Generator questions

[Iowa Dave]

There are tens of thousands of camping sites where a 50 foot long 12-3 drop cord can connect your generator with muffler pointing towards the woods or unoccupied area to your camper. If I can’t do that I’m either in a CG where I have electrical service and don’t need the Honda or I go without. Observe the quiet hours, don’t use an open frame construction generator and only run your generator when you are using power. Courtesy is contagious, let’s start an epidemic.
Iowa Dave

[Rockhead]

Originally Posted by RangerMan

Crappie like crickets, so I like'em too.

Lol yep excellent crappie bait

[dcgrout]

Hi everyone - I have a Generac 3000i mounted on the rear bumper of my 2022 21C. I am trying to figure out a convenient exhaust venting system to get the fumes up to the top[ of the trailer. The Gen-Turi Exhaust Vent System is pretty cool, but it is designed for larger generators permanently mounted inside Class A rigs, and the attachment coupling is a larger diameter than what I have on my Generac. Anyone have experience with some kind of light weight flexible hose, or a coupler that can connect my 1.125 exhaust to the Gen Turi 1.5" coupler?

[Iowa Dave]

I would contact a muffler shop not recognized as a national
Chain. A Mom and Pop operation if you will. They can usually custom a lot of things or have a will fit adapter catalog. Especially if they specialize in vintage cars, motorcycles and the like.
Chrome with a chrome heat guard would look cool.
Iowa Dave

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by IanC

Yes, make sure you put the generator away from your trailer and closer to your camping neighbors. They'll appreciate the noise and fumes. (insert sarcasm).

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

There are tens of thousands of camping sites where a 50 foot long 12-3 drop cord can connect your generator with muffler pointing towards the woods or unoccupied area to your camper. If I can’t do that I’m either in a CG where I have electrical service and don’t need the Honda or I go without.

I have had a camping trip negatively impacted by a Class A that rolled out an open frame generator and ran it for hours on end (behind his rig but facing my campsite) so I am very sensitive to inappropriate generator selection and use. If I wasn't on the lake most of the day I probably would have complained. I subscribe to your philosophy Dave. Only using a generator sparingly and making sure it is can be made as quiet as possible for others. This includes paying significant money for a quiet Honda inverter generator and placing it with plenty of distance from other sites with muffler pointed towards woods. I even go so far as putting a rigid foam enclosure around the generator similar to a ZombieBox Z-hut but better with it virtually enclosed on five sides.

[Escape_19]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

sound tests of my 350W solar panel

......

<crickets>

Couldn't hear you.......WHAT DID YOU SAY

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

I even go so far as putting a rigid foam enclosure around the generator similar to a ZombieBox Z-hut but better with it virtually enclosed on five sides.

Did you do a write up on the enclosure? With a quick search of your mods, I've not seen it.
I'd be interested in your efforts and design.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

Did you do a write up on the enclosure? With a quick search of your mods, I've not seen it.
I'd be interested in your efforts and design.

Never documented it. Quite simple though. Used pieces of 2” Foamular 250 polystyrene left over from insulating the underside of my father’s Scamp. The insulation is pink so painted them green to better camouflage the enclosure. Then use some lag screws pushed into the foam as pins to hold it together. The lags can be moved if the hole gets worn too big over time. I leave a thin space at the rear panel intersections for ventilation/combustion air. The exhaust end stays completely open and is never facing another campsite. The hardest part is finding a place to store the stack of pieces with all the other camping stuff that must come along. You could get away with four pieces as you really don’t need a bottom.

[HABBERDABBER]

Thanks for the photo and description.

