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How is the Volt doing it? Or is my understanding of how it works all wrong, and the Volt isn't generating electric power from its engine, but rather putting power from the ICE strictly to the wheels, in sort of an either-or-both configuration?
Without doing a whole lot of detailed work, just looking at the first item on a google search for 18000 watt generator, I found the Winco "Big Dog" 18000 watt portable generator, selling for $4350 and with a shipping weight of 500 lbs. Just guessing, can probably get a trailer for it cheaply enough to put the finished price of the build at $6000. As an added benefit, you've got a generator set to run your house in event of grid outages, or ready to loan out to red cross emergencies.
Sadly, 500 lbs probably puts it outside of my top of roof alternative... but it does seem like maybe motorcycle hauler hitch mount territory, I see some rated for that. And the motorcycle pulled trailer style? Certainly seems doable.
Looking around motorcycle pulled trailer topics on the web, I see folks are building them for under $500, combining a harbor frieght flatbed trailer and a cartop cargo carrier.
Where are you getting that 18000 watt figure, by the way? Is that peak load, or average? Because peak wouldn't be necessary, the key would be to generate more than the average requirement, so you'd be recharging the battery while operating, but the battery would be supplying the power needed when you're drawing more than the generator makes.
I also see a problem in that, with my theory, I'd still end up running out of power if climbing up some serious mountain ranges. But I guess that's not really a crippling issue, just pull over and wait till the battery is fully charged again, and then start over. Stored battery power plus continuously generating enough for average running should mean a fairly good range, and when I run out, I still don't have to find somewhere to plug in, at least until the gas runs out (and that's no different from running dry in an ICE only configuration, right?)
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