Home Forums Truck Camper Adventure Forum generator fuel

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    • #32305
      ardvark
      Participant

      I have my version of torklift’s lock-and-load done at a fraction of Torklift’s price and am trying to decide the best way to carry fuel. I do not intend to carry it on the front rack. If you carry fuel for your genny, how do you carry it? Anyone using RobopaX?

      Steve and Andra
      2012 F350 6.2 gasser SRW LB
      Fab Fours front and rear in case we run into a rhino
      2019 Northstar Laredo SC

    • #32347
      Travels with Yoly
      Participant

      I made a rear tie down mount (additional) that consists of a 5 foot long, 2 inch square tube welded to a short draw bar that I had laying around. The draw bar plugs into the receiver and is stabilized by the turnbuckle assembles on the ends. The bar has two flat brackets, one with a vertical back that holds a standard 2 gallon plastic gas can and another flat bracket that supports a marine 3 gallon fuel tank. I put one gallon in the EU2000 which I transport inside the rear cab area which gives me a total of 6 gallons at my disposal.

      This easily removable mount has been used successfully on 3 different truck campers.

      Neil & Yoly
      2016 Ram 2500HD Tradesman, 2WD Crew Cab, 6.4L Hemi
      2018 Travel Lite 840 SBRX
      Honda EU2000i

    • #32349
      ardvark
      Participant

      Interesting! We have a swing-out with both our bikes on it, and we keep our steps on so we are pretty space limited, but I did purchase some draw bar and have it on hand in case I decide to give something like you have a try.

      Is your genny on the front or are you carrying it inside? Ours will be on the front. If I keep adding pretty soon our rig will be as long as a diesel pusher. 🙂

      Steve and Andra
      2012 F350 6.2 gasser SRW LB
      Fab Fours front and rear in case we run into a rhino
      2019 Northstar Laredo SC

    • #32350
      Travels with Yoly
      Participant

      Quote from my original post above …. “I put one gallon in the EU2000 which I transport inside the rear cab area which gives me a total of 6 gallons at my disposal. ”

      I’ve removed the rear seat so the crew cab area has lots of room for gear.

      I found a better picture ….

      Neil & Yoly
      2016 Ram 2500HD Tradesman, 2WD Crew Cab, 6.4L Hemi
      2018 Travel Lite 840 SBRX
      Honda EU2000i

    • #32357
      ardvark
      Participant

      Here my notion of a Torklift Lock-and-load prior to painting. I fabricated it out of scrape for the most part, so I have time in it, but not much money. The entire thing gets covered with an aluminum box, which is also nearing completion.

      genny on front-23

      Steve and Andra
      2012 F350 6.2 gasser SRW LB
      Fab Fours front and rear in case we run into a rhino
      2019 Northstar Laredo SC

    • #32367
      Dumb Mick
      Participant

      Excellent fabrication! Once the box is on do you not worry about loss of air flow to the radiator? Even without the box I would.

      It’s good to be a n00b - so I can aspire to be just stoopid.

      Monrovia, CA

    • #32368
      ardvark
      Participant

      I’m willing to be proven wrong, but given how small this is compared to what others are doing, I don’t expect a problem. Some folks have some really massive boxes hanging off the front end. Compared to what our truck has to do with the truck camper compared to what it has to do dragging out fifth wheel down the road, I suspect it thinks of the truck camper as a vacation.

      But one never knows for sure until one tries. That rhinoceros guard 🙂 on the front keeps the platform out about 10 inches in front of the grill. If it proves to be a problem, I can do a make-over the drop it down lower, but I hope I don’t have to.

