Travel Trailers With Mounted Generator Question

[A-Texan]

Hello everyone, I have a generator which I plan on mounting to the rear of my travel trailer soon (I will be fabricating a stand and welding it to the rear left frame rail) and it has a floating neutral rather than a neutral bonded to the frame (its a small inverter generator). How many of you have created or used a plug in your generator to convert it to a bonded neutral rather than just use it as a floating neutral generator? I was just curious as I am considering whether or not to bond it with a generator bonding plug (I currently don't have a EMS that requires it be bonded).

Thanks in advance for your opinion.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

You will be hard pressed to find a neutral on a inverter generator. That goes for an inverter as well.
The ground lug likely will be grounded at every device in the rv. But if you will ever plug into shore power other than fabricate a plug that provides a ground that the shore cord plugs into when the generator is in use, I would do nothing else.

For the record the frame is not a ground, but it could create a hot to the earth that could lead to a shock when egressing the rig! Let it float.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

One more thing. Make sure when you're through with the project, you reload the luggage for proper tongue weight..

 

[A-Texan]

One more thing. Make sure when you're through with the project, you reload the luggage for proper tongue weight..

Thanks Kevin, I will probably just leave it floating then, I appreciate your response. I definitely plan on reassessing my cargo placement to keep the trailer balanced. I am adding about 60 lbs in total (metal bracketry and generator) to the left rear frame rail. While I had considered placing it on the tongue, I am concerned it will increase the tongue weight too much since I have already increased my battery size, added a weight distribution kit, chain fixture, and a few other accessories (weight adds up quick). I need to keep my tongue weight under 670 lbs due to the limitations of my SUV payload capacity, therefore I have to place the generator on the back frame rail (I will be modifying the bumper to make it look nice).

 

[Lunge motorsport]

Greetings Tex

I have done what you are considering and made a bonded plug to run my inverter genny with my EMS. I have also fab’d a complete new bumper to mount my genny and a bike rack. It’s on the rear left corner just as you are thinking about. I can run it while mounted to the trailer as this was considered during the design phase.
The bumper is 2x8 steel supported by 2x2” 1/4” square tubing 60” long and welded full length up the frame rails. During the bumper upgrade I also dumped the junk 4400# leaf spring/electric dumb brakes and upgraded to 7000# torsion axles and disc brakes. The total weight gain from the axles back was close to 750#. I had considered all of this when making my calcs for ride height and trailer balance and this required moving the axles rearward 2” and 3.5” closer together. 15x6” wheels were upgraded to 17x9” and LT 10 ply tires.
I have towed many trailers over the 3+ decades, nothing I have pulled compares to this set up.

Not sure why someone would plug into shore power while running a genny, if that was what was mentioned earlier, but I have spent a total of several months in this since I made this conversion without any issues.

 

[TheLooks]

People plug in because they have an automatic transfer switch and it shuts down the genny and defers to shore power.

 

[Lunge motorsport]

In that instance, they would unplug from their non factory installed genny that wasn’t provided with a transfer switch, and then plug into shore power

 

[A-Texan]

Greetings Tex

I have done what you are considering and made a bonded plug to run my inverter genny with my EMS. I have also fab’d a complete new bumper to mount my genny and a bike rack. It’s on the rear left corner just as you are thinking about. I can run it while mounted to the trailer as this was considered during the design phase.
The bumper is 2x8 steel supported by 2x2” 1/4” square tubing 60” long and welded full length up the frame rails. During the bumper upgrade I also dumped the junk 4400# leaf spring/electric dumb brakes and upgraded to 7000# torsion axles and disc brakes. The total weight gain from the axles back was close to 750#. I had considered all of this when making my calcs for ride height and trailer balance and this required moving the axles rearward 2” and 3.5” closer together. 15x6” wheels were upgraded to 17x9” and LT 10 ply tires.
I have towed many trailers over the 3+ decades, nothing I have pulled compares to this set up.

Not sure why someone would plug into shore power while running a genny, if that was what was mentioned earlier, but I have spent a total of several months in this since I made this conversion without any issues.

Hello Lunge, thanks for the reply. While I do have an EMS on my travel trailer made by Southwire which I use when plugging into shore power, I hadn't planned on using it with my generator. I either use shore power or I am using the generator, never both at the same time. However I was a bit curious how many people use their EMS with their generator (which if the generator is not bonded would require a bonding plug for the EMS to operate). Also, after reading over several comments I found some people using a bonding plug for their generators even if they didn't have an EMS and I was curious how many on here do the same.

Sounds like a nice setup you have, I was planning on cutting off just a portion of the bumper on the left rear (instead of replacing it entirely) so I can still use the portion left to store my sewage hose which is really light guage metal. After removing that portion (just as much needed to fit the generator) then I was going to use angle iron welded to the frame rail behind the bumper to extend out and make a rectangular platform to hold the generator with a latch to lock it in place for easy access while dry camping. This would eliminate me having to get the generator in and out of the trailer when using it. I will post some pics once I complete the project. I plan on doing the job in March when I have some time off to dedicate to it.

 

[Lunge motorsport]

My original bumper was the thin square tubing like yours that doubled as storage for the sewer hose. I abandoned it and mounted 2) 5” square vinyl fence post tubes across the frame to carry the hoses.
My concern was the weight that a generator puts at the very end of the coach. I felt the need for a sturdy platform as all motion and shock is amplified in this scenario. Secondary to me was storage of the sewer hoses, but it is all good for me at all his point.
I wish you luck with your project…
Cheers