Use of Generators to run Air Conditioners when camping

[RoyB]

Does everyone but us get to run their generators anytime they want to...

It just blows me away when I read about everyone buying and apparently using generators for their air conditioners for camping off the power grids. Just about every day we read about questions on which generators to get and all kinds of questions about whether or not they can run their air conditioners on the big Fifth wheels and Travel Trailers using their generators. The strange thing is they get good answers on what works and what doesn't work.

We have been to quite a few camp grounds over the past five to six years all over the area around Virginia and southern states and like to go to the high country of these areas camping off the power grids.

We carry a 2KW Honda generator just to re-charge our battery bank when camping off the power grid here on the East side of the US. I have to deal with generator restrictions just about every where we go. Most of the more planned camp ground areas have the 8AM-10AM and then from 4:30-7:30PM set aside time to run the generators. We are finding more and more of the Forest areas now allowing you to run your generator from 8AM to 8PM but have never found any place that allows you to use your generator after 8PM let alone all night.

Not a whole lot of time when you really need to use the air conditioners. I guess the NASCAR places is one exception.

We have never camped at any private locations - only public locations. We have never camped farther West than North Texas and across the Red River into Okla in recent times.

This was the main reason I went to all the trouble to beef-up my trailer with more batteries and smart mode charging technology along with more running "green" ideas so that my time allowed to run my generator would be as short as possible to get my batteries re-charged to their 90% charge state each time.

We must have missed the boat somewhere along the line as most of the folks asking generator questions must be thinking about being allowed to use them any time they want to.

If I spent $2000 on a generator I would want to be able to use it... It must be totally different using the generators on the West side of the US where things are spread out more.

I always like to go by the established rules and maybe some just go ahead and run the generators anyway??? It seems the big motorhomes get away it big time. I hear them running alot back off the power grids places.

I usually add my comments to this effect when I see NEW MEMBERS asking these kinds of questions on how much to spend for generators etc. I guess they are expecting to be able to use those high dollar additions when they want to... Has never happened to us being allowed to use the generators anytime we wanted at the places we go to...

just wondering...
Roy Ken

[rockhillmanor]

Or those who must run their gen's all night long should use areas as far from others as possible. Wouldn't that be a workable solution for both sides? This way your noise and exhaust smells and fumes wont bother anyone.

This one takes the cake!

In a CG that allows generators.....

and you think everyone with a generator should park in a specific area away from others?? :S

[wbwood]

WandaLust2 wrote:

wbwood wrote:
All this jabber makes me want to go out and crank up the Onan on the mh and the champion at the same time just to piss someone off.

And just to p*ss you off you may find your tires slashed by the person you purposely p*ssed off - or ignored if they complained. Is it worth it? And yes, I have heard of a MH owner who had their tires slashed after sassing off someone who asked them to shut their Gen off late at night.

I'm scared

[Bumpyroad]

travelnutz wrote:
Why do RV'ers run a 4000 to 7500 watt noisy generator when they need far than 100 watts of 110 AC to operate their medical equipment??? 40 watts of 110 AC/hr is typical or 22 Ah of 12VDC for 8 hrs. Even a 1000 watt Very quiet Honda generator would be 20 times what's needed and would use a tiny fraction of the fuel the big noisy generator gulps. Constant running generator noise is beyond aggravating especially the larger generators!

whoa, somebody snuck in a good point/suggestion. for those running medical equipment, get the quietest/smallest gen set available and run it within the rules, both legal and common courtesy rules. don't come on here whining cause you can't run your 7,000 watt Noise-O-Blast as you want to.
bumpy

[Terryallan]

harold1946 wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

harold1946 wrote:
.
I would challenge anyone that claims they have never run the genny when necassary.

Challenge accepted. I don't have a Gen, Don't want a generator, and don't need a generator. Can't picture a scenario where I would need, or want one.
where I camp in the mountains. It is cool enough to never need AC, and We have a lantern for light, a camp stove to cook on, and a cooler to keep food in. Although the battery will keep the fridge running for 3 days, easty.

Where I camp at the beach. There is full hookups. Why would I need a generator

Kind of hard to run what you dont have. :S
Did you read what you quoted ?????:@

They are not real hard to come by. IF I wanted one.

[travelnutz]

Why do RV'ers run a 4000 to 7500 watt noisy generator when they need far than 100 watts of 110 AC to operate their medical equipment??? 40 watts of 110 AC/hr is typical or 22 Ah of 12VDC for 8 hrs. Even a 1000 watt Very quiet Honda generator would be 20 times what's needed and would use a tiny fraction of the fuel the big noisy generator gulps. Constant running generator noise is beyond aggravating especially the larger generators!

