We are likely to spend a couple of days without hookups from time to time. Do we need a generator? Will solar panels do just as well? How far do the batteries really take you. I know to skip a/c and we can live without TV & microwave for a couple of days.

No you really do not need a generator for a couple of days. We usually spend three or more days at a time on the Metolious with no hookups just fine. About three years ago we were there over Memorial day weekend, cloudy, cool and some rain. So lights , tv and heat were pretty much on all the time and my batteries were fine. I did run the generator for a couple of hours on the last day just to be sure. If you decide on a generator, start with something like a Honda 2000? That is a good handy tool. Easy to carry and store and will produce enough power to recharge the batteries.

My advice...try it and see how it goes with your style of camping off the grid..Generators are easy to find and easy to buy.(unless you are camping on the moon....:))We easily go 3 days on the batts..unless it's really cold and we have to run the furnace a lot.

With enough batteries you can go a couple/three days without charging with the right usage regimen. A generator is noisy and uses fuel. Solar is more expensive initially, but has a long-term payback. No noise, sunlight is free.What is your setup and usage currently? How you will or want to use power is a starting point for determining options.

No. You do not NEED a generator. Living without hookups is much easier WITH a generator. Asking how far the batteries will take you is like asking how long a 6 pack of beer will last. Some people can make it last 6 days, others 6 weeks, but some can't last one day! My 2 12 volt batteries, with careful monitoring and minimum usage will last 3 to 4 days. Solar panels will not do just as well as a generator unless you have a serious setup. Typically, when not on hookups, I like to run my generator about an hour in the morning. During this time I try to get my coffee made, and any microwave usage I need for the day as well as letting it charge my batteries. I will usually run it an hour in the evening around supper time, again for some microwave use, maybe the news on television, and topping off the batteries for the night. There is nothing worse than having your propane alarm go off at 3:00 AM because your batteries have gotten too low!

Is a generator necessary? | Good Sam Community

JoeChiOhki
Explorer II
May 23, 2013
All depends on how you plan to travel. On my last 10,000 mile jaunt through 15 states across the northern and middle parts of the country, I used my generator every day to power the big power appliances in my rig and to recharge the batteries as I only stayed a short part of the time at campgrounds, the rest of it was at walmarts and truck stops.
cabanaman
Explorer
May 18, 2013
Carried mine for 6 years and never used it.Put it in storage.I now use a 2000 watt inverter for power outages.
Roads_Less_Trav
Explorer II
May 18, 2013
For the same price as a Honda 2000i you can get a small solar panel setup that will allow you to dry camp for weeks at a time without having to do anything (no setup, no gas, no noise, no maintenance, no trouble).

For the past six years we have lived full-time on a sailboat and in trailers with solar power and no hookups. If you want to learn a little about solar, we have lots of info on our website.

If you do get a generator, I'd suggest the Yamaha 2400i. Ours has seen very little use, but it is able to run our 15000 btu air conditioning unit when we need a/c. Even after a year of no use it still starts on the first pull.

RV Solar Power Installation

RV Solar Power Tutorial - Part 1
carp65
Explorer
May 16, 2013
We use our generator in hot weather while traveling. Dash A/C will not cool
enough and generator will run both A/c's if necessary. It also excercises
generator on a full load. We full-time and would not be without one.
vermilye
Explorer
May 15, 2013
One 5 mile tow between Turquoise Lake & Camp Hale in Colorado. By the way, the furnace was necessary - down in the low 30's every morning in mid August! The Leadville, CO area is at 10,000'.
Tech_Dude
Explorer
May 15, 2013
Computer cellphone charged thru cig lighter
Gale_Hawkins
Explorer
May 15, 2013
vermilye wrote:
The longest I've gone without hookups is 2 weeks. No generator, but a 95 watt solar panel, LED lighting & a pair of 6V, 232 amp/hr batteries. Includes making a pot of coffee each morning with an electric drip coffee maker, running the furnace 45 minutes per day, a laptop, cell phone amplifier & and various chargers.

Did you tow it to any different locations during that two weeks without hookups? Those are large batteries for sure.
vermilye
Explorer
May 15, 2013
The longest I've gone without hookups is 2 weeks. No generator, but a 95 watt solar panel, LED lighting & a pair of 6V, 232 amp/hr batteries. Includes making a pot of coffee each morning with an electric drip coffee maker, running the furnace 45 minutes per day, a laptop, cell phone amplifier & and various chargers.
RV_CONUS
Explorer
May 15, 2013
Tomorrow we rap up a 3 day, 1k mile trip. We use the gen when we stop for the convection oven, Blu Ray movies, charging the computer cell phones, and A/C when needed.

When we travel from point A-B we never use RV Parks.

We have a reservation, which we rarely, rarely make tomorrow.

We enjoy comfort and convenience, anywhere, we never leave home without the gen.
Gale_Hawkins
Explorer
May 15, 2013
I would want at least a Honda 2000 class generator that is great for many other things too besides an RV trailer. In a MH I think having a working generator is more or less a given.