RV.Net Open Roads Forum: How do you run your genny during quiet hours?

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Topic: How do you run your genny during quiet hours?

Posted By: remoandiris on 06/07/12 10:11am

Do boondock CGs have quiet hours? If so, how do you run your generator during the night? Is it's noise level acceptabe during quiet hours? Or do you just not have your a/c running at night?

2011 GMC 3500 Dually
New to me 2006 Jayco Designer 38RDQS
2 Boxers and a Maine Coon

Posted By: Pangaea Ron on 06/07/12 10:17am

Quiet hours usually means no generators. I've seen exceptions for special needs like running critical medical equipment.

2008 Itasca SunCruiser 35L
2014 Honda AWD CR-V EX-L

Posted By: powderman426 on 06/07/12 10:18am

Im not sure just how you boondock at a CG. Do you mean primitive camp at a CG? If so the answer is that you don't run jenny at quiet time.

Ron & Charlotte
WD8CBT since 1976
32' Gulfstream Ameri-Camp & 05 Ram QC LB

I started with nothing and I still have most of it left

I never fail, I just succeed in finding out what doesn't work

Posted By: ScottG on 06/07/12 10:21am

You don't run the gen during quiet hours.

Posted By: Oasisbob on 06/07/12 10:22am

Shut it down. It's just rude.

Oasis Bob
Wonderful wife 3 of 4 kids at home. 1 proudly serving in USAF
2018 Ford Explorer
2001 Bantam Trail Lite B-19

HAPPY TRAILS">

Posted By: ArcticDodge on 06/07/12 10:27am

If you are dry camping in a campground with quiet hours and set times for generator usage, you FOLLOW the rules and leave your generator off during quiet hours.

2009 Komfort 256TS
2001 Dodge Ram 3500 QC 4x4 Cummins DRW
2005 Dodge Durango Limited AWD HEMI
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1995 Miata M-Edition
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Posted By: hallock5 on 06/07/12 10:45am

If in a remote CG, with a few neighbors intermingled, you could approach them and just let them know your intent and if it is bothersome to let you know and you will shut it down. Reasonableness goes a long way.

2008 Jayco Eagle Superlite 28.5RLS
2002 Ford 4x4 SuperCab 7.3 (Jr International) Diesel

Sad to say, time to sell to a good home.

Posted By: GrammyB on 06/07/12 11:23am

bpounds wrote:

Quiet hours mean no generators, music, parties, barking dogs. Personally I don't camp where AC is required at night. Would rather stay home than visit such hot areas in the summer.

Posted By: weathershak on 06/07/12 10:31am

If you have no neighbors, then you probably could, unless there are rules that state otherise. If you have neighbors, plan on sleeping without the AC on.

Full timing it since July 2012

Posted By: christopherglenn on 06/07/12 10:31am

Big battery bank and an inverter. As far as ac, you are going to be in the 2000-3000 amp hour bank to run it overnight.

2007 Chevrolet 3500 CC/LB Duramax/Dually 4X4 Mine r4tech, Reese Signature Series 18k +slider, duratrac, Titan 62 gallon, diamond eye, Cheetah 64
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Posted By: bpounds on 06/07/12 10:44am

Quiet hours mean no generators, music, parties, barking dogs. Personally I don't camp where AC is required at night. Would rather stay home than visit such hot areas in the summer.

2006 F250 Diesel
2011 Keystone Cougar 278RKSWE Fiver

Posted By: nina_70 on 06/07/12 11:31am

As the others said quiet hours means just that...no gennies. If you need light or electricity use during quiet hours, your batteries should supply you just fine as long as you don't try to run something that needs a huge draw (e.g. AC). Lights, a bit of TV..all that stuff should be fine. The AC is too much so you'll just have to do without. You can run the genny and recharge in the AM once quiet hours are over.

12 paws, 40-feet and the open road
http://wheelingit.us

Posted By: Pangaea Ron on 06/07/12 12:01pm

hallock5 wrote:

That's a good approach. I hate using the generator for lots of reasons, but need to run it for ~2 hours/day to recharge my dedicated CPAP battery. While dry camping at The Goosenecks for a few days this year, I talked with my neighbors and asked them when would be the best time to run the generator (non-quiet hours). They were very appreciative.

