Quiet Generators

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by BrendaLeeFree

How long did it run your A/C Tractors1?

Because the Honda adjusts the throttle according to the load, it doesn't run at full speed when the A/C turns off. Specs say up to 8 hours on one gallon of fuel (most generator specs consider this to be at half the rated load.) This chart applies:

Honda EU2000i Model Info | Super Quiet 2000 Watt Inverter Generator | Honda Generators

[Jack L]

Originally Posted by LyleB

Anyone have any experience with "Brute" brand of generators? Briggs and Stratton engine, inverter generator, 2000 peak/1600 running watts. On sale at Menards for $399.61.

I haven't seen this one, but my experience with Briggs and Stratton engines in general is they are very sturdy and dependable but they are also LOUD.

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by BrendaLeeFree

How long did it run your A/C Tractors1?

Brenda, my Honda 2000 ran my 9000btu roof air for 8 1/4 hrs on a tank of fuel. As Trackors1 said the genset has the eco mode. Mine only ran at half throttle when the air was running. Using the microwave or coffee pot it runs full throttle.

[Paul O.]

Originally Posted by Jon Vermilye

When Chevy engineers brought their experimental Chevrolet Equinox Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicle to the NY State Fair, I was very impressed with the 100KW fuel cell the size of a large microwave. Then they mentioned that they only run on hydrogen & each cost $1,000,000.00. Now if they could built one for $1-$2K (even the same physical size) that produced 5KW on propane, they would sell lots of them!

Wow, $1,000,000 - we are talking real money here.
I wonder if those radioisotope (plutonium) thermoelectric generators on the two Voyager spacecraft cost that much!

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by Paul O.

Wow, $1,000,000 - we are talking real money here.
I wonder if those radioisotope (plutonium) thermoelectric generators on the two Voyager spacecraft cost that much!

Nah, government suppliers use a 10x multiplier for pricing.

[redbarron55]

Originally Posted by Borrego Dave

I got my flyer from HF the other day and it had the 25(8?)00W genset on the front page. Just FYI, that model isn't sold in Calif for emissions. All the larger units shown were OK.

The the State of California suspect that this generator will cause cancer or foul the pristine air.
Mine works pretty good in Alabama, however.

[Darral T.]

I'll throw in a $.02 worth...but I've been using this Champion 3500/4000 for the past 3-4 years. Unless it's super cold, it will start the FIRST pull everytime. BUT, I'll emphasize here....you canNOT run this in a campground because of the noise level. I use it going to model airplane flyins with my Scamp and 99% of the time, it's out in a big open field where OTHER RV'ers are running gens.

With that said, this is a "reputable" generator that I purchased at the time for about $350 with the wheel kit. I have a loading ramp I use to load it in my truck even though it weighs about 110 lbs...not the 140 some others may state.

I've ran my 13K BTU Coleman with the heat strip as well on this generator. I run the 1.9 Dometic fridge, my "HottRod" on my waterheater, water pumps, the converter of course and again, the A/C or heater. This gen will barely burp when the heater kicks on (13A!!).

For the money and MY use as I stated above, I just could not see paying a nearly $800-1000 more for a Honda. The Champion has never given me 1 min. trouble. OH...and it also has the 30A plug receptacle built-on to the gen and I can just plug my Scamp straight in. And no, it will NOT hurt any of the devices I mentioned that I run. I've ran my phone chargers on it with no problem as well. But if you have the heebie jeebies about it, you could always charge through your 12v receptacle and one of the 12v chargers. (The converter cleanly filters out the A/C).

Champion Power Equipment 3,500W/4,000W Recoil Start Gasoline Powered Portable Generator - For Life Out Here

[janisg]

If I have a solar panel would I also need a generator? I thought solar panels took the place of using a generator. I'm new to camping and don't know anything.

[Bruce H]

Originally Posted by janisg

If I have a solar panel would I also need a generator? I thought solar panels took the place of using a generator. I'm new to camping and don't know anything.

