TCBear wrote:
It's relative, but personally I've never encountered a quiet generator in a campground, same for gas lawnmowers -- they all detonate atomized gasoline, not a quiet endeavor. You can invariably hear them in adjacent campsites. It's partly that reason I only disperse camp, so I don't have to listen to the generator in the next space for hours. I'm more into the sights and sounds of nature. A Honda generator costs around $2,500, whereas my $200 solar panel charges my trailer battery in as little as 30 minutes. I don't don't use AC or a microwave, so I have no use for a generator.
Fine that you like dispersed camping (I do, too), but you seem to be exaggerating a bit, or I'm misunderstanding.
Some generators are very quiet. Also, state/federal improved campgrounds generally have quiet time. Normal conversation is louder than a small quiet Honda generator. They really are that quiet. On the other hand, most built-in generators far exceed normal conversation. They are also not $2500 for the small sizes.
There isn't a $200 solar panel that can produce enough power to fully charge a normal size 100AH RV battery in 30 minutes. It's more like 10-20 hrs based on all of the articles on the internet. Of course, if you barely use your battery, then solar is viable except in bad weather or maybe during Winter. Maybe that is what you meant.
Fwiw, I also like power generators like Jackery, etc. I find that enough for my usage except for maybe running the furnace in Winter because I've changed all of the bulbs to LED. They are able to be charged by 12v, AC, solar, and not very expensive any more. They are more than enough for me to charge phones/tablets for a night.
