Portable generators - got one?

[tentmonster]

Mrs TM has booked us in to our first rally in a month's time and this means going 'off-grid'. Problem is, I don't have a S socket on my car for battery charging. Also her kids will want to charge their plethora of electronic devises; if they can't I don't think I could stand the winging and moaning and consequent poor behaviour. :S

So I thought about buying a little portable generator for charging stuff including the 'van battery.

Has anybody had any good / bad experiences or tips concerning them?

I've looked at a few - I like the Clarke 2 stroke one (600 - 750w) for £120 in Machine Mart and I have also seen a 4 stroke with a Briggs and Stratton engine for £160. I did see one in Cromwell Tools for £76 (on offer); will that be any good?

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

The one problem with generators is noise, noise noise. :evil: :evil:

 

[Martin24]

just for the weekend you should be okay with just the battery provided you ensure that any halogen lighting you use is changed over to LED.

We prefer the quiet option of solar power. If you are going to be using sites and rally fields regularly without ehu then a 55w free standing or 100w roof mounted has always been enough for us all year round.

Introduce the children to the scrabble board.

 

[tentmonster]

I've just seen a portable solar charger on Amazon for pretty much the same price - 5.5 amp 100w. Has good reviews from those who have bought it. I could rig up a 12v charging socket for phones and tablets. Much quieter.

Thanks

 

[tentmonster]

just for the weekend you should be okay with just the battery provided you ensure that any halogen lighting you use is changed over to LED.

We prefer the quiet option of solar power. If you are going to be using sites and rally fields regularly without ehu then a 55w free standing or 100w roof mounted has always been enough for us all year round.

Introduce the children to the scrabble board.

I wish they would play with the sorts of stuff I used to in the pre-digital age and amuse themselves!!! They're not my kids, that's the real problem!

 

[Martin24]

I would certainly go solar.

Alas 2 of ours aren't mine but they were told the van wasn't able to charge their devices for some years :cheer:

 

[Gabsgrandad]

If you do run a 'genny' you'll be the most unpopular family on the rally field. Very anti social bits of kit. Been there, done that, still got the 'genny' keep it in the garage now for emergency power in power cuts at home, should we get them. Ps. If you should buy one don't get cheap , because of 'technicalities' in voltage stabilisation etc, the cheapos tend to 'frazzle' modern electronic systems, be warned.

 

[saint-spoon]

I have an 80w free standing solar panel thing, and that is more then enough to keep us going throughout the summer when we are mainly off grid. we don't take a telly with us so it is only for the water pump, lights (which are all LED now) and fridge controls etc.

 

[tentmonster]

I have an 80w free standing solar panel thing, and that is more then enough to keep us going throughout the summer when we are mainly off grid. we don't take a telly with us so it is only for the water pump, lights (which are all LED now) and fridge controls etc.

I hadn't thought about running the fridge - will save on gas. If I get the 100w one that should be plenty then. Caravan is old and lights are not LED.

 

[KeefySher]

You could go the whole hog and get a lpg fuelled generator like the Honda suitcase ones with further silencer or acoustic cover, get a safe fill refillable gas bottle to reduce your gas costs and go all year off grid.

Sensible use of a generator shouldn't really cause any issues, you don't need to run it 24/7 You could even offer a battery charging capability for fellow ralliers if they need it.

We have a Honda generator from the MH days of wild camping. We even had it running on the 1st day of the tour de france grand depart in yorkshire as we were pitched on the side of the road at the peak of the butter tubs climb. Hundreds of people up there and no one even noticed the genny running If we ever do more off grid caravanning will convert to lpg from a safe fill bottle

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

I hadn't thought about running the fridge - will save on gas. If I get the 100w one that should be plenty then. Caravan is old and lights are not LED.

You CANNOT run a fridge from a solar panel, not enough power. When off grid you have to use gas for the fridge.

 

[saint-spoon]

I hadn't thought about running the fridge - will save on gas. If I get the 100w one that should be plenty then. Caravan is old and lights are not LED.

You CANNOT run a fridge from a solar panel, not enough power. When off grid you have to use gas for the fridge.

Perhaps I didn't explain myself very clearly, the fridge in our caravan requires electrickery to run the control circuits, it does not run off the battery, for that you will need to use some gas.

 

[mealsonwheels]

Generator? Please don't go there. We once had to move pitch when a caravan arrived next to us and started up a generator. There is no such thing as a quiet one.