I hate it that my Suncruiser only has (2) Group 24 batteries, and limited solar. I plan to remedy those two issues soon.

Posted By: time2roll on 06/07/12 12:03pm

I use the OFF position during quiet hours.

2001 F150 SuperCrew
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
675w Solar pictures back up

Posted By: Mootpoint on 06/07/12 10:44pm

dannytas wrote:

Pretty simple with me...if there are rules posted, follow the rules!! If not, use your own judgement.

x2 Pretty simple. [emoticon]

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

Posted By: sirdrakejr on 06/07/12 01:22pm

Moved from 5th wheels to Public lands, Bookdocking & dry camping.
Frank

2011 Palomino Maverick 1000SLLB on a 2004 Dodge Quadcab CTD Ram3500 SRW long bed equipped with Timbren springs, Stable Load bump stops, Rickson 19.5" wheels/"G" range tires and a Helwig "Big Wig" rear anti sway bar.

Posted By: laknox on 06/07/12 01:33pm

remoandiris wrote:

Do boondock CGs have quiet hours? If so, how do you run your generator during the night? Is it's noise level acceptabe during quiet hours? Or do you just not have your a/c running at night?

"Boondock" usually refers to a unimproved camping area like public lands where camping is allowed, i.e. National Forest, BLM, etc. If that's where you're camping, then it's up to you to check with your neighbors if it's OK to run at night. "Dry camping" also can refer to "boondocking", but is more commonly used when talking about a designated camping area or camp ground without power, water and/or sewer. You might be in a dry camping area that's nothing more than a big lot, with no designated camp sites, but with rules posted and enforced or you might be in an improved camp ground with designated sites. My late BIL, who started our annual family camp out, was adamant about "no generators", though if someone brought one, he would have just given them hell for 2 or 3 days. :-) We did give him a =very= rough time when he got up at 3 AM to start his truck when his CPAP machine drained his coach battery. :-)

Lyle

2002 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Duramax Crew Cab 4x4 6.5' Bed
Banks Bullet Tuner and Monster Exhaust
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2017 KZ Durango 1500 D277RLT
1936 John Deere Model A
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Posted By: dupreet on 06/07/12 02:48pm

We often camp area state and national campgrounds with no power at the sites. As mentioned quiet time is quiet time. We baked like chickens last July 4th in our popup camper at one of these campgrounds. We moved up to a TT and I have a not-so-quiet Champion generator that I hope to only run for a few hours in the afternoon if the temps get as high as they did last year. I certainly DO NOT plan on cranking it up at 7am when 'noisy time' starts and run it until the 10pm curfew...been there and camped next to folks like this.

Now, if you have a medical condition that requires power (but not air conditioning), a Honda or Yamaha 1000 quiet generator would probably be tolerated by neighbors and a camp host. These units ramp down when power draw is reduced to a CPAP or other equipment to a noise level that is barely noticable a few feet away.

Happy Camping!

Todd

Todd

1993 Ford E-350 pushed by a 1988 Wilderness 24' TT

Posted By: trickyvic3 on 06/07/12 02:53pm

We have a special needs son who is on a ventilator for breathing. Even with this I make sure my batteries are all charged up, and can usually get through the night without running the genset. It does draw the batteries down pretty quickly.

People have always been very understanding with us however, and always tell us that if we need to run the genny, they understand and have no problem with it.
We do have the auto feature on ours, but rarely use it depending on where we are.

We very rarely dry camp because of our situation, but sometimes we have to. We always try to be respectful to other campers.

Vic

Posted By: Terryallan on 06/07/12 03:17pm

remoandiris wrote:

Do boondock CGs have quiet hours? If so, how do you run your generator during the night? Is it's noise level acceptabe during quiet hours? Or do you just not have your a/c running at night?

CGs dom have quiet hours, and that means no generators of any kind. IF you believe you have to run the AC at night. A CG with electric hookups may be more of what you need.

