Honda 1000 ?

monkey44 wrote:
Okay - here's my plan.

Fire up the generator, plug a standard ten foot 12gg extension into the 20a outlet on the generator. Plug the other end of the cord to my 30 amp pedestal cord, with a 20a adapter - same as I do when we plug into my garage plug.

Why does it have to be more complex than that? It's how we charge when we plug into a CG pedestal? Right?? And the generator charges the battery using the TC charger, just as if we were plugged in.

We don't use MW, AC, or TV - we use only lights and whatever electronics our fridge, and gauges use ... ALL we want is to charge batteries - that's IT.

NO TV, no video games - we do that in parks with FHU, but not when boonies.

Am I missing something?

And, just for a test - I was at a 12.04 reading on my hand voltmeter this AM on my TC battery after three days of use.

The reader inside the TV showed - Yellow, on the charge gauge - it has "Green, Yellow, Red". I charged on my truck for one hour. The hand meter then read - 12.24 on the gauge (I shut off the disconnect, so was only reading the TC battery, nothing else) and then I engaged the disconnect and the internal meter read - Green, as in charged.

So, explain this to a non-tech person, because if you get complex, you will lose me.

What does all that tell me??

See, I'm debating about a generator at this point - and if my truck can charge my TC battery in one hour - like it did today, after three days of use in dry-camping. Then, I do not need a generator ... I'll charge every three days, or will be driving after three days, and it won't matter.

We're trying to keep as simple as possible -- I know, solar - I'll consider that separately - I want to know only about the charging and generator now, THEN will look at the solar option ... THEN will decide.

At 12.04 v your are at less than 50% state of charge...close to damaging your batteries (are they wet cell or AGM?).
The other question is what do you have for a charger/converter in your TC?
Fully charged after 1 hr is not likely...this would be a "surface charge". You C/C converter at full load likley draws more than a 1k genny will out put...this is why 1k gennys are not very effective.
A 1k will charge your house batteries using the C/C...but there are many variables...and this will not be very efficient.
Look at it this way, even with a high quality C/C converter a 1k genny may need to run 7-8 hrs to charge batteries to 90%. A 2k could do the same in 2-3 hrs.

Charging from your alternator, even if you upgrade the hot wire...will take a LONG time.

Having said all that, we only carry a genny in winter when skiing and need heat.
But I have upgraded our C/C and batteries to AGM.
If you want to spend some $ on your electrical system...this is where to start.

This is our fourth day boonies - with no charger. I ran the truck one hour yesterday, after three days. I ran it a half-four last night. And am running it this AM for half hour.

Each time, I get the bright Green market lit - I know, not a great indicator, but when it's lit, I've got good power in the battery, even if a super tech reading tells me something different.

Here's a weird reading (to me anyway) Woke up, read truck battery at 12.88, read TC battery at 12.13 .... started truck, read TC battery at 11.79 steady...
went back and read truck running, 14.3 (bounces around a little.

I assume I'm reading it right - I have a voltmeter, turn it to DC and '20', and put red spike on positive black spike on negative, and read the digital dial.

Am not always sure what everything means electronically, but I can at least figure it out with a little coaching. but have never worried about this, as I didn't care so much about battery - now, we're sitting longer in the boonies, so it makes a difference.

we ahve the availability of power any times I want to drive there (few miles) we are now "testing this battery issue" at a local CG with no power - we're planning a five months trip with lots of bonnies camping, and want to decide if we need a geneator - would prefer not. But want to enjoy it, and not fight the battery. But giving up that space and carrying extra gas is somewhat a hassle, so am giving this a try first.

I thought this was an easy Q - but no quite as easy as I thought. It looks like I will not need a generator because this is our fourth day - and all is fine with power. If we can do four days at once, that's our plan, and hen head to FHUs after four boonies days on this trip we're planning. So, from the looks of things, we can do it with the truck. I know, I know running the truck takes fuel - but so does generator, and carrying more fuel, and carrying the generator, and buying it cost a lot more than the fuel we'll spend in the truck.

does anyone have comments at this point in the 'test' ... and thanks for all advices.

