Questions about power for overnighting

TomG2 wrote:
I just completed a sixteen day/3,000 mile trip with many nights spent in parking lots. There were times when I wished my generator was louder, much louder. Like when the tour bus pulled alongside with his main engine left running at fast idle, or the night the semi with the cycling refrigerator unit parked twenty feet away. My 3500/4000 watt Champion could not compare to them and I was not running it anyway as the AC was not required.

X2 ... exactly my feelings ... except that we have a quiet built-in generator and a quiet portable one.

On long trips we camp in parking lots for convenience ... no other reason. Running one of our generators in most of these parking lot situations poses no problem as compared to the other noise in parking lots.

In ultra noise sensitive dry camping spots we use the little portable suitcase generator or idle the main engine to top up the batteries, either of which make "no noise" for all intents and purposes.

I just completed a sixteen day/3,000 mile trip with many nights spent in parking lots. There were times when I wished my generator was louder, much louder. Like when the tour bus pulled alongside with his main engine left running at fast idle, or the night the semi with the cycling refrigerator unit parked twenty feet away. My 3500/4000 watt Champion could not compare to them and I was not running it anyway as the AC was not required.

If it's 90 degrees at night and we are overnighting at Wal-Mart, Cracker Barrel, etc., sorry, but the generator will be running so we can have air conditioning. We have a Yamaha inverter, so it isn't a contractor grade noise maker.

While others may not agree with this approach, I think I'd upset many more people driving through a campground with my diesel at 1am and trying to park in the dark with all the obstructions and vehicles in the way. Likely have exponentially more people annoyed with me. It has little to do with being cheap, and lots to do with convenience and courtesy. At Wal-Mart, they are usually by busy roads and may have a semi or two idling away and my generator will be the least of the noise.

I know some drive 6 hours a day, then stop for the day, but that's not us. We have limited vacation and want to spend it camping, not driving to and from camping, so we push it hard to get where we are going and enjoy the extra couple days we get doing it

Same here. I have 2 EU200's in the truck bed running the AC.

I have had to be away from email for a few days to help with a hospitalized family member. Now that I'm back I'm amazed at the number of responses my question prompted! Many of them offered very good suggestions, several of which I would not have thought about otherwise. Thank you for those.

Almot wrote:

For 1/4 of price of Chinese generator you can sleep in a hotel with all the comforts.

so one can several generators a year!

Almot wrote:
For 1/4 of price of Chinese generator you can sleep in a hotel with all the comforts.

Nobody said that a "couple" of batteries will run A/C, btw.

I did not realize it was a one night proposition. There were those suggesting solar and batteries. That would be a heck of a lot more money that a $300 generator like the one that I am running right now making coffee and operating the air conditioner in a Walmart lot with nobody within hearing distance. I like the idea of driving up into the mountains although from South Florida that might be more expensive than a motel room, generator, or a huge battery bank.

Gdetrailer wrote:
NinerBikes writes "The stated goal in overnighting is to be unobtrusive to all, including fellow overnighters. No different than camping. Including quiet hours from 10 pm to 6 am. Why would it or should it be any different, unless you are a selfish bore.

The issue isn't noise being created by your AC unit, the issue is if you make noise to generate electricity to power up your AC unit, when your AC unit and whole Rv was designed from scratch, to be hooked up to a pedestal, not a generator, to power the AC. RV parks and RV builders are in bed together, they have a symbiotic relationship.

As for me, I plan my trips to make stops, even in the summer time, such that I have enough elevation, where it cools off at night, at any given overnight spot so as to never have to run the AC unit, let alone the generator. This means climbing up out of the desert southwest onto a 5000 ft elevation plateau around or north of Cedar City, UT before stopping, about a 450 mile one day drive. Or else, I pay a fee at an Indian Casino to plug in at a pedestal overnight and cool down."

Everyone has "different ideas" as to what "overnighting" may mean.

There is huge difference when one is "overnighting" in a public or state CAMPGROUND vs a "public/private" PARKING LOT.