Terry & Shay
Coachman Apex 288BH.
2013 F150 XLT Off Road
5.0, 3.73
Lazy Campers

Posted By: Twomed on 06/07/12 03:40pm

First mod on every rig we have owned has been a ceiling fan. Very few times do we have to run the a/c at night. Exception is combat parking at football games or NASCAR where everyone has one running. [emoticon]

Happy Trails ">
06 Monaco Dynasty
07 Hummer H3
FMCA 279843

Posted By: greenrvgreen on 06/07/12 04:23pm

Although I doubt this was the OP's question, out in the actual boondocks there are no quiet hours, only your own good judgment and consideration for others that may show up, although if I collect neighbors I tend to move.

In a campground with quiet hours, I would hope no one would impose on me by asking if I "minded". If it's not an emergency, pay for a campground with hookups. If it's an emergency, call 911.

Posted By: pkunk on 06/07/12 08:07pm

I removed one of my ACs because I never use them at night. I replaced the bedroom AC with another Fantastic vent to provide quiet 12v ventilation. [emoticon]

Works for me....and my neighbors, if there are any.

1999 Coachman Mirada 34 ft.V10-F53 chassis
12ft.LR slide-2 gp31 AGM 12V @220AH

Posted By: jauguston on 06/07/12 08:19pm

If your battery bank will not get you through the night due to a special needs child BUY MORE BATTERIES.

Jim

2005 Coachman Sportscoach Elite 402 40'
350hp Cat C-7 w/MP-8
7500w Onan quiet diesel generator
6-Kyocera 130w solar panels SB3024i MPPT controller
Pressure Pro TPMS
1987 Suzuki Samurai tintop Toad w/VW 1.6 turbo diesel power

Posted By: dannytas on 06/07/12 09:07pm

Pretty simple with me...if there are rules posted, follow the rules!! If not, use your own judgement.

2014 Keystone Springdale 202QBWE
1998 Dodge 1500 Club Cab, 4x4, 5.9 magnum
DW-Lynn
BigDog-Kelley
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Posted By: pnichols on 06/07/12 11:43pm

Personnally, we don't like to camp where folks might be irritated by our built-in Onan generator - so that we can run it whenever we please.

We had to run it almost all night in order to sleep once in high humidity and heat in the Deep South in August when in a drycamp spot where it didn't matter.

I've checked our well installed Onan's noise many times by walking around our RV while it's running. About 60-80 feet away it can hardly be heard - especially when camping on soft surfaces such as grass, leaves, dirt, etc.. We also carry a little ultra quiet four-stroke Honda EX650 generator which can hardly be heard 30 feet away, and even then it's sound is a very low frequency humming free of any mechanical frequencies - which is not irritating at all. Of course the Honda can't power an air conditioner but can easily power some medical devices plus very large fans. For real stealth battery charging "anytime", I sometimes idle the main V10 motorhome engine, which is quieter than any Honda generator.

Not only the raw loudness level - but also the "pitch" - of a generator's noise makes a difference to me. Some camping generators I've heard I could care less if my neighbor ran them all night (i.e. our little EX650 would be one) for whatever reason(s) they might have. The quietest RV generators I've ever "not heard" are the very low RPM chugging diesel types buried deep underneath certain Class A motorhomes. My camping neighbors could feel free to run these type all night as far as I'm concerned.

IMHO, it's a bit immature being too generator-phobic in campgrounds - after all, one may find themselves in the emergency position of needing their's running within quiet hours someday too - regardless of the rules. Try drycamping at night in the Deep South, as we did to see what I'm referring to.

We've found that by "never camping in high heat" we miss a lot of opportunities to do what we like to do. [emoticon]

Phil, 2005 E450 Itasca Spirit 24V

Posted By: W4RLR on 06/08/12 02:27am

I added two deep cycle batteries and an inverter for running the CPAP and satellite TV. When there are no quiet hours or I am Wallydocking amongst big rigs, I run the generator. I added another Fantastic Vent to the bedroom, replacing the standard vent that came from the factory. If I am prudent, I can get two days worth of power off the deep cycle bank, which is separate from the factory deep cycle that runs the 12 volt for the refrigerator, water pump, and interior lighting. Running the generator recharges everything.

