Generators for Dummies - RV's/Trailers/Camping
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- Опубликовано: 26 июн 2024
- With the rise of #vanlife, and more people buying RV's and getting outdoors, there are a lot of questions about generators - do you need one, different types, sizes, and can solar replace a gas generator? I break down everything you need to know if you are researching generators for your travel trailer, RV, motorhome, van build, or overland expeditions. And a comparison to portable power stations like the jackery.
00:00 Intro
01:01 Do you need one?
02:00 Solar v. Generator
05:15 Types
08:39 Power Stations
09:46 How large?
12:25 Buying Advice
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Do you think solar panels and batteries can replace generators? Are you going that direction?
Not going to happen in our lifetime! Best discovery the world ever made was fossil fuel use! ⛽️
If they ever get solar more compact and higher efficiency and air conditioning to match, maybe.
It's really not "either, or" with a good solar/lithium bank can go several cloudy or rainy days off of a good lithium bank. If a quick charge is needed a inverter/gen can recharge a large lithium bank in just couple of hours as lithiums recharge 5 times faster than a wet cell battery. For boondocking for long periods redundancy rules.
@@wonderingBadger AC is common with lithium battery systems with a hybrid inverter/converter. Plus will power all the 120 outlets and microwave:) Solar panel & lithium battery prices have dropped substantially.
No, unless you live in the desert full time. I have 1850 watts of solar panels and 900 amp hours of lifepo4 batteries. I don't need a generator when I am in the desert. But my generator is running now to recharge the battery bank because I am party in trees in Quebec, and the sun hasn't been around for days.
Good video.
I've been full time boondocking for 7 years and have gone through a Champion 3500 watt and two Champion 2500 watt generators, all of them the enclosed and quieter inverter generators.
My thinking on the generators has changed. Because I boondock 100% of the time, I am not too concerned with noise as nobody is nearby. My newest generator is a dual fuel 4250 watt Champion open frame inverter generator. After about 400 hours, the other Champions carboned up on the head and piston to the point they couldn't take any load and had to be junked. It was not worth paying what it would cost to have it fixed, and it is a big job to do if you don't have the proper equipment. I run this new generator only on propane, which supposedly carbons up less than gas. The open frame generator is much cheaper, much easier to work on if needed, has clean power, and is not that much noisier than a closed inverter generator.
Great information. Thank you.
This was incredibly helpful! Thank You!
Incredibly informative video. Thank you!
Thanks for making clear on the terminology of those inverter generator
super helpful
A generator is needed while Boondocking. We have 820w of solar, and 499ah of lithium batteries. But the sun doesn’t come out everyday. Clouds and rain will not allow you to charge a large system. So I suggest a duel fuel inverter generator. You will always have propane on hand, and you won’t have to carry gas. I built a battery box, to charge my phones, and run my CPAP machine, at night.
Thanks so much for your videos; irregardless the channel!
You are welcome!
One thing to consider is where you camp.
I have solar, but if you’re in thick forests, it won’t help.
Different story if you’re in open areas with good weather.
Good point
Have to remember you can't take a wet cell battery below 50% charge without damage to it. Your 100 AH wet cell is a usable 50AH
I have a Champion 2500 Dual Fuel inverter/genny that I love. 1/2 the price of a Honda. A "Easy Start" lets it fire-up and run the A.C. Best of all.....it runs on right at 1/2 of gallons per hour of a 3500 Watt inverter/genny.....I like that!
thanks for sharing
best video
Love my Honda 2200...and yes there is a difference between the Yamaha and Honda generators VS the cheaper Chinese brands.
Great video. Thanks for sharing it. One thing about LP vs Gas that is worth considering, if you don't' use your gas generator for an extended period of time you really should drain the fuel tank and run the carb dry and you should only run ethanol free gas if you can. Otherwise the gas can gel in the fuel line and prevent it from starting when you need it. However, if you run it on LP, this isn't a factor. If you use your generator often and/or are diligent about maintenance, this isn't that important but it's nice to have your generator fire right up when you need it.
Sorry i'm late to the party. Hopefully you will see this. I am thinking of getting a dual fuel inverter generator (probably using propane)as I want to go to local outdoor swap meet once a week and make onsite, decals and possibly customize designs onto t shirts. My equpment would be a vinyl cutter(which from my understanding woulnt be like running a home inkjet printer power wise(this can be turned on when needed and turned off when not used unless it's better to keep it running)a heat press for pressing designs onto shirts (this would have to stay powered on for probably 6 hours or so as heating up the heat press would take time. ( stats for that 10000 watts 8.3 amps 120 volts.) and mostly likely power for laptop as day goes on and power gets low on it. Wondering if a 2500 watt inverter would be ok for this.
