Carrying Honda Generators

I bought two Honda 2000 watt generators and have them outfitted with the parallel kit. This supplies plenty of power for my 2007 2720 SL, as many have already discovered from reading the forum postings.

My problem is finding an efficient way to carry these generators. I don't want to carry them in the trailer or TV if I can find a better way. My TV is a 2002 Toyota 4Runner with a Surco Safari roof rack. Yesterday I lifted both generators onto the roof rack and securely strapped them down.

This method of carrying them will work, but its really a pain and I mean that literally. Today I'm so sore from lifting them up onto the rack and manhandling them that I'm determined to find a better way. Maybe our friendly, knowledgeable TrailManor community forum can help with suggestions.

I'm not interested in a permanent mounting where I run the generators from where they're mounted. What I'm looking for is a place to mount them for transport only. When I arrive at my destination I would then unmount them and set them up at some convenient location on the ground to operate them.

I have a very strong front bull bar on my TV, but mounting them here is impossible because of how they would block the headlights. Using the receiver hitch on the rear of my TM is really pushing the safety limit and I use this for my bicycle anyway.

I'm exploring ways to mount them on the trailer tongue and I'm wondering if anyone has done this successfully. A permanent mount here would be impossible of course because they would obstruct the movement of the slide out on my 2720 SL.

I have a folding hitch and I was going to meet with a metal fabricator/welder to see if something could be built that would hold the generators in a tray on each side of the tongue. I would then strap them down for transport and then take everything off the tongue including the mounting trays and then set up the generators on the ground alongside the unit to operate them for electrical power.

If this is unfeasible I suppose I'll be relegated to carrying them inside my TM, TV or on the roof of my TV - not looking forward to that one - ouch!

I know there must be someone out there that's encountered a similar dilemma and solved it. Hopefully someone will have some good suggestions for me in the coming days.

2007 2720 SL
Duel 6V Batteries
Electric Stabilizers
Prodigy Brake Controller
2002 4Runner 4x4 Ltd.
Supercharged
TJM Bull Bar w/
9000 lb Warn Winch

[countrygirl]

Have you thought about putting a reciever hitch on the front of your TV and using a Hitch Haul ? They are rated for 500 pounds and you can adjust the heighth of it to clear the head lights.

Thanks for the input Country Girl. This is the kind of creative thinking I was hoping for. I'll certainly explore the possibilities of this suggestion. Yes, let me know the manufacture of this device if possible.

[countrygirl]

Hitch Haul is the brand name and you can get tham at Wal-Mart, Campers world, etc. My hubby has one on the back of his Jeep for hauling his fishing cart and we use it in the front of my Chev. 2500 for tree stands,Deer,and coolers. The steel model is about 70 bucks and the Alum. model is about 140. Tom put the reciever hitch on without too much cursing. I hope this helps,Dina.

The aluminum Hitch Haul from Bass Pro Shop:

http://tinyurl.com/2c8vea

This is the Z bar lift for the hitch haul...can lift it 7 and 1/2 inches higher if needed.

http://tinyurl.com/ypoha8

I got the front receiver hitch for him from Cannon Welding...not sure if that is a national company or just local.

[Bill]

Saltamonte wrote

I'm exploring ways to mount them on the trailer tongue and I'm wondering if anyone has done this successfully. A permanent mount here would be impossible of course because they would obstruct the movement of the slide out on my 2720 SL.

I'm really interested in any solutions you find or invent here. I have a Honda 1000-watt unit, and even at this small size, it is still a pain to transport. I really don't want it inside either the tow vehicle or the TM.

C'mon back with whatever you decide.

Bill

[grill-n-go]

Just so it's doesn't go unmentioned. Thule offers a step that attaches to your vehicles wheel. This give better access to your roof. Thule 232 wheel step.

http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-...ck-assist.html

[Leslie & Nick]

Not sure there's a good answer to this one. I have a single Honda 2000 generator, and while I think it's great, I wouldn't want to hoist it (let alone two of them!) above my head and onto the roof of a TV. I believe they weigh close to 50 pounds each - definitely not good for your back!!!

I'd be concerned about adding 100 pounds to the tongue of the trailer itself, via frame modifications though. Depending where the generators are placed, you'd be directly affecting the trailer's 'tongue weight', almost pound for pound. TrailManor specs show tongue weight for your trailer at almost 400 pounds, which I believe is 'dry' weight. The 4Runner probably has a tongue weight capacity of 500 lbs (??)

Two generators would take up quite a bit of room if you had to store them in the TV itself, plus you'd probably get some gasoline vapors no matter how well you emptied the tanks. So your probably would not want to store them in the towed TM either (I know, I'm not being much help).

So, after considering the options, I think I'd look at some sort of rear hitch carrier. You might check with the TM factory, but I think TM trailers can support another 100 pounds (two inexpensive bicycles plus the weight of the carrier) by means of a hitch welded/bolted to the frame. Other forum contributors have rear hitches, so maybe you'll get some feedback from them too. Perhaps you could split the difference - mount one generator on the front frame, and carry the other in the back (???). I'd also be interested in how this works out.

Nick

I've been thinking of this problem of where to carry my two 2000 watt Honda Generators for some time now and it looks as if countrygirl has given me the answer.

I took my 4Runner to an off road customizing shop today and spoke with the owner about installing a front receiver hitch. The receiver hitch will accept an aluminum hitch haul that will carry both of my generators with room to spare.

I'll have to be careful to insure that the load doesn't interfere to my headlights or turn signals, but that seems to be a minor concern. The receiver hitch can be installed to whatever height I require.

Also, the head of the vehicle frame is easily accessible for building and mounting a customized receiver hitch.

The other issues appear to be minor ones and the off road shop owner was very positive, knowledgeable and understood precisely what I was trying to achieve.

My lower back and right leg still hurts mucho from hefting the generators up on my TV roof rack, so I really needed this solution. Thanks again countrygirl!

I thought that my polished aluminum bull bar and 9000 lb Warn winch would make it too difficult for an engineering workaround, but the off road shop guy says it would be fairly simple.

After he explained how he would design and install the front receiver hitch it all made perfect sense. By the way the aluminum hitch haul is capable of holding 500 lbs, so I'm way under the load limit with my two generators.

Happy holidays from Deep South Texas,

Dan

[countrygirl]

Hi Dan,

That's awesome! Glad I could help!

I have a single Yamaha 2400. It weighs about what one of my two batteries does. I had thoughts of mounting it where the batteries are and putting the batteries in back. With serious creativity it could be made to fit on the tongue with the two bottles and actually be less tongue weight than before. After thinking about it, my concern was fumes getting into the TM with the generator sitting under the front bed. I don't know how real my concern is though.

Right now I put the generator in the TM right over the axle.
and strap it down.