Posted: 6/20/2011 5:57:16 AM EDT
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I found a 14kw diesel genset that probably weighs about 800 lbs. I was thinking about just putting the genset, transfer switch, and a 100 gallon fuel take on a trailer as a unit.
Any thoughts or wisdom? Seems like a lot of the utility trailers out there are the "tilt" type and I think that might not be the best case. |
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100 gallons of fuel weigh about 700 lbs or so, plus about 800 for the generator. You would radially overload one of the folding utility trailers. You need something with a 2000 lb payload or better.
http://www.bigtextrailers.com/pdf/19sl.pdf This is a likely candidate, Lowe's and TSC also sell trailers this size. Ops |
I recently bought a Miller Bobcat welder/generator from a buddy who was in financial distress. After pricing Miller's trailers I almost passed out from sticker shock. Per the suggestion of a professional welder here (thanks Echo2!), I found a nice dual SeaDoo trailer on Craigslist for next to nothing. It was pretty easy to remove the watercraft attachment points and install a plywood platform. From there I had a buddy make some 90 degree shackles to secure the Miller onto the trailer frame. I'll try to take some pics this weekend-the welder is currently residing in my Mom's garage a few towns over. My total investment for the trailer, parts, and new lights/wiring was well under $400 
The only thing left to do is install a lockable toolbox and some jerrycan brackets. It would also be nice to get my own truck to haul it around  Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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A 3/4 ton military trailer would be perfect for this. I have one with a military generator on it. Unless you have a 1 ton truck stay away from the 1 1/2 ton trailers. Grove This is the correct answer. An M101A2 or M101A3 is what you want. Military rated for 1500 pounds off road or 2250 on road (they will easily exceed that), surge brakes, and standard 8 lug 1 ton bolt pattern wheels. Bid prices this month have been around $450-700 after buyers premium and taxes if you want to jump through all the hoops and buy direct from the government. Buying face to face you can swing one $550-1000. A bit more, but it is cash and carry without all the headaches. I have a nice one for sale now for $600 bare, or $750 with the sideboards, top bows and vinyl top. 4 wire flat civilian trailer wiring has been added, tows great. We just took it to PA and back full of ammo cans. If you want to be able to lock it, the bed size is the same as a standard 1 ton pickup, you can add a camper shell. Galvanized body under the camo paint as well. You won't find any better deal in trailers now than these. |
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On the M101s, if you are using a standard receiver hitch, do they make an adapter for those trailers? Looks like its just a big loop. Yep. 
Or one of the plates and bolt a hook to it- that is how I go. I usually sell one of the plates with a military pintle hook for $85 when people buy a trailer. |
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You need a really good reason to put the transfer switch on the trailer- for example, if this is an automatic transfer switch, and this trailer is intended to provide automatic backup power. For residential use, after the power has gone out, you would just need a single length of SO cord to connect the generator to the service entrances panel, or an installed transfer switch.
