Generator Etiquette

[Flymutt]

O.K. so I'm ready to purchase a generator for dry camping (for a night or two) but will not be purchasing a Honda or one of the more expensive, really nice quiet ones. I only need it to charge my batteries once or maybe twice a day. Is it alright to have the generator close by the RV or do you take it out 20' away due to the noise? I'm looking at one powered by propane and those would have to be fairly close. I've never dry camped so am looking for some Dear Abbey advise Don't want to make the neighbors mad.

[bncinwv]

Make sure you are fully aware of the propane burn rate of the generator. I am sure it does not compare to our built in Onan, but as an example, we have two forty pound tanks, and the generator can bleed them both dry in less than two days depending on usage. I would suggest researching the specs of the generator. I would further venture to say that the "loudness" of the unit will dictate the distance from you and any neighbors and if you have it too close to either it would probably become known to you in a quick fashion. As a matter of comparison, a five gallon can of gasoline would run a small generator for well over a week based on your limited usage. I would think your propane would be too precious of a commodity to share with a generator when boondocking, and I am sure some of the experienced MOC boondockers can reinforce that, if my thinking is correct.
Bingo

[Ozz]

Good post Bingo, I will add that you should figure the Propane-powered portable generator will have less power than the same generator powered by gasoline, so figure that into the load equation.

[mrtgraz]

Just remember a cheap generator ain't good and a good generator ain't cheap. And even if you think your only gonna use it for a little bit , too say charge your batteries, that may take over an hour or possibly more. There's nothing worse then sitting in a camp site on a beautiful outside day and all your neighbors wanna kill you cause your gen's so loud.. Been there done that, some place's wont even let you run them if there to loud. I keep mine right within 10 feet of my camper on the far side. I have a gas one and like Bingo said it,ll run a long time on a gallon of gas.

[Art-n-Marge]

Most CGs have quiet hours (say 10pm or 11pm to about 7am or 8am). Just as a matter of practice, you should consider this even when not in a campground. City ordinances will tend to govern noise and have similar timeframes. Since you are looking just to recharge batteries, then this should not be a problem. You'll only need to think ahead that in the future and you run into a hot climate and you are off the grid, you might want to use the generator for the A/C, because you'll need 110v.

If you are serious about a propane powered generator you should consider installing into the rig permanently to keep it close to the propane supply and so it runs quieter. If you go the portable route and it were me doing it again, I'd still stick with gasoline since it's easily available everywhere and you can use unending sizes of gas tanks to increase runtime. Plus this gasoline supply is used only for the gennys and won't impact other appliance needs.

Even with an installed propane generator, you probably still won't be running it at night. Installing it in the rig would also help with insulation and quiet when you run it during the day. I've had neighbors next door doing this and it's not that bad especially if I'm indoors. But an external gasoline or diesel are loud, but I haven't run into this very often.

I can't answer the efficiency, gasoline versus diesel versus propane, but I'd rather not share my generator fuel needs with something else or the other way around.

These are just my thoughts but this opinion does not satisfy the one source fuel efficiency very well. Since the TV is diesel and the RV needs are propane and my gennys are gasoline, then obviously I'm okay with it.

[WeBeFulltime]

I think I would "bite the bullet" and invest in Honda or Yamaha.

[simonsrf]

We spend most of our time boondocking. If you are going to be anywhere near other RVers, step up to the plate and buy a Honda or a Yamaha.

One nice feature of the Honda, it starts on the first pull, and doesn't bother the wildlife or your neighbors!

[DQDick]

I did some extensive investigation on this two years ago and at the time finding a good set of Honda's on Craigs list was the answer I went with. Have already saved the extra I spent on the Honda's with the fuel savings I've gotten and no one has been upset with the noise not even Joyce.

[Flymutt]

The reduced power thing on the propane jenner that I am looking at is a fact. I figure its about 15% less power than one powered by gasoline according to their specs. My goal was to not have to carry a third fuel type but the power loss and propane consumption thing (that Bingo mentioned) could be a problem now that I think about it . O.K....o.k. I know I should get a Honda or Yamaha. I was just hoping you wouldn't mention that! Lets see...what can I cut out of the budget?
Thanks for the help guys...guess I need to keep peace in the neighborhood and buy a quiet one.

