Solar or Genny

So of the three options, alternator, generator or solar, two will require a inverter and enough battery to run a microwave. The generator wont but it will have to be gassed, started and plugged in.

Colo Native wrote:
This is my dilemma I don't boondock but I do road trips that are days travel time, I only run the microwave for a few minutes and maybe a toaster on this trips or charge a device here and there. I am having a hard time trying to figure a 2000w generator or about 300w of solar. Thanks for your help again.

You state that your road trips are days long? Certainly, you are not running without stopping for days, when hooked up your TV should be charging your batteries, this would keep them topped off, and run things like the fridge, (on propane). If you stopped a couple of times on the way for lunch/snacks a small solar with investor should handle your needs, nothing big like AC. Also, when on these road trips do you boondocks at Wally World or do you stop at RV parks? Again, if you stopped in RV parks and hooked up to shore power, your batteries should be topped off. I do not see anything that would require you to buy a genset. Someone mentioned an advantage to gensets is space, How many batteries would you need to take up the space of a generator and its fuel?

If you do any boon docking, even on your road trips a Genset would be worth looking into. Just my $0.02 worth, good luck.

I have a different perspective on why solar may be the way to go.

While having a generator is real nice, my move to solar has allowed me to leave the generator home or put away. I haven't used it while camping since installing a solar power setup last year. If the weather does go south for more than a few days the generator would be nice when dry camping.

Since you stated that you don't boondock, do you really need a generator if your on the road a few days than plugging in? Dealing with a generator seems like an unnecessary pain, you'll just have to be willing to forget the microwave while on the road, do you really use it that much? Toast, done in the oven. Try it, you'll like it.

Positives for a simple solar setup are once installed it just simply works to keep things charged and ready to go. Permanent mount was made to sound like a negative by some, to me it's a positive. No pulling out a panel running wires etc, which is perfect since it's out of the way and requires, no work on your part and is always ready to work.

My trailer sits at the storage yard all charged up, some trips we need to start the frig 4 or 5 days out due to work schedules and when we show up to load and leave, the batteries are still fully charged. I could not have had this luxury before solar due to the parasitic draws.

We've been fortunate to dry camp for about 20 nights so far this year and our setup has been working great with absolutely no generator use, the only issue we had was in a particularly forested site with good sun only in the morning hours, we had rain one morning and clouds another, so after our fourth night the battery was down to 60%, which isn't going to kill my AGM's, since they can run down lower than lead acid batteries. Either way I didn't have the EU2000 so it wasn't really an issue, we just pay attention to our use.

Our last trip was 10 nights with good afternoon sun for four hours. We watched TV 2 of the nights for a few hours due to weather, using programs downloaded to a Kindle. Ran an ice maker during the day for a few sunny days, and ran a big box fan another night due to a warm and muggy night. While I had the Honda in the bin, it stayed there. I love having it as backup but despise the thought of using it destroying the peace and quiet of others, though I was tempted to pull it out and run it first thing in the morning to wake up the neighbors that partied until 2 am with a lot of loud talk, I refrained since the rain came in and sent them packing.

My system was setup for dry camping purposes, something others don't need for simple charging, so this isn't a recommended setup I'm just sharing what works for us. 2 AGM Group 31 batteries, 2 160 watt panels on AM Solar Adjustable mounting brackets, a 30 amp MPPT charge controller, and a 1000 Watt Pro Sine Inverter.

The 300 watt panel you mentioned would easily keep things charged up and ready to go for your use if that's all you need.

Here's the decision point: do you want to have air conditioning or can you live without it? If you need it, you must have a generator. If not, solar will save you over the long run IF you install it correctly (and that means probably by yourself). Very few solar RV 'installers' will do anything more than what's most convenient for themselves. Do some research and read up on what is most efficient. My solar system provides far more than what you're asking and cost me $2,800. More than a good genset, but little maintenance, no stink and not a drop of fuel.

Look on craigslist here and be patient if you can, you will find Honda EU3000is used for pretty decent prices. $12-1500 for a nice unit/ no scam. Occasionally lower. Honda 2000s are not that good of a deal. I have only seen a few Champion 3100i that were listed at $700.

