Best choice? Small Generator vs Solar Setup -> weekend camp

My camping setup is usually OFF-ROAD camping without hookups

Everywhere we camp around here we run into generator run time restrictions... Very little dispersed camping around these parts. This led me to doing the battery upgrade to handle all the things we wanted to run and then I get to run my generator during the day when allowed to recharge my batteries.

Been doing this since 2009 and has worked out great for me... We were surviving just fine with our 255AH Battery upgrade up to the end of last season - Now down to one 12V battery so have plans for bigger and better batty upgrade now ongoing... Going for two groups of 6V Batteries in series. This way I can use either a 220AH capacity or a 440AH capacity by flipping a battery switch.

Just now thinking about solar panels but they only put out small charging currents and you have to use them all day during the high sun to get the batteries back up... If you are a high user of watts Solar panels is a slow process to keep ahead of it unless you have massive group of panels... My way of thinking is battery banks and generator is first way as you can always depend on these charging your batteries. Solar panels only work on clear days and being in the high sun so they will be great TOP OFF source of energy. Need that small generator for PLAN B for sure...

With the generator I can always re-charge back up in a three hour generator run time using my on-board converter/charger setup rain or shine...

Just things to think about.

Roy Ken

I'm new, so might be making mistakes, but unless the generator is on, the receptacles do not have any power to them. For example, no generator power, no TV.


The only items that operates on the battery power is lights and slide, and water pump. Everything else only runs when generator is on (or is powered by propane)

Is there a way to power these receptacles using the batteries and inverter?


Thanks

Ya, I agree - do you not have batteries now??

In either case, my vote is for solar (and you will get a lot of opinions on this). I LOVE my solar, the quiet, and the low cost (see the link in my signature).

When you're not running the A/C, such as when it's cooler, why do you need a generator at all during the night? The batteries should take care of it just fine. Standard batteries will do fine. Your unit should have come with an invertor and batteries.

Bill