[Iowa Dave]

I’ve had the Honda 2200 since 2020. Used it camping twice. Both times at a state forest CG. Our favorite loop has 5 Sites. We rented them all for 4 families. CG was only about 40 percent full. Put a roughhousing tent on the fifth site and an extra car. That old Eureka was rocking and rolling with those grandkids in there.
I really didn’t buy the Honda for camping, I bought it to save a freezer full of meat and give us some power when out electricity was out for 11 days after the derecho. But since I have it I bought the micro air soft start for the AC and so I could charge the batteries when I was in the shade. Works well for both.
Iowa Dave

[BobG]

Has anyone figured out how many gallons of fuel a generator like the Honda 2200i uses during a day when used for running air conditioning as well as charging house batteries?

I don't have a generator but my experience last March (2022) at Alamo State Park in Arizona was a couple units parked next to me ran their generators during the day. The generators would come on sometime in late morning and run most of the day, until I think they ran out of gas. I do remember being somewhat annoyed. The people were away during the day.

I am thinking the generator uses about 1/4 gal/hr running the AC and charging batteries. Does that sound about right?

I am trying to figure out the approximate cost of solar vs generator to operate in the SW during the winter if using air conditioning in the afternoon or evening and also if just charging the batteries and maybe running a microwave for a few minutes a day but not using air conditioning.

Bob

[cpaharley2008]

Stick with solar, a lot quieter and more dependable......

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by MyronL

Sound tests using my cell phone ap and - file this in minor fun and games department:

Honda EU2200i - 75db @ 3 ft; 67db @ 18 ft.; 60db @ 30 ft.
WEN2350W - 76db @ 3 feet; 66db @ 18 ft.; 61db @ 30 ft.

Just sayin'

Thanks Myron, on your recommendation I purchased the WEN 2350. Still just $430 direct from WEN. Very happy with the purchase and appreciate your recommendation. I really like that you can shut the fuel off and run off the remaining fuel in the bowl, really takes away worrying about gumming up the carburetor.

I added both the high altitude jets (High Altitude Kit, 6000 - 9800 ft., High-Altitude Kit, 3000 - 6000 ft.), the cover and magnetic dipstick. Buy those when you order the generator and get free shipping on everything.

I keep the 3000-6000ft jets installed as most of my camping is below 6000. I know I have some power loss below 3000ft compared to the standard jet, but, for me it hasn't been an issue.

I haven't tried running the air conditioner with it. I suspect I'll need to add the EZ-Start if I want to do that. I had been using it to charge the batteries when there isn't enough solar and run the microwave.

I've up graded my trailer to 500ah LiFePO4 batteries and added and inverter so I won't need it for the microwave any longer. And hopefully, running it a lot less to charge the batteries.

I really should test it running the air conditioner, before I actually need it.

[MyronL]

Thanks, TT. Good Luck.
I bought the Honda for only one reason, to have it available to run the AC for a short enough time when boondocking where the heat is unbearable and we must have relief. Got 190 watts of solar on the roof but flat refuse to add a panel on the front and think flexible panels are a short-sighted bad idea. Got another 200 watts of portable solar and won't add a second lithium battery because don't see it as cost-effective when the Honda will always be there if we need electricity in the house.

Also hope I never need to use it. (Better to have and not need than to need and not have.) That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Stick with solar, a lot quieter and more dependable......

I think I disagree with the dependable part.

You have to depend on it not being too cloudy. You have to depend on your campsite having adequate sun. There have been several campsites (Fishcreek in Glacier and Sol Duc in Olympic of the top of my head) where my single 190 watt solar panel has produced less than 10ah for an entire week.

[BobG]

Jim,

I have solar but curious about the cost of operating a generator. I am wondering if solar isn't a less expensive alternative for situations where the generator would be operated "X" hours a year.

I went with enough solar to operate the air conditioner during the shoulder months in the desert because it is difficult for me to store and move a generator. I don't have a truck to carry the generator and fuel. When I was trying to make a generator work, I figured I would convert it to LPG and modify the under bed storage to store the generator.

Ultimately, I couldn't make the storage work so went with solar. Operating air conditioning was a given for me. Although I know solar isn't for everyone, I am happy I went with it. Now I am wondering if I didn't save money too. It depends on how much fuel is needed. Just curious.

