boondocking with just a generator to recharge the batteries

[dpgerson]

Shouldn't it be possible to boondock indefinitely by just running a generator 3 hours a day (this time of year. I'm not talking winter)? By that I mean keep the batteries sufficiently charged. I use minimal 12 volt. Lights, fantastic fan, the furnace in the morning for a bit. But the highest voltage I get once the generator is stopped, and after waiting for 2 hours, is 12.09 volts. Should I expect this. When charging the voltage reads over 13. I'm using a 6500 watt honda generator. I'm plugging the RV shore power into the generator.

Thanks in advance.

[kerrlakeRoo]

Running the generator will keep you functional but to really top off a battery always requires that slow long term charge. If you are willing to run the genny just add a small solar panel, 100 watts and let that finish the battery for you.
Also the battery does sound questionable. You may want to change to a larger battery, there are some AGM batteries at Helmart now with a single batter offering 150 or so amphrs in a package similar size wise to a group 27 deep cycle for less than $300.

[IBcarguy]

2oldman wrote:

dpgerson wrote:
But the highest voltage I get once the generator is stopped, and after waiting for 2 hours, is 12.09 volts. Should I expect this.

No. Sounds like your batteries are shot. You're wasting gasoline charging them.

Yes it's possible, but an inverter makes life easier and quieter, especially for watching TV. It surprises me how many boondockers run a generator to watch TV.

X2 - after 2 hours your battery voltage should be higher than 12.09 volts. You have one or more batteries that are shot.

[2oldman]

Jayco-noslide wrote:
I find that when not being plugged in to regular power for let's say a week doesn't seem like the batteries ever get as fully charged on the generator. .

They don't. Acid batteries have an Absorb phase which takes a long time. Shore power can take up to two days to fully charge. Nobody runs a generator that long.

[Ivylog]

All depends on how many amps your charger will put out. My power usage is much higher than yours and I only have to run the generator 1.5-2 hours/day BUT I have 180 amps of charging capacity and mid day I get 10-15 amps of solar.

[Jayco-noslide]

Oh, and to add, I'm using an onboard 4000 generator in a MH, not a portable.

[Jayco-noslide]

It should be possible; however, I find that when not being plugged in to regular power for let's say a week doesn't seem like the batteries ever get as fully charged on the generator. Maybe I just don't run the generator long enough.

[2oldman]

richheck wrote:
Normal garage type 50 amp with taper is sufficient

Chargers that big are usually much larger than a standard RV converter.

[richheck]

Normal garage type 50 amp with taper is sufficient

[richheck]

When I dry camped I found to recharge my batteries it was faster to incorporate a regular battery charger connected directly to the batteries. Many of the built in converters do not put out the power necessary to recharge the batteries in a timely manner.

[RoyB]

That is what i do with my off-road POPUP trailer setup. I did beef up the batteries and cabling and changed out my high current incandescent lights etc... I make it just fine each day/night run off my batteries and the at 8Am each morning when allowed to run my 2KW generator i plug in my shore power into the generator receptacle using an adapter from WALMART and run my on-board PD9260C 60AMP Smart mode converter/charger for three hours to bring up my batteries from their 50% charge state (around 12.0VDC) to the 90% charge state (around 12.5-6VDC). Then I am good for the next day/night run off my batteries.

I can only do this routine for about 10 times otherwise my batteries start losing their performance and won't make it until 8Am the next morning. when it all drops to the 12.0VDC level I kick the batteries off line until I can re-charge them again. I don't not want to get before the 50% charge state. Of course getting to full 100% charge state takes me around 12-14 hours of charging so that is done at home after we leave the week long camping trip etc... My generator will only run about 6-7 hours on a full gas tank...

Works good for us doing this and we have been doing this routine since 2009...

I plan on adding some solar panels which will reduce my generator run time down to one hour each day and then I can let the high sun get me back up to the 90% level before I lose high sun at the end of the day...

Roy ken

[MFL]

Something is not right! At 12.09 you are only half charged. Even a float charge on a charged battery will show 13.2-13.6, so your not charging at a high enough rate to fully recharge batteries in just 3 hours. Voltage while charging low batteries should be 14+.

Jerry

[GordonThree]

What are you using for a charger? Some less intelligent chargers operate very, very slowly and a few hours might not make much difference especially if you continue using power at the same time.

[golf_bears]

Have you checked the water level in your batteries recently? How old are the batteries?

[2oldman]

dpgerson wrote:
But the highest voltage I get once the generator is stopped, and after waiting for 2 hours, is 12.09 volts. Should I expect this.

No. Sounds like your batteries are shot. You're wasting gasoline charging them.

Yes it's possible, but an inverter makes life easier and quieter, especially for watching TV. It surprises me how many boondockers run a generator to watch TV.