Good idea to 'test time' the charge rate from home current - that would give me the charge time needed after one night on the road. Btw; we use whatever power we want on the road camping, we don't skimp' its juts that our camping style does not use a lot of battery. We don't use MW, TV, Movies etc unless we have FHU, it's just a way of camping we enjoy. SO, works well for us ... might not for others.

If you are driving around in the truck maybe mount a battery or two for charging while you drive. Then have a quick connect to power the TC for the evening. I used to do this with my pop up trailer, worked fine.

monkey44 wrote:
"According to the techies at Power Dynamics, a 25-percent charged battery will take approximately 35-hours to reach "full" charge!"

I' cant argue with techies, I don't know enough. But this statement makes NO sense. Most of the TT, 5'ers run generators for a couple hours in the AM at most, and they certainly have more that one Gr29 ... and do it day after day.

I think people are trying too hard to "help" you here. While charging to "full" may actually take 35 hours that's only because the last imcremental charge takes infinitely longer than the first. When people charge a little each day all that matters is that they replace the charge they used. So if you deplete your battery down to 80% one day but only bring it back up to 90%, my question is so what? The next day it may drop to 75% but recharge back to 90% in short order.

This is one of those cases where trial and error probably works out better than calculations since it totally depends upon your usage.

If you can put 30-40 amp-hours back in with an hour or two of run time that may be just fine for days on end.

You don't need to spend anything to test. The generator will charge at the same rate as 120V hookups--the rate your onboard charger provides. Try it out at home by running the battery down and the only plugging in for an hour or so each "day".

A low battery is like a warm beer.

Look, I put a warm beer in the fridge.
After 30 minutes, my five fingered sensor says "Yup, its cold."
I give that beer to a guest and they look at me, like WTF?




monkey, you could simply go for it. . .start your camping trip and if you can't make it after a few days or weeks, then buy one where your at.
(A little pre-planning as to where the Honda dealers are located will help.)

My 1969 Avion C-11 now has two batteries. I can run the furnace all day and get by for a couple of days before I need to charge them. Having said that, I should be charging them every day for a few hours. I have an older Yamaha 1000 and a new Honda 2000i. The Yamaha will serve my needs just fine, including running a 5,000 btu AC. The Honda is totally unneccessary with my current application since my charger is a small Schumacher Ship-N-Shore that runs fine off of the 1,000 watt Yamaha. Since I have an Avion 34' trailer also, the Honda makes more sense. It all depends on the size of charger that you have and what load you are going to put on the generator. If you are never going to use over 750 watts, get the 1000. If you are going to run over 750 to 800 watts, or more, get the 2000.

"According to the techies at Power Dynamics, a 25-percent charged battery will take approximately 35-hours to reach "full" charge!"

I' cant argue with techies, I don't know enough. But this statement makes NO sense. Most of the TT, 5'ers run generators for a couple hours in the AM at most, and they certainly have more that one Gr29 ... and do it day after day.

I know, bigger generators - but 35 hours makes no sense - and when I run my truck for several hours driving a day, and stop for the night, I've got plenty of charge in my TC battery.

What we're trying to figure out here is whether we can go several days, three, four, five, charging our Gr29 with only a half-hour or so, maybe half-hour in AM and half hour in PM and forgo buying a 1000i generator and losing that space.

We're going for five months - and will be four or five days in boonies, then a day or so FHU to recharge everything - bodies, water, dump, groceries - you know the drill. I want to keep the space, but if not, will buy the 1000i and give up the space. But in a TC, space is optimal.

We got that 12.06 reading after three days dry camping - no charging. So, maybe the 12.24 reading was that "float" - don't know, will do it again tomorrow and allows some time between readings and see what happens.

