Generator Bay storage when generator is present

[Mis-Adventurers]

Hi there and thank you for the join! Looks like a very helpful group!

We are new to 5th wheel world and have a new to us 2015 BH 3010RE. Have already learned the value of information shared here and had a new set of Sailins installed, from SimpleTire, before our first shake down trip last weekend. Peace of mind and $$ well spent.

Looking for comments and ideas please; The Previous owner installed the ONAN 5500 propane generator and we'd like to also use the same area above for storage of water hoses, etc...certainly nothing flammable! Afraid the back wall may not hold much weight so not sure what we may be able to hang. Thinking of building a 4 legged tabletop over the Onan, maybe a shelf across it and stack or lay hoses.

Does anyone have better solutions on how to best use this area when generator is there too?

Thanks in advance!
Brad

 

[centerline]

Hi there and thank you for the join! Looks like a very helpful group!

We are new to 5th wheel world and have a new to us 2015 BH 3010RE. Have already learned the value of information shared here and had a new set of Sailins installed, from SimpleTire, before our first shake down trip last weekend. Peace of mind and $$ well spent.

Looking for comments and ideas please; The Previous owner installed the ONAN 5500 propane generator and we'd like to also use the same area above for storage of water hoses, etc...certainly nothing flammable! Afraid the back wall may not hold much weight so not sure what we may be able to hang. Thinking of building a 4 legged tabletop over the Onan, maybe a shelf across it and stack or lay hoses.

Does anyone have better solutions on how to best use this area when generator is there too?

Thanks in advance!
Brad

it seems like you already got it figured out.... a shelf is the way to go, and if you do it well enough, it can help deaden the sound of the genset so its quieter in the bedroom above.

the genset already has its own fiberglass enclosure, but I built a partition/longitudal bulkhead at the end of the generator as a center support for the 2-part shelf, over the top.... I built it in 2 parts so its easily removable for when I need to access the inside of the enclosure on the generator. this also helps contain the genset noise better.....

this creates a lot more room than just having a single level where everything gets piled on top of everything else that is stowed in there...

I have an air compressor in there, all the air tools such as blowers, inflators, pressure gauge ect and keep all the spare parts, including a complete kit of oil/filters to cover an oil change if needed for my tow vehicle.... and other less used items that I hope to never need along the road somewhere, but always carry just in case.

as long as the oem cover is on the generator, its reasonably safe to put anything in the storage area with it, except gasoline, unless its in an absolutely air tight, spill proof container....
oil, diesel, paper/plastic/rubber products, blocking, ect will not be any more of a fire danger setting next to the running generator, than it would be if stored in the basement of the trailer....

to put it in perspective, the only real danger of gasoline in the genset area, is IF IT LEAKS..... the fumes could work their way the inside of the genset housing, which would take quite awhile to dissipate to a safe level even AFTER the leaking gasoline/fumes is noticed and cleaned up.... but this probably wouldnt be noticed or thought about until AFTER someone attempted to start the generator....

 

[carl.swoyer]

Hi there and thank you for the join! Looks like a very helpful group!

We are new to 5th wheel world and have a new to us 2015 BH 3010RE. Have already learned the value of information shared here and had a new set of Sailins installed, from SimpleTire, before our first shake down trip last weekend. Peace of mind and $$ well spent.

Looking for comments and ideas please; The Previous owner installed the ONAN 5500 propane generator and we'd like to also use the same area above for storage of water hoses, etc...certainly nothing flammable! Afraid the back wall may not hold much weight so not sure what we may be able to hang. Thinking of building a 4 legged tabletop over the Onan, maybe a shelf across it and stack or lay hoses.

Does anyone have better solutions on how to best use this area when generator is there too?

Thanks in advance!
Brad

Water hoses extension cord aluminum folding tables are all the things that I have stored on top of the Onan. No shelf required. Just stack. I never put anything flammable such as spare propane or fuel bottles .Since 2012 never a problem. I did buy 3m sound deadening rubber and applied it to galvanized metal cabinet and it's a lot quieter.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

 

[Dmetcalf]

it seems like you already got it figured out.... a shelf is the way to go, and if you do it well enough, it can help deaden the sound of the genset so its quieter in the bedroom above.

the genset already has its own fiberglass enclosure, but I built a partition/longitudal bulkhead at the end of the generator as a center support for the 2-part shelf, over the top.... I built it in 2 parts so its easily removable for when I need to access the inside of the enclosure on the generator. this also helps contain the genset noise better.....

this creates a lot more room than just having a single level where everything gets piled on top of everything else that is stowed in there...

