Generators and Compressors
Ok, all of you experts, I would like to have your feedback regarding generators and air compressors. There would be two of us (my wife and me). We don't expect to do 100% dry camping. In the ex...
Forum Discussion
I did the 2KW Generator first then beefed up the converter/charger system including more batteries and LED lights. My battery bank is currently a 255AH capacity which allows me to do just about everything we normally do at the electric camp sites with exception of NO AIR CONDITIONER. Other than that we camp pretty much the same as regular camp sites with hookups. We only use the 2KW generator to re-charge the battery bank at first light in the mornings. This is when we also make our coffee for the day when the generator is running. The generator is only used for three hours in a day using smart mode charging technology.
Our next addition will most likely involved adding solar panels. Our power usage from the batteries is around 300WATTs. Now that we have been very successful running things off the batteries adding solar panels now only enhances everything. In order to re-charge our 255AH battery bank each morning we need to produce around 52-53 DC amps from our converter/charger setup which will require the use of the generator running for a couple of hours. Then we can let the solar panels continue the charge the rest of the day in the high SUN to get our batteries up to the minimun of 90% charge state with hopes it will go to the 100%charge state before we start using the batteries again for the next day/night run from the batteries.
I think the generator is must have item just for this purpose of re-charging my batteries. Just having solar panels alone runs the risk of being caught in less than normal SUN DAY and may not be able to re-charge the batteries. The generator will recharge my batteries rain or shine weather wise. My 2KW generator normally sits secured in the tail gate corner of my truck under a locking hard plastic folding bed cover. When we need to use the generator we just pull it out onto the tail gate o the truck. It goes where we go and is never left at the camp site unattended.
I use the MV50 Tankless 12VDC air compressor which is a very small footprint and airs up both my truck and trailer tires as needed. Our tankless air compressor comes in a handy carry case and fits under my rear seat in my truck. The tankless air compressor also being slow to bring up high pressures make for an excellent air compressor to do my blow out of water lines when freezing weather comes up in a hurry. The blow-method works great for us in our off-road camper when needed. Can winterize the whole system is 5 minutes or so and return back to normal use the next day by just refilling the fresh water tank. We drain the water tank, blow out all the water lines using the tankless port air compressor, then add a little pink stuff to the p-traps.
All of this does take some pre-planning to be successful. In the early days of camping off the power grid if we just showed up it usually got dark on us around 10PM each night. There we sit with our flashlights and candles...
Roy Ken
Our next addition will most likely involved adding solar panels. Our power usage from the batteries is around 300WATTs. Now that we have been very successful running things off the batteries adding solar panels now only enhances everything. In order to re-charge our 255AH battery bank each morning we need to produce around 52-53 DC amps from our converter/charger setup which will require the use of the generator running for a couple of hours. Then we can let the solar panels continue the charge the rest of the day in the high SUN to get our batteries up to the minimun of 90% charge state with hopes it will go to the 100%charge state before we start using the batteries again for the next day/night run from the batteries.
I think the generator is must have item just for this purpose of re-charging my batteries. Just having solar panels alone runs the risk of being caught in less than normal SUN DAY and may not be able to re-charge the batteries. The generator will recharge my batteries rain or shine weather wise. My 2KW generator normally sits secured in the tail gate corner of my truck under a locking hard plastic folding bed cover. When we need to use the generator we just pull it out onto the tail gate o the truck. It goes where we go and is never left at the camp site unattended.
I use the MV50 Tankless 12VDC air compressor which is a very small footprint and airs up both my truck and trailer tires as needed. Our tankless air compressor comes in a handy carry case and fits under my rear seat in my truck. The tankless air compressor also being slow to bring up high pressures make for an excellent air compressor to do my blow out of water lines when freezing weather comes up in a hurry. The blow-method works great for us in our off-road camper when needed. Can winterize the whole system is 5 minutes or so and return back to normal use the next day by just refilling the fresh water tank. We drain the water tank, blow out all the water lines using the tankless port air compressor, then add a little pink stuff to the p-traps.
All of this does take some pre-planning to be successful. In the early days of camping off the power grid if we just showed up it usually got dark on us around 10PM each night. There we sit with our flashlights and candles...
Roy Ken