I am guessing about 0.9 gal/day when using air conditioning. Is this about right?

Bob

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by MyronL

Thanks, TT. Good Luck.
I bought the Honda for only one reason, to have it available to run the AC for a short enough time when boondocking where the heat is unbearable and we must have relief. Got 190 watts of solar on the roof but flat refuse to add a panel on the front and think flexible panels are a short-sighted bad idea. Got another 200 watts of portable solar and won't add a second lithium battery because don't see it as cost-effective when the Honda will always be there if we need electricity in the house.

Also hope I never need to use it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I went back and read your post about emailing WEN. I thought your video showed the WEN running the air conditioner after installing the EZ-Start. Did that not last?

[MyronL]

Yes it did run the air conditioner with the easy start. But - my mistake must have been not running the WEN for the AC for a long enough time - was about ten minutes I think. That was several years ago in the back yard when I first got it. Had never had occasion to use it since. It was always meant to be last resort back-up. Then, recently decided to use the WEN to run the AC here in the back yard, as a test to be sure after the Covid lock-down ended that everything was functioning, and, wanted to see just how cold the trailer got.

That's when after 15 or so minutes WEN kept going into overload and shutting things down. It was a wake up call. The WEN company response to say the least, was not reassuring . I bit the bullet, bought the Honda. We may never need that AC. but.... you know the drill. (I should mention, we here are at 6700 feet elevation.)

[brroberts]

This whole generator thing has been the same questions for 40 years of RVing. I have only carried a generator on about a third of my trips, and only actually used it a literal handful of times. I’ve always run two 6V batteries, and only in the last year had solar.

However, when you finally need it, you need it. At 20 below and the furnace running hard you really need some way to keep the batteries up and the furnace fan blowing.

I did not bring one on this trip. 4 days in Cades Cove in November would be the only place I’d need it, and I don’t think they allow them thankfully. It’s the kind of place that does’t need the noise. If I needed, I’ll try to find some sun for the 200 watt solar panel.

I have 2 6V batteries, the ETI 190 watt panel, a Renology 200 watt portable, and an old Honda 2000 to choose from. This works for my varied needs, but we don’t all have the same needs. I do have a 12.5K Generac portable, but that is for work and as a home backup.

Ultimately, only you can decide what works for you. I’m happy with my choices. When I no longer am, I’ll do what we all do: search for different ways. Fortunately God has given humankind creativity.

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by MyronL

Yes it did run the air conditioner with the easy start. But - my mistake must have been not running the WEN for the AC for a long enough time - was about ten minutes I think. That was several years ago in the back yard when I first got it. Had never had occasion to use it since. It was always meant to be last resort back-up. Then, recently decided to use the WEN to run the AC here in the back yard, as a test to be sure after the Covid lock-down ended that everything was functioning, and, wanted to see just how cold the trailer got.

That's when after 15 or so minutes WEN kept going into overload and shutting things down. It was a wake up call. The WEN company response to say the least, was not reassuring . I bit the bullet, bought the Honda. We may never need that AC. but.... you know the drill. (I should mention, we here are at 6700 feet elevation.)

A couple of things to be sure of when running the air conditioner off the generator are:

• Make sure the electric hot water heater element is off if the trailer has one.
• Make sure the refrigerator is set to Gas, not Auto.
• Either make sure the batteries are fully charged or turn off the breaker to converter.

I know if I went to run the convection microwave oven (which draws almost 14 amps) right after plugging in the generator while the converter is still outputting 50 amps (12 volts DC), it was enough to overload the WEN2350 (1900 watts continuous). I have a converter on a dedicated breaker at the bottom of my breaker stack so it is easy to find and shut off while running the microwave. One of these days I'll do a test run even though I don't have an EZ-Start.

edit: So you are running the 6000+ft jet?