Richard L. Ray
SSgt USAF (Retired) Life Member DAV
W4RLR 146.52 mhz
2008 Ford F-250 Lariat Crew Cab
1995 Jayco Eagle 277RBSS fifth-wheel

"Never ask a man what kind of computer he drives. If it's a Mac, he'll tell you. If not, why embarrass him?" Tom Clancy

Posted By: JiminDenver on 06/08/12 08:12am

OP try real boondocking without the noisy, smelly, cramped campground where there is no one to make noise or hear you if you make some.

Also I have seen threads where people have taken quiet generators like the Honda inverters and enclosed them in boxes or the truck bed with a cap that they claim can barely be heard.

Otherwise you are stuck with the batteries and even a small AC unit would require quite the battery bank and need lots of recharging the next day.

2011 GulfStream Amerilite 25BH
2003 Ford Expedition with 435w tilting portable/ TS-MPPT-45
750w solar , TS-MPPT-60 on the trailer
675 Ah bank, Trip-lite 1250fc inverter
Sportsman 2200w inverter generator

Posted By: trickyvic3 on 06/08/12 08:21am

jauguston wrote:

If your battery bank will not get you through the night due to a special needs child BUY MORE BATTERIES.

Jim

Not sure if this statement was directed at us? But we have 6 deep cycles already. But even at that we have a pretty high power draw because of all the equipment that has to run 24-7 ie- ventilator, low air loss mattress, suction machine, electric hospital bed, power lift ect.

This is the reason we only dry camp when we're traveling and have no choice.
Times have changed for the better, and not all handicapped people are hidden away in nursing homes anymore. My son deserves a chance to enjoy some sort life too, and we do our best to try and do that.

As I mentioned before, we are ALWAYS respectful to other campers around us, and in 10yrs of camping with our son, have never had any issues.

I assume you don't have a special needs family member to make a statement like that?

Posted By: laknox on 06/08/12 12:30pm

trickyvic3 wrote:

jauguston wrote:

If your battery bank will not get you through the night due to a special needs child BUY MORE BATTERIES.

Jim

BRAVO!

Lyle

Posted By: doc brown on 06/08/12 01:04pm

Simple - I don't. Quiet means quiet.

Steve,Kathy and Josh
Morpheus(Basenji)at Rainbow Bridge
2004 40' TSDP Country Coach Inspire DaVinci
350 Cummins, 3000 Allison
2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport S, Air Force One Braking, Blue Ox

Posted By: jauguston on 06/08/12 01:46pm

My comment was in no way intended to sound hard hearted but simply logical. If you say you have 6 batteries already and they will not get you through the night then it would sound to me like they are not enough for your needs.

Jim

Posted By: mrw8i on 06/08/12 10:01pm

doc brown wrote:

Simple - I don't. Quiet means quiet.

Posted By: Eurocamper on 06/09/12 06:31am

No generators during quiet hours while in a campground. I guess you'll have to turn off turn your a/c off.

If you are truly boondocking in a remote location ... well, that's another story.

2008 Fleetwood Evolution E1
2011 Dodge Ram 2500 Crew Cab 4x4 Hemi
2007 Nissan Xterra 4x4
Ex 1997 Volkswagen Eurovan Camper

Posted By: Teacher's Pet on 06/09/12 06:53am

Another thing to consider with a generator in a dry hook-up situation such as a rally, is fumes. Nothing can be worse than fumes in your RV from someone else or yourself, when running a generator for any reason. This has led to deaths at several sporting events. We use a Gen-Turi (after market exhaust stack), on our Onan Quiet Diesel exhaust, when at such a location. Very thoughful of us to do this since usually we get parked next to someone with a generator and Hydro-Hot or Aqua-Hot water heating system, without stacks, both spewing fumes under our RV.

