Generator question

[MFOX]

Since we are new to the travel trailer world we never needed a generator with our pop-up, but think of one for the trailer. What is the wattage I would need to charge my battery? We don't do a lot of dry camping but when we do it would be nice to run lights and heat if necessary. Let me know what you think

[jaycocreek]

My sons up in hunting camp right now using a little 1200 watt 2 cycle generator he bought new for $135.. It purrs like a kitten and he only used it to watch movies/lights and charge the battery... We have a lot of chainsaws so 2 cycle is no big deal. Same mixture as the saws.

About the cost of one RV battery.

[rustycopperball]

red, blue, or yellow pick a color

[Tystevens]

We like our little Champion 2000w inverter. Runs everything but the AC on our TT without issue. It was under $500 at Sams Club (this was a few years ago, no idea on pricing now), and is just as quiet and (so far) reliable as the more popular ones costing over twice as much.

We don't use it a lot, so I'm glad we didn't invest a lot of $$ in the blue or red ones. But it has been nice to have on a couple occasions.

[Idaho33]

We got a champion 3500w generator for under $500. Now I know this isn't ideal and it is pretty loud but it fits our needs. It will run the a/c, microwave, and charge the batteries. It was the low cost way to go and we don't need it very often. In the rare occasion that we do want to run the a/c and escape the mid day heat you really can't hear it inside the trailer with the air running. We just upgraded to a 2 6v system and I am very impressed so far. I will add that we almost exclusively boondock and we always try to be by ourselves if possible. So if we do need to run the geni it only bugs us. It is not usually hot enough to need the a/c (we tend to seek high altitude in the summer), and we really do not use the microwave. I would not want to run the thing often in a campsite. We recently had an experience where someone pulled up near us in a disperssed site on a weekday after we were there (we expected to be all alone), and they ran a very loud generator for 21 hours straight. That was VERY annoying.

[APT]

pianotuna wrote:

It is far cheaper to beef up the battery bank than to buy a generator. You may wish to add a small inverter (300 watts) to do things such as charge laptop batteries and cell phones.

I agree with the first sentence but not the second. Convert DC to AC (inverter) just to change different DC batteries? Get 12V DC to whatever other DC voltage charger you need. Much more efficient.

A pair of golf cart batteries should last someone a long weekend, 3-4 days, and a week for someone being careful. This assumes fridge is running of propane.

[mlts22]

My two centavos:

Need A/C? Look at a 3000 watt inverter, or two Honda eu2000i models paired up.

No A/C needed? For maximum versatility, I'd recommend a Honda eu2000i, because another can be added, or a high-draw appliance like a 1200 watt microwave or an electric space heater used.

No A/C needed, and one only needs basic charging? A Honda eu1000i or similar.

As for solar, it is more of a "why not use it" as opposed to "why use it" these days. It isn't too expensive, and the price/watt of panels is pretty good these days.

[2oldman]

MFOX wrote:
What about solar, does anyone use those.

Never heard of it.

[JiminDenver]

Solar is wonderful IF you camp in the right conditions. For a low power user a simple and inexpensive plug and play portable kit may be all that's needed. To really do it right requires understanding your needs and how solar fills them as part of a balanced system that includes extra battery for when the clouds come for a short time and a alternate means of charging for when the clouds stay too long.

[time2roll]

MFOX wrote:
What about solar, does anyone use those.

Forum Members Solar Installations With Pics

[pianotuna]

Hi,

My solar system meets all my needs except for air conditioning. I hope to upgrade it to take care of the air as well.

[jaycocreek]

For less than the price of two RV batteries you can get a brand new 1500 watt Champion generator delivered to your door or if you want super quiet, Honda/Yamaha and Champion make some nice 1-2k watt generators from about $500 up.

All good choices for running stuff off the grid.

[JiminDenver]

The others are right, a 1000-2000w generator will do what the OP ask. Then again for the occasional dry trip with low power usage, I bet the OP already has what they need. A pair of heavy jumper cables. Turn that truck around and run it for a hour or so when the battery starts getting low and you will be fine. A few cheap LED light in place of the most used bulbs would be good too.

Not that any of the other advice is wrong mind you. They are spot on if you really want to set up a dry camping rig. Ours is set up that way and we never have hook ups nor run a generator to charge up the batteries. Unfortunately since we keep one for AC if needed and ultimately as a back up, I have to run it monthly, change the oil, make sure the gas is fresh, store it and make room for it and it's stinky gas can every time we go.

[Monaco_Montclai]

we use a eu1000, works for us--now its all happy-camping

[westend]

Downloadable spreadsheet calculator for solar, power use, and battery sizing

You really need to calculate your power usage before sizing anything 12v electrical for your TT. From those numbers you can choose amount of battery storage and what charging methods are best for your situation.

FWIW, I have 235 W of solar panel and it takes care of all my needs except air conditioning and microwave. It also runs my 120V dorm fridge when away from shore power. I use a 1000 W Xantrex inverter and that handles all of my 120 V needs.

Replacing incandescent (standard) interior lighting over to LED lighting is one of the best modifications you can do to save power, they operate at 1/5 the draw of typical incandescents.