You are very lucky to have access to a "Indian Casino" to plug in or even 5000 ft elevations to pull over and park without some need to run a A/C.

MANY don't have such luxuries.

There is no reason to be shouting about one using a generator in a Walmart parking lot. Heck I would rather hear a gen than a trucker idling their rig all night (ever try to sleep with a reefer truck parked beside you?) I have.

In a place like Walmart you are a "guest" of Walmart, they have no "rules" about who can run a gen or not. They have no "quiet" hrs posted to abide by.

Yes, I have overnighted at Walmarts and yes, it is anoying when a Motorhome parks and starts a gen for all night.. BUT, I PAID NOTHING for that parking spot..

I overnight at Walmart because I do not want bothered driving miles and miles out of my way on single lane dirt roads up steep mountains only to find they they are closed (I have lots of those stories from my childhood of my parents HAVING TO BACK THEIR WAY OUT FOR MILES more than once).

I am not going to go and pick a fight with another fellow camper over a generator, EVEN IF I WAS THERE FIRST..

That would be a very childish and not to mention potentially deadly game to play to make your point.

I myself HAVE fired up my gen in the back of truck, but I only run it long enough to cool down the trailer to a reasonable sleeping temp.. Kind of hard to get to sleep when you have a trailer inside temp of 80F or 90F..

So, I will run mine for a 1/2 hr which gets the temps comfortable.. and often since one of my stops is in the mountains of West Va it sometimes cools down outside quickly and trailer stays reasonably cool all night.

Personally, I just don't sleep all that well around a lot of noise so I break out some nice soft hearing protectors.. Those work wonders on muffling traffic, gens and truckers. Best $.50 that anyone could spend if noise bothers them..

Ninerbikes I agree I missed the point of you being there first.
When I plan to use my genset I will park away from everyone or near someone already using a genset. I would avoid disturbing others.

However Gdetrailer sums things up pretty well.
Expectations and rules are very much different when it comes to a Wal Mart parking lot vs.CG.

If it's 90 degrees at night and we are overnighting at Wal-Mart, Cracker Barrel, etc., sorry, but the generator will be running so we can have air conditioning. We have a Yamaha inverter, so it isn't a contractor grade noise maker.

While others may not agree with this approach, I think I'd upset many more people driving through a campground with my diesel at 1am and trying to park in the dark with all the obstructions and vehicles in the way. Likely have exponentially more people annoyed with me. It has little to do with being cheap, and lots to do with convenience and courtesy. At Wal-Mart, they are usually by busy roads and may have a semi or two idling away and my generator will be the least of the noise.

I know some drive 6 hours a day, then stop for the day, but that's not us. We have limited vacation and want to spend it camping, not driving to and from camping, so we push it hard to get where we are going and enjoy the extra couple days we get doing it.

TomG2 wrote:
For the price of a couple of batteries, which will not run the air conditioner, you can purchase one of the popular Chinese 3,500 watt generators that will.

For 1/4 of price of Chinese generator you can sleep in a hotel with all the comforts.

Nobody said that a "couple" of batteries will run A/C, btw.

NinerBikes wrote:
Running a generator when you are camping is acceptable, generally you are far enough away from fellow campers that noise pollution and exhaust fumes are not a problem. Running a generator when you are overnighting disturbs everyone. I have no hesitation when I am there first at a WalMart to ask someone to shut their generator off, as I don't wish to hear it or smell it. Recharge while you are driving down the road with your alternator, and no one is offended by it.

Depends on the location you are overnighting and assorted other things.

For example.. Other than Flying-J most truck stops do not offer RV-Specific parking.. THey offer TRUCK parking which we share.. So you are between several diesels, ideling and/or with generators running (many drivers carry genrators) parked next to a REEFER with the engine running,,, odds nobody is going to hear an ONAN 5500 watt generator.

Wal-mart.. Again you may be parked next to a REEFER or other running diesel. All depends on where in the lot you are and who else is there.

And of course.. WHen I'm traveling and overnighting, I try to time it so I do not NEED the generator at night, 8 am yes, but not all night. I like to give it 10 to 12q hours of rest every night.