The only reason to put the ATS on the trailer, is if the trailer is intended to replace an existing ATS and gen set if the gear is damaged and need to be repaired or replaced. Also for a typical house tou would need a 200 A transfer switch and 2 sections of 200A SE rated cable, or more typically, multiple 600V welding cables. IIRC, SO cord is only available up to 2/4. I forget the ampacity, but about 80 amps. |
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You need a really good reason to put the transfer switch on the trailer- for example, if this is an automatic transfer switch, and this trailer is intended to provide automatic backup power. For residential use, after the power has gone out, you would just need a single length of SO cord to connect the generator to the service entrances panel, or an installed transfer switch. The only reason to put the ATS on the trailer, is if the trailer is intended to replace an existing ATS and gen set if the gear is damaged and need to be repaired or replaced. Also for a typical house tou would need a 200 A transfer switch and 2 sections of 200A SE rated cable, or more typically, multiple 600V welding cables. IIRC, SO cord is only available up to 2/4. I forget the ampacity, but about 80 amps. SO goes larger than that, i have used 3/0 x 4 conductors with 5 #6 egc myself for 200 amp medical MRI and CT trailers. |
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Unless you're really fond of that particular generator, there is no shortage of cheap used diesel gensets that are already mounted on a trailer - commonly used for portable lighting in the construction industry. Exactly, consider looking for a used Light Tower with a top quality diesel genny and fuel storage and already approved for highway use and with good resale value. We did and couldn't be more pleased. Ebay has lots at all kinds of prices. |
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A 3/4 ton military trailer would be perfect for this. I have one with a military generator on it. Unless you have a 1 ton truck stay away from the 1 1/2 ton trailers. Grove This is the correct answer. An M101A2 or M101A3 is what you want. Military rated for 1500 pounds off road or 2250 on road (they will easily exceed that), surge brakes, and standard 8 lug 1 ton bolt pattern wheels. Bid prices this month have been around $450-700 after buyers premium and taxes if you want to jump through all the hoops and buy direct from the government. Buying face to face you can swing one $550-1000. A bit more, but it is cash and carry without all the headaches. I have a nice one for sale now for $600 bare, or $750 with the sideboards, top bows and vinyl top. 4 wire flat civilian trailer wiring has been added, tows great. We just took it to PA and back full of ammo cans. If you want to be able to lock it, the bed size is the same as a standard 1 ton pickup, you can add a camper shell. Galvanized body under the camo paint as well. You won't find any better deal in trailers now than these. Does that include delivery??? |
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A 3/4 ton military trailer would be perfect for this. I have one with a military generator on it. Unless you have a 1 ton truck stay away from the 1 1/2 ton trailers. Grove This is the correct answer. An M101A2 or M101A3 is what you want. Military rated for 1500 pounds off road or 2250 on road (they will easily exceed that), surge brakes, and standard 8 lug 1 ton bolt pattern wheels. Bid prices this month have been around $450-700 after buyers premium and taxes if you want to jump through all the hoops and buy direct from the government. Buying face to face you can swing one $550-1000. A bit more, but it is cash and carry without all the headaches. I have a nice one for sale now for $600 bare, or $750 with the sideboards, top bows and vinyl top. 4 wire flat civilian trailer wiring has been added, tows great. We just took it to PA and back full of ammo cans. If you want to be able to lock it, the bed size is the same as a standard 1 ton pickup, you can add a camper shell. Galvanized body under the camo paint as well. You won't find any better deal in trailers now than these. Does that include delivery??? Within about 50 miles or so... after that $1.85 a loaded mile
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Unless you're really fond of that particular generator, there is no shortage of cheap used diesel gensets that are already mounted on a trailer - commonly used for portable lighting in the construction industry. Exactly, consider looking for a used Light Tower with a top quality diesel genny and fuel storage and already approved for highway use and with good resale value. We did and couldn't be more pleased. Ebay has lots at all kinds of prices. I am a big advocate of used light towers as gensets, but if he wants a 14kw I don't see many light towers with that much capacity. |
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This is a low hour three cylinder air cooled Lister-Petter diesel with a kohler genset...Been looking for one for awhile. I am not committed to putting it on a trailer to use it, but it would be handy for relocating it and I don't know of any downsides. Much, much, much easier to steal if it is on a trailer and not bolted down and secured. TRG |
| I hadn't planned on hooking this up to my current house permanently. I see what you mean about it getting stolen. I was likely just going to hang on to this and down the road when I buy some acreage set it up permanently. I thought in a time of need, it would be a bear to load it on a trailer to take elsewhere. Balancing mobility with the risk of theft is something I am going back and forth about. |
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This is a low hour three cylinder air cooled Lister-Petter diesel with a kohler genset...Been looking for one for awhile. I am not committed to putting it on a trailer to use it, but it would be handy for relocating it and I don't know of any downsides. Much, much, much easier to steal if it is on a trailer and not bolted down and secured. TRG Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Maybe you could put it on a trailer. Remove the wheels, and do some camo and concealment? Make it look like something else? With the wheels off, it would make it pretty hard to just snatch and grab. TRG A pintle hook takes 95% of would be thieves out of the picture since they won't have a matching hitch. Pull the wheels and store them away from it and that takes pretty much all but the most determined out of the game. |
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This is a low hour three cylinder air cooled Lister-Petter diesel with a kohler genset...Been looking for one for awhile. I am not committed to putting it on a trailer to use it, but it would be handy for relocating it and I don't know of any downsides. Much, much, much easier to steal if it is on a trailer and not bolted down and secured. TRG That depends on how you build your trailer....locking hubs are the bomb..... 