You know as much as I did when I started. Solar panels will recharge your battery(s) at a SLOW RATE and you can run things like interior lights, water pump, LP refrigerator (which needs electricity to make it come on), furnace fan, etc. They do not produce enough power to run an air conditioner or microwave. The idea is to get your batterie(s) charged up with solar by sunset so you can run over night on them. Then charge them again the next day. If you have more than one battery you can "store" more electricity. A generator will charge your battery(s) faster and will run items that consume more power.

[Cathi]

Originally Posted by janisg

If I have a solar panel would I also need a generator? I thought solar panels took the place of using a generator. I'm new to camping and don't know anything.

We have a 150-watt panel. With that, we can run anything except the A/C. We have an inverter to be able to run the microwave or such things as a hair dryer but cannot run them for long. No generator.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by janisg

If I have a solar panel would I also need a generator? I thought solar panels took the place of using a generator. I'm new to camping and don't know anything.

Depends on your style of camping.

I have a 40W solar and its all I have ever needed to keep my battery topped up - using the water pumps for showers and dishes, all the lights (LEDS), Fantastic Fan and furnace as needed & recharging phone, iPads and camera batteries. Fridge runs on propane so no power draw.

I do not use AC or a TV when off the grid.

[LyleB]

Originally Posted by janisg

If I have a solar panel would I also need a generator? I thought solar panels took the place of using a generator. I'm new to camping and don't know anything.

While I have no real-world experience with RVing, and come from a Backpacking background, I have done a lot of research and reading. A point I read/saw expressed a while back made complete sense to me.

The advice was to get a generator first as it will work no matter where you travel or park and is independent of the prevailing weather. When you can afford it, add solar to reduce your dependence on the generator as it is more aesthetically pleasing and more pleasant to use, for both you and your neighbors.

Guess it would all depend on how addicted to electricity you are, and what hardship you would feel if deprived temporarily. I could go without for quite some time if necessary, but my trailer is pretty basic, no furnace, no electric water pump, no water heater. Could re-charge the battery/phone/camera off the tow vehicle

[Jon Vermilye]

Originally Posted by janisg

If I have a solar panel would I also need a generator? I thought solar panels took the place of using a generator. I'm new to camping and don't know anything.

Along with your camping style, it depends on the time of year you camp. I started out with one 95 watt solar panel on the roof of my trailer. No generator, and a 1000 watt inverter. During the summers, with high angle sun & long days, this was plenty to keep a pair of 6V batteries charged; even allowed me to make a pot of drip coffee most mornings. No microwave and, of course, no battery powered air conditioning.

Winter camping, even in the reasonably warm southwest is a different story. The short days & low angle sun doesn't provide enough energy, particularly since you tend to run the furnace more than in the summers. I added a 160 watt portable panel to make up for the winter conditions & to provide charging when I was parked in the shade.

This year I added a 100 watt panel to the roof so that I didn't have to get out & set up the portable. Here at Quartzsite during the winter, I've been using all three panels & have managed to survive without a generator even through a couple of days without sunlight.

I do use more battery power than many - I have a cell phone amplifier that draws 2 amps, a very power hungry laptop I use for editing photographs, phone & camera battery chargers, and, as I mentioned, like to make a pot of coffee each morning. The coffee pot draw 60 amps for about 8 minutes. Some mornings I toast an English muffin in a toaster that draws 70 amps for 5 minutes. I could certainly get away with less solar and smaller batteries, however the combination lets me live the way I want without needing a generator.

[Darral T.]

janis--- lots and lots of discussions concerning gens vs solar. Just two TOTALLY different beasts/usage. You cannot run an A/C off of solar- yet. Alot on this forum say they use solar because they dont need an A/C so therefore no gen.

I live in the south where it's VERY humid in the summer time. I cannot sleep in the humidity being used to airconditioning so I will not be without it. So for me, solar is useless.