'06 Phaeton 40' QSH
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Posted By: zman-az on 06/11/12 08:58pm

I strongly suggest anyone that camps were there are quiet hours invest in 3-4 batteries. Also by a portable fantastic fan that runs on 12V. It's not AC but with the ceiling fan on, windows open and the portable fan running in our bedroom you can't get much better. I am looking at making a 12V swamp cooler as I have a portable 120V one that I may replace with 12V stuff.

Posted By: Eurocamper on 06/22/12 08:00am

The rules against generators are unbending because if they weren't they would never be obeyed. There is ALWAYS someone who thinks their circumstances makes them the exception.

Posted By: jauguston on 06/22/12 08:18am

Posted By: tyler_bustos on 06/12/12 08:18pm

We mostly dry camp and boondock and turn ours off at night.

* This post was edited 06/12/12 08:26pm by tyler_bustos *

Posted By: jake2250 on 06/12/12 08:24pm

500 foot rule when "Boon Dockin" If no one is with in 500 feet of you, your good to go!! Hell you can weld after quiet hours for all I care,, as long as you are 500 + or more from me!!

Posted By: dieseltruckdriver on 06/12/12 08:57pm

If I am in a campground with quiet hours, I will honor them. If I am boondocking (which is NOT in or even remotely close to a town) then I will run my Honda 2000 when I want to. The two do not interchange.

2000 F-250 7.3 Powerstroke
2018 Arctic Fox 27-5L

Posted By: rustycopperballs on 06/13/12 11:34am

Quote:

how do you run your generator during the night?

you don't if you need your A/C, you need to go to a CG w/ hook ups IMHO

Posted By: regis101 on 06/13/12 08:49pm

Good lord. I have finally found some peoples who understand quiet time. My faith in humanity has been restored. Thank you.

Peace,

Peace. ~RL

Posted By: MrWizard on 06/17/12 09:58am

yep
if your the avg person with avg needs
you DON'T. run the during quiet hours, not for a/c
you live with fans like everybody else or you go to a campground with hook ups

now I do know one enterprising smart fellow who has a Volvo HTD , filled the storage area with batteries and put a window a/c guts inside a roof top case over the 5th wheels bedroom
he can and occasionally runs this a/c for a few hrs to cool the bedroom after quiet hrs, using an inverter powered by these batteries, it o lay draws about 800w running 7amps at 120v , 70amps at 12v, but he has a 1000 amphr battery bank to power it, he could run 6 hrs and still be at 50 percent SOC, but would still have a long recharge period, so to conserve recharge time the next day , he only runs it for a couple of hrs before bed then runs fans

No Generator power at night

12v evaporative. coolers are still made and sold, they cost almost as much as a new a/c unit

I installed one in my first MH 20 yrs ago, I was looking at them online last year

http://www.turbokool.com/

Radiate The Happy
....

Connected using Verizon and AT&T
1997 F53 Bounder 36s

Posted By: dave54 on 06/17/12 09:30pm

remoandiris wrote:

Do boondock CGs have quiet hours?..

The term boondock CG is an oxymoron. If it is a campground it is not boondocking. Boondocking by definition means no campgrounds, site designations, tables, fire rings, outhouse, or bulletin board covered in rules. It should also mean no neighbors to complain.

=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=
So many campsites, so little time...
~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~

Posted By: bukhrn on 06/19/12 05:45pm

dave54 wrote:

remoandiris wrote:

Do boondock CGs have quiet hours?..

X-2, You may dry camp in a CG without hookups, but you don't boondock, thats done in the Boonies. [emoticon]

2007 Forester 2941DS
2014 Ford Focus
Zamboni, Long Haired Mini Dachshund
You can have my RV, when you pry my cold dead fingers from the Steering Wheel

Posted By: pnichols on 06/20/12 09:33am

Quote:

I have finally found some peoples who understand quiet time.

I fully understand it ... that's why our stick house is somewhat in the boondocks.

However, I also appreciate the excellent engineering that goes into a quality built quiet generator and am not myopic about those who have the discernment to own and run them any time they want to protect health or improve comfort out in the middle of nowhere.