I know today I ran truck for one hour, then one half-hour later - and we have plenty of battery at the moment - it seems. Reading is 12.18 and that 12.24 reading was several hours ago and we've been using 'stuff' - lights, cooking, etc ... It still reads "Green" on the internal gauge.

I know, a complex question - but the real question I thought was simple - can I dry camp, run my truck for an hour or so a day charging my G29 battery, and not eventually kill the battery - after four days or so, we will always have FHU for a day in between three to four days outings.

If we can't do that, we will buy the 1000i, but it seems from what many says here, I'll have to run the generator three or four hours a day just to charge my Gr29 - and that makes no sense either. Generator should charge that battery a lot quicker than four hours from a 50% discharge to and 80% charge -

And, I don't have a 1000i, or I would simply test this charging time and tell everyone here what it is - but that 'test' would cost $800, and then I'd own the generator anyway ... Right? HA :) :)

Monkey, your battery is taking a "float" charge - that's a "fake" charge.
Batteries do that.
They hold onto the most recent charge and your meter will show a higher charge than the battery can deliver for more than a few minutes.
"Fake" - "Float" same deal.

12.06 volts is 25-percent battery charged.
See the picture: http://www.eaglecapowners.com/campergallery/gallery/Modifications/battery-state-of-charge.pdf

Reddog1, A "fully" charged battery is when all the lead fins in a lead-acid battery are holding all the electrons that they possibly can. A "full" charge takes longer than you might think.

According to the techies at Power Dynamics, a 25-percent charged battery will take approximately 35-hours to reach "full" charge!
(Based on using a Power Dynamics 9100 converter at normal charge.)
Here's is a saved reference from the Power Dynamics Charge Wizard instruction booklet: http://www.eaglecapowners.com/campergallery/gallery/Documents/Charge_Wizard_graph.pdf

NO offense Red dog, I know it's not simple - but am trying to find a simple way to camp and charge battery - whatever that takes. I've camped for years and years with no generator - but as age rears it's ugly head, we need to change the way we camp a little.

REddog Quote: When you say "... my truck can charge my TC battery in one hour - like it did today, after three days of use in dry-camping.", it does not give us enough information. Using that experience, I agree with you that you do not need a generator to bring your batteries up to the reader inside your TC. I still do not believe the batteries are fully charged in 1 hour. It is not instant, but I believe you will greatly shorten the life of your batteries.

Using a volt meter, how many volts do you believe a battery should show to be fully charged?

My truck fully charged read 12.86 - not running ... the TC battery read 12.06 in the AM after use. After charging for one hour with my truck, the TC battery read 12.24 = so, I'm guessing it charged about half - or 70% of full charge (I know past 80% is longer each amp). So, two hours probably charge full (80% full, which is okay) after two or three days boonies ... we are very frugal with power, not intentionally, just the way we boonie-camp we don't need a lot of power ... when we FHU camp, we use all the goodies ...

So, assuming that, I'd guess if we charged with the truck for a half hour each morning, we'd be fine for several days boonies - we then come back and find FHU camps for a few days to dump, fully charge, and fill water - then go back to bonnie camping - we do a lot of mixing camp-styles.

What we're trying to do it leave the TC and not drive around all day charging it - and when we leave the TC, we can go places the TC can't go. But, it means we don't charge it while gone ... see the dilemma?

I can buy the !000i, and lose that storage bin - or I can run my truck and keep the storage bin. I'd like to keep the bin, but I have to keep battery up if/when we leave the TC. So, if a half-hour will do it per AM, I'd choose that over 1000i ... but if it takes two/three hours running truck to keep that battery up after boonie-camping -- then, I'll buy the 1000i ...

My choice is run the truck keep the storage, but not if it takes more than one hour a per day, I will probably buy 1000i.

Plus - one other factor - storing the gennie in storage bin at rear of Lance (It's metal lined and insulated) I don't want gas smell inside - so, that is another factor, maybe?? Anyone know??

BradW wrote:
If I was only going to use the gen for battery charging, I would definately buy the 1000 instead of the 2000.

DITTO