But 95% of the time, I camp with full hookups and only use the gen when I'm camping out somewhere where it wont be a nuisance.

So hopefully, you can see my comparisons and get a "feel" of why someone will use one over the other.

Originally Posted by janisg

If I have a solar panel would I also need a generator? I thought solar panels took the place of using a generator. I'm new to camping and don't know anything.

[Timber Wolf]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

janis--- lots and lots of discussions concerning gens vs solar. Just two TOTALLY different beasts/usage. You cannot run an A/C off of solar- yet. Alot on this forum say they use solar because they dont need an A/C so therefore no gen.

I live in the south where it's VERY humid in the summer time. I cannot sleep in the humidity being used to airconditioning so I will not be without it. So for me, solar is useless.

But 95% of the time, I camp with full hookups and only use the gen when I'm camping out somewhere where it wont be a nuisance.

So hopefully, you can see my comparisons and get a "feel" of why someone will use one over the other.

While I also live in the South I find some of the year I get by with no heat or A/C at home and can certainly do it camping. We went back in October for a few days here in North Florida and were very comfortable without A/C or heat. Again between Christmas and New Years for a week although we ran just a little heat at night. More blankets would have done the same.

I have relayed before that as a young Boy Scout in this same area we camped year round without electricity or propane and did fine sleeping in tents. We did pick our weekends though to avoid the worst of the heat or cold. These days I have to go camping when I can and I want a few more comforts than a sleeping bag on the cold, hard ground.

[steve dunham]

We have a 100 watt solar panel and no generator . When the weather is hot , we get a campsite with electricity for the A/C otherwise the solar is more than ample. The State , county and most private campgrounds in our area do not allow generators but none object to solar. Dragging along a 100 lb generator , fuel and ruining other people's peace and quiet is something I choose not to do.

[Glenn Baglo]

I have both portable solar panels and a Honda genset, no air conditioning.
If I can, I leave the genset at home for the reasons given above.
And, if you buy a generator, you have to maintain it. Run it from time to time, change the oil, replace the gas.

[Chester Taje]

Funny that there is no mention of the Kipor Inverter . I had one and it ran fine and was quiet also. It was a 3000 unit and a Honda knock off. When ran under load side by side with a Honda, you could not tell the difference in sound from same distance. I sold it too my brother in law and he used it for years in Arizona when boon docking. He still has it. I down sized back to a 17ft FG RV and now have a small Honda 350 gen set. During my cross Canada trip last summer I used it once when weather got bad and was raining so watched some TV rather than using up my battery power. I run 2 batteries . No A/C . I am completly self contained with a 350 watt inverter and never had any problems with power.

[BrendaLeeFree]

Originally Posted by Borrego Dave

Brenda, my Honda 2000 ran my 9000btu roof air for 8 1/4 hrs on a tank of fuel. As Trackors1 said the genset has the eco mode. Mine only ran at half throttle when the air was running. Using the microwave or coffee pot it runs full throttle.

Thanks Borrego Dave & Tractors 1.

We ended up getting a Generac IX2000 from Costco. Mixed reviews, but my FIL gifted it for my birthday, so yay! We are going to test it out this weekend. I'll see if it runs the A/C, but I'm not counting on it.

[mike_bc]

Originally Posted by Anita

I have read a lot of posts. Seems like a 3000 watt is what is needed. Has anyone used or neighbored with someone using an Atima 2000 watt. Claims to use the Yamaha engine half the cost?s

We have been using a EU3000i Honda for a few years. It took some discipline not to go for a knock off to save some money but real glad we went with this model.

Knock offs might seem practical up front but but they won't have the quietness, stamina or long term value of the Honda. IMO

BTW Honda's EU3000 is slightly quieter than the 2000.

@Chester - Is your 350 a 2 stroke or a 4? And you use it to top up your batteries, correct?