• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

RV generator - wire into house


Shran

Junk Collector
TRS Forum Moderator
Supporting Member
Article Contributor
V8 Engine Swap
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Mar 4, 2008
Messages
8,637
Reaction score
4,703
Points
113
Location
Rapid City SD
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
5.0
I obtained an Onan Emerald 1 generator yesterday. It came out of a mid 80's motorhome that my buddy is tearing apart. I haven't heard it run yet but I imagine it'll be no problem to get up and running and it only has about 550 hours on it.

I'm tempted to set this thing in place permanently and wire it into my house - I believe it's 4000 watts so that should easily run my gas furnace and a couple other small appliances. I'm familiar with the wiring part (transfer switch and such) but I need some feedback about a couple other things:

Enclosure: thinking about building some sort of enclosure for it. Not really "weatherproof" or whatever, just something to keep it relatively dry. I am thinking about some sort of box that it can sit in. Up off the ground, probably with an angled "roof" and maybe fuel/battery storage under or next to it.

Exhaust: the exhaust port is on the bottom of this thing. I have the exhaust system and muffler from the motorhome, will need to be modified... thinking run it down, out the side of the enclosure, then angled out 90 degrees?

Fuel storage: will need some sort of container. I have a plastic 11 gallon fuel cell, I could mount that under it... exhaust concerns though? Maybe above would be safer? Mount the starting battery below? The generator has an electric fuel pump so I am flexible with mounting location.

Pardon the crude drawing but this is kinda where I would like to put it. I have very easy access to my breaker panel (red arrow) through my crawlspace. The red box thing is my enclosure, green line is the exhaust, green box is the generator itself, yellow line is the power feed from the gen to the breaker box.

Thoughts?

gen.png
 


RonD

Official TRS AI
TRS Technical Advisor
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
25,291
Reaction score
8,296
Points
113
Location
canada
Vehicle Year
1994
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Manual
I wouldn't do gas tank or battery above it, fire goes UP, lol
Try next to it and make cover wider
And remember how ever you set it up you WILL need to service it, we all complain about what a pain it is to service some engine parts in our Rangers.................well don't do that to yourself if you don't need to

Its rated at 120vAC 30amp which is 3,600watts so its called 4,000watts
One thing you need to consider if it will be powering an electric motor, like a furnace fan/blower, these have higher Start Up amps, so every time the motor starts there will be a spike in amp draw that you need to factor in so its not tripping the 30amp breaker at the genset
8amp motor can draw 25-30amps for the first 3 seconds of start up
 
Last edited:

Dirt Squirt

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2020
Messages
92
Reaction score
76
Points
18
Location
Silver Spring, MD
Vehicle Year
2003
Make / Model
Ranger FX4 L2
Transmission
Automatic
Also keep in mind it is an air cooled engine. Needs air flow.
 

Shran

Junk Collector
TRS Forum Moderator
Supporting Member
Article Contributor
V8 Engine Swap
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Mar 4, 2008
Messages
8,637
Reaction score
4,703
Points
113
Location
Rapid City SD
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
5.0
Thanks guys.

Fuel storage next to it might work. Or maybe behind. I'll have to do some measuring. I have kind of a narrow spot to put this without overlapping my crawlspace access hole, which is why I was thinking of putting the tank above or below. Good point about fire going up. I was more concerned about the exhaust port point down if I had the fuel below...and I'd have to run the exhaust above the tank then.

I'll check the blower motor on the furnace. I am fairly certain the furnace is only on a 15 or 20 amp breaker in the house so I figured it would be OK. Definitely not going to try to run the whole house on the generator, I might actually just wire it straight into a dedicated transfer switch for the furnace. Keeping the house warm and maybe running one small freezer is my main objective here.

Service/airflow: definitely will keep that in mind. Oil drain, fill/oil filter, one spark plug, air filter, fuel pump and carb are all very accessible right on what will be the front facing outwards so that's nice. Only one spark plug and the coil will be on the back side.

I was planning on having louvers or vents in the enclosure and probably leaving the bottom open or very close to it. In the motorhome it was basically in a 5 sided metal box that was open on the bottom and had a small vent on the access door...really not much airflow, whatever I come up with will be an improvement on that.

This is kind of one of those "why not" projects, the generator itself has only cost me a couple hours of time to remove it so far and it would be really nice to have backup power at the house.
 

DILLARD000

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2020
Messages
877
Reaction score
652
Points
93
Location
Earth
Vehicle Year
2001 Ford
Make / Model
SportTracJob2
Engine Size
V6~4.0L~SOHC
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
At 3600w 120vac, you'll only be able to power up one side of a typical split phase 220\110v domestic panel,
& every time your fridge\freezer compressor kicks on, this 3600w will bog down & the system voltage will take a dip.
This 120v generator will not power up a 220v well or 220v furnace fan.
I wouldn't not try to power up a typical domestic 240v panel with less than a 8kw rated gen set;
average household load runs 1kw~1.5kw, but motor starting inrush is what a gen set needs to be up sized for.