I have an air compressor in there, all the air tools such as blowers, inflators, pressure gauge ect and keep all the spare parts, including a complete kit of oil/filters to cover an oil change if needed for my tow vehicle.... and other less used items that I hope to never need along the road somewhere, but always carry just in case.

as long as the oem cover is on the generator, its reasonably safe to put anything in the storage area with it, except gasoline, unless its in an absolutely air tight, spill proof container....
oil, diesel, paper/plastic/rubber products, blocking, ect will not be any more of a fire danger setting next to the running generator, than it would be if stored in the basement of the trailer....

to put it in perspective, the only real danger of gasoline in the genset area, is IF IT LEAKS..... the fumes could work their way the inside of the genset housing, which would take quite awhile to dissipate to a safe level even AFTER the leaking gasoline/fumes is noticed and cleaned up.... but this probably wouldnt be noticed or thought about until AFTER someone attempted to start the generator....

Can you take a couple pictures of the shelf you made please..? That’s a great idea.
thanks.

 

[centerline]

Can you take a couple pictures of the shelf you made please..? That’s a great idea.
thanks.

I have it all removed at this time, as our trailer wasnt outfitted with a genset, and ive recently installed a 5500 marquis gold, and now installing the 35 gallon overhead fuel tank in the upper space of that compartment....

the shelf was built to kind of keep things separated, and the fuel tank area has ventilation holes at each end, and the lower portion has no ventilation except when the genset is running.

to make the removable shelf, I just took some 1.5" aluminum angle, and attached a piece on the end walls of the space, at the same height....
then cut a piece of plywood, sized to make the verticle "support" partition next to the generator...

then what i did, was take a 2x3 and cut a dado groove down the middle of it, so as to make a piece that would slip on to the top of the center support plywood, to create a ledge for supporting the shelf pieces.... I glued it permanently to the top of the center support, and then fixed it so the bottom of the center support has to remain in its position and not be allowed to shift sideways at the bottom and allow the shelves to collapse

once these three pieces are cut to fit, and done, you really only need to put a screw into the top of the shelf, down into the center support ledge so that the top of the support cant shift out of position.... its done.

I drilled down thru the shelf and thru the center support ledge, and down thru the supports on each end with a quarter inch bit.... then removed the shelf pieces and center support, and redrilled the holes in the support and ends to 3/8"....

I then used 1/4" bolts, 1.5" long to place in the holes of the 2 shelf pieces, pointing downward with nuts on the bottom... then tighten these up til the nut is embedded ito the plywood (the plywood may need to be counter bored to do this) so the nuts are a bit counter sunk into the wood....

now its just a matter of inserting a shelf end, placing the center support in, and lowering the pins/bolt ends into the 3/8" holes of the end and center supports... then laying the other part of the shelf in its place.

this holds it all together without dealing with fasteners every time you need to remove a shelf panel, and you can take one side of the shelf out for taller room if needed, leaving the other one is still secure for continued use....

 

[Dmetcalf]

I have it all removed at this time, as our trailer wasnt outfitted with a genset, and ive recently installed a 5500 marquis gold, and now installing the 35 gallon overhead fuel tank in the upper space of that compartment....

the shelf was built to kind of keep things separated, and the fuel tank area has ventilation holes at each end, and the lower portion has no ventilation except when the genset is running.

to make the removable shelf, I just took some 1.5" aluminum angle, and attached a piece on the end walls of the space, at the same height....
then cut a piece of plywood, sized to make the verticle "support" partition next to the generator...

then what i did, was take a 2x3 and cut a dado groove down the middle of it, so as to make a piece that would slip on to the top of the center support plywood, to create a ledge for supporting the shelf pieces.... I glued it permanently to the top of the center support, and then fixed it so the bottom of the center support has to remain in its position and not be allowed to shift sideways at the bottom and allow the shelves to collapse

once these three pieces are cut to fit, and done, you really only need to put a screw into the top of the shelf, down into the center support ledge so that the top of the support cant shift out of position.... its done.

I drilled down thru the shelf and thru the center support ledge, and down thru the supports on each end with a quarter inch bit.... then removed the shelf pieces and center support, and redrilled the holes in the support and ends to 3/8"....

I then used 1/4" bolts, 1.5" long to place in the holes of the 2 shelf pieces, pointing downward with nuts on the bottom... then tighten these up til the nut is embedded ito the plywood (the plywood may need to be counter bored to do this) so the nuts are a bit counter sunk into the wood....

now its just a matter of inserting a shelf end, placing the center support in, and lowering the pins/bolt ends into the 3/8" holes of the end and center supports... then laying the other part of the shelf in its place.

this holds it all together without dealing with fasteners every time you need to remove a shelf panel, and you can take one side of the shelf out for taller room if needed, leaving the other one is still secure for continued use....

Excellent write up... thank you.

 

[Mis-Adventurers]

Lou, Thanks for great description..looks like I have a weekend project.