generators

Ours is a regular bolted in generator just like any other Class A, we operate on batteries most of the time, when they get below 10 volts we run the gen/set.

Ours is bolted in the truck bed and has a remote start so we use it as you would in a MH. If it's hot we can fire it up before stopping for a break. I also have a 120 volt hot dog compressor mounted next to it so it's easy and fast to air up.

Depending on how many amp hours we are down in the morning we will run it for the coffee maker and micro and run the charging system to put some of the big amps in, especially if it looks overcast. The converter and power supply can do about 70 amps into 6 gc-2 batteries.

I have 1000 watts of solar that will do over 50 amps but of course it all depends on the sun. We use a ton of power for resi fridge, 40 in led tv, 19 in tv, satellite, laptop, furnace, I pad, etc so generator helps out at times.

I ran on the generator only the first year so I built a metal cabinet cover for it with an axial fan on one end and vent on the other. I wanted it as quiet as possible and tried to stay away from others. It's common to see MH people with solar and a small inverter rather than run a big generator to do the charging on poor sun days. Like the kids in those commercial said "More is better".

The Honda never missed a beat in 700 hours of use and should be good for a long time. During the summer I run it every month or so for half to an hour.

Appliances all require 12V for the control boards. In addition lighting and safety sensors like smoke and CO detectors use 12V. Biggest battery consumption would be the furnace.
So factor in those requirements when considering a generator for the type of camping experience you want to have.
I do some festival camping where a generator is required.

In an RV park with on-site power, about the only time we normally use our generator is during a power outage. When boondocking, we run it as often as daily for a couple of hours to recharge the batteries, usually timing it for a time that we also want to brew coffee and/or use the microwave when convenient and consistent with any park generator rules. Since we're in a motorhome rather than a trailer, we also run the onboard generator when underway when needed in hot weather so we can run the roof A/C's. All in all, lacking sufficient solar panels to maintain the batteries, I think a generator provides a better camping experience when used moderately so as not to annoy other campers.

We boondock or dry camp most of the time, and with our solar system mostly don’t need to run the generator. I do exercise it weekly. It’s a backup for battery charging. Batteries need to be fully charged daily for longest life. Generators do not enhance the camping experience.