Generator In Truck Bed Problem

[wolf146]

I would like to go with a Yamaha 4500kw generator and carry it in my pickup truck bed. The problem I have is I want to put it under a tonneau cover but it is about 6 inches taller than the bed sides. Any suggestions how I could make this work so the generator would be protected from rain and theft?[/QUOTE]


Whatever you end up doing remember that the generator will produce a lot of a lot of hot exhaust in the summer if you are running air in the trailer.

Don't confine all that heat in a small space especially with a tonneau cover.

I use a 2400 Watt Yamaha which I place in bed of the truck (with a cap) Sometimes I put a fan in the truck to force the heat out of the truck bed.

I can move that machine around and place it on the tailgate ,chained of course, if it isn't raining. I would assume moving your generator might be a bit heavy to move easily. Wolf146

[Glenritas]

Ok I think I found the solution check out Recreational Vehicles | Cummins Power Systems, LLC

Look at the RV generators. They have a few the will do what you want.

Although you will have to make a hole for the exhaust pipe.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Much more efficient....
Bob

[Adiredneck]

Here's what I've ordered for my new TV - a Highway Products "Pickup Pak" and Roller Coaster bed. More secure than a fiberglass cap or tonneau cover, bigger and more convenient than a tool box. The roller coaster comes in 2k# and 4k# weight limits and has stops every foot - so you can put your heavyweight items forward of the rear wheels for better weight distribution and then easily pull out the coaster to get access without having to unload everything and crawl in. My configuration is two long side boxes (8' box) and the 4' dome lid in the middle, which will give me 10" clearance above the top of my truck bed. Of all the possibilities I looked at for my TV ('15 Ram 3500 Crew Cab), including consideration of a utility box, I liked what these guys had. They should be here this week - I'll post pics when installed.

[Adiredneck]

Sorry - I'll do it this time with the link...

SERVICE TRUCK BODIES | TRUCK BEDS | CUSTOM TRUCK BODIES | UTILITY BODY

[Adiredneck]

*4" dome, not 4' dome. Geesh...

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, my plan is to mount my Yamaha 2400 in the back of my bed and connect it to my trailer so I can run it while driving. I want to be able to run my Microwave at rest stops, or run my air conditioner on hot days to keep my trailer cool until I have my full hook ups. I have a Retrax Pro roll up bed cover and plan to roll it behind the generator so it will get plenty of cooling air.

My other idea that I was serious about doing, was to remove your spare tire and mount an Onan 4K in it's place and tap into the truck's gas tank.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

My other idea that I was serious about doing, was to remove your spare tire and mount an Onan 4K in it's place and tap into the truck's gas tank.

If you tap into your gas tank, make sure the generator draws from about the 1/4 tank level. You'll need to have more than a quarter tank to run the generator, but at least your genny can't run the tank completely dry and leave to stranded. You'll always have at least a quarter tank to get you down the road to a service station.

[Roadtech]

Originally Posted by Adiredneck

Here's what I've ordered for my new TV - a Highway Products "Pickup Pak" and Roller Coaster bed.

This is it. I knew someone on this forum would find the answer. Thanks very much. This is exactly what I am looking for. Splits the difference between a tonneau cover and topper with a bed slide to boot.

[terryV]

Originally Posted by Glenritas

Ok I think I found the solution check out Recreational Vehicles | Cummins Power Systems, LLC

Look at the RV generators. They have a few the will do what you want.

Although you will have to make a hole for the exhaust pipe.

Hmmm... got a feeling OP is not going to like that one, either.

I don't suppose you would want to change truck beds. One of those contractor's truck beds might have everything you need. You would have lockable storage, available from the outside for just about anything you could want, plus open space in the middle that could have a tonneau cover if you like.

[baldwin6601]

Tip the generator so it is resting against the side of the truck bed and lower than the tonneau cover, but not so low that the gas drains out of the generator. Lash it down good and tight and hit the road!

[Phoenix]

Just an observation:

The "Pickup Pack" looks very interesting, but the price is approximately double that of most bed caps. Just guessing, but the bed slide is probably what accounts for part of the higher price.

For our camping needs, a bed cap offers more usable covered space at a lower cost. However, the Pickup Pack appears to be a heavy-duty commercial product that mostly likely is very durable.

