Power option : Generator??

Submitted: Sunday, Aug 28, 2011 at 19:35
ThreadID: 88741 Views:2884 Replies:7 FollowUps:15
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Hi guys,

Just wanted to hear your opinions on which power options i should get, i am considering getting a Honda EU20i generator soon because of the $300 rebate but not sure if its what i need???

Just mainly to keep the fridge cold and possibly a light or two and act as charger in case the battery dies when camping.

Btw i have dual battery system, gas stove, gas BBQ...

Or should i look at cheaper alternative options?

Thanks

Nick
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Reply By: AlbyNSW - Sunday, Aug 28, 2011 at 19:45

Sunday, Aug 28, 2011 at 19:45
It depends on your style of camping and how long you stay put in camp verses drive time in between.

I don't have or need one as we stay a max of 3 days at any one place and my battery setup if fine for refrigeration and lighting.

I would not get one unless you have found you have a definate need for it. Apart from the expense of initial outlay, servicing and carrying fuel, the additional weight and space it takes up should also be considered.
AnswerID: 463736

Follow Up By: Member - 127 - Sunday, Aug 28, 2011 at 20:06

Sunday, Aug 28, 2011 at 20:06
AlbyNSW: Thats for 3 days without starting the car from time to time to top up the battery?
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Follow Up By: AlbyNSW - Sunday, Aug 28, 2011 at 20:56

Sunday, Aug 28, 2011 at 20:56
Yes 3 days off a dual battery setup with my second battery being a 120 amp AGM type. You could prolong that with a solar panel setup

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Follow Up By: Fatso - Monday, Aug 29, 2011 at 17:55

Monday, Aug 29, 2011 at 17:55
I have, for the last 15 years of owning a Trailblazer fridge, thought 3 days before charging in cool (anything with a max of less than 30 deg) weather was very attainable with around a 100 a/h deep cycle battery.
After 3 days I would then run the engine on about 1200 revs for an hour a day or so with the start battery negative terminal disconnected. That way all the charge goes into the second battery. But I wouldn't even consider that for the first couple of days.
If was driving for a couple of hours or more every second day I would have plenty of charge for camping.
Trailblazer don't recommend that you run their fridges from a generator but recommend you run them from a battery & use the generator to charge the battery. This is because trailblazers have a 20% duty cycle at an ambient air temp of 45 deg.
I have never felt the need to carry a second generator to charge a battery when I have an 80 amp alternator or greater sitting under the bonnet already hooked up to a 130kw motor with a 75 l fuel tank.
I reckon if you can't get 3 days you gotta get better gear.
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Reply By: CSeaJay - Sunday, Aug 28, 2011 at 20:00

Sunday, Aug 28, 2011 at 20:00
I know we are all different but I can honestly not understand why people want to camp in a serene setting in nature... with a bl00d9 generator running.

With your power needs a) you will be fine for a few days with a good quality dual battery, and b) with a solar panel (portable) you can extend that for another few days.

We have had a few beautiful spots spoilt by people running generators
AnswerID: 463738

Follow Up By: Member Al (Sunshine Coast) - Sunday, Aug 28, 2011 at 21:44

Sunday, Aug 28, 2011 at 21:44
They might be advised to fit the gennie with a locking fuel cap........ go gigure.

Last year we set up camp in a council beach-side park and just on bed-time the adjacent caravan started up his gennie and told us it would run all night as he had a sleep apnea machine!!!!!! Could have said something before we unloaded and set the camp up.

Cheers
Allan

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Follow Up By: Member Al (Sunshine Coast) - Sunday, Aug 28, 2011 at 22:50

Sunday, Aug 28, 2011 at 22:50
Or even....'figure'
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Allan

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Follow Up By: Dennis Ellery - Monday, Aug 29, 2011 at 20:16

Monday, Aug 29, 2011 at 20:16
Hi Guys,
You're trying to hold back the tide - generators are a fact of life.
You'd be better off trying to find a place where they are not allowed, rather than trying to make others run to your rules.
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Follow Up By: Fatso - Tuesday, Aug 30, 2011 at 16:44

Tuesday, Aug 30, 2011 at 16:44
Fair go Dennis. Noise pollution is noise pollution regardless of who or how many are ignorant enough to create it.
Whether it be a bunch of teenagers partying or a hoon in a car or some one running a generator it is all the same. Noise pollution.
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Follow Up By: Fatso - Tuesday, Aug 30, 2011 at 16:51

Tuesday, Aug 30, 2011 at 16:51
Further more. Just like those tossers in the campground who in order to prove their undevoted love of all things Australian want to turn the radio up flatout on Sunday morning so that everyone within 200 yards has to listen to Macca.
That's noise pollution as well.
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Follow Up By: Member Al (Sunshine Coast) - Tuesday, Aug 30, 2011 at 17:06

Tuesday, Aug 30, 2011 at 17:06
Dennis, Does the peace and quietness emanating from my camp disturb you?
No? Then neither should the sounds from your camp annoy others. Consideration is also a fact of life....... or at least, it should be.