Great topic and information. Would like to know more about solar for camping and power outages at home. Enough to run maybe some fans and charge electronics. I know nothing about solar and how to hook it all up.
Great suggestion!
I've been trying to find this info... finally. Thanks. About how much run time would I get on a fully loaded 2200 Watt generator using propane? Also, your example of a 100aH battery is misleading because depth of discharge is not discussed. A 100aH battery is 'rally' only 50aH of use. You'll ruin the battery if you take it too low which is beyond 50% for typical LA batteries.
Can you explain the difference between inverter and non inverter?
What generator is ok for campgrounds noise
Hello, I purchased a new Predator 3500 generator for my new Tab 320. I filled the generator with 10w 30 oil and it appears to be leaking from the bottom. I think it may possibly be overflow, but not sure. I am just going to let it sit overnight outside and want to start the generator for the first time tomorrow. Any thoughts on the possible overflow?
⚠️Portable Generator Safety Tips:
1) KEEPING OTHERS SAFE: Please do not allow an unqualified person or your children to operate and service the portable generator. Just because some manuals don’t say that doesn’t mean it’s safe. That is important against the generator safety rules. We also need to be keeping an eye on our children too. You need to make sure that your children are not playing near the portable generator especially when it’s running so they won’t get electrocuted. Generators pose electrical risks and they can be hot during an operation. Please keep your children away from the portable generator at all times. It is important to keep our children safe especially our little ones. Be aware of all the hazards.
2) WHERE TO RUN YOUR GENERATOR: Some people use their portable generators indoors which increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s important to have carbon monoxide detectors if you have a gas generator. Never ever use your generator indoors even if your doors and windows are open and even in the garage is not safe to use a portable generator. Also please never use your generator in your deck or balcony. It is never safe to use your generator indoors and in enclosed areas of your home. Your generator needs to be 15-20 feet away from your house.
3)🔥FIRE HAZARDS: Never refuel your generator while it’s running. You need to let your generator cool off before refueling it and before storing your generator. Never overload your generator too. Never ever back feed your generator. You should never plug your generator into a wall outlet. Also never store propane tanks indoors. Please keep flammable things away from the generator as well and please don’t smoke cigarettes near the generator. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the generator safety rules. It’s also not safe to move your generator while it’s running.
4) GENERATOR OPERATION: make sure your hands are dry before touching the generator. Never use your generator in wet conditions. Don’t let your generator get wet. You need a generator tent if you need to use your generator during wet weather. Please don’t wear loose clothes when operating the generator. Turn on your generator before plugging in appliances. Use the right cord for your generator. Please do not use worn out cords.
ruclips.net/user/shortseFigDfnPkcQ?feature=share and here is a short video more about keeping others safe when using generators. Portable generators need maintenance so it’s important to follow the safety instructions.
Hope this helps
Good content. Couple of questions please… Even if don’t use these to run my AC, can I use these generators just to keep my rv batteries charged when dry camping? How many hours in a day do I need to run these to fully recharge the batteries?
yes, and only an hour or two at most
Nice presentation. I had one question. Say your dry camping and just want to charge your RV battery could you take jumper cables and connect to your truck and charge them? A truck alternator puts out 100 amps or more and 12 volts. My Honda 2200 only puts out 8 amps at 12 volts. Would the truck alternator put out too many amps and cause a problem? I have never seen anyone do this but it seems like it would work when say your solar panels couldn't charge enough on a rainy day.
The way rv charge systems work, it light take too long, a lot of idling the vehicle to make it worn. Maybe someone can chime in who had tried
Noobie here - Does running the generator charge the trailer's battery?
We have a Lance 1995. What size generator would you recommend to run the air conditioner. We use the solar and an eco flow for other power needs.
at least 3,000 watts
Did you just have to jump start your generator?
haha yes
your desktop computer figures are WAY THE FUCK off esp if you're talking about gaming computers (this category is way wide). Given you are usually a "range of stuff guy" this is a surprising oversight. Sure, there are desktop computers that fit in your numbers, I have a "desktop" computer that I can use as such (RaspberryPi) and it costs WAY less than the numbers you describe.... but it is also way less capable than my gaming desktop, which uses an 850w power supply, i have no idea what the "starting power" is. I also have a craptop that has a 65w power brick, this is a laptop, and i dont know its power usage, i know i can charge it, maybe not use it indefinitely, with my 35w usb-c-wall-brick that came from my phone. honestly computer usage should be left out given the range power usage and interfaces that are needed/can be used. I don't mean for this comment to be disparaging, I REALLY enjoy your content. as an IT person, this is just a subject that is SUPER wide range and i though i'd comment on a stupidly old video :D