What do you do with your generator when away?

[ajb1205]

Just received news that my 32BHDS is ready to be shipped...should have it within a week or two I hope. Also, just picked up a Honda EU3000IC generator this afternoon. My question is what do you do with your generator when you are away from your site? I have a seasonal booked from July 7th to September 7th...we expect to send as much time there as possible but I am sure there will be a week or two that we will not be around. I would rather not transport it back and forth (not an issue when I am up there but my wife drives a Tahoe). Has anyone made a box of somesort to lock it in and leave it at the camp site?

[Quahog]

They make a theft deterrent cover for the handle of the EU2000i but I don't know about the EU3000IC. Perhaps if you contacted Wise Sales or Mayberry's, they could give you some ideas. If it were me, I wouldn't leave it unsecured...

Also, I don't know if it would fit in here but this might be worth checking out:



http://www.lowes.com/pd_195894-76354...box&facetInfo=

[ajb1205]

Yah...there is no way it will be left unsecured...even when we are around, for that matter. As I work at a weld/fab shop, I may get one of the guys to make be a box out of 1/8" plate and expanded metal...why I didn't think of that before, I don't know.

[Da Bud Man]

Is locking it up in the camper not an option?

[ajb1205]

That was going to be my next question...would gas fumes not be a possible issue? You can close the vent on the gas cap...is that enough, though???

[Da Bud Man]

I have two 2000i's myself, and i have hauled them in the vehicle before with no smell whatsoever. I have also hauled them in the camper on an 8hr trip with no smell. I just turn the fuel cap off and they have always been fine for me.

Me personally, I would try that for a week and see what your perception is. I think you may find that won't get any odor, atleast I never have.

[dmax_83]

I would put it in the camper when away, I used to haul my eu3000is in the back of my suburban and I've never had any gas fumes.

Most of my gennys use is when camping at racetracks and I invested in a nice lock that I use to secure it to either the front a-frame of around the hitch receiver on my truck. The 'is' is considerably heavier than the 'ic' though which is a deterrent in itself.

[chopshop]

We keep our Honda genny in our camper when we are gone from our seasonal site, I have yet to smell any fumes upon returning. I would seriously re-consider leaving it there in a box, to me that would be too inviting for thiefs. If you can't bring it home at least leave it out of sight and inside your TT. Just my two sheckels.....

[bayleightucker]

we store ours inside as well, no issue with fumes, when traveling we put it in the tv.

[SmokerBill]

I travel with my EU2000i inside the TT, and store it inside the trailer whenever I leave the camp. Never smelled a bit of gas.

That's not saying it won't ever spring a leak and create a hazardous situation. But again, there are propane lines inside the TT that could also leak.

I wonder if the propane/CO detector also detects gasoline fumes?

[Seann45]

A very heavy bike lock CABLE... NOT A CHAIN... cable strands are harder to cut with bolt cutters... I have been using one now for 4 years...with a very small but heavy duty bike U lock. I wrap the cable around the trailer frame and the frame of the genny..

[ajb1205]

Thanks for all the info. As this is our first TT I am a bit green so-to-speak. I have had the generator sitting inside my house now for the last couple days and haven't noticed anything as far as a gasoline smell goes. Bike lock cable...great idea. I will look into that for sure!

[Quahog]

Like Seann mentioned above, that was my original thought, which is why I mentioned the theft deterrent handle cover. On the EU2000i, you can cut through the plastic handle and slip the cable lock free. I also thought the EU3000s were pretty heavy dudes to lift for one person but maybe not.

I've even heard where someone took the handle off his EU2000i and managed to slip a piece of re-bar inside the handle to stop someone from cutting through it. It's all what works for you but if it were me, I'd either fabricate a box that I could chain down or something on the generator itself so it can't walk away. I'd be too lazy to move it indoors

[norty1]

Even if locked, don't leave it out in the open. Cover it with a cloth. The red will attract maggots!

[RoyBraddy]

The idea is out of sight out of mind. I personally will not leave my generator unattended at the camp site. I have a nice generator spot in the back of my truck bed next to the tailgate area. It is secured to the inside of the truck bed with a lock cable so that it can moved out onto the tail gate and still be secured. My truck bed has the FOLD-A-COVER thick folding bed cover which locks as well. Of course the truck tail gate locks.

In other words my generator goes where I go...

I have seen generators disappearing from being chained to trees, being stowed on the rear of trailers, and just sitting on the ground chained to the trailer. They are not safe especially if out in the open. You might as well place a sign on them saying "TAKE ME - TAKE ME"

Just a couple of years ago at ELKMONT in the Smoky Mtns Natl Park we left to go to Townsend for groceries. Coming back we couldnt get down our site one-way road because of a down tree. So I went around and came in the site road on the other side and made to where I was camping. My neighbor had log chained his 3KW generator to pretty good sized tree. He had left to do something as well and got back just a few minutes after I did. SO there we both are looking at the cut down tree and his Honda 3KW generator missing. Brings tears to your eyes. This was in broad daylight around 2PM in the afternoon. They probably watched both of us leave the camp ground around the same time. We were the only two camping spots that was being used.

Sure does put the brakes on having a good time camping... Being a good neighbor we both got to use my 2KW generator to get both of us charged up the next few mornings. I even got to run over the time limit for generators a couple of times.

I have never checked about what insurance does to help you out but of course they all have deductibles I guess...

[Shenandoahvalley]

Mine stays in the back of the pickup most of the time. Sometimes when I am boondocking on our farm I cable lock it to the bycycle tray on the back of the TT.