We have 3 generators for our 3 RV's and only run them for very short time lengths as our 5-7 deep cycle battery bank and our many inverters (300 watt to 2500 watt) is totally silent and will run a cpap machine for many nights including making our coffee and the useing the lights for days before needing a recharge. Then turn on the generator or the vehicle's engine using heavy gauge jumper cables (no 4 or larger wire) and recharge the batteries quickly and all set for more days. Small gauge wires recharge batteries very slowly with DC.

How do we know how well the inverter system works and for how long? Our 51 year old son uses one every night whether in their home or in their 5th wheel where it runs off a 300 watt inverter plugged into the bedroom 12V TV socket which is connected to the 2 Group 31 12V deepcycle 5th wheel batteries and it lasts for 3-4 nights before a 50% battery discharge. He uses LED lights to illuminate the RV interior at night and they don't draw squat.

[WandaLust2]

bigred1cav wrote:
Roy, I bought my motorhome to be my hotel room on wheels. I will use the AC when it is hot and the furnace when it is cold.

As long as your gen' is shut off at night according to the rules of the CG.

[down_home]

I've noticed some of the larger coaches, the generator cannot be heard unless right next to the exhaust and listening for it.
Ours is a 7500 Onan. I would love to find a better muffler as we have to run it sometimes for med equipment.
The exhaust tube that you run up to the top of the coach sound good but I have not found a satisfactory way to mount it and remove it when we leave.
Not sure it would kill all the sound.

[WandaLust2]

Thats_Ok wrote:

People are noisy...wherever there's a crowd there will be noise.

But not at night when most of us want to sleep after a busy day hiking, fishing, hunting or whatever.... the last thing we need is a noisy smelly generator running on the next site.

[WandaLust2]

AirZone wrote:
Isn't camping to enjoy the Great Outdoors, not to listen to man made noise. Listen to Mother Nature, not city noise?

That doesn't apply to many you'll meet in CGs and Resorts these days. They're not interested in nature or the sounds of nature. They spend the majority of their time in their RVs watching TV, on their PC... doing whatever. I've even seen snow-birds do this and have to wonder why they drove hundreds of miles spend the winter in FL just to sit indoors. They could stay home, snow 10' deep and do that.

[WandaLust2]

okeehandyman wrote:
The use of generators for use with medical equipment is sometimes necessary, we understand. I too,am in that boat. However I do not feel that my situation should be a burden upon others or make their lives less enjoyable. When I need electricity for my device, I go where electricity is available. That is just being considerate of others.

Amen! I agree with you 100%. 🙂

[deleted-2]

Ooops,
Left my generator running out back...hope it didn't get on anybodies nerves.

Wondered what them dawgs were barkin' at.

[2324delk]

harold1946 wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

harold1946 wrote:
.
I would challenge anyone that claims they have never run the genny when necassary.

Challenge accepted. I don't have a Gen, Don't want a generator, and don't need a generator. Can't picture a scenario where I would need, or want one.
where I camp in the mountains. It is cool enough to never need AC, and We have a lantern for light, a camp stove to cook on, and a cooler to keep food in. Although the battery will keep the fridge running for 3 days, easty.

Where I camp at the beach. There is full hookups. Why would I need a generator

Kind of hard to run what you dont have. :S
Did you read what you quoted ?????:@

Kind of a silly challenge that can't be proven one way or the other :S

I have a generator and accept your challenge, I have not ran it many times that I should/could have. Because and I arrived back at home base late, and it was the last hour it was allowed.

I would also never play music loud for any reason.

[WandaLust2]

doxiemom11 wrote:
No off grid camping so far as we are usually camp hosts in a campground. You are right though, even the forest campgrounds limit the use to daytime hours. After quiet hour arrives there are no generators allowed.

And that is as it should be. Try and imagine a CG with gen's running at half the sites or more. 😞 between the noise and exhaust fumes the other campers would be miserable. If someone needs the gen running 24/7 they need to find a place to camp away from others. I don't think that's unreasonable.

[WandaLust2]

wbwood wrote:
All this jabber makes me want to go out and crank up the Onan on the mh and the champion at the same time just to piss someone off.

And just to p*ss you off you may find your tires slashed by the person you purposely p*ssed off - or ignored if they complained. Is it worth it? And yes, I have heard of a MH owner who had their tires slashed after sassing off someone who asked them to shut their Gen off late at night.

[wbwood]

All this jabber makes me want to go out and crank up the Onan on the mh and the champion at the same time just to piss someone off.