[Adiredneck]

On the setup I got, which was two 8' side boxes, 4" dome lid, hex-screen headache rack, rear lumber rack (to haul canoe, or lumber :-) ) and roller coaster bed slide, the bed slide was $1279 and $3874 for all of the other components. It was less than half the cost of most utility beds I priced, plus, going with a cab and chassis to take the UB cost $3000 more than getting the $3500 Laramie pickup - so I got the security and convenience of a large "stow and tow" for $8000 less than going with C&C/UB combo. The PUP should be in tomorrow - happy camper!

[Adiredneck]

Lifetime guarantee on the Highway Products line.

[mefly2]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Since the OP is rejecting every sensible suggestion for some reason, all that's left are off-the-wall suggestions. Mounting a generator to crossbars would require careful engineering in order to be done safely, but it's not automatically unsafe.

What have you been smoking? Of course, you must have been joking and I didn't see that.

Short of rebuilding / re-engineering the entire rear of the truck (be realistic and think this through ...did you really say that), it would be very unsafe!
Tell your suggestions / words again to the survivors after a crash or any serious hard maneuvering. In the scope of the OPs question, your answer is ridiculous and I stand by my comment...UNSAFE at any speed (kind of catchy - ought to be a book title) My opinion is as valid as yours. YMMV

As for a bedslide, ours raises the floor about 4 inches ... choose a different generator or succumb to a topper. Not sure that the OP can fit a 4500kw gen in the back of any fullsize trucks ... a 4.5kw, perhaps... LOL.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by mefly2

In the scope of the OPs question, your answer is ridiculous and I stand by my comment...

"Ridiculous" is an awfully strong word. But it's not worth my time to design the mount myself and provide you with the design calculations for you to confirm or refute them.

Instead I'll simply point out that there are plenty of "headache rack" designs on the road that allow loads to be carried on a pickup truck higher than the CAB, let alone higher than the bed rails, so my idea had precedents. The Yamaha 4500w generator (I'm sure 4500kW was a typo, and I read it as such) cited by the OP only weighs 194 pounds. For a vehicle with a GVWR of over 8000 pounds, the generator weight, even if mounted slightly above the pickup bed rails, would not seriously affect rollover stability. It would have to be secured against being thrown forward in the event of a collision, of course, but that's true for any pickup bed cargo that could be thrown against the cab.

Not that it matters. The OP didn't even think enough of the idea to even notice, let alone accept or reject it. It's a moot point.

[slowmover]

Highway Products is tops in quality. I've been looking at doing up a quote from them for the same items plus some customization. Am tired of the the topper I have now with an eight foot bed.

[Rockwell]

Original post:

I would like to go with a Yamaha 4500kw generator and carry it in my pickup truck bed. The problem I have is I want to put it under a tonneau cover but it is about 6 inches taller than the bed sides. Any suggestions how I could make this work so the generator would be protected from rain and theft?[/I]

My solution:

I have a Honda 3000IE and it too was too tall to fit into the bed of my F-250 pickup and close the cover. I took the legs off my generator and place two skid plates about 1/2" tall to those mounts so that the generator would get air underneath…I then make the cross members on my cover from the underside and cut out a space that fit snuggly over my generator…that dropped the height about 3 inches and gave me approximately 3" on the top cover…problem solved…can haul and store undercover and lock up for security..I have an aftermarket cover for the TV…it is from "Under Cover"
The cut out of the cross member did not weaken the integrity of the cover.
Took about 2 hours to study, mark and install..cost: $0.00. Of course the cover was already installed and paid for before I realized the generator would not fit under the cover without the alterations..

Hope this helps..
Rockwell

[PharmGeek]

My gen. does not fit under my cover...I decided "ah screw it" and when I want to use it, I just don't deploy the cover...

But one day much later if bringing it around the country for longer trips or even full time, I may feel different about that compromise - it which I would get one of those toppers (and preferably one of those awesome bed slides as well).

My generator is so damn heavy that with the bed gate closed and locked and it then chained to the bed, it would take some kind of special thief to get it...and if they do, then that will just have to be an ins. claim.

Alternatively, this could be a possible innovation in the bed covers that could accommodate many such generators....mine is a roll n lock...it cannot work....but can something be engineered to roll out all the same, but leave a square space up around where it attaches in the rear and have that area simply fitted with some strong yet flexible material to cover that section only?

I am a drug expert, not a flippin engineer, so that probably sounds absurd lol..

PS, if you make this, can I get a share of the profits?

[rickyandcook]

Originally Posted by Roadtech

Come on now, let's think out of the box!

at least 6" out of the box!