Generators

Firstly, as a traveller who is trying to escape suburbanisation, we use our free camp book to decide where to avoid being surrounded by other vans. I don't understand how people are lining up at 1-2pm to get a good camping spot, being in bed by 7pm, and then making a racket as they depart at sunup disturbing those of us who live "normal" hours.

As videographers and photographers, we use our night time to process our daily "shoot". This requires the use of 240v power, and so our generator is a useful addition to our inverter. And so, we find somewhere preferably on our own to camp the night, so that we can work until 11pm if we wish.

As a member of the "Generator generation", I understand that the genny should be turned off by 9pm at the latest. The alternative for people who are disturbed by the noise (and I agree some generator owners don't think of others) , is to either have a chat with the offender, or find somewhere away from other people to spend the night.

Hi P & G

Are you in the mob right alongside the highway? I have rarely seen anyone parked there, but there were a few campers there this morning; one with awning and washing out, and even more there tonight. Personally, i would find the traffic more annoying than a generator which is a constant. Traffic goes through at all hours of the night. Then again, mostly when we have camped with genny users, they have had the quite Hondas, and have used them only in reasonable hours. Our personal preference is to camp well away from anyone and well back from the road. We have had some glorious peaceful nights under a clear sky star-show. For us, solar is the go.

Motherhen

The simple question is....Who was there first.
When I was driving trucks and pulled into a truck bay and seen a bitumen tanker with the roaring gas burner going I would pull out and go onto the next park, same goes for a truck load of stamping thumping load of cattle.

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As both caravans and motor-homes are increasingly being built with all the mod-cons of a home away from home, a power consumption rate to match and a requirement to source that power from somewhere, coupled with the far greater use of free camping, which is mostly unregulated, it is hard to imagine this is a problem that is going to go away anytime soon...

No doubt people should be more considerate, many are, but experience suggests many couldn’t care less for the comfort of others, adding that it is a two-way street between generators users, and non-users...

And whilst the poster hasn’t indicated this is a free-camping site, this problem frequently occurs at many free-camping sites, I guess you get what you pay for!

My two bob’s worth....

Complaining about generators at FREE campsites is like complaining about bikini clad women on the beach at Surfers , you don't like what you see or hear [genny] , move ..

Hi P & G,

I am not sure whether this is a 'free camp' but if so I am afraid that is one of the negatives of staying in such a place. I agree it is annoying.
We use these places often but try to find ones which are out of the way, not named in any camping books or online, or have lots of space. We choose to never park anywhere near people who have generators in view however that does not mean that someone else will pull up after us and use one, or someone already there before us won't pull one out as the sun sets! Both of these situations have happened to us. So far thankfully no one has used one after about 10 pm.

We are powered by solar and batteries however do carry a Honda 2 for emergency back up...mainly for re charging the tow vehicle battery should it run flat on a remote place.
In low cost camps where generators are permitted I have to confess that I have run it to power my Nespresso coffee maker for a few minutes, a few times a day, to make coffee while all around us people ran theirs continually all day and long into the evening!

Recently we were pretty surprised to find people in close proximity to us running a genie at night in an unpowered site in a caravan park and my husband asked them to turn it off. They were equally surprised to be asked but it went off immediately!
It was not permitted in this park and had they not complied, we would have approached the management the following day. They were watching tv I think. Not sure why they didn't just book into a powered site which would only have cost a few dollars more!

Not sure that there is any solution to this as more and more of us travel. In our experience places get busier each year but it hasn't stopped us. I guess we have to be tolerant.

Regards,

Heather

I thought free bush camping was for everyone not someone winging so&so telling you how to live your life-- there is enough of those in the city -- THIS is a big country just move a few meters & all will be OK.- alternatively try the sounds of HONGKONG.---MICK.

Not withstanding the fact that there are many inconsiderate campers out there, and lots with generators, what gives anyone the belief that generators should be a no go out there.

They are mostly less annoying than those who overindulge with their happy hour sessions, the loud music, barking dogs, those wandering around the camp aimlessly oblivious to all whilst having loud and long conversations on their mobile phone, the noisy kids who always want to play near your campsite, not theirs, the bloke who finds it necessary to tune his vehicle, and the list goes on and on.

The risk you take is having inconsiderate campers near you, but then again there may something about your mob that gets up their nose, maybe the smell from your BBQ or camp oven.

The better solution is to pick your campsite carefully. I often find many campers don't like to camp isolated, but rather with the comfort of others nearby, and then you run the risk of having neighbours from hell. It's a bit like fishing on deserted beach. Others spot you, and before long you have all these pesky neighbours all around you LOL.

Like MH and many others here, I like to camp by myself out of sight if possible, but I always carry a generator, don't necessarily run it at every camp, but should anyone decide that they need to camp nearby, I make it a point of telling them before they get set up, that I may run a generator at some point.

That old saying, "Unlike your relatives, you can select your neighbours" doesn't necessarily apply out there at bush camps.

This has been a hot topic many times before on here.

Hi
I will leave the pros or cons of generators to others


What does have me concerned is the wide spead use of generators by people who do not understand the risks of that 240v
It can be just as deadly as your house 240vi
If you plug the genny in via the power inlet socket of the van,you have encreased the risk

Your RCD if fitted is not functional!!

Connecting of multiple class2 appliances [2pin plugs] has a very low risk

However having more than ONE class 1 appliance [3 pin plug] CONNECTED encreases the potential for a dangerous fault to develop

'When you plug into the van power inlet you have connected that fiirst class 1 appliance[the van itself you then will not doubt alrady have other class1 appliances connnected[fridge ,air con .battery charger ,etc]
USE with great care or get it permanently wired with a change over switch & fully operational RCD

Peter