Best to have gen set in a seperate walkaround fireproof well ventilated enclosure at least 4~5ft away from the house.
If generator decides to go up in flames, don't want the house to burn down, & don't want exhaust carbonmonoxide poisioning.
Check your local city\county for code requirements.
 
Last edited:

Shran

Junk Collector
TRS Forum Moderator
Supporting Member
Article Contributor
V8 Engine Swap
Solid Axle Swap
Joined
Mar 4, 2008
Messages
8,637
Reaction score
4,703
Points
113
Location
Rapid City SD
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
5.0
Kind of rethinking this idea. It's a lot of work to build a dedicated enclosure for an old generator... I think I'm going to build a cart and have it be somewhat portable instead. It is very heavy though.

I did get it running on the bench this evening. I was shocked that it damn near fired right up and ran great and makes power... I'm used to old equipment needing a carb kit right away.

Beings that I know it makes power brought up another interesting point. It's got the typical white, black and green wires coming out of it... But when I measure across the black and white I get 230v. So it looks like black and white are both hot? What makes neutral here, the ground? How do I get to 110v, Black or white and ground?
 

ericbphoto

Overlander in development
TRS Event Staff
TRS Forum Moderator
Supporting Member
U.S. Military - Veteran
TRS 20th Anniversary
VAGABOND
TRS Event Participant
GMRS Radio License
Joined
Feb 7, 2016
Messages
15,206
Reaction score
16,343
Points
113
Age
59
Location
Wellford, SC
Vehicle Year
1993
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
3.0 V6
Engine Size
3.0L
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6"
Tire Size
35"
My credo
In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are different.
Kind of rethinking this idea. It's a lot of work to build a dedicated enclosure for an old generator... I think I'm going to build a cart and have it be somewhat portable instead. It is very heavy though.

I did get it running on the bench this evening. I was shocked that it damn near fired right up and ran great and makes power... I'm used to old equipment needing a carb kit right away.

Beings that I know it makes power brought up another interesting point. It's got the typical white, black and green wires coming out of it... But when I measure across the black and white I get 230v. So it looks like black and white are both hot? What makes neutral here, the ground? How do I get to 110v, Black or white and ground?
It would be best to find a manual for it to see the recommended connections. You may get 110v by connecting from one hot leg to ground. Or it may have been designed to only make 230v. If that's the case, you would need a transformer that would allow you to "tap" the center of the secondary winding to get 110v (half the voltage). You really need the specs on the machine to know how it is wired internally.
 

09fx4guy

Active Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2010
Messages
409
Reaction score
176
Points
43
Location
USA
Vehicle Year
2009
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
Pre Key w/ #1 Bars
Tire Size
265/70R16
I have been thinking about something similar for my house, some way that I could connect my portable generator to my house without a myriad of extension cords.

I would honestly go with your idea of making it portable. You can also maybe build a smaller 4x4 covered box (without sides) so you can use it in the rain. For my generator, I have one of those larger plastic outdoor storage boxes. I leave the doors open with the exhaust pointed out so it is at least covered from potential rain.

I would hesitate to put the generator that close to the house, especially under a window. Between the exhaust and the gasoline fuel cell, it could be trouble.

As I recall, they do make a transfer switch (Generac I think) where you could use a 25ft electric cord that you could plug into the generator and then plug into the house switch.

Just keep researching, get as much info as possible before you start your project.
 

Fast Eddie

Well-Known Member
U.S. Military - Veteran
Joined
Oct 22, 2020
Messages
1,908
Reaction score
2,654
Points
113
Location
On The Road
Vehicle Year
2004
Make / Model
Ranger Edge
Engine Type
3.0 V6
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Total Lift
2x4 on 4x4 Factory Chassis
Tire Size
235/75/15
Kind of rethinking this idea. It's a lot of work to build a dedicated enclosure for an old generator... I think I'm going to build a cart and have it be somewhat portable instead. It is very heavy though.

I did get it running on the bench this evening. I was shocked that it damn near fired right up and ran great and makes power... I'm used to old equipment needing a carb kit right away.

Beings that I know it makes power brought up another interesting point. It's got the typical white, black and green wires coming out of it... But when I measure across the black and white I get 230v. So it looks like black and white are both hot? What makes neutral here, the ground? How do I get to 110v, Black or white and ground?
All goood advice above. Neutral is black, white is hot EDIT: Black is hot, white is neutral and green is ground. I would be very surprised if it put out more than 110@30A. Knowing the coach it came out of would help there.




