Camping with the Sound Police

[TomG2]

This is not intended to be another quiet generator versus noisy generator discussion, but I am curious where people camp who run their generators for much of the day. I am a full timer and travel extensively. I use my generator for overnight parking in Walmarts etc. I either stay at parks with hookups or where none are needed. I do not go camping where I need to hear my generator or yours all day and all night.

[down_home]

We don't go back if it sounds like a night club.
As far as generators, we run it when necessary in the mh. A quieter exhaust is being looked into.
We try to RV at sites with full hookups. We are a bit tired and old to camp in tents.
We enjoy sleeping at about 68 degrees. Sometimes we can open the windows and do.
It's all about enjoyment and we can't sleep if we are sweating.
We also try for RV Parks and Resorts with space and grass, not gravel and lime dust or mud.
I didn't mean to sound arbitrary.
We get along with folks and adjust as necessary.

[pnichols]

~DJ~ on wrote:
I guess I don't understand the question!!!

Neither do I :C and :B :

[Bigdogboogie]

TrailerTraveler1 wrote:
Have to chuckle ... we've been in a park with full hookups for the past two weeks - the guy next to us is waxing his camper -- with the electric polisher whine on high - for hours at a time. I swear my Honda generator is MUCH quieter. Ugh!

My wife and I drove through a local COE camp ground yesterday evening that features full hookups so, no need for generator noise.

But, Every RV had air conditioners running full blast along with several radio's or outside television's going and people talking and laughing, Kids playing,several large fans set up outside, etc.

I don't think an inverter generator of any color would have been very noticeable if someone had decided to fire theirs up for some odd reason.

Luckily in my area the few camp grounds that don't offer electrical service have the campsites far enough apart that you can't hear an inverter generator from one site to the next. You're much more likely to hear a radio turned up too loud or folks yelling at the dog or the kids, or the guy that fires up a open frame construction type or onboard Onan generator.

These "primitive" campgrounds are generally much quieter than the full hookup areas.

I feel bad for the people that have to boondock in CG's that have the sites wedged too close together to escape the noise from the adjoining site.

[TyroneandGladys]

TomG2 wrote:
I guess my question should have been, "Who goes camping and runs their generator (loud or louder) day and night?" I have had Hondas, Yamahas, Champions, and even a Homelite or two. None were silent and I never ran them all day and all night. I might in a Walmart parking lot, but I do not call that camping.

When we had a boat and the marina had an area with absolutely no hookups that you could camp in and no quite hours. With temps of up to 100+ the generator ran the whole time we were there. In addition we run the generator while driving to operate the roof air. So the generator would run from the time we left till we got back. The longest time was five days.

[hawkeye-08]

I have a generator but only use it if I have to.

[KansasRV]

hohenwald48 wrote:
IdaD said - "Threads like this make me happy I live in the northwest. We don't generally camp close enough to anybody else to hear or be heard, so it's an irrelevant topic."


But sometimes you just can't beat a good fall football party no matter how loud the generators are. :B

You're right....makes me sad it's getting so cold....

[TrailerTravele1]

Have to chuckle ... we've been in a park with full hookups for the past two weeks - the guy next to us is waxing his camper -- with the electric polisher whine on high - for hours at a time. I swear my Honda generator is MUCH quieter. Ugh!

Then there are parks like Kodachrome Basin State Park in Torrey Utah: one of my favorite spots anywhere - but also the reason we added solar. We didn't get one of the electric spots and temperatures were in the lower 20's every night... ie furnace set at 58 a necessity for us. Generator hours were 12N - 4PM which was very nice for usual "morning generator hours" sipping my coffee in quiet, but made it difficult to go hike anywhere and be back in time to top off the batteries before 4 PM. But I really liked the odd hours, so hopefully our new solar will remedy the situation when we return.

[pnichols]

FWIW, we use our generator whenever needed because we don't drycamp in populated areas if we can help it.

We most often use our generator out in the desert heat away from everyone. We used it almost all night once in order to sleep in the Southern U.S. in extreme August heat and humidity. Solar would do us very little good either because we rarely stay in one place more than 2-3 days and the engine alternator brings up the coach battery bank nicely driving between camping spots.

A generator is priceless when you wish you had one along. Not worth anything when you don't need it ... just like insurance. 🙂

[TomG2]

I had no idea that very many people "camped" in areas populated by generators. I guess that I am just lucky that I don't have to. For me, it would be a case of moving to a house near the airport and then complaining about the airplanes. Outdoor events like Nascar races are the exception.

[Boon_Docker]

..

[Boon_Docker]

Cool, thanks for the follow up.

[pnichols]

Boon Docker wrote:
How do you "pressurize" the interior of your trailer?

(We have a 24 foot Class C motorhome.)

When making long built-in generator runs, we close all openings except the front roof vent where the reversible fan is. We set this fan's air direction to " AIR IN" and turn it on to it's lowest speed setting.

This fan is constantly trying to bring air in - but with little actual air flow (because everything is closed up tight) merely creates and maintains a small amount of pressure inside the rig so no fumes from the generator mounted down low on the outside of the motorhome can get in through any unwanted small crack or opening due to the slight interior pressure.

There are no generator fumes up high where the roof's intake is - and it doesn't bring much actual air in anyway because all interior outlets (except for unwanted small cracks or openinigs) are closed up. Also, with a motorhome, the cab's air system should have it's ventilation mode set to "recirculate" so no air can escape out there either.

This works like a champ to keep any and all genny fumes from entering no matter what the winds outside are doing.

We also use this same technique to keep dust out of our motorhome when traveling on dusty roads, since most dust is created down low where the tires are. This dust prevention method could also be used with a trailer if the tow vehicle's alternator is connected to the trailer's battery system while traveling ... except of course maybe more dust may fly up towards the front and top of the trailer from the rear tires of the tow vehicle.

[bcbouy]

on the odd time we camp in a provincial park you can almost,no you can tell the time by the dozens of gennys all starting at the same time.on the flip side,when we camp at forest service sites that are user maintained and the only rules are don't shoot the outhouse and don't dump your garbage in it.we rarely,and i mean rarely ever hear a generator. it's mostly if not always fishermen that want the peace and quiet of a forest lake.i'm used to the latter.no screaming kids,no loud paties(most of the time),early to bed,early to rise.

[Sam_Spade]

Boon Docker wrote:
How do you "pressurize" the interior of your trailer?

Unless you have a LARGE canister of compressed gas onboard......
You suck in air from outside. :R

[Boon_Docker]

How do you "pressurize" the interior of your trailer?