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Help! RE: Generators! We Know Not What We Do!


Nomad Hiker

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Lots of good info provided here. I'm no expert but my setup is pretty simple and works well for boondocking for us.

 

No solar although I know that would be a nice alternative for charging.

 

Residential Fridge and dedicated 1000 watt PSW inverter with remote sw and auto changeover and to priority shore power.

 

Two Honda 2000 inverter gennys.

 

4 6v deep cycle batts.

 

Trimetric

 

Standard Progressive Dynamics 80amp converter with Charge wizard. Charge rate ramps down when batts reach near full charge. I can push charge rate higher with selection in charge wizard remote. Helps to top batts faster and can reach 90-95 percent. Not perfect but works ok.

 

Also one more 1000 Watt PSW inverter dedicated to entertainment area circuit with auto change over and remote sw. For TV movies etc with no gennys.

 

One more small 300 Watt MSW inverter in BR for TV and printer. Same deal TV in AM and late night no gennys

 

Additional outlet on fridge circuit allows chargers and MIFi use.

 

We manage doing what we need on batts and inverter, fridge runs 24/7, watch TV anytime no gennys in Eve or early am. Use furnace as needed.

 

Charge time depends on batt level, trimetric works great to keep things straight. Never drop batts below 65% usually 75% or higher over night.

 

Gas usage around 1-2 gal per day for two gennys. We run them when we need to but norm couple hrs in am and same in early eve. Almost never after 7 pm. Unless AC is needed. Can run fuel up a bit more.

 

Just went a slightly different route with regards to inverters. Multiple, smaller, low to no load static units selected on as needed.

 

We are dependent on Gen charge and higher power needs. But costs work for us.

 

Hondas are pretty bullet proof. No question the best choice IMO. Have seen some pretty beat up Hondas run 24/7 at racetracks and other commercial setups that are alive well past when they should be. It makes our use look minimal.

Great info ! Thanks!

Happy Trails,

Jim & Ginger/Nomad Hikers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Retirement 12/2016

Full-time 04/2017

VanLeigh Vilano/Ford F350

Blog site - https://www.trailer2trail.com/

Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=trailer2trail

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One more thing about the fridge, with the 4 batt setup our batt levels are the same after a 8hr plus day driving as when we unplugged in the AM. Fridge on inverter all day.

 

The little bit of charge the tiny wire in the trailer plug provides is enough to maintain.

 

Note we mention a Trimetric meter. It's a must to keep an eye on what's going on with the batteries.

 

Think of it like a fuel gauge for DC power.

 

Good luck on your research and build.

Bill and Joan and 3 Collie pups

2001 Volvo VNL 770 "The Doghouse" Singled short, "ET" hItch VED12 465HP Gen 1 Autoshift 3.58 ratio  2005 Mobile Suite 38RL3  2011 Smart Passion loaded piggybacK

Weigh-It Portable RV Scales http://www.weighitrv.com/

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I wish these post had a "Thanks" button!

Happy Trails,

Jim & Ginger/Nomad Hikers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Retirement 12/2016

Full-time 04/2017

VanLeigh Vilano/Ford F350

Blog site - https://www.trailer2trail.com/

Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=trailer2trail

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I remember the beginning of Honda gensets in the U.S.A. were po-po'ed away/dismissed as Japanese junk. Now Honda gensets are a respected brand. Well, the same thing is happening again. This time it is the Boliy genset being imported from China. They are slowly making a name for themselves, dependability has vastly improved since the first ones that were sold 18-20 years ago.

I've had my Boliy 3,000W genset since 2008, and it has been a dependable power source while camping, and at home during power outages. I have sat it in my truck-bed (and on my tractor) to power my electric pole saw while tree trimming around my farm fields.

It has a true, constant, rated output of 3,000W generator (startup is 3,600W), unlike the 3,000W Honda and 2,800W Yamaha, both of which are startup watts only. The Honda 2,000W is startup, constant rated wattage is 1,600

w.

It weighs 73# full of fuel and motor oil, so I can move it from truck-bed to ground and visa-versa without strain.

 

Read and compare the specs for all the brands before making a decision.

 

2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.  John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961

 

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Boondockig with a residential and no solar is certainly doable. Just as long as you realize that you are adding an inverter and generator into the mix. If either were to fail your goose is fairly cooked and you're on your way out of camp.

Some other things to consider are packing sufficient fuel (and weight) to feed your genny. Having to feed their small tanks on a regular basis (or springing for an extended run tank setup), and the amount of time being stuck in camp babysitting your genny during a recharge cycle. A larger battery bank can keep charge cycles to every other day, but recharge cycles will be much longer when you do.

You might also find yourself in areas where generator use is prohibited, limited to an insufficient length of time to fully recharge, or only allowed during hours that might cramp your daily activities. Ie., 8am-8pm (which is common in NFS's). You're not getting out of camp until nearly noon.. or have to be back by 4. In some dry areas they often have very restricted usage requirements.

Ie., a recent reply I received from a local forestry office when inquiring about a specific area and time period... "we usually will not know for sure if the USFS will allow the use of generators." It continued on to the affect of, "if allowed".. restricted to noon-5pm, within 100' of a graveled road and with a 10' cleared radius of operation.

I think that is part of the reason why most avid boondockers advocate solar as a primary energy source over gensets (or like me.. consider "living" on genset impractical).. and/or sticking with LP reefers. Even with a small residential and a standard rigs parasitic draw.. that's 125ah's daily off the top that needs to be replaced. In terms of your battery bank.. that's 56% on a 220ah bank (2x6v's)or 28% on a 440ah bank (4x6v's). Pretty hefty considering that doesn't include other daily energy requirements.

To each their own. If it works for you and your camping style.. that's great! I'm just pointing out things to consider when planning on how to meet your energy requirements while boondocking.

On another note:

I wouldn't discount the Yamaha 2000's. Evidently one poster had issues, but it certainly isn't common (there may have been other factors in play) and they have certain features that differ from the Honda's that might be more appealing to some. Ie., gravity fed (no fuel pump.. aka.. additional point of failure) and being able to run the carb dry between uses (minimize varnishing between uses).

Personally, I run dual Yamaha's and have never had an issue.

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Boondockig with a residential and no solar is certainly doable. Just as long as you realize that you are adding an inverter and generator into the mix. If either were to fail your goose is fairly cooked and you're on your way out of camp.

Thanks Yarome. We plan to have gen and solar. Input re: what works is greatly appreciated and much needed!

Happy Trails,

Jim & Ginger/Nomad Hikers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Retirement 12/2016

Full-time 04/2017

VanLeigh Vilano/Ford F350

Blog site - https://www.trailer2trail.com/

Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=trailer2trail

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Thanks RayIN, we are taking this all into account. All input appreciated!

Happy Trails,

Jim & Ginger/Nomad Hikers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Retirement 12/2016

Full-time 04/2017

VanLeigh Vilano/Ford F350

Blog site - https://www.trailer2trail.com/

Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=trailer2trail

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  • 4 months later...

Since you indicated a fair amount of boondocking, you might be better off with an installed genset, but that comes with additional pin weight, plus having to have a fuel tank, unless you choose a propane genset (which is not as efficient as gasoline).  See how difficult this gets?  I have a residential fridge and definitely need two 12v batteries to get me through the night.  I have a Champion 3400w portable that will recharge the batteries and run one 15k AC, the fridge and MW at the same time.  I see a lot of folks with solar panels, too.

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