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Maybe you could put it on a trailer. Remove the wheels, and do some camo and concealment? Make it look like something else? With the wheels off, it would make it pretty hard to just snatch and grab. TRG A pintle hook takes 95% of would be thieves out of the picture since they won't have a matching hitch. Pull the wheels and store them away from it and that takes pretty much all but the most determined out of the game. No argument here. Just curious why it was going to be a trailer, when it sounded like the OP had no real plans in place for moving it. TRG |
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A 3/4 ton military trailer would be perfect for this. I have one with a military generator on it. Unless you have a 1 ton truck stay away from the 1 1/2 ton trailers. Grove This is the correct answer. An M101A2 or M101A3 is what you want. Military rated for 1500 pounds off road or 2250 on road (they will easily exceed that), surge brakes, and standard 8 lug 1 ton bolt pattern wheels. Bid prices this month have been around $450-700 after buyers premium and taxes if you want to jump through all the hoops and buy direct from the government. Buying face to face you can swing one $550-1000. A bit more, but it is cash and carry without all the headaches. I have a nice one for sale now for $600 bare, or $750 with the sideboards, top bows and vinyl top. 4 wire flat civilian trailer wiring has been added, tows great. We just took it to PA and back full of ammo cans. If you want to be able to lock it, the bed size is the same as a standard 1 ton pickup, you can add a camper shell. Galvanized body under the camo paint as well. You won't find any better deal in trailers now than these. Everything he said is spot on! Grove |
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You need a really good reason to put the transfer switch on the trailer- for example, if this is an automatic transfer switch, and this trailer is intended to provide automatic backup power. For residential use, after the power has gone out, you would just need a single length of SO cord to connect the generator to the service entrances panel, or an installed transfer switch. The only reason to put the ATS on the trailer, is if the trailer is intended to replace an existing ATS and gen set if the gear is damaged and need to be repaired or replaced. Also for a typical house tou would need a 200 A transfer switch and 2 sections of 200A SE rated cable, or more typically, multiple 600V welding cables. IIRC, SO cord is only available up to 2/4. I forget the ampacity, but about 80 amps. SO goes larger than that, i have used 3/0 x 4 conductors with 5 #6 egc myself for 200 amp medical MRI and CT trailers. Wow, that's a crackhead electromagnet. I'm not going to share this info at work, pulling single lengths of 4/0 welding cable is bad enough. I knew there were bigger armored cables out there for mining and walking draglines, but I didn't know SO cord was available this big. As much as I'd hate to move it, at least you could coil it. With welding cable you have to be careful not to make inductors out of the excess, and for our use (generator changouts or disasters) you don;t cut the cables to length when they cost $30-50/ft. |
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On the M101s, if you are using a standard receiver hitch, do they make an adapter for those trailers? Looks like its just a big loop. Yep. http://image.become.com/imageserver/s2/739686442-150-150-5-0/buyers-5ton-pintle-hook-fits-2in-receiver-tube.jpg Or one of the plates and bolt a hook to it- that is how I go. http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRx-cp0gfIiXADWn9NUdrEOYAuX2UZdb-T3fkaZScUBJItLGCZI I usually sell one of the plates with a military pintle hook for $85 when people buy a trailer. Why do you suggest the plate hitch vs a dedicated unit? |
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A 3/4 ton military trailer would be perfect for this. I have one with a military generator on it. Unless you have a 1 ton truck stay away from the 1 1/2 ton trailers. Grove This is the correct answer. An M101A2 or M101A3 is what you want. Military rated for 1500 pounds off road or 2250 on road (they will easily exceed that), surge brakes, and standard 8 lug 1 ton bolt pattern wheels. Bid prices this month have been around $450-700 after buyers premium and taxes if you want to jump through all the hoops and buy direct from the government. Buying face to face you can swing one $550-1000. A bit more, but it is cash and carry without all the headaches. I have a nice one for sale now for $600 bare, or $750 with the sideboards, top bows and vinyl top. 4 wire flat civilian trailer wiring has been added, tows great. We just took it to PA and back full of ammo cans. If you want to be able to lock it, the bed size is the same as a standard 1 ton pickup, you can add a camper shell. Galvanized body under the camo paint as well. You won't find any better deal in trailers now than these. Everything he said is spot on! Grove Yep, there's a reason I got my M105A2 for $165.00 plus my cost in diesel to go pick it up. (Yeah, I have a Deuce to pull it with.) The M101 series can be pulled by any decent regular sized pickup truck. LC |
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220 hours.
