Walmart / Generator???

[nagel]

We are planning a 2 week road trip this summer and will be stopping in some Walmarts for a quick overnight stay. Being summer our concern is heat and would love to bring our generator to power the AC in our Travel Trailer. Our concern is the noise from the generator...is this good etiquette?

We have a larger generator we use for emergency home service that is probably a little louder than the smaller portable units that may or may not power our AC.

Thoughts?

[Lantley]

TomG2 wrote:
I see many complaints about "contractor" generators. I wonder how many of these experts have even been on a construction site? We use the quietest of the quiet Hondas to provide auxiliary lighting on paving equipment for night work. That makes them "contractor" generators, right? I have owned and operated Hondas, Yamahas, Champions, Homelites, Kohlers, and others over the last forty years. I would not like any of them to be operated near me on a quiet lakeside setting. Worrying about noise in a Walmart parking lot is about like worrying about Summer heat in Phoenix. It is what it is. Ask for a refund of your camping fee if it gets too bad.

If your parked and sleeping while Wally Docking,and you don't have a genset running. I don't think you want me to park beside you and fire up my genset.
As far s road crews using inverter gensets maybe they do , but framers,roofers and masons use the most powerful cheapest things they can find.

[TomG2]

I see many complaints about "contractor" generators. I wonder how many of these experts have even been on a construction site? We use the quietest of the quiet Hondas to provide auxiliary lighting on paving equipment for night work. That makes them "contractor" generators, right? I have owned and operated Hondas, Yamahas, Champions, Homelites, Kohlers, and others over the last forty years. I would not like any of them to be operated near me on a quiet lakeside setting. Worrying about noise in a Walmart parking lot is about like worrying about Summer heat in Phoenix. It is what it is. Ask for a refund of your camping fee if it gets too bad.

[wa8yxm]

My Concern would be Generator Legs (The chance it would grow legs and walk off)

When I park at Wal-Marts I often find myself mixed in with Semi's some of which are "Reefers" (Refrigerated) and have their cooling system running all night long

And even then a Honda EU-2000i or EU-3000i (Or competitor's product) inverter gernerator... Odds are nobody will even notice.

Make sure Generator is SECURE so it won't walk off
Make sure exhaust comes no place at all near your RV

(IE; Secure to front of tow vehicle when using)

Hate to read about you in the paper.

[philh]

azrving wrote:


Walmart has a generator section?

Over by tools and hardware

[azrving]

time2roll wrote:
Just park in the generator section and let it rip. Otherwise you need to verify with the store manager what is acceptable. Portable stuff setting out might be a no-no.

Not for me. I love off-grid camping but if I need cool air all night I am looking for hookups.

Walmart has a generator section?

[time2roll]

Just park in the generator section and let it rip. Otherwise you need to verify with the store manager what is acceptable. Portable stuff setting out might be a no-no.

Not for me. I love off-grid camping but if I need cool air all night I am looking for hookups.

[RGar974417]

nagel wrote:
Thanks. The wife is looking at some smaller units that will work. Actually, they are not as expensive as I thought; so, we will probably get something smaller and bring it along. If we don't need it or feel it would be too much of a disturbance we can make it a night or two without AC (I hope).

Champion makes a 3,000 watt unit. I don;t own one but I heard them running and they are pretty quite. Sometimes they are on sale at Lowe's or other places for a good price.

[Ron3rd]

nagel wrote:
We are planning a 2 week road trip this summer and will be stopping in some Walmarts for a quick overnight stay. Being summer our concern is heat and would love to bring our generator to power the AC in our Travel Trailer. Our concern is the noise from the generator...is this good etiquette?

We have a larger generator we use for emergency home service that is probably a little louder than the smaller portable units that may or may not power our AC.

Thoughts?

You're kidding, right?

[Veebyes]

A screamin demon contractor genny always running at full speed is way louder than any diesel reefer genny which turns at half the gas genny RPM.

You won't be very popular at Walmart even if you park yourself with other genny users. Parking near non genny users could be hazardous to your wellbeing never mind highly inconsiderate.

[nagel]

Just a follow-up. We completed our trip and after everything we never once stayed at a Walmart. It was always an option, but we found other options. We stayed one night at a casino and only had to get a players card and got a free night in their rv park - sewer, electricity, and water (free). We did gamble a little and had dinner there. We stayed another night in a state park. We called and they said they had plenty of room, but when we got there all sites reserved and had been reserved for months. A couple noticed us driving around and stopped and said they had rented two sites and their companions didn't make the trip so if we had a can opener they could use we could have the site for free. (Awesome) At the Grand Canyon we had reservations at the RV Park in Williams and took the train up to the GC....that is the way to do it. On the way back, we stayed at a private CG one night and paid. We actually cut the trip a little short and headed home early. We missed home.

Anyway, the trip was great and never had to break out the generator. On a different trip we were travel with another couple in in August and their truck broke down. As we we waited for it to be repaired we parked in a truck stop and ran the generator. It cooled down the RV, but sitting outside was not good due to the noise even with all the trucks around us idling. We didn't have any issues, but we seen first had how loud it can be. Maybe down the road a inverter genset is in our future or a couple of them to run the AC.

[mat60]

LOL..

[rockhillmanor]

No.

It's a parking lot not a CG.

[mike-s]

Park far away from other campers, or close to the semis (they deserve some payback), and you'll be fine. If you can't do either, don't use it.

[Lantley]

Devocamper wrote:
You don’t need a plan for overnight stops , find a campground along your route with a app or something like Woodalls or even a KOA guide book call ahead from the road and see if they have a site . We have never had a problem finding an overnight site on our travels we never make reservations for travel days just our destination spot.

Years ago I would agree however I have been shut out a couple of times now while traveling. Its getting more crowded in the CG's now.

[Devocamper]

You don’t need a plan for overnight stops , find a campground along your route with a app or something like Woodalls or even a KOA guide book call ahead from the road and see if they have a site . We have never had a problem finding an overnight site on our travels we never make reservations for travel days just our destination spot.