Honda EU2000 Generator Install

[TwoElkhounds]

I thought I would share what I did to install two Honda EU2000 generators on my trailer. We pretty much dry camp exclusively and I got sick and tired of hauling generators around. Really have no place in the trailer itself to install a generators, so I installed a tool box on the back of the trailer, bolted to the frame due to the weight. I had a local metal shop make the mount and the aluminum tray and I mounted the tool box on the tray using vibration isolators.



I installed the generators in the tool box. To allow ventilation and exhaust gases to escape, I installed deck lids used on boats in strategic places. Six inch deck lids on the exhaust and eight inch deck lids to allow access to the pull start and to provide ventilation. I used a 12V transmission cooling fan to provide ventilation, it runs off of the 12Vdc outlet on one of the generators. You can see the top of the fan in this picture. Deck lids are installed when the generators are not in use, so it is a clean, water tight design.



I also grew tired of hauling gasoline around, so I converted my generators to propane using the Hutch Mountain Propane conversion kit (highly recommended). I mounted the propane regulators behind the trailer skirts at the rear of the trailer, tapping off the line used to feed the grill. There are holes in the bottom of the tool box to let any leaking propane escape, these combined with the holes cut for the deck lids and fan ensures no propane buildup in the box.



It also sucks to have to haul out the power cord all the time, so installed a transfer switch and ran a 10 AWG wire back to the generators and plugged it into the 30 amp outlet on my companion Honda. So all I need to do is start the generators and after a 30 second delay, power kicks in. Actually, I have two transfer switches that automatically select either shore power, generator power, or inverter power, depending on what is energized. They remove any possibility that two sources can be inadvertently connected simultaneously. Here is my inverter setup.



So I have had this setup for two years now and it is pretty awesome. I arrive at camp and all I need to do is start the generators or turn on the inverter, instant power. In the summer you do need to be careful and ensure the generators are not allowed to be in direct sun, normally not an issue for us as we are usually in the forest. If it happens to be hot and the generators are in the sun, we will put up and easy-up to shade the generators. If it rains, we close the lid and ensure the ventilation fan is on. Beauty is I do not have to haul generators and gas.

DAN