RoyB wrote:
Here on the East side of the US we all run into generator run time restrictions just about everywhere you go at the public campgrounds. The guys with the big CLASS A RIGS seems to get by with a somewhat double standard and get away with running their on-board generators just about anytime they want to.

For us it was always frowned on big time running our 2KW generator out in the open or sitting on the tail gate of our truck bed etc except for the few hours allowed in the morning and then again in the afternoon periods.. We have never been able to run our 2KW generator after 8PM any where even in the Natl Fores areas. This was main reason for me to beef up the batteries to run our things during the generator restriction times...

This is much reduced out West but I imagine you will run into that more now with your 5th wheel and an open generator running...

Camping in dispersed areas usually anything goes but unfortunate for us campers here on the East side of the US there are few dispersed camping areas around...

Not really many private areas as well - just too many peoples around haha...

Most of my camping is always off the power grid and we do quiet well with just 255AH of battery capacity power. I started doing all of this in the early 2009 time frame and just now my GP24 12VDC Interstate batteries are dropping off on performance... When I get bigger and better batteries going I most definitely want to enhance my setup with solar panels this time around...

Once you store the solar power into the larger battery banks then you can run all night long without making any noise during the noise restriction times...

Thats our game plan at any rate...
Roy Ken

I've never camped east of Somerset, CO, and every improved CG I've been in, or thought about going to, has had "noise hours" for generator use. I, too, much prefer the solitude and space of dispersed camping. Or, plugging in at our friend's place in CO, where we're about 100 yards from the nearest structure, with a full hookup. :-)

Lyle

Colo Native wrote:

JiminDenver wrote:
being here in Colorado, you need to know that at higher elevations the generators lose power. On a hot day at 10,000 ft a generator can lose as much as 40%, so a 2000w may not run your microwave.

Well aware of that, been looking at 3100w generators, I like the Champion 3000W it is lighter weight too and cheaper than the Honda 3000

=Lots= cheaper and 23 lbs lighter (for the electric/remote start), but you give up 12 hours' run time at 1/4 load. 1.5 gallon tank vs 3.6. Just tossin' it out...

Lyle

Colo Native wrote:
Ok, seems to be Generator is best way not to open a can of worms but I have looked at several Honda 2000i companion( Like that it has a 30 amp plug) Champion 2000i(cheaper)so what is good I don't plan on using A/C and I want to be able to pick it up and the 3000's are to heavy. And maybe get 100w solar for keeping the batteries charged.

Um, if the genny's running, the batteries are charging...unless you have a problem. Not saying you couldn't also have a 100w panel, smart controller and some gator clamps direct to the batteries, as backup.

Lyle

Costco has a nice 2k inverter generator with a Yamaha engine for 2/3 the cost of the Honda 2k. We have 2 Honda 2k's at work, and I have a Honda 3k and the Costco 2k inverter generator at home. The Hondas ARE quieter side by side, but 20 feet away no one can tell which one is running.

Here on the East side of the US we all run into generator run time restrictions just about everywhere you go at the public campgrounds. The guys with the big CLASS A RIGS seems to get by with a somewhat double standard and get away with running their on-board generators just about anytime they want to.

For us it was always frowned on big time running our 2KW generator out in the open or sitting on the tail gate of our truck bed etc except for the few hours allowed in the morning and then again in the afternoon periods.. We have never been able to run our 2KW generator after 8PM any where even in the Natl Fores areas. This was main reason for me to beef up the batteries to run our things during the generator restriction times...

This is much reduced out West but I imagine you will run into that more now with your 5th wheel and an open generator running...

Camping in dispersed areas usually anything goes but unfortunate for us campers here on the East side of the US there are few dispersed camping areas around...

Not really many private areas as well - just too many peoples around haha...

Most of my camping is always off the power grid and we do quiet well with just 255AH of battery capacity power. I started doing all of this in the early 2009 time frame and just now my GP24 12VDC Interstate batteries are dropping off on performance... When I get bigger and better batteries going I most definitely want to enhance my setup with solar panels this time around...

Once you store the solar power into the larger battery banks then you can run all night long without making any noise during the noise restriction times...

Thats our game plan at any rate...
Roy Ken