      If others are reading this, do you know for fact if anyone has had a problem with air flow into the radiator when hauling stuff on the front? 🙁

      Steve and Andra
      2012 F350 6.2 gasser SRW LB
      Fab Fours front and rear in case we run into a rhino
      2019 Northstar Laredo SC

    • #32369
      Dumb Mick
      Participant

      As I’ve mentioned elsewhere I know a few things about aerodynamics. The probs exponentially increase with speed. Just eye-balling it you’ve obstructed almost 40% of your radiator. If Chevy or Ford thought that their engine could get by with 40% less cooling I would think they would have made the radiator that much smaller. jess sayin’…

      It’s good to be a n00b - so I can aspire to be just stoopid.

      Monrovia, CA

    • #32370
      ardvark
      Participant

      As I said, you may be right, just have to see. The box sits a good ways ahead of the radiator which may or may not make a difference. At the worst my welding has improved. 🙂

      Steve and Andra
      2012 F350 6.2 gasser SRW LB
      Fab Fours front and rear in case we run into a rhino
      2019 Northstar Laredo SC

    • #32373
      Mello Mike
      Keymaster

      I’m with Mick, Steve. I think airflow might be an issue with your genny mounted that high. With my Lock-N-Load, the generator is mounted much lower.

    • #32374
      ardvark
      Participant

      Mike. Mick, et all,

      I know this is where I am suppose to retort, “hey, I know more than everyone else”, but that is not where I am with this. And fortunately my alternatives are pretty easy and multiple.

      Here are a couple of my observations:

      When we were last beach camping there was a large class C motorhome based on an F450 with a huge diamond plate bed box mounted so it completely obscured the radiator. Same engine, no problem. What does that prove? Not a darn thing, but it was interesting.

      Then there are the folks who are running those large front racks with bed boxes mounted high enough to obscure the entire lower half of the radiator, lots of those around. They block way more of what you can see on mine, but maybe not blocking the upper half is enough. Again what does this prove? Maybe just that bad ideas are contagious.

      So First off I want to try it, if for no other reason than now I am curious as all git out. Ideas as to how to monitor temperature other than the dash? I don’t think that meter is sensitive enough. Shouldn’t my fan clutch kick in if things are heating up as a first warning? How would a scientist approach this question?

      Now supposed it all goes South and I’m thinking even if it doesn’t.

      1. Simply put the bikes in front and the genny in back. That would take ten minutes or less on the road.

      2. There is a second receiver available that mounts much lower on the “rhinoceros” guard. Buy one, bolt it on with the four bolts that come with it, and, wallah, everything now is sitting much lower with no other changes, my favorite. I didn’t buy it because I didn’t see it until after I had this one. Have to call the manufacturer to learn more about it.

      3. Fab a drop for what I have and have my friends at the local welding shop weld it up for me.

      All comments welcome, 🙂

      Steve

      Steve and Andra
      2012 F350 6.2 gasser SRW LB
      Fab Fours front and rear in case we run into a rhino
      2019 Northstar Laredo SC

    • #32375
      ardvark
      Participant

      MIke,

      I was also just looking at the standard Ford front bumper receiver. Have you had any problem with the front approach angle off-road?

      Steve and Andra
      2012 F350 6.2 gasser SRW LB
      Fab Fours front and rear in case we run into a rhino
      2019 Northstar Laredo SC

      • #32406
        Mello Mike
        Keymaster

        With the Lock-N-Load? Yes. That’s why I rarely take it with us when we do extensive off-roading.

    • #32407
      ardvark
      Participant

      Mike,

      That’s what I was wondering because yesterday when I got done I was putting the truck back up on our side lot which has a really steep drive and thought “holy crap” if I had the genny on a standard Ford front hitch off the frame, it would drag for sure”.

      So anyway, as it turns out after doing a little research, it is really simple to lower the genny without making any changes. If I just buy a hi/lo adapter I can easily drop the genny down 6-10″. Just a plug and play adjustment. That will still keep it a little higher than a standard hitch, but a lot lower than it is now. 🙂

      Steve

      Steve and Andra
      2012 F350 6.2 gasser SRW LB
      Fab Fours front and rear in case we run into a rhino
      2019 Northstar Laredo SC

    • #32421
      Gene Bellegarde
      Participant

      I got lucky. I ordered a 1 gallon RotoPax for my 2200 gen fuel. I wanted it outside so I tried it up under one of the rear ‘flaps’ on my 185s. It just fit, uncannily perfect. Also, not pictured, I mounted a 2 gal diesel RotoPax of opposite wall, that I hope to NEVER use.

