How often do you use your portable generator?

deltabravo wrote:
I use mine, mostly for battery charging, even though I have solar. Where I occasionally camp, there's shade part of the day.

I hate the noise of the propane furnace, so there's been multiple occasions where I fill the gen with gas at bed time, then stick it as far away as the extension cord will allow, then I run a small electric heater all night. I only do this in the fall when it's cold at night. Any other time of year, it gets too warm at night with the heat on.

Instead of the small electric heater why not consider a WAVE cat heater, no noise or amps?

I very rarely use my Honda EU2000i generator. I installed a 120W solar panel, MPPT solar charge controller, and all LED lights to cut down the power consumption. I also installed a 12V compressor fridge which bumped up the power needs but so far, I have no problems. No TV or microwave, BTW. I do have a Xantrex ProSine inverter but rarely use it. I like having the generator as backup if needed.

I use mine, mostly for battery charging, even though I have solar. Where I occasionally camp, there's shade part of the day.

I hate the noise of the propane furnace, so there's been multiple occasions where I fill the gen with gas at bed time, then stick it as far away as the extension cord will allow, then I run a small electric heater all night. I only do this in the fall when it's cold at night. Any other time of year, it gets too warm at night with the heat on.

I have to use a CPAP. Our truck broke down and we just barely made it to the Ford Dealer. We had to camp in their parking lot for two nights. That generator sure came in handy, ran the CPAP and AC all night long.

When I was younger I used to camp almost every weekend; meaning in a tent without electricity. Now at 58 I decided I like having comfortable sleeping conditions (especially since I have trouble sleeping, even at home). Most of my overnighting is within 300 miles of home and being that is in SE Texas in summer the heat and humidity is not conducive to comfortable sleeping without AC. Up to now in the summer I've only stayed in hook up sites because of the need for AC. I just ordered a Champion inverter generator model 75531i. This will hopefully get me into some sites without electricity that I've been looking at.

Best to follow up solar questions in another thread of it's own.

When people debate getting TV satellite on the camper, the topic always turns to trees blocking signal. Does getting solar mean one can never park in the shade of the trees so they don't need to use the air conditioner?

skipro3 wrote:
Unless you are using 500watt or less AC, inverters are not practical.

I'm going to disagree with this. A 1500 watt inverter will run a microwave or a hairdryer. The inverter and the battery bank and wiring to run them cost less than a generator and take less room. It will also run a vacuum, any power tool, and virtually anything else you can plug into the wall at home. It cannot run them for hours at a time (or even half hours), but there is rarely any need to do so, with the exception of a AC unit.

Lead acid batteries require a long time to recharge, and modest currents. Solar is good at this, mains chargers are good at this. Generators are not - but they are noisy!

A few cheap solar panels will keep up with even wasteful use of power, provided there is some sun where you camp. They also charge when you are driving, when you are at the supermarket provisioning, when you are parked in the storage yard - something a gen set cannot do.

dadwolf2 wrote:

DiploStrat wrote:

skipro3 wrote:


Just to remind folks;
Every inch of this circuit needs to be the large gauge wire. From alternator through to your battery posts, or else you won't get the full current potential to rapid charge your batteries. That means bypassing the factory pigtail since it is a smaller gauge wire, and using a plug that is capable of large current loads at 12 volts DC.

Amen, and just to be pedantic:

-- I would recommend that you connect the camper batteries to the starter battery(s), not directly to the alternator(s). Buffers any surges that way.

-- Scholars debate, but I believe that the cable(s) must be fused at each end, as close to each battery as possible. You don't want a 20 foot arc welder under your truck should the cable short for any reason.

Could you provide any pictures of an installation? And are you running a ground wire all the way to the battery too? Assuming a diesel truck with dual batteries, are you running wires to one battery or both or? Not sure I follow have two fuses, one at each end of the cable? You really think it will change the outcome that much?

As often happens, (especially in the Tech forum) a tangent occurs in a thread that might better be served by starting a new thread, as this topic is very interesting. It could be great with it's own subject line. Then this post can return to the OP's original topic, which too is interesting;

"How often do you use a generator."

b

skipro3 wrote:
The purpose of fuses at each end is because there is a power source at each end. Say you only fused at the truck and the wire shorted between the fuse and the camper batteries. BAM! If there was a fuse at the camper batteries as well, then, no bam.

OK, not sure why I didn't see the point the first time. :S