 

[tentmonster]

I've seen this one - should be fine for charging and running lights / water pump.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ECO-WORTHY-Portable-Folding-Charge-Controller/dp/B00ICE0ES4/ref=s9_simh_gw_g86_i1_r?_encoding=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=F1XPE4QQ0033WFKE7SXC&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=16f14aeb-bd11-4e9e-8c26-9ca0139074ee&pf_rd_i=desktop&th=1

 

[Martin24]

More than up to the job but I would still advise swapping the lights for LED.

 

[tentmonster]

Light swapping sounds like something to fiddle with over summer. I have put an LED in the loo - it's like a searchlight in there!

 

[Gabsgrandad]

Quote from mealsonwheels - "Generator? Please don't go there. - There is no such thing as a quiet one" --- agreed 100%

 

[Parksy]

If you intend to go rallying fairly regularly a 100w solar panel is the way forward
The set up including the controller will probably cost less than a decent pure sine wave generator, and when installed solar power is free.
Children, when they become used to rallying and meet regular rally friends rarely spend so much time indoors stuck on computer screens, they are off playing with their weekend friends.
Most rallies do allow generators to be used with restrictions on the times, and the users are often segregated away from the main body of rally goers.

 

[saint-spoon]

We were at a New Forest site some years back (under canvass) and there was a group of two or three caravans that had cordoned themselves off from the site into a protective circle using windbreaks and so on. Twice a day over a bank holiday weekend they all started their generators a for the hour charging allowed by site rules. It would have been comical if it wasn’t sad to see. Every morning they would all hop into their discos and drive to the shower block, then they’d drive back, cook and eat breakfast, then cam the first hour or generator after which they would get into their discos and go out somewhere until lunch time when they would all return to cook and eat in their vans before starting the generators for the second session. Again they’d all go out in the discos for a couple of hours before returning to cook and eat tea in their vans with their telly on. It was the strict adherence to starting the gennies on time and the group drive to the shower block that most sticks in my mind. Imagine planning your whole holiday around when you can run your gennies?

 

[ProfJohnL]

Small generators do have role to play in some situations, but for normal caravanning (even off grid) there are alternative strategies you should consider.

Internal combustion (Petrol, diesel or LPG) small generators all produce some noise. In the context of a rally or sporting event their use is often tolerated at certain prescribed times, But in the context of normal touring site they can be a source of considerable annoyance. Some sites ban them completely.

There are some totally silent generators that use fuel cell technology, but these are generally found to be rather exotic with equally exotic prices.

Fridges, space and water heaters usually can use gas and/or mains electricity as their major power source. Using Mains when it's available is fine, but when there is no EHU Gas is usually the most cost effective and convenient alternative.

Small generators are notoriously inefficient and they tend to use one of the most expensive fuels, service station motive power fuels which of course you pay fuel duty when you buy it on a forecourt. You will be lucky to get anywhere near a fuel efficiency of 10% for any IC engined generator.

By comparison all your gas burning appliances will have a minimum fuel efficiency of at least 70%. So using gas rather than a generator will always be more efficient and quieter. And these are systems you will already have!

As for 12V usage, it's a case of being more frugal. Changing light bulbs to LED will make a big difference. Turn things off when they're not being used. Try limiting recharging tech items to the car when your out and about. Solar panels have been shown to be surprisingly effective even in the UK.

Well managed many caravanners can easily survive a weekend away off grid with no problems. Some can make it to a week and beyond.

It's good practice for youngsters to understand that power is not unlimited, and when they do have it it should be used wisely.

If you cannot or are not allowed to re-educate the youngsters, then you have to consider compromising yourself - for example only using sites with EHU's or funding their holidays in alternative power rich accommodations.

 

[camel]

I think some folk have been watching to many Alaskan based of grid TV programmes, I would like to know what part of the UK one can go off grid,

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

I think some folk have been watching to many Alaskan based of grid TV programmes, I would like to know what part of the UK one can go off grid,

Any CL or CS that doesn't have EHU.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I think some folk have been watching to many Alaskan based of grid TV programmes, I would like to know what part of the UK one can go off grid,

In the context of this thread - anywhere where mains 230Vac is not available

 

[Martin24]

I think some folk have been watching to many Alaskan based of grid TV programmes, I would like to know what part of the UK one can go off grid,

from my experience nearly all rally fields along with many cl's and cs's

 

[saint-spoon]

I think some folk have been watching to many Alaskan based of grid TV programmes, I would like to know what part of the UK one can go off grid,

Most of our summer haunts do not have EHU. I thinkl we have one or two weekends away with EHU and then it will be Gas, battery and solar power until September/October time (with the exception perhaps of our summer Holiday).