Generator use

[bobblangley]

Do people recommend plugging a trailer's shore power cable into a generator or taking a DC feed of the generator directly to the battery or running the generator output through the trailer's controller. Thanks.

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by bobblangley

Do people recommend plugging a trailer's shore power cable into a generator or taking a DC feed of the generator directly to the battery or running the generator output through the trailer's controller. Thanks.

Plug the trailer into the 120 volt generator output and use your on-board charging system to charge the batteries. Especially if you have a newer charger.

This is because generators usually deliver very low output on their 12V connections, of only a few amps. But the on-board charger might pump in 30-40 amps and even be a smart charger.

[k corbin]

I bought a 12v charger adapter cord that plugs into my Honda 1000i generator but that was just for a backup situation if the charger built into my converter failed or if my small 110v powered trickle charger I keep for the car failed. It hopefully will never be needed but it takes up very little space to store so makes a good emergency backup option.

[Jon Vermilye]

Originally Posted by k corbin

I bought a 12v charger adapter cord that plugs into my Honda 1000i generator but that was just for a backup situation if the charger built into my converter failed or if my small 110v powered trickle charger I keep for the car failed. It hopefully will never be needed but it takes up very little space to store so makes a good emergency backup option.

Another small (900/700 watt) generator is the Ryobi. It only runs on propane (even 1 pound disposable cylinders), is small & light, and you don't have to deal with gasoline. Like any of the generators under 2K, it won't run your AC or much else, but is great for topping off the batteries when a string of cloudy days limits solar charging.

One additional point - at 700 running watts, converters over 35 amps may draw too much for the generator if the batteries are very low. When I switched to lithium batteries, which draw the full output of the converter until 98% charged, I had to switch from a 45 amp converter to a 35 amp. Lead acid batteries will draw less once they reach the absorption stage, but when heavily discharged, may draw the full output of the converter during the bulk stage of charging.

As to using the 12V output on most generators, as Raspy noted, the charging current is limited, and the output is unregulated. It would be possible (but unlikely) to overcharge your batteries if left on thee generator for a long time.

[Tony D]

I had the same question and got the same answer. I have the Yamaha 1000. I plugged the camper power chord into the generator and it worked fine. Needed to go through a plug converter (30 amp shore power plug to 15 amp house style plug) The battery was not too low at the time, so results may vary. If push comes to shove and I’m not getting results through the camper’s converter, I’ll hook up the generator direct to the battery for a few hours and check the result with my plug in volt meter. The Yamaha manual says it will give 8 amps using the 12v dc output. For now I’ll use my Scamp’s converter.