Just bought an '87 Gran Ville, moving from an older Ford Class B, and so far everything is as I hoped it would be. I have wanted a Toyota rig for a long time and I found one with low miles, no leaks, and other than a minor brake problem, in real nice mechanical and cosmetic shape.
Unfortunately, the unit came without an internal generator. From previous experience with my Intervec Falcon, I know that I need generator power, since I spend months and months on the road working and living out of the RV. I was able to get away with carrying one of those small 900w Chinese jobs from Harbor Freight, which would power my laptop, fans on the rooftop AC, and things like a coffeemaker. It was obviously not enough to power the compressor in the rooftop AC or the microwave, but I sometimes would stay in a campground if I needed the extra power. I want to eliminate the campground part, or at least minimize it.
BTW, with all the discussion on the forum about that little 2-cycle gennie, all I can say is she works great for what I use her for and is very efficient. Not a bad way to spend a hundred bucks. Always starts first or second pull and once she warms up, is kinda like the mouse that roared (they are a little loud).
Anyway, back to the question. At some point in the next month I am going to be investing in a generator setup and while my preference is for an internal unit, the option of mounting an external on the back rack is also in play. I have the vented compartment where the optional gen was supposed to go,just behind the drivers side door. It even has the hole in the back of the box where the harness would go through to the coach. While it's a good spot to carry the loud mouse and a five gallon gas tank, I would obviously like to use this space for what it was intended to be used for.
New internal units are expensive so I would be looking for a good used unit with low hours, probably 3Kw. I have a tech in So. TX where I live that can install it along with all the electricals. This is the way I want to go.
OTOH, the external would probably be cheaper, and I could go with a new generator, but there are problems with that approach for me:
While I do have a sturdy rack that would probably hold whatever size gen I wanted to have there is the issue of security. I spend almost eight months a year working on the road and I spend a lot of that time in the wilds of the urban America. It is not unusual for me to pull into a parking lot in or on the outskirts of a big city, and set up shop (discreetly, of course) for a few days at a time. Most times the neighborhoods are good, but sometimes the job takes me to places where I have to be very aware of what is going on around me and take steps to secure myself and my gear. Anyone who has spent a lot of time in inner cities will know what I mean.
In a nutshell, if I use an external, I need to build a vault for it. A vented, possibly fan-cooled, heavy duty box that the generator can sit in and run, and will be insulated well enough that it would be hard to hear, and even harder to steal. I have even considered putting the damn thing on the roof, but that won't work for a lot of reasons.
I really do not like this option, but it may be the most cost-effective way to go. There is also the problem of putting extra weight on the back of the rig. As you all know, these little beasts can't take much more than they already carry, and that's especially true on their rear ends. The internal option would have the weight more or less centered over the frame, which is probably best.
Has anyone built an external rig like this? Did it work? Were there overheating/ventilation problems? Security issues? Weight distribution problems?
These are the things I need to know before I decide which way to go. I know folks here have solved this problem both ways, so I'm looking to tap into all that accumulated knowledge.
Thanks in advance for any ideas you may have. If there's any additional info you need from me, just ask.
Goose