[bncinwv]

Dick may have the best solution, start checking Craigslist. The Hondas are fairly bulletproof (have one as well!), and my thoughts are if it pull starts on the first pull or two, it would be fine. There are also some marginally quiet (do some research on dB levels) units from other manufacturers that are a lot lower in price, but again, I always go back to the fact that the Hondas are very reliable. Ours is about four years old now and still purrs along reliably.
Bingo

[Old_Salty]

There are gen sets that are quiet other than the Yamaha and Honda. Champion makes a small invertor genny that is rated at 2000 watts and has a noise level of 53dB and is way less expensive (saw on Ebay for $400) than the red or blue. I don't have any knowledge of how well built they are, but the larger Champion has a good following and I do have experience with those. Agree - it's not fun to be the proud owner of a loud generator (and almost of them are loud) in a quiet campground.

[HOOK]

To me it is an easy question. If you camp in campgrounds where gens are needed you and everyone else will probably hear some run. If you boondock completely by yourself , it's all on you. Etiquette? Include smoke, 5:00 am diesel startups, 10:00pm arrivals, lots of things to consider. Just do as you would have others do, be considerate. I am building a styrofoam "puzzle box" to surround my gen, to help kill sound. Ours came gen ready but i chose to buy one to use outside because of vibration. Choose the gen that you prefer. Hondas and Yamahas are nice but expnsive. I bought Champion . Reasonably quiet, reasonably priced, and does the job. IMHO

[Alwims]

We purchased a Generac 2000 from Lowes for $599 with tax. http://www.lowes.com/pd_28153-24212-...rac&facetInfo= It runs very quiet and starts on the first pull. We haven't used it for any length of time but have tested it several times and it seem to be very reliable. I tested the noise level with my Android phone noise app and it registered right a 60db.

[DQDick]

Lots of options out there that aren't noisy and a fuel hog.

[RickW]

Another thing to think about is the quality of the power coming from the generator. Not all generators are created equally. Keep in mind almost everything today seems to have an electronic board of some type in it. Most of these boards are not very tolerant of "dirty" power. Spending a little bit more money up front may save you more money in the long run if you have to start replacing components of of your trailer that fail when the boards fail in them. Personally I would only consider an inverter type generator or one that produces a pure sine wave.

[Parts Ed]

I agree with Bingo, We bought a pair of Honda 2000 generators for the few times that we dry camp saving the propane for our fridge and water heater is my priority.
JMHO-others will vary........

[bigskyjimmy]

I first bought a noisy homlite and built a insulated collaspable wood enclousere to quiet it down and it worked But I got tired of that and bit the bullet and bought a Honda and Glad I did WOW they are QUIET

[seahunter]

I always like to remind folks that the original sticker shock on the Onan onboard generator is not what you'll pay. For example, the Onan retail at the time of our purchase was $5425. We ended up about 40% off of MSRP, so the generator was actually "only" $3255. Plus, then it's covered under our warranty too. and if you're financing anyway, the added cost to your monthly payment is negligible. Keep in ming the unloading and loading of a stand-alone unit as well. My back is not up for that. All we have to do is hit the switch if we stop for lunch or a quick over night somewhere. The unit is also very quiet with the compartment lid shut, or even open. Just my thoughts...

Greg

[Flymutt]

You know, I'm leaning toward that Champion unit. They are about $400 on Ebay but that's for a reconditioned one with a 90 day warranty. New ones are about $550, including shipping and have a 2 year warranty. They are quiet (according to YouTube videos) and fairly decent reviews but they do not have quite the power that the comparable Hs & Ys have. I'm thinking that I will need it mostly for battery charging (and the am coffee pot). I know one thing...Honda units keep their value! I've been looking on various sites and used ones are not a whole lot less than new ones. Still thinkin'...still lookin' . Thanks for all the good feedback!

[snfexpress]

We went with a homemade rear carrier...

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