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Allan

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Follow Up By: Fatso - Tuesday, Aug 30, 2011 at 20:22

Tuesday, Aug 30, 2011 at 20:22
Further more. Just like those tossers in the campground who in order to prove their undevoted love of all things Australian want to turn the radio up flatout on Sunday morning so that everyone within 200 yards has to listen to Macca.
That's noise pollution as well.
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Follow Up By: Dennis Ellery - Tuesday, Aug 30, 2011 at 20:58

Tuesday, Aug 30, 2011 at 20:58
Gee you blokes should be in old folk's homes.
A couple of months ago I was at Steep Point WA where there were a group of young fisherman (anyone younger than me at 66 is a young bloke) and families were set up with tarps, tents, fridges gensets etc. Their kids yahooed till 9 or 10 at night.
Some places I go to I come across vans parked up for months at a time in the one spot, with freezers and microwaves etc. What do you expect them to do live on dried soup and baked beans?
Live and let live, and if you don't like the neighbourhood - pack up and pee off.
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Follow Up By: Member - Krakka - Tuesday, Aug 30, 2011 at 21:09

Tuesday, Aug 30, 2011 at 21:09
Do what I mostly do, go camping away from the crowds, usually no one else where we go camping, unless they are wiyh us, and I can run my gennie to my hearts content if I wish too. If my gennie is running and someone else does decide to camp near me............That is their problem!!
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Reply By: Motherhen - Sunday, Aug 28, 2011 at 21:00

Sunday, Aug 28, 2011 at 21:00
Hi Nick

A Honda EU10i would do all you want - does the rebate you have been quoted apply to the 10 too? Honda are reliable and in my opinion worth the money.

However i agree with the portable solar panel option - that is what we did some years ago and left the genny at home. Loved the easy silent power and more options to camp too as we only ran the genny previously when there was no-one within cooee, and most National Parks don't allow gennies.

Motherhen

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Reply By: Member - Troll 81 (QLD) - Monday, Aug 29, 2011 at 08:34

Monday, Aug 29, 2011 at 08:34
I have a 80w solar setup and a Honda, went camping at Fraser Island and ended up with a week’s worth of clouds the Solar just didn't do the job due to the clouds. It was either run the car everyday to charge camper battery and car batteries or run the genny for 2 hours with my 30amp battery charger. Running the Honda with a 20m extension cable means you don’t hear it at all with the ocean noise. I guess it all comes down to your power needs and how many amps you draw each day.

I started with the Honda and added the solar down the track
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Follow Up By: SelmerVI - Monday, Aug 29, 2011 at 13:23

Monday, Aug 29, 2011 at 13:23
Solar is preferred - for all the reasons outlined, silent, environmentally friendly. Gold plated solution - when it isn't cloudy!!

Amazing how often "put tent up" equals "rain and/or cloud" - must be a law of nature!

Certainly I would prefer to use my (Kipor) pretty quiet generator for a few hours to keep the beer cold, than my 4.2 litre generator!! If, that is, we are in one place for a few days.

Like many travellers, I have both.
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Reply By: Member - Brenton H (SA) - Monday, Aug 29, 2011 at 08:51

Monday, Aug 29, 2011 at 08:51
I agree with the comments by others above. With a decent set of batteries and for your described camping requirements forget the gennie and save some money to boot. As others have also pointed out they are heavy and must be secured properly, take up a lot of room, need fuel, and a dam long power cord.
I have a Honda EU10i in the shed which we haven't used for years.
Mostly I find that even if camped for some days the car usually gets used for the odd trip here and there and if not enough we top up with a solar panel.

Cheers
Brenton
AnswerID: 463775

Reply By: Kris and Kev - Monday, Aug 29, 2011 at 16:36

Monday, Aug 29, 2011 at 16:36
As per previous threads, lots of different opinions. We have an off road camper trailer and stay at various places, some remote. We have both, 120 w fold up solar panel and a Honda 2kva generator. We mostly use the solar panel, but on occasions have had to use the generator and were very glad we had one. We are very mindful of the noise it makes and only use it as a last resort and when it will not annoy anyone else and only to charge our batteries. We have also used our generator at home during blackouts, which is one of the reasons we got a 2kva. So it really does depend on your circumstance and future requirements.
AnswerID: 463804

Follow Up By: Motherhen - Monday, Aug 29, 2011 at 19:46

Monday, Aug 29, 2011 at 19:46
Hi K&K; likewise, our Honda gets much more use at home than it ever does on our travels. We first got it to run the caravan air conditioner, but apart from that first holiday (in summer) we haven't used it for the air con.

Mh
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Reply By: Member - Driverdon - Wednesday, Aug 31, 2011 at 11:44

Wednesday, Aug 31, 2011 at 11:44
Hi Nick, you can see from the replies there is a wide range of views & experiences, here's mine, I've got a T Van and troopy, 50watt solar on T Van and 100 Ahr battery,
Troopy has 105 Ahr batt and 2x 60watt solar panels. vehicle and trailer connected by anderson plug. I run 2 Engels, one freezer one fridge. All good if the sun shines, otherwise about three days power. Bought Honda 1.0 a couple of weeks ago and first camping trip with it, no sun, so we were saved by generator, but I must say a lot of people are running the cheapie gensets and they are very noisey, the little Honda is very quiet and economical. . . . I also like the quiet but I like to stay out when the sun don't shine.
Cheers
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Follow Up By: Member - Driverdon - Wednesday, Aug 31, 2011 at 11:47

Wednesday, Aug 31, 2011 at 11:47
ps: I run a C Teck 15 amp charger off the Honda
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