I have to move my generator outside for a few weeks. Will it be ok outside in the elements?? I plan on throwing a tarp on it when I get back up to the farm next weekend. I assume they are built to withstand more than a dry Nebraska winter.
Thanks for the info!
If you have any trees on your property or can set up a couple treated 2x4s in the ground about 14' apart you're better off setting up a low "tent" over the generator with stakes in the ground & 1/4" rope keeping the tarp stretched tight. Keeping a tarp over a generator in a "cocoon" arrangement invites condensation on a daily basis...Down here in the south it also creates a haven for roaches & rats...the rats just love chewing on the wiring insulation. Understand you may not have the rodent problem, but the condensation does no good for the electrical components nor your paint job... As to the tent arrangement, you have the snow factor that we don't have to deal with so that would dictate how you set up the pitch of the tarp. Another thing I find works good is to use the poly tarps for the tent part & then a good canvas tarp for the one that lays directly over the generator. The canvas breathes well unlike the poly tarps & by having the poly tarp over the canvas one, things stay much drier & the canvas tarp won't rot so quickly...
Basically stretch the rope between two trees...this becomes the "peak"....lay the tarp over the rope along the center of the tarp & then secure the 4 corners (& other eyes as needed) to other trees or stakes driven in the ground....we use what the crabbers call "pot warp"--a black poly-pro line that is UV stabilized so the sun doesn't eat it up....Orient the sloping sides of the tarp to best block the prevailing winds, rain, snow, etc...
