west, and few campgrounds out there have power, so a generator would be needed more often than here in the east.

Charles

[CharlesinGA]

Well, thanks for all the great ideas.

I am not keen on two generators, that is two motors to keep running, oil changed, air filters replaced (foam ones rot) and all of that. A co-worker bought two of the Honda 2000 or whatever it was at the time, three or four years ago, and worried about theft, and ended up making up a frame of metal that they both bolted to, and that he could, literally, park the trailer wheels on. It was a neat idea, but a hassle no less.

The only issue with running the HF unit on the tailgate or bed is that the exhaust is on the opposite end from the plugs and controls. Easy enough to get around I suppose, sit on the tailgate and slide in enough to plug up the cable and start it up.

Here in the east, most organized campgrounds have power, but I am planning trips out west, and few campgrounds out there have power, so a generator would be needed more often than here in the east.

Edd505 wrote:
Champion has two handles and wife & I easily lift it to the back rack and we both have bad backs. It has wheels and a folding handle so you move it like a wheel barrow.

I will be traveling solo, so no one to help.

Charles

[Gulfcoast]

I have a folding 6' aluminum ramp that my Basset Hound uses to get in and out of the travel trailer. I use it to load the Champion in the truck too.

[Edd505]

Champion has two handles and wife & I easily lift it to the back rack and we both have bad backs. It has wheels and a folding handle so you move it like a wheel barrow.