Excerise the gen once a month with no less than 50% load. Take a crack at this and digest it: https://onan.xmsi.net/940-0502 Onan NHE-NHEL (spec A-C) RV Genset Service Manual (07-1987).pdf and look for this:
66312
 

Attachments

Last edited:

DILLARD000

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2020
Messages
877
Reaction score
652
Points
93
Location
Earth
Vehicle Year
2001 Ford
Make / Model
SportTracJob2
Engine Size
V6~4.0L~SOHC
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
For household AC,
Green/BareWire=Ground,
White=Neutral,
Black/Red=110/220v.
Per NationalElectricalCode/NEC.
This is notably different from automotive DC color codes.
 

snoranger

Professional money waster
TRS Event Staff
TRS Forum Moderator
Supporting Member
Article Contributor
RBV's on Boost
ASE Certified Tech
VAGABOND
TRS Event Participant
GMRS Radio License
Joined
Nov 25, 2007
Messages
13,053
Reaction score
13,525
Points
113
Location
Jackson, NJ
Vehicle Year
'79,'94,'02,'23
Make / Model
All Fords
Engine Type
2.3 EcoBoost
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
My credo
I didn't ask for your life story, just answer the question!
My neighbor has a DIY transfer switch...
50 amp breaker wired to a 50 amp outlet. He shuts off the main breaker and anything he doesn’t want to power. He plugs a homemade male to male extension cord in to the outlet and his generator. Then turns on the 50 amp breaker to back feed the remaining circuits.
 

RonD

Official TRS AI
TRS Technical Advisor
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
25,291
Reaction score
8,296
Points
113
Location
canada
Vehicle Year
1994
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Manual
Yes, you buy or make an interlock for your breaker panel
Basically you can't turn on the breaker connected to generator unless the Main has been switched off

Looks like these: https://interlockkit.com/
 

Fast Eddie

Well-Known Member
U.S. Military - Veteran
Joined
Oct 22, 2020
Messages
1,908
Reaction score
2,654
Points
113
Location
On The Road
Vehicle Year
2004
Make / Model
Ranger Edge
Engine Type
3.0 V6
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Total Lift
2x4 on 4x4 Factory Chassis
Tire Size
235/75/15
You should have some type of interlock device or ATS in place. Your generator can energize external supply lines (e.g. the backfeed @snoranger mentioned). If lineman are working on downed lines and your generator energizes the lines - even though the power comppanyv 'thought' they disconnected it - a lineman could get hurt, or worse.
 

StokdGS

New Member
U.S. Military - Veteran
RBV's on Boost
Joined
Feb 24, 2022
Messages
2
Reaction score
4
Points
3
Location
Northern California Farmlands
Vehicle Year
2022
Make / Model
Ranger Lariat
Engine Type
2.3 EcoBoost
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Yes, you buy or make an interlock for your breaker panel
Basically you can't turn on the breaker connected to generator unless the Main has been switched off

Looks like these: https://interlockkit.com/
I know this is way late, but just wanted to say that when I lived in the Pacific Northwest for 11 years, we had bad snow that knocked down power lines for sometimes weeks at a time every year.. So, I bought an 8,000 watt, 13,500 starting watt generator, had 2 Square D breakers installed at the top of the power panel - 1st one connected to the Meter, and it was the type of breaker that had to be closed, before it would allow the 2nd breaker to engage On..
The 2nd Square D breaker was wired to an external weatherproof outlet, just outside the garage, and the generator was plugged into that outlet when I needed it to run 24/7 for those few weeks we were out of power... I had the entire panel running off this, and never had an issue once in all those years.. The extension cord from the generator was Carol Cable nbr 10/4 huge, heavy duty with 4-prong heavy duty twist lock connectors at each end.. The cable ends were rated for 30 amps.. I found a really nice small, gray, Rubbermaid plastic shed at Home Depot that was the perfect size to house the generator outside all year, protected from all the rain, snow, etc., and I just opened the 2 doors when I ran it inside that nice shed for those weeks, and never had an issue..
We tried to mind what we were doing inside the 3,700 square foot house during those weeks, and I had to buy around 11 gallons of gas for it before winter every year...
We were one of the very few houses in our neighborhood that was warm in winter when this happened, so we had lots of neighbors come by to get warm and take a hot shower, etc., and that was great.. We were happy to help !
All the other really rich people down the street just left their cold houses and checked into a nice hotel for the duration or went to Maui or something until we all got power back...:)
I learned a lot about all of this... Like I never knew the Meter is actually just a giant twist lock Breaker itself, and comes off like unscrewing a giant light bulb.. But you have to do that to be absolutely safe when you have to move all the breakers in the 200 amp panel down a couple of slots, to put in the generator breaker/shut off arrangement...
Hope you were able to get yours figured out a long time ago !
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Staff online

Member & Vendor Upgrades

For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.

Truck of The Month


Kirby N.
March Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Top