I posted these over at smokstak as there are a bunch of lister pros over there. You guys may be able to help with some of my questions It came with a pretty complicated Kohler Auto Transfer switch that has mechanical timers for time to start, run duration, etc. It also came with a simplex 10 gallon "day tank" that has a 1/3 HP onboard motor and a pump. I am not sure why this is necessary but perhaps you guys could shed some light. Its 208 / 3 phase. Some guys at work mentioned that it might be possible to convert the alternator to 240 single phase by making some changes to the wiring. They said this wasn't necessary but would help to avoid unbalanced loads. Heres some pics: 
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Do you have a wiring diag of the gen head? Also, there are automatic microproc engine controls on eaby for abt $150. Easy to config for most any engine. They're nice and will do most everything to start up and monitor the critical factors of the engine. I do not but I work with a bunch of elec engineers and HVAC guys who think they "might" be able to reverse engineer it. Can you post a link to one of the controls you are talking about? |
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Do you have a wiring diag of the gen head? Also, there are automatic microproc engine controls on eaby for abt $150. Easy to config for most any engine. They're nice and will do most everything to start up and monitor the critical factors of the engine. I do not but I work with a bunch of elec engineers and HVAC guys who think they "might" be able to reverse engineer it. Can you post a link to one of the controls you are talking about? http://cgi.ebay.com/Diesel-Gas-Generator-Controller-GTR116-Multi-Function-/150621967579?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUA%26otn%3D5%26pmod%3D150614057511%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D1037091751124195361 http://cgi.ebay.com/Auto-Start-Gas-Diesel-Engine-Generator-/330582642429?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUA%26otn%3D5%26pmod%3D150614057511%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D1037093079416604322 |
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the day tank is a holding tank that is used to pump the fuel from an underground holding tank.
the day tank will have a float that allows it to run down probably about half way, then the 1/3 hp pump fills it back up as needed. this is because the on board engine fuel pump cannot pump from an underground tank. the timers on the transfer switch can control many things depending on how complicated it is, i will try to explain them to you in the sequence they would operate 1 time delay to transfer. this sets the time delay of how long the power has to be out for it to initiate the start sequence. most commercial applications are 1 second. I would probably set a residential to about 30 seconds. 2 retransfer time delay. this is how long the unit waits to transfer after the utility power is restored. some commercial apps wait as long as 5 minutes to make sure the restoration of power is stable. 3 engine cool down timer, how long the engine runs after the load is removed to allow it to cool down then shutoff, typical commercial setting is 5 minutes. 4 you may also have a automatic test feature, this will probably be a 7 day timer to allow weekly test runs 5 test run timer, how long the engine runs during the test cycle you may not have all of these timers, but this will get you started. the fact that it use 208 3 phase means that you only have about 9kw (45 amps) useable to you if this is a typical residential application. you do want to make sure that your AC units or any other motor loads are rated for 208/240 (some are, some are not) not just 240. running a 240 only rated motor at 208 would cause the motor to run hotter than designed. (not slower like some people believe) |
