You want to securely secure your RV’s generator whether you’re on the road or simply jogging to the convenience store a few blocks from your campground.
Generators are unfortunately one of the most often stolen commodities; nevertheless, securing one is simpler than you would think.
To assist avoid theft, use chains, wires, and alarms to secure your RV generator, as well as placing it where criminals will have a hard time getting to it.
While traveling, you may attach your generator with a hitch or rack, in your RV, or in your vehicle.
Locking up your generator properly overnight and while away from your campsite can save you time and money.
Furthermore, safeguarding it while driving will provide you with piece of mind as you go down the highway.
Keeping your Generator Safe at the Campground
If your portable generator isn’t secured, it only takes one minute for criminals to make off with it.
Portable generators have a high resale value, which makes them a common target at RV parks and campsites.
The good news is that you can use shackles, special wires, and alarms to help keep criminals at bay and ensure that your generator doesn’t develop legs while you’re not looking.
#1. Chains
You’ll want to acquire the thickest chain you can find and tie your generator to your RV’s axle.
If you like, you can acquire a cut-proof chain, but regardless of the chain you select, you should secure it with a padlock that can’t be severed with bolt cutters.
If you’re just going to be gone for a short time, a chain is a terrific alternative, but even the heaviest chain can be broken with a hand saw and enough time.
Chains should serve as a sufficient deterrent to prevent a crime of convenience.
#2. Cables
Using a wire with an anti-cut alert is one approach to further prevent them.
These specific cables include a shrieking alarm that goes off if the lock or cable is cut, but they won’t help you much if you don’t have any nearby neighbors and they strike you when you’re gone.
Cables, like chains, assist deter thieves who chance to come upon your generator and are looking for a quick cash.
The alarm, on the other hand, should deter someone aiming for a fast smash and grab.
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#3. Bracket for Security
In reality, a security bracket works in tandem with a cable or chain.
It goes over the plastic handle on your generator, providing you something more robust to pass your cable or chain through.
It’s quite affordable and attaches to the handle of your portable generator with a couple of bolts.
Just make sure it’s the right one for your generator.
It’s yet another barrier for slacker thieves.
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#4. Alternatives
If you want to be extra cautious, consider making it more difficult for thieves to access your generator.
Some folks have been able to place an RV on top of their generator, particularly if they are situated on an incline with greater space on one end.
They still attach the generator to the RV’s axle, but the generator’s total inaccessibility is a disincentive.
Putting your out portable generator in a difficult-to-reach location that is also out of sight can deter would-be thieves.
Do you have a huge or medium-sized dog that believes he is a Doberman? You may put your dog to work protecting your generator if the weather is favorable enough.
The majority of individuals are unwilling to accept that risk, even if it means licking a would-be robber to death.
If you’re a cat person like me, hiding your generator at night and when you’re gone is one of the most secure methods to keep it.
Lifting your generator into your covered truck bed or into the storage room of your RV is a bother, but if it stops it from being taken away, it’s definitely worth it.
Some generators are designed exclusively for RVs, and they come with their own compartment.
If you have this kind of generator, ensure sure the container is locked when you leave the site and overnight/during quiet hours.
Using Your Generator While Traveling
On travel days, correctly securing your generator is critical since you don’t want your generator to slide about and cause damage to your camper.
You also want to avoid the unthinkable: your generator falling onto the road, causing damage that is either irreparable or an accident.
#1. Bed of the Truck
You may store your portable generator in the bed of your vehicle with a pull-behind camper.
Once you’ve hoisted the generator onto your pickup’s bed, secure it using ratchet straps or even heavy-duty bungee cords to ensure it doesn’t move during transport.
#2. Partition for Storage
If you already have plans for your truck’s bed space and would like to install it somewhere else, your RV may have a designated generator compartment.
The generator compartment in my fifth wheel is at the front under the hitch, and that’s where we put our portable Honda while we’re on the road.
Because the Honda is smaller than the manufacturer’s generator, we secure it with ratchet straps and place a towel below in case there are any leaks.
If you don’t have a separate generator compartment, you may be able to put it in one of your other RV storage compartments if you have enough room, or you may be able to store it within the RV beneath your bed, dinette, or other furniture.
If you do decide to put it inside your trailer or in a compartment, ensure sure it is securely fastened so it does not slide about during turns or breaks.
Because I’m nervous about possible leaks, I’m hesitant to keep my generator indoors.
#3. Hitch Mount or Bumper
You can always install your generator on the exterior of your RV if you’re like me and don’t want to take any chances.
Getting a rack that attaches to your rear bumper is one of the simplest options.
It’s also, however, one of the most deadly.
Just go to a review site for one of these hitches and you’ll find endless accounts of rear bumpers being torn apart because they weren’t built to handle that much weight – not to mention the hazard to other cars if your generator comes off on the highway.
Before you contemplate this alternative, you must first determine how much weight your back bumper can support.
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By using a frame-mounted hitch instead of a bumper-mounted hitch, you may prevent losing your back bumper (and your generator).
This hitch provides a similar platform for your generator on the rear of your RV, but it is secured to the frame rather than the bumper.
Before you go out and get one, keep in mind that the hitch lowers the bottom of your RV by several inches, increasing your chances of bottoming out on steep inclines and muddy roads.
If you have an A-frame trailer, you’re in luck: racks for installing your generator are designed to fit on top of your propane tank on the front of your trailer.
If you need to access the propane tank, you’ll have to remove the rack, but otherwise, they are a wonderful method to secure your generator for travel.
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The Safest Ways to Keep You and Your Generator Safe
Let’s speak about safety best practices now that you know how to secure a generator outdoors and when traveling.
Carbon monoxide is one of the few things that makes me nervous.
You may think it’s crazy — after all, there are worse things like snakes, scorpions, and black water tanks that refuse to empty – but hear me out.
#1. Carbon Monoxide Is A Poisonous Gas.
Carbon monoxide is tasteless and odorless, and it causes unconsciousness and asphyxia.
It does this by replacing oxygen in your red blood cells, and if breathed in big enough quantities, you may not even experience shortness of breath or dizziness before passing out.
To prevent breathing carbon monoxide, make sure your generator is well-ventilated and kept away from where you spend the most of your time.
You should have a working detector inside your RV, and if your neighbors are near by, you should pay attention to where they store their generators.
#2. Lights
Let’s move on from the doom and gloom and speak about lights.
You’ll want to make sure the area surrounding your RV and generator is adequately illuminated at night to deter prospective thieves, as well as to prevent you from tripping over it when you walk outside to investigate that noise you heard.
Many solar lights will operate, and you won’t need to turn on your generator to use them.
#3. Location
As previously said, the position of your generator might help avoid theft.
Keeping your generator hidden while it’s not in use and making it difficult to access when it is can both deter robbers.
#4. Tracker with GPS
While there is no foolproof method to safeguard your generator, the more difficult it is for someone to steal it, the less likely it is that they would.
If the worst happens and your generator is stolen, you may buy GPS trackers that will enable the authorities to locate and return your generator as long as the criminals remain near enough.
Many of these trackers come in the form of a tiny tag that you can attach to the generator, and some even come in the form of a patch that you can apply to the surface.
Regardless of the choice you select, keep in mind that your generator is not worth your life, and the authorities will have a higher chance of recovering it safely.
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Final Thoughts
Any generator is an important aspect of your dry camping setup, and the last thing you want to happen to it while in transportation or at the campground is for it to break down.
When camping, you may take additional measures like chains and alarms to dissuade thieves by making sure your generator is safe while traveling.