      Gene 2001 Cummins 3/4, Lance 185s

      Attachments:
    • #32436
      Travels with Yoly
      Participant

      Looks great, Neil.

      The bracket was originally designed as a third set of tie downs for our Adventurer when it was secured with the bed mounted Brophy mounts. The positioning of the mounts in relation to the camper tie down points wasn’t optimal. It secured the camper in most respects but didn’t pull the camper straight down at the rear. This allowed more fore and aft rocking while traversing rough roads or bridge separation joints. After adding this bracket and securing the rear camper mounts to the ends of this bar (in addition to the Brophy mounts at the rear), it completely cured the rocking and the camper was good to go. We traveled over 8,600 miles on our Canada trip with it and never had a hint of a problem. The gas cans were added as an afterthought.

      Neil & Yoly
      2016 Ram 2500HD Tradesman, 2WD Crew Cab, 6.4L Hemi
      2018 Travel Lite 840 SBRX
      Honda EU2000i

    • #32437
      ardvark
      Participant

      I got lucky. I ordered a 1 gallon RotoPax for my 2200 gen fuel. I wanted it outside so I tried it up under one of the rear ‘flaps’ on my 185s. It just fit, uncannily perfect. Also, not pictured, I mounted a 2 gal diesel RotoPax of opposite wall, that I hope to NEVER use.
      Gene 2001 Cummins 3/4, Lance 185s

      Thanks for responding. I was wondering about installing behind one of my wings. How did you fasten it there? The mount I mean. Is it just screwed on?

      Steve and Andra
      2012 F350 6.2 gasser SRW LB
      Fab Fours front and rear in case we run into a rhino
      2019 Northstar Laredo SC

    • #32464
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      My generator sits for long periods sometimes. I’ve found a few stations in my area that sell ethanol free grade of gas at one pump. I add stabilizer to it and it give me a bit more piece of mind.

      This site list stations in the US and Canada that have alcohol free gasoline available.

      pure-gas.org

    • #32471
      Gene Bellegarde
      Participant

      Here is a shot of the two Rotopax. The yellow one is screwed thru the wall right into the mount. for on the other side is a storage box where the legos are kept, so that was easy.
      On the outer flap for the gas can, I added a piece of hardwood, glued and shallow screwed to the inner flap wall, then I screwed the mound and its base to the hardwood, with piloted flathead wood screws, wood was HARD, maybe a little overkill, but I’m not sure what exactly that flap wall is made of.

      Here is a better shot of the gas container. You can see that it tucks right into the existing framework of the underflap. The hardwood board runs horizontal and is screwed in to the vertical pieces on both ends, and is glued and shallowed scewed to the innerflap.

      Attachments:
    • #32473
      ardvark
      Participant

      Thanks for the pics, I had been thinking about doing something like the red one on our NorthStar. Nice to have them out of the way and less likely to be stolen.

      Steve and Andra
      2012 F350 6.2 gasser SRW LB
      Fab Fours front and rear in case we run into a rhino
      2019 Northstar Laredo SC

    • #33886
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      I am heading West next week, plan to keep the Honda 2000 in the cab of our truck and the 2 Gallon RotoPax on the ladder with ratchet straps. The Lance ladder seems pretty strong and there is plenty of room between the ladder and the rear wall of the TC.

    • #33889
      ardvark
      Participant

      That’s where I have mine now on my NorthStar but my ladder is on the other side.

      Steve and Andra
      2012 F350 6.2 gasser SRW LB
      Fab Fours front and rear in case we run into a rhino
      2019 Northstar Laredo SC

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