Is there a quiet NON inverter generator?

Naio

I didn't go looking for made in the USA panels, but I was happy when I found them without having to spend more than I would have imports. Not for the usual patriotic reason but because I read a few years back of how some of the Chinese manufactures were cutting corners in an attempt to stay competitive.

The owner of that company that I bought from told me that anything solar will be going up due to the tariff as even the raw materials are effected. Between the tariff and the Chinese economy, it will be interesting to see what happens to the prices.

greenrvgreen wrote:
Two facts about red generators: They're quieter (as long as your neighbors can see they're red), and they're stolen more often (as long as your neighbors can see they're red.

You can paint a Briggs and Stratton red and one of your neighbors will spend hours trying to lift and cart it off (but you'll still be a considerate camper).

I'm not sure why anyone would spend Honda money trying to please Honda thieves.

So I'm a fool buying our eu6500is honda?

You buy the loud one if you want to, I will not.

We buy them to please the neighbors and ourselves.
I have never ever ever ever seen a B&S anything that comes even close to a Honda.

Two facts about red generators: They're quieter (as long as your neighbors can see they're red), and they're stolen more often (as long as your neighbors can see they're red.

You can paint a Briggs and Stratton red and one of your neighbors will spend hours trying to lift and cart it off (but you'll still be a considerate camper).

I'm not sure why anyone would spend Honda money trying to please Honda thieves.

Naio wrote:
I had missed these noise reduction posts. Thanks, youse guys!

Looking at carriers, I see the aluminum HF one weighs half as much as the steel. Any reason I should not get that?

I have some pink foam insulation board...maybe I should try a sheet of that under, and see how bad it is? Or will it melt/catch fire? It would surely dissolve if I drip gas on it.

It seems to me that the base of the genny vibrating the platform is going to be the issue, so I am not seeing that a box would be the ticket. Am I totally wrong about that?

Sitting on the ground, I don't think the sound of the 650 is bad at all.

rubber engine MOUNTS ?

thick 2" rubber feet, maybe cut from a block of rubber or made from layers of rubber
bolt thru from honda to rack, rubber in between
do NOT over tighten
use just enough pressure to hold in place, you can use the teflon locking nuts, so it doesn't loosen up
you want the rubber to flex..to absorb the vibration
Alu is lighter, but it fatigues easier/faster
for full time use, i would prefer steel

smkettner wrote:
Just idle the van or load up on solar.

Well, that WAS my plan, until dealing with pit bull attack took up all my free time. I still intend to do it, but not likely this summer.

Do you all think I need to be concerned about buying solar panels now, rather than waiting till I have time to install, because of the China situation?

westend wrote:
A water cooled Onan will weigh 400 lbs. more than your Honda.

Wowsa! Ok, nevermind...

greenrvgreen wrote:
Are you sure you can't lift and carry that little gennie even 20 ft?

Very sure.

Re: sound levels, I am more concerned about annoying fellow campers than myself.

pnichols wrote:
I use a 3/4 inch thick rubber rectangular shaped kneeling pad that would be just the right size for an EX650 to sit on.

Nice idea!

Naio,

I'd try thick rubber under your EX650 ... such as a piece cut out of an old thick black rubber horse stall pad, or the thick rubber rectangular kneeling pads you can buy at hardward stores. i.e. I use a 3/4 inch thick rubber rectangular shaped kneeling pad that would be just the right size for an EX650 to sit on. Since the EX650 doesn't emit any high frequency noise, a thick rubber pad that isn't too hard would work just fine to isolate it's frame vibrations from being amplified while sitting on a carrier.

If you mount it on a carrier on a rubber pad, you need to figure out how to hold it securely down onto this pad and both of them onto the carrier when going down the road. Also, you should have a cover over it to keep the dust and dirt off it when traveling down the road hour after hour.

Go with an aluminum carrier - no rust ever and less weight for your vehicle to carry around. The EX650 is so quiet that I can't see needing to put it into any kind of box for noise reasons, however you might want to keep it out of the sun and rain when it's not being used.

Remember, never ever leave your red colored generator out unsecured where it can be seen whenever you're not around!

Are you sure you can't lift and carry that little gennie even 20 ft? Because 20 ft will make a world of difference in noise, especially if you're in that van while it's running.

You'll find that the side of the van will reflect the noise back at you when you're outside, especially the higher-freq noise, which many consider the most annoying noise. OTOH, if you're on the other side of the van it will be that much quieter.

Either way, you're going to want rubber isomount feet, along with shock cord lashing, so that there is no "hard" mount to the rack. Also pack HEAVY, THICK soundproffing between the gennie and the door of the van. Multiple layers of thick carpeting, for example.

Good luck!

I had missed these noise reduction posts. Thanks, youse guys!

Looking at carriers, I see the aluminum HF one weighs half as much as the steel. Any reason I should not get that?

I have some pink foam insulation board...maybe I should try a sheet of that under, and see how bad it is? Or will it melt/catch fire? It would surely dissolve if I drip gas on it.

It seems to me that the base of the genny vibrating the platform is going to be the issue, so I am not seeing that a box would be the ticket. Am I totally wrong about that?

Sitting on the ground, I don't think the sound of the 650 is bad at all.

SG, I'm sure you could build a well designed enclosure. My point was to get Naio onto the "drawing board" and to start thinking about solutions. Even a sheet of foam is going to be an upgrade if the little Honda is spinning on a carrier just a few inches from the back door. I know if I still had the EX650 how I would be handling it, it wouldn't be operated attached to the vehicle since I can throw it around with one hand. It might sit in a metal box, locked up for transportation. ISTR, Naio has some physical limitations so may not be able to remove it from the carrier. She will have to find her own solution and as I mentioned, sound proofing is not going to be trivial.