External Generator

[WhiteHawk29]

Just purchased a '22 Greyhawk 29MVP and would rather utliize an external generator while boondocking. The power control center obviously senses an external generator and blocks it from sending power to the unit. I can plug the same cord into the house and everything works, back to the generator and nothing. The onboard generator works fine and powers everything.

How do I switch/override the system to uses external generator power?

[foglght]

Help me out here. You have a generator already on board but you don't want to use it? I'm just curious why now. GenTuri makes an exhaust extension so you don't have to worry about the CO.

Where are you plugging it in? Just to any random outlet?

[Bullitt6283]

The difference between shore power and external generator power may be that the external generator neutral may not be not bonded to ground, and your system detects this as a fault..


.

[WhiteHawk29]

We prefer the external generator because it's quiet and no vibrations throughout the motorhome. We are a motocross family and when you are setup in a field of other campers, running the onboard also annoys them and shoots the exhaust directly into their camp.
When I plug it into my house everything works great. When I take that same cord and plug it into my generator...nothing. I tested the generator and everything I plug into it works just fine. It is brand new.

[WhiteHawk29]

Any suggestions on how I could ground out the generator for a test? It's a Harbor Freight Predator 3500 inverter model.
(After I bought the motorhome, I can't afford a Honda)

[JB13502]

Originally Posted by WhiteHawk29

Any suggestions on how I could ground out the generator for a test? It's a Harbor Freight Predator 3500 inverter model.
(After I bought the motorhome, I can't afford a Honda)

You'll need what's known as an Edison Plug. Easy enough to make, or can be purchased online. It's just a male plug that bonds the neutral to the ground. When you plug that into one of your 120V outlets on the HF Predator, your coach will see the neutral as bonded rather than floating.


There's a number of threads regarding this.. here's one
https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...und-48762.html

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Bullitt6283

The difference between shore power and external generator power may be that the external generator neutral may not be not bonded to ground, and your system detects this as a fault..


.

This - it's the generator grounding issue.
Lot'sa Youtubes about it.

[drmike961]

Originally Posted by foglght

Help me out here. You have a generator already on board but you don't want to use it? I'm just curious why now. GenTuri makes an exhaust extension so you don't have to worry about the CO.

Where are you plugging it in? Just to any random outlet?

Sounds crazy to some but we also use a small quiet inverter genny during the day to power tvs to watch multiple football games and power the fridge when the weather is finally cool enough to not need AC. That stinky loud onan makes it miserable on everyone to sit outside and tailgate, so with such a small load there is no point in dealing with it.

[WhiteHawk29]

The edison plug "jumper" worked. Thank you all for the insight and the tip on the videos on Youtube.
My kids race motocross and all the campers and trailers need to pack in tight, so it's kind of ignorant to run your onboard and blast the guy next to you with your exhaust. The external's are quiet and you can move them away from you or others.

[JimD]

Originally Posted by foglght

Help me out here. You have a generator already on board but you don't want to use it? I'm just curious why now. GenTuri makes an exhaust extension so you don't have to worry about the CO.

Where are you plugging it in? Just to any random outlet?

I use a Ryobi 2200 watt inverter generator and it was absolutely the best purchase I made for dry camping. My benefits:

1. It idles down when load drops. It is mainly used to top off the batteries and run the TV sometimes when I don't want to use the inverter.

2. Uses little gas compared to my 4k unit. If it is under a small load it can go all day on less than a gallon.

3. Quieter operation.

4. Saves wear and tear on the more expensive big genny. Much easier and less expensive to service.

5. Rather than putting a lot of hours on the 4k unit, this Ryobi would be considered a throw away when it reaches its end of life. Much less expensive to replace compared to the bigger Onan.

[WhiteHawk29]

My dealer and Jayco had no clue why this was happening. But props to both of them, I didn't wait long at all and spoke to some really knowledgeable people. Just not on this topic.
We've had this unit for 2 weeks and I've been back to the dealer twice already. Finally, I've convinced the service manager to just start direct shipping me the parts to makes the repairs myself.

[JB13502]

Originally Posted by WhiteHawk29

The edison plug "jumper" worked. Thank you all for the insight and the tip on the videos on Youtube.

Glad to know you got things worked out!

[Berjr]

Originally Posted by WhiteHawk29

Just purchased a '22 Greyhawk 29MVP and would rather utliize an external generator while boondocking. The power control center obviously senses an external generator and blocks it from sending power to the unit. I can plug the same cord into the house and everything works, back to the generator and nothing. The onboard generator works fine and powers everything.

How do I switch/override the system to uses external generator power?

Not a Motocrosser here but Harescrambles and GNCC's

The house should automatically switch over just like if you where plugged into an 30A outlet , I have no grounding issues, if you did there is a grounding connection on the generator and you can add a wire with a spike to ground.

We use a Honda EU3300 for our Greyhawk, uses much less fuel than the on board unit and way quieter, only downside with the Honda is it does not have a remote start for the mornings when you just done want to go out and start it

[thenne1713]

On some rigs, they require a jumper at the GEN to connects Ground and Neutral. Easy to make a jumper using a separate 15a plug. Research online Mike Sokol/ RVElectricity 101. Might also put a meter on GEN and verify voltage within spec? Whoops, now see you did, and it worked, Yahoo.

[SEO’L]

Make sure the external Gen. ECO. switch is off, transfer switch needs full amperage ….

[Gary_Miller]

Originally Posted by foglght

Help me out here. You have a generator already on board but you don't want to use it? I'm just curious why now. GenTuri makes an exhaust extension so you don't have to worry about the CO.

I have separate 900-watt gen I use when camping to keep my house batteries charged. It is two-cycle and can run 8 hours on a tank of gas. I do this so as not to run my big propane generator on the 5th wheel just to keep the house batteries charged. If we need the big generator we just switch them out. I'm getting ready to hardwire my big generator to the house through a generator switch box that way when I pug my little gen in the power cord it will act like shore power and if we need to run the big gen all we have to do is start it up and it will automatically switch over we turn it off it will switch back to the little gen. That way if the wife needs to use the microwave she just has to walk across the room and push the big gen start button.

[Isaacs]

Originally Posted by WhiteHawk29

The edison plug "jumper" worked. Thank you all for the insight and the tip on the videos on Youtube.
My kids race motocross and all the campers and trailers need to pack in tight, so it's kind of ignorant to run your onboard and blast the guy next to you with your exhaust. The external's are quiet and you can move them away from you or others.

As a person who was tortured this past summer by someone's onboard generator I really appreciate people like you who actually think about the people next to them.

You gotta love the way they design motor-homes--put the generator where it will bother someone else but not the owner!