Gen use at truck stop

[chief916]

Stopped at a truck stop on I-94 just inside North Dakota and trucks are running their gensets all around me.  I'd like to know if any of you out there pop your slides a tiny bit and fire up your gens to get light and a/c.  I have my bed slide out about a foot and the exhaust is down below it about 5 feet or so.  There is nothing blocking the exhaust and it's a big empty ditch bank and a road.  Is this a hazard to be real concerned with???  C02.

Thanks

[beemergary]

I go to car races and in the pits its a common courtisy to run with pvc pipe up over rig.

[chief916]

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Thank you.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Gen-Turi-Generator-Disconnect-44461/dp/B000BUU5XG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1534442356&sr=8-3&keywords=gen-turi+generator+exhaust+system

Look into this.  I have seen some that have been mounted permanently to keep exhaust away from openings. 

[bobsallyh]

Quite a few tailgate lots for sports, etc. and race track parking require a Genturi or like set-up. When we dry camp, the Genturi always goes on along with a carbon monoxide detector. Even with the Genturi, you must be careful if using a fantastic fan or the like bringing in "fresh air" as it can suck the fumes into the rig. 

[Jaydrvr]

21 hours ago, chief916 said:

Stopped at a truck stop on I-94 just inside North Dakota and trucks are running their gensets all around me.  I'd like to know if any of you out there pop your slides a tiny bit and fire up your gens to get light and a/c.  I have my bed slide out about a foot and the exhaust is down below it about 5 feet or so.  There is nothing blocking the exhaust and it's a big empty ditch bank and a road.  Is this a hazard to be real concerned with???  C02.

Thanks

Trust me, from the perspective of a driver, no-one's gonna care if you run your generator in a truck stop. With everything else going on, no-one's gonna be able to hear it! The slides only matter if they're blocking the last parking spot. Jay

[chief916]

7 hours ago, Alie&Jim's Carrilite said:

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Gen-Turi-Generator-Disconnect-44461/dp/B000BUU5XG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1534442356&sr=8-3&keywords=gen-turi+generator+exhaust+system

Look into this.  I have seen some that have been mounted permanently to keep exhaust away from openings. 

Thank you sir.  Will order it when we get back off the road next week.

[chief916]

32 minutes ago, Jaydrvr said:

Trust me, from the perspective of a driver, no-one's gonna care if you run your generator in a truck stop. With everything else going on, no-one's gonna be able to hear it! The slides only matter if they're blocking the last parking spot. Jay

Jay...we always try to park way out back where the lot ends and the fence is the only thing between the coach and the interstate.  That way we can deploy the bed and the driver side living area out to the fence and pop the passenger side slide out to the width of the entryway handrail so we can get access to the fridge... about 18 inch's or less and we fold the bottom step up and put a traffic cone on that.  If the 5th wheel had its wheels all the way to the rear it would be so much easier to back in with all the other trucks but then I don't feel I should do that cause all you guys need those slots so you all can get your rest.  I know about the Ebooks and the hassle's that it can cause to the guys and gals who drive for a living.  Thanks for your input.

Ben

[Jaydrvr]

6 hours ago, chief916 said:

Jay...we always try to park way out back where the lot ends and the fence is the only thing between the coach and the interstate.  That way we can deploy the bed and the driver side living area out to the fence and pop the passenger side slide out to the width of the entryway handrail so we can get access to the fridge... about 18 inch's or less and we fold the bottom step up and put a traffic cone on that.  If the 5th wheel had its wheels all the way to the rear it would be so much easier to back in with all the other trucks but then I don't feel I should do that cause all you guys need those slots so you all can get your rest.  I know about the Ebooks and the hassle's that it can cause to the guys and gals who drive for a living.  Thanks for your input.

Ben

Thanks, Ben. My take is that your typical retired RVer is generally more considerate than most, but that may be partly because they have the time to, and partly because they're in a "foreign" land. I think being considerate of others goes a long way in life, whether at a truck stop or a stop sign. I personally enjoy seeing RVs at a truck stop, because I see myself doing that very soon, but hopefully I won't be spending near as much time at a truck stop.. Jay

[Hot Rod]

the fumes and noise from your little ol' generator are going to make spit difference in the environment of a busy truck stop with a hundred other rigs idling and running their APU's.  I am concerned about the slide half out though, those things really only seal good all the way in or all the way out to keep the fumes out with the exhaust right there.  We do have a genturi we use when set up a at events, it's just a big inconvenient to dig out of the storage and set up for a quick sleep stop.

[noteven]

In certain high humidity/ drizzle  and calm winds conditions my CO detector reports >0 ppm without the Gen turi in place.  

I thought about a custom permanent exhaust stack with sweet header wrap and a chrome tailpipe...

But then that would ensure wind forever more everywhere I would park and want generator power right?

 

[packnrat]

noise in a truck stop. always noisy there. just do not fire up the construction style generator. and all is golden.

in the past reffers were very noisey and parked out back. 

park in the wrong place and someone will turn of a bad noise maker for you. many a reffer parked up front had this done.

drivers needed there sleep.

[Pete Kildow]

As yourself this question. How many people die from APU's running? Then how many people die from a Generator running? APU's are safer for sure. Run on diesel and that helps. If I have the slides out, and our Propane Generator running. The carbon Monoxide detector is going off.

Also most Truck stops, are not campgrounds. Thinking unless like you have the slide over a curb. Its going to be taken out with someone backing into the site by you.

2 years ago, seen one motorhome. Taking up 3 parking spots. All slides out and even had the grill set up. And parking lot was packed. As we were leaving the fuel island. That person was packing up. Cops were there. 

 

 carbon monoxide detector

[Hot Rod]

On 9/16/2018 at 9:50 AM, Pete Kildow said:

As yourself this question. How many people die from APU's running? Then how many people die from a Generator running? APU's are safer for sure.

The average death by generator you read about is some dumbass running it in their living room when the power goes out and they want to watch tv in bed, NOT by a permanently mounted and properly exhausted rv generator.  An APU is just a generator and a few other nice things all tucked into one simple package, nothing magical about it.  Yeah, if you have your bedroom slide out directly over the top of the generator exhaust like the typical fifth wheel and no stack it is likely you are going to get some fumes inside, slide seals are far from perfect.  Not the generators fault.

[jenandjon]

I would not suggest you put your slides out at a truck stop. Maybe during the day but not at night. Its really hard to see backing in at night.  That would suck if you got clipped by a truck backing in. Unless you are on the end and put it out over a curb.

As far as the generator goes. Fire that baby up.