Generator ON while driving?

[BIGNASTY]

I have a question for all you RV'er types.

On the MH we have an 8,000 watt Diesel Generator (Onan)

When its on there is a Light on the dash that alerts me that the Generator has started. For the life of me I couldn't figure why it was coming on while driving???

Then at a campsite I was outside admiring the inside bottom of a beer bottle when Penny came out and opened the freezer in the lower compartment. She started Yapping with her sister and when I said how about closing the freezer so the 12Volts wont drain the batteries. At about that time the Generator fired off and the light on the dash was on.

This has happened several times a day while driving. My question is it a BAD THING to have the Generator running while driving? so far nothing catastrophic has happened.

The MH is used and I know that this is the line that I used in school. But the previous owner left out the MH manual and went out to do something when he returned the DOG HAD TRIED TO EAT HIS MANUAL, He must have had the same dog that ate my homework MANY TIMES, I've ordered one from the Manufacture but until it comes I'm SOL.

BIG

 

[RustyJC]

It's perfectly normal for MH owners to use the generator while on the road. If they didn't, they couldn't run the air conditioners to keep the coach cool - a big deal down here in the South. As far as your generator starting on its own, some generator control panels and/or inverters are programmable to automatically start the generator when the 12VDC power supplied by the coach batteries drops to a certain level - UNLESS the generator controls have been programmed for "quiet time" during which the generator will not start.

Rusty

 

[Bill Stockard]

It's perfectly normal for MH owners to use the generator while on the road. If they didn't, they couldn't run the air conditioners to keep the coach cool - a big deal down here in the South. As far as your generator starting on its own, some generator control panels and/or inverters are programmable to automatically start the generator when the 12VDC power supplied by the coach batteries drops to a certain level - UNLESS the generator controls have been programmed for "quiet time" during which the generator will not start.

Rusty

Rusty is correct. Many motorhome generators are programmed to start automatically when the house battery bank voltage drops to a certain level.

I haven't owned a motorhome, however. three of our last Lance slide-in truck campers were equipped with factory installed LP gas powered generators. I've run them for hours in hot weather powering the A/C unit while driving on the highway, stopped on parking lots (with the exhaust pointed away from occupied buildings) and in some very remote RV campgrounds when no one else is around. I did not run my generator in RV parks with other RVers. I paid for and used the RV park's electric power receptacle instead. I don't like hearing generators running and I don't imagine others do either.

Bill

 

[NIsaacs]

Probably not a good idea to change oil in the generator while it is in automatic mode

Nick

 

[mwilson]

Any of the big MH gensets have a master switch on the unit control panel attached to the engine enclosure that kills the unit and overrides any remote panels in the vehicle for the exact reason noted by Nick. You don't want one trying to start while your hands are in the genset for sure.
Rear engine buses, Thermo King Tri PACs, and many others have a master switch to keep the technician safe from an unwanted engine start as well.

 

[Blu-meanie]

You might be able to find a .pdf owners manual on-line to download until you get the bathroom reading version.

 

[RustyJC]

Any of the big MH gensets have a master switch on the unit control panel attached to the engine enclosure that kills the unit and overrides any remote panels in the vehicle for the exact reason noted by Nick. You don't want one trying to start while your hands are in the genset for sure.
Rear engine buses, Thermo King Tri PACs, and many others have a master switch to keep the technician safe from an unwanted engine start as well.

OSHA has a standard covering this - 29CFR1910.147, Lockout/Tagout. See HERE.

Rusty

 

[BIGNASTY]

Thanks for the answers Gentlemen, I kind of had it figured on the Servicing a BIG RED SWITCH that said OUT OF SERVICE. at least I have all my fingers after I changed oil & filter, air filter, fuel filter.

Until the last & this camp spot we used the shore power.

BIG