Running the generator all night

[Cmccain13]

Hello all, so we have been to a few harvest hosts and its been hot, i don't know why, but I am apprehensive about letting the generator run all night. should I be? Does anyone else do this or do you run your generator all night. The only time I use the generator is at a harvest hose like every two weeks or so.

[bikendan]

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Whats an HH location?

As others have said, Harvest Hosts. But there's an expectation that you will purchase items that they make/sell. Not sure what happens if you don't.

[betito]

More often, Harvest Host won't allow to run generator for whole night. Try prefer making minimum noise due to other RVs presence. 🙂

[Dtank]

2g's wrote:
OP: You're concerned about safety, as you should be. However, first you need to check with the Harvest Host to make sure it's allowed, especially if there will be other campers parked nearby. Most people don't want to hear a generator all night.

Same goes for boondocking... it's just common sense to not park near another if you're planning to do this.

Good post!
Generator operation -and- noise at night equal UNhappy neighbors!

:W

.

[2g_s]

OP: You're concerned about safety, as you should be. However, first you need to check with the Harvest Host to make sure it's allowed, especially if there will be other campers parked nearby. Most people don't want to hear a generator all night.

Same goes for boondocking... it's just common sense to not park near another if you're planning to do this.

[Sandia_Man]

We have done so as required, we run our Onans during the day with no issues, overnight use does not warrant any special concerns for us. Have also run our portable Champion 3.1K watt inverter genny for hours on end as dictated by extreme temps while RVing off the grid, again zero issues. This whole thing about generator usage, where, when, why, we utilize our genny as we see fit, rarely any restrictions where we decide to power our rig via genny, we enjoy all the creature comforts our rig provides wherever we happen to be.

[Dutch_12078]

Grit dog wrote:
@Dutch
I was mistaken. But there’s no chance of the AC inhaling exhaust then I suppose.

Not unless there's something radically amiss with the sealing between the inside and outside air passages.

[valhalla360]

magicbus wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

magicbus wrote:

Of course rather than pay for fuel all night for a generator, it would probably be more economical, quieter and less worrisome to stay in a nearby campground and pay for electricity.

Unless you can find a campground under $10-15/n, probably not. We can run the generator overnight for air/con with around 2 gal of gas. 24/7 would be about 5gal/day.

There were three parts to the equation, not just $$$. The other two are quieter and less worrisome, which I suggest carry some weight with the OP since they bothered to ask about running the generator all night.

Dave

- If I'm running the air/con, the windows are closed and the air/con fan noise results in...I can't hear the generator.
- If properly set up, no real worries.

You have to be reasonable. Do you not run your air/con on shore power when there is a chance of a brown out starts an electrical fire and burns you alive at night? Any stories I've heard of CO poisoning, there were egregious problems with what they were doing.

So I'll stand by my original assessment.

[Grit_dog]

magicbus wrote:
The other two are quieter and less worrisome, which I suggest carry some weight with the OP since they bothered to ask about running the generator all night.

Dave

I'm guessing the OP was questioning the safety of doing it, but ICBW.

[magicbus]

valhalla360 wrote:

magicbus wrote:

Of course rather than pay for fuel all night for a generator, it would probably be more economical, quieter and less worrisome to stay in a nearby campground and pay for electricity.

Unless you can find a campground under $10-15/n, probably not. We can run the generator overnight for air/con with around 2 gal of gas. 24/7 would be about 5gal/day.

There were three parts to the equation, not just $$$. The other two are quieter and less worrisome, which I suggest carry some weight with the OP since they bothered to ask about running the generator all night.

Dave

[valhalla360]

magicbus wrote:

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Whats an HH location?

Free overnight stays at attractions. https://harvesthosts.com/host-locations/

Of course rather than pay for fuel all night for a generator, it would probably be more economical, quieter and less worrisome to stay in a nearby campground and pay for electricity.

Dave

Unless you can find a campground under $10-15/n, probably not. We can run the generator overnight for air/con with around 2 gal of gas. 24/7 would be about 5gal/day.
- Yes, check that they allow overnight generator use. Some may have neighbors or business reasons not to allow it but many you are just out in a field away from anyone who might be disturbed.
- Really not much difference running it in the daytime or at night. If you have generator, make sure it's set up to operate safely.

The last couple years we've had a summer permanent site at a park with marginal power (covid plus some other reasons to stay there). On hot busy weekends, we along with probably a dozen other rigs, crank up the generators when the park voltage drops. Owner made an issue of it once and was promptly told by a group of us, we would be happy to turn them off if he provided the power we paid for...he quickly dropped the issue.

We have a portable generator, so it goes about 15ft behind the trailer downwind with the exhaust pointing away. Never had an issue with the CO detector going off.

[magicbus]

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Whats an HH location?

Free overnight stays at attractions. https://harvesthosts.com/host-locations/

Of course rather than pay for fuel all night for a generator, it would probably be more economical, quieter and less worrisome to stay in a nearby campground and pay for electricity.

Dave

[ferndaleflyer]

Whats an HH location?

[bucky]

A fairly big percentage of HH locations do not allow gen use. Call ahead.

[Grit_dog]

@Dutch
I was mistaken. But there’s no chance of the AC inhaling exhaust then I suppose.

[Lantley]

CO is a real concern. Don't believe the nonsense that the exhaust discharges low and the interior intake is high?
RV's in general are not air tight. The underbelly area is not air tight.
Don't be naïve exhaust fumes can and will find there way into the cabin,
If you are running genset overnight use a Genturi and be sure your CO detectors are working.