Special generator discussion

[K3WE]

Requesting special thoughts here- I have dry camped a lot. And I can decide for myself but there's usually a few valid intangibles that you can pick up in a discussion.

Never had a generator and I know I don't NEED one but am going to dry camp and am thinking one might be nice this time. Otoh I'm thinking thousand dollar battery charger

I guess what I'd like to hear is what ELSE do folks do with their little Hondas. To make this worse we do have a nasty contractor generator for house. But I'm envisioning that toting the honda in the car to ?????? Picnic? Light hobby construction??

By the way. If anyone simply posts how they've always or never had a generator...... Thanks for nothing ( just a little preemptive razz 😉 )

[MrWizard]

built in Onan and a portable generator on a DIY slide in a fwd storage compartment
have used it to power an electric chain saw 'fire wood'
circular saw 'remodel'
welder ... hitch and carrier repair, bike rack etc..
even used it to power my vector battery charger to get another vehicle started
I often run small power tools .. drills, multi-tool, dremel , soldering gun etc while charging batteries

[time2roll]

For the price of a Honda you can have a very good solar set up.

The only place outside of camping that I have needed the generator has been to run a bounce house at a park. Although I do keep it on hand to run a driveway sump if the power goes out in a rain. I no longer take the generator camping. (Kipor KGE3000Ti)

[pianotuna]

Hi,

If you only do weekends, a good pure sine wave inverter, and some solar panels may meet your needs. The only item that is difficult to run is the air conditioner. If you don't need the air to be cooler, then you don't need a genny.

Solar is currently costing about $2.00 per watt. on a DIY installation.

[WyoTraveler]

It is convenient having a generator in my MH. however, never had the need for one in my TT. In the morning if I was on the road traveling just starting my PU started charging the batteries. If dry camping for days just popped the hood on PU and charged TT batteries with jumper cables. Then used my portable solar panel during the day. Generator is nice in the MH. Wife can use hair dryer, curling iron, and we can use electric coffee pot and toaster.

[daveshan]

I have a big, heavy 8000W constant load contractor generator that will run the house well pump and one of the water heaters, it gets used if we have an extended blackout, last one was 3 days. It will also run my Lincoln IdealArc 250 if I have a remote welding job.

The Honda on the other hand will run the house frig, a small storage freezer and one TV/DVR/WiFi and some lights for shorter outages. It also goes boondocking with us in the 36' A, after the on board Onan QD puts the initial charge on the batteries the Honda purrs away at the end of a 85' 12GA cord off in the bushes to top them off.

The Honda has also run.
Small 120V MIG welder for smaller remote jobs.
Electric Jackhammer
Saws/corded drills for fence jobs
Grinders/sanders/wire wheels/flap discs.
Electric "Chainsaw on a stick" for remote pruning jobs
and handles all charging for the Truck Camper.

As with the MIG welder (bought for body work) the Honda has more than paid for itself in uses I never anticipated, pretty much just got it for the TC.

BTW once you turn off the cap vent shutoff you can store it in a vehicle with no gas smell at all. Just as a test before transporting it the first time I left it in the truck's cab with the window up for 2 days. No gas smell. Try that with a contractor genny.

EDIT: Last time I was up at Animas Ghost Town by Silverton there were some workmen renovating the buildings. Guess what was powering their tools, yep a couple of purring little Hondas.