Running generator all night? Safe? Gas consumption?

[Lpetters84]

Hey guys,
Has anyone actually left their truck on all night to use the generator? For example camping or some other low wattage power consumption. Just wondering how much gas it burns and it it’s truly safe for your vehicle?

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[jeffcrum]

I see no reason it won't be safe as long as you handle the exhaust.

I should have more info after tomorrow. Heading back home post Hurricane Ida and expect to need the generator until power is back on.

 

[UGADawg96]

I see no reason it won't be safe as long as you handle the exhaust.

I should have more info after tomorrow. Heading back home post Hurricane Ida and expect to need the generator until power is back on.

good luck man, thinking about all y'all in the path. ?

 

[Lpetters84]

I see no reason it won't be safe as long as you handle the exhaust.

I should have more info after tomorrow. Heading back home post Hurricane Ida and expect to need the generator until power is back on.

Oh man. Good luck to you!

 

[jeffcrum]

Thanks guys. My neighbor stayed behind. So, I know the house and dock are all good. My plastic dock box (4 bolts to the dock) is ... umm ... not so good

Another neighbor fished the contents of the dock box out of the water for me.

So, it is all about when power and internet get back. But, the wife is already tired of hotels. So, we are going home. Then, I'll get to listen to the complaints of no central air

I do have a window unit for this issue and will keep the master bedroom cool along with a bunch of other stuff running.

 

[kosekjm]

@jeffcrum hope all is better then expected for you.

@Lpetters84 I found this video a few weeks ago where someone had ran their Airstream trailer for 24 hours and tested the fuel consumption:



Not my video but thought it was interesting to see.

Being in NC I do find myself leaving the truck and immediately kicking on the Remote start function when I'm going to be in a store for a few minutes. It is very nice coming back to the truck already cool.

My longest run is just about an hour idling while my wife was in a shoe store for "just a few minutes". I did get one odd pop up on the dash but that was related to the front collision assist and not anything to do with the engine. I kind of chalked that one up to random gremlins as its not returned yet and I have sat for just as long while installing and organizing some underseat storage in the truck this past weekend.

 

[GeorgeK]

I see no reason it won't be safe as long as you handle the exhaust.

I should have more info after tomorrow. Heading back home post Hurricane Ida and expect to need the generator until power is back on.

I’ll pray you won’t need it for long good luck

 

[Aphillipz76]

As we travel across the country with our travel trailer, we stay in truck stops and Walmart parking lots if the next stop is more than a day away. We have hooked up to the truck so we could run AC for 8-10 nights so far and it has done great. We get about 10-12mpg with the truck towing and lose about 2-5 miles overnight it seems. You can feel when the truck turns on since we have a front bed Camper. It has made this summers Texas, Tennessee, Delaware trip soooo much better.

Our procedure..
Put it in generator mode
Plug in the camper and turn on the AC
Shut off the headlights
Shut off the climate control
Shut off the radio
Lock it up…

The only downside is that whenever you shut the driver door, it beeps the horn twice. Wish it didn’t do that as I assume it pisses off the truckers..

Powerboost with 7.2
12 gauge extension
We do have MicroAir soft start on the 13.5k btu AC
It usually hovers around 1600-1800 watts while the AC is running. I do leave the fan on all night so the AC doesn’t wake me up when it comes on.

Hope that helps,
Aaron

 

[Lpetters84]

Haha gotta love the extremely loud double honk. If it does become a problem You can disable it with ForScan and have a little tech experience. There are threads on the forum that have excellent how to’s.

 

[wayfarer556]

As we travel across the country with our travel trailer, we stay in truck stops and Walmart parking lots if the next stop is more than a day away. We have hooked up to the truck so we could run AC for 8-10 nights so far and it has done great. We get about 10-12mpg with the truck towing and lose about 2-5 miles overnight it seems. You can feel when the truck turns on since we have a front bed Camper. It has made this summers Texas, Tennessee, Delaware trip soooo much better.

Our procedure..
Put it in generator mode
Plug in the camper and turn on the AC
Shut off the headlights
Shut off the climate control
Shut off the radio
Lock it up…

The only downside is that whenever you shut the driver door, it beeps the horn twice. Wish it didn’t do that as I assume it pisses off the truckers..

Powerboost with 7.2
12 gauge extension
We do have MicroAir soft start on the 13.5k btu AC
It usually hovers around 1600-1800 watts while the AC is running. I do leave the fan on all night so the AC doesn’t wake me up when it comes on.

Hope that helps,
Aaron

My friend, let me encourage you to download Forscan.
The double honk made me embarrassed at the quiet campsite that was my first trip in my Powerboost. The moment I got home I set up forscan on an old laptop and overnighted an odlink adapter and I turned that stupid honk right off.

Also you’re living the dream as far as I’m concerned. Those kinds of trips you’re making is what the PB was made for.

 

[Notallthosewhowanderarelo]

Great list Aaron, I did almost the same thing here:



But added a couple items:

Our procedure..
Plug in the camper and turn on the AC
Start the truck
Shut off the headlights
Shut off the climate control
Shut off the radio
Press the center screen disable button twice
Dim the interior pressing the dim button until it's all the way down.
Put it in generator mode (Use Physical button inside, touchscreen inside, or physical button in bed)
Lock it up…

 

[Aphillipz76]

Wait, there’s a physicAl button in the bed? Nice!

 

[RJL1400]

Thanks guys. My neighbor stayed behind. So, I know the house and dock are all good. My plastic dock box (4 bolts to the dock) is ... umm ... not so good

Another neighbor fished the contents of the dock box out of the water for me.

So, it is all about when power and internet get back. But, the wife is already tired of hotels. So, we are going home. Then, I'll get to listen to the complaints of no central air

I do have a window unit for this issue and will keep the master bedroom cool along with a bunch of other stuff running.

Glad to hear all is well. Best of luck with the power, sounds like it will be a wait. I wished I ordered a 2 or 7kw when I ordered mine.

 

[Notallthosewhowanderarelo]

Yeah it's the little green button just to the right of the 30A outlet.

Also I just did a test, if you lock your keys in the truck it won't honk at you. I may just do that in campgrounds at night.

 

[jeffcrum]

So, we are home. Spent a couple hours playing with 'temporary wiring'.

Put a 30 amp plug to the box, removed the neutral/ground bond, plugged her up.

Two refrigerators, lighting, fans, internet (AT&T put a generator on their box at the end of the road), cable tv (AT&T too), window AC in master bedroom. Basically, all 120 breakers are on. Not everything is being used. But, wife just checked, room is about to freeze her out. ?

Air fryer adds 700 to the B leg.

We are good! Loving this truck!! ?

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