Question about Generators and boon docking
The more I thought about this the more I thought I should ask. Just returned from our first boon docking trip on a generator. I know the led lights, bathroom fan, radio, etc. are all 12V and draw ...
Forum Discussion
i've made the observation while studying prior to my own upgrades, a lot of OEM "converters" don't do that good of a job at charging the battery. 13.2 volts isn't enough to charge a battery that's been run down all night.
to maximize the fuel spent on your generator, you want an aggressive charger that'll output 14+ volts right up until the battery is in the 90% charge range.
here's a simple test. run the battery down till the voltage is 12.1-12.2 volts. now start the generator and plug in. give it a few minutes and then flip the eco switch on the generator. if it idles right on down, that means your converter is not aggressively charging the battery. you'll likely need to run all day to recover the battery at that rate.
i'm not suggesting you get one, but the magnum inverter + charger I use will charge at 90 amps from a 2000 watt yamaha. it doesn't let the generator idle down at all. sure it's louder, but the generator only needs to run for 2-3 hours versus all day... once I hit 95%, generator off, silence the rest of the day and night. repeat the next day if needed. when I get home, house hold power will take it to 100%
to maximize the fuel spent on your generator, you want an aggressive charger that'll output 14+ volts right up until the battery is in the 90% charge range.
here's a simple test. run the battery down till the voltage is 12.1-12.2 volts. now start the generator and plug in. give it a few minutes and then flip the eco switch on the generator. if it idles right on down, that means your converter is not aggressively charging the battery. you'll likely need to run all day to recover the battery at that rate.
i'm not suggesting you get one, but the magnum inverter + charger I use will charge at 90 amps from a 2000 watt yamaha. it doesn't let the generator idle down at all. sure it's louder, but the generator only needs to run for 2-3 hours versus all day... once I hit 95%, generator off, silence the rest of the day and night. repeat the next day if needed. when I get home, house hold power will take it to 100%
