Mounting onan on rear

clinton2292 · 09-20-2008, 08:53 PM

Hi everone i have a 1975 overlander i want to mount my genset on the rear via a reciver hitch mounted to the frame of the camper the gensets weight is around 260# think

this will work and not be to heavy in the rear thanks for your help and input

cameront120 · 09-20-2008, 09:02 PM

The additional weight would put too much stress on the frame.

clinton2292 · 09-20-2008, 09:17 PM

is the frame that weak the tanks are in the rear and when full weigh over 300 pounds

TBRich · 09-20-2008, 09:26 PM

Welcome to the Airforums! Ditto to Cameron's comments...from what we're heard and read on the Forums, adding significant additional weight to the rear bumper creates more stress on the rear of the trailer and you run the risk of rear frame/shell separation... I'm certainly no expert, but those in the know here advise against it... Try searching the subforums for more specific/detailed info on this topic...

Good luck and we'll look for yo on the road!

cameront120 · 09-20-2008, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clinton2292

is the frame that weak the tanks are in the rear and when full weigh over 300 pounds

As I understand it, the problem is not so much the weight when the trailer is stationary, but when it's moving. I doubt you'd be travelling with full black and grey tanks because of the unnecessary stress they would impose upon the frame.

Inland RV Center, In · 09-20-2008, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clinton2292

Hi everone i have a 1975 overlander i want to mount my genset on the rear via a reciver hitch mounted to the frame of the camper the gensets weight is around 260# think

this will work and not be to heavy in the rear thanks for your help and input

The "moment arm" would be about 2600 pounds, which increases when you hit a bump, sometimes 3 to 4 to 5 times.

You will rip away the frame from the shell.

Remember, the Airstream shell holds the frame up.

When you add that kind of weight to the frame, the shell will swimply let the frame go.

Andy

hrdhrhr · 09-20-2008, 10:34 PM

Your unit was built roughly around the time that Beatrice Foods bought Airstream. Beatrice obviously knew more about food than they knew about trailers.

One of the first changes they implemented was to downsize the steel used to build the frame.

This immediately resulted in a rash of failures where the frame sagged and pulled away from the body of the trailer at the rear of trailers built with a rear bath. Specifically those with a rear bath, because that's where the tanks were and tanks can get heavy.

If yours hasn't already suffered this indignity, why tempt fate.

clinton2292 · 09-20-2008, 10:48 PM

thanks for the advice i will find somewere to put the gen not on the rear i had another question my airstream has frame stiffners that run from the axles back to the bumper they are add on for sure but looks like a factory afterthought oor something but no probs with shell seperation

overlander63 · 09-21-2008, 05:46 AM

Several people have had good results from moving the LP tanks forward, and mounting a generator between them and the front of the body.
As far as putting it on the back, I don't know if you ever rode a school bus, but if you did, and you rode in the back seat, you would get tossed in the air by the moment arm force when you would go over a big bump in the road.

mustang · 09-21-2008, 10:32 AM

I dont know how much it weighs...I wouldnt mount anything on the rear.

Alot of stress on frame... bouncing is hard on unit???someome rearends you...Cant keep an eye on it going down the road...(you see all the life vests and coolers on the side of the freeway) so many reasons not to.