generator just to charge batteries

JiminDenver wrote:
Consider this.

You are sitting under your awning when your neighbor puts his lawn mower on the edge of your site. He then proceeds to start it and run it at full blast. He leaves it there and gets in his trailer all happy because he can't hear it with his AC and TV running. You on the other hand get to listen to it, retreat inside or leave until quiet time.

We use a Champion 3500/4000 while we boondock. Nice dependable machine but boy is it loud. You have to go a long ways to have the noise level drop to the point you can hear the birds and the wind. I have been able to tell a open frame was running from a half mile late at night. The noise just carrys.

For battery charging only I agree that solar may help you. Even something you could put together for maybe $300 could keep your battery charged up. You don't have to mount them, we have our panel portable so the trailer can be in the shade and the panel in the sun. warning, it is addictive. You may have the urge to get more and more solar even after your needs are met. ;)

Good story and similar happened to us. We boondock in October here and it gets cold. Not so cold though that you have to run your generator all night, but not so said the guy who pulled in one evening and parked fairly close to us - he had kids so he ran his loud "yellow" generator, close to our door, all night. Argggghhh. Had it not been for the kids, I would've said something. A Honda? quiet - when cold weather boondocking, we run it in the morning when we are running our heater to warm up.

Not that I'm a cheapskate.. but I have a hard time believing that everyone has 500-1000 dollars to blow on a generator just to charge batteries! Doesn't anyone use the non inverter gen.? Maybe build a cover for them to quiet them down?

problem with solar panels is that you need sun! We're in upstate ny were the sun rarely shines.. also all our camping is done in the woods where there is little to no sun.

100w panel $145

Controller $40

OK the wire and provisions might put you over $200.

There are other deals around. Probably get a controller for half.

hmknightnc wrote:
...you can self install 100Watt for $200

Buying from where?

we do not want a gennie or solar.
we boondock
12 foot heavy duty jumper cables
turn the truck around and run the trailer from 2 pickup batteries and 2 Rv batteries.
the TV gets driven every 2nd or 3rd day .
we connect all 4 batts again as soon as we return .
been doing this for a decade with no worries .
we camp with friends .
none allow generators to spoil the silence .

For about $200 you can have a 120w solar panel and controller.
Will provide about 7 amps.

Consider this.

You are sitting under your awning when your neighbor puts his lawn mower on the edge of your site. He then proceeds to start it and run it at full blast. He leaves it there and gets in his trailer all happy because he can't hear it with his AC and TV running. You on the other hand get to listen to it, retreat inside or leave until quiet time.

We use a Champion 3500/4000 while we boondock. Nice dependable machine but boy is it loud. You have to go a long ways to have the noise level drop to the point you can hear the birds and the wind. I have been able to tell a open frame was running from a half mile late at night. The noise just carrys.

For battery charging only I agree that solar may help you. Even something you could put together for maybe $300 could keep your battery charged up. You don't have to mount them, we have our panel portable so the trailer can be in the shade and the panel in the sun. warning, it is addictive. You may have the urge to get more and more solar even after your needs are met. ;)

if you have a quality converter that will output 40+ amps, you'll likely find that a 1000-1500W inverter will overload when the batteries are deeply discharged. Converters draw lots more current than one would first guess. As an example, a PD 65A converter draws close to 13A @120V. My advice buy a honda or yamaha 2000W. cost isn't much more than the 1000W, noise level is virtually the same, and you won't risk overloading the generator.
If your converter is in the 45A range then a 1500W would probably work.

Brett50 wrote:
im looking for a small generator just to charge my batteries while in the campgrounds. (we dont use the a/c or microwave) so im looking at the champion 1200/1500 model. does anyone have info on this model? is it quiet enough (to run during gen time) that it wont be annoying to neighbors? reliability? any other brands comparible in the $200.00 price range?
Thanks!

That model will be too loud and not give out very clean power, its meant for power tools and such, Champion has a 2000w inverter type that is fairly cheap, around 500 bucks. Nice clean power output. I use it for boondocking and charges great and quiet, because of the inverter it can run at low revs on econo mode. The one your looking runs full out all the time.

Here is a link to mine in action - Champion review

Cheers Ray