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Old 07-12-2011, 07:19 AM   #1
TYR
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Generator Questions

Here is our situation.

First I confess that I am just starting to educate myself about generators, so please excuse any "silly" questions.

We have a long-term job in NJ as a security team living on-site at a dormant mill. When there is a power outage, we are considered a "single ticket," meaning essentially everyone else in the area will get their power back before us. After a severe storm over the 4th of July weekend, we were w/o power for 30 hours. As we are on a well, the only water we had was what was in our fresh tank.

Considering that we seem to have severe thunderstorms here and with the possibility of outages during the Winter months, we are looking into getting a generator.

Our rig is gen-prepped with the Onan remote control switch inside an interior cabinet; however, the cost of an onboard generator is around $6k installed and a bit much for our pocketbook and the amount of usage we plan with a generator.

I'm thinking a portable generator is the way to go and would love a Honda; however, those are crazy-priced in the thousands of dollars.

So! We are looking for something in the 5500-6500 watt portable range. Why so many watts? We want to be able to run (depending on the weather) A/C or furnace and other appliances and lights.

I have been researching online and found some options like Briggs and Stratton, Generac, Powermate with Honda engine, etc.

If you have a portable gen such as the above, what kind and how do you like it? I know a lot of folks slave two smaller Honda units, but I doubt we'll go that route.

What about running a portable gen during rain or snowfall? Seems perhaps a bit dicey, as there may be a chance for a short? On the other hand, we are gonna get winter here in NJ, so how about a way to keep the sucker runnin' when it's snowing??

Do gens have the outlet for a 50-amp plug or do you use an adapter? Seems like most of them talk about 30 amps, although I thought I saw one in which a 50-amp plug would work. (I've looked at so many today I don't remember which one it was! Yikes!)

Do I need a gen with an inverter or will my onboard inverter do the trick? (Do I even know what I'm talking about?!? )

Any suggestions, resources and/or tips are appreciated!

Again, we want to be able to stay reasonably comfortable during prolonged power outages.

Cheers!

 
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Old 07-12-2011, 08:34 AM   #2
H. John Kohl
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If you want a generator that you can run in a camp ground and not "polute noise" then you get what you pay for.

I have a Coleman PowerMate construction generator (noisy compaired to ONAN or Honda) that is 4500 watts. It has a 30 amp feed. IF you want one that will do 50 amp service you are looking at 6500 to 7000 watts.

If this generator is only for your current situation and noise is not an issue then one for about $1000 (7000 watt) should work (I have not priced them).

Ref: weather I would put a small pole shed with sides over and around it to protect it from the elements. My 4500 runs about 7 to 8 hours on 5 gals of gas.

Just my opinion, good luck.
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Old 07-12-2011, 10:19 AM   #3
TYR
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John,

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate the feedback, especially re: the PowerMate. I saw one for a reasonable price with a Honda motor that looked good. Yes, 6000-7000 watts is the range I'm looking at. Noise is not an issue, except for ourselves, as we are not around other campers and the neighborhood homes are out of generator noise range. The gen is for this particular situation or others like it.

Cheers again!
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Old 07-12-2011, 10:50 AM   #4
mhs4771
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Our stick house is in a similar situation, we live at the end of a dead end dirt road, so we're low on the priority list. We purchased a 7800 Power Mate to run our deep well pump and keep the fridge and freezer running, with the option to add in the hot water if needed. I think we paid approx 1500 for it 10 years ago, don't know what they run now days. An additional note, my Power Mate has a 240V output that the Monty 50 amp plug would plug right into, no adapters needed.
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Old 07-12-2011, 11:28 AM   #5
arcateq
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We have the Yamaha EF6300iSDE that was pretty expensive at 3,100 bucks but it is very quite for its size and can run everything on the trailer at the same time. It is also certified for all states on exhaust output. I am extremely happy with its performance. I also need to say it is heavy at 200 pounds.( It is on wheels). Just my 2 cents.
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Old 07-12-2011, 11:41 AM   #6
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I agree that if it is for your current situation, you could do like our friends in Northern California who live off the grid. They have a 6500 watt remote start generator that is housed in a small shed which is vented. The distance from the house is such that the noise is minimal but can still be started by the remote. They also have a couple of solar panels and use a both 110v and 12v well pumps.
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Old 07-12-2011, 01:17 PM   #7
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i can understand the issue about A/C and needing a generator but i'm curious about the rest. you're in a trailer...you already have electric and gas and if you keep your water tank nearly filled you can easily last 30+ hours. You even have a 12 volt TV to watch on.
but, if noise isn't an issue just buy a cheap generator at HD.

here is a site to do some research in: http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect....enerators.html
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Old 07-12-2011, 02:28 PM   #8
TYR
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Eddie,

Thanks for the link; I've already been exploring that site.



You'd probably understand if you knew the winter we through last year with a nonfunctioning furnace, among other issues. No, we weren't basking in Arizona. We headed to northern Indiana from South Carolina in December through necessity and then made our way back south to Missouri in January. I towed through ice, snow, slush and rain. We experienced lake effect snow, got caught in a blizzard and a whiteout, got snowed in and laid over due to weather a few times.

We now have a dependable Montana (thank you Keystone! )but, as stated in my original post, in New Jersey at a location where we have been told power outages are to be expected. We experienced the 30-hour outage after being here less than four months. Top that off with trees and power lines all around, we have a less than optimal scenario during an ice storm.

After being so cold and miserable last winter (you'd need to read my blog to understand), being without power for more than a few hours in winter is not acceptable not only for my comfort but that of my husband, our dog and keeping our beloved Monty happy.

Been there, done that with keeping fresh water tank topped off during winter. We used nothing else last winter.

Television is low on the priority list of power items. Vital in our role as a security team, however, are cell phones, computers and lighting we need when entering the mills.

Heck, I'm a Texas gal, so I can suffer through without A/C for a bit, especially here in Jersey. I can even make do for a while w/o heat as we did last winter.

As we are at the bottom of the power restoration pecking order here, a severe ice storm could knock us out for a couple of days. Not an adventure I care to experience. A hotel would be fine for us but that would be leaving our work (we live on-site) and leaving our beloved Monty to shiver alone with no heat.

Heading South is not an option. We are working, enjoying what we do, and we have a commitment to be here. Besides, we love the area.

The above doesn't even address the issue of high voltage coming onto the property. Our surge protector box shut us down for a two-day period (over a holiday weekend again, of course!) due to voltage over 130. If you knew the time I've spent talking with the local power company attempting to get this resolved... Right now it's okay but we've been through this before!

All that being said, I was RV'ing as a babe in arms back in the late 50s, was a Girl Scout and I'm from the Texas Gulf Coast. I'd rather be prepared than be caught out.

Cheers,
Betty
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