(I also don't appreciate during quiet or any other hours, but am not myopic about, the racket from diesel powered RV tow vehicles or the V8 powered RV tow vehicles with growlingly loud mufflers.)

I can hardly wait for propane fuel cells for RV use to finally arrive so we can all be happy. [emoticon]

Posted By: greenrvgreen on 06/20/12 01:03pm

Rationalize it however you will, but there is no federal or state campground in America that draws a distinction between inverter and synchronous generators, as regards quiet hours.

Regarding "discernment": Ironicaly, that was a Madison Avenue buzzword from decades ago, used to coerce vulnerable lunatics into buying expensive Scotch so they could gain entry into a world of priviledge.

Posted By: pnichols on 06/20/12 03:00pm

Quote:

...a distinction between inverter and synchronous generators...

That makes my point about (not) appreciating excellent engineering enough versus sticking to dogma so as to occasionally cut some leeway in certain situations. i.e. I have a superbly designed synchronous generator that - unless one is myopically radical for emotional reasons about "noise" - makes none to speak of.

Quote:

Regarding "discernment": Ironicaly, that was a Madison Avenue buzzword from decades ago, used to coerce vulnerable lunatics into buying expensive Scotch so they could gain entry into a world of priviledge.

Taking a look at the dictionary definition of it one can see that we could all use more of it. I doubt that anyone under 60 even knows what it means anymore, let alone display a bit of it once in awhile.

Posted By: regis101 on 06/20/12 07:57pm

Last weekend was spent at Pincrest CG in the Sierra's. Took the kids to the movie at the ampitheater on Saturday night. We got back to the trailer at 10:30 pm and lo and behold, the hum of a generator coming from B Loop. sigh

Posted By: mena661 on 06/21/12 04:36pm

pnichols wrote:

I know you strongly disagree but I'm soooooo happy that the one's making these quiet hours rules don't know anything about newer generators. Despite what you believe to be true, your so-called "quiet" generator makes noise. And in a quiet campground at night, it sounds even louder. I don't want to hear YOUR generator period! I want to hear birds, wind, waves crashing, etc. Not your generator. Granted, going to a CG entails compromises and I accept generator noise during the day but, Jesus, do I have to listen to that******all night too? Any CG that allows that******will NOT have my business.

2009 Newmar Canyon Star 3205, Ford F53 V10
Trojan L16 6V's 740 Amp-hours

Posted By: christopherglenn on 06/21/12 08:21pm

Keep in mind, AC's and heatpumps make as much noise - or more then inverter generators.

Posted By: MrWizard on 06/21/12 09:09pm

yes..
but the point is, 999.9 people won't be running an A/C or heat pump in a "no hookup" campground, when they can't run the genny

the a/c is 'white noise' that masks the sound of the generator when running
no generator, No a/C white noise maker

i have generators and i use them, "at the appropriate time" and NOT at night after quiet hours, not in campgrounds

Posted By: pnichols on 06/21/12 09:53pm

Quote:

I want to hear birds, wind, waves crashing, etc.

Me too.

Try going w/o generators during the night in Texas in August on the Gulf of Mexico coast ... or anyplace drycamping the South in August. You might jolly well wish there were no "quiet hours" for A/C generators, then. We know because of a 10 week summer trip in the South that for various reasons we had no choice but to go on when we did. Thank goodness we had a great well-insulated RV with a generator and A/C system that we could count on to use even through the night while sleeping. We could have cared less about birds, wind, waves, etc. during most of that trip whenever we were in that 90/90 weather.

I realize you have a very generous RV coach battery bank, but not large enough for the situation I describe above.

I'm not against "no generators during quiet hours". I'm just against having a closed mind and unbending rules regarding the issue ... especially in hot seasons or hot locations.

Posted By: christopherglenn on 06/22/12 11:53am

MrWizard wrote:

My point was more of a dead quiet is rare, and even with hookups there are still noise sources other then generators that arn't birds, wind or waves. I find when I want to hear nature, I hike an hour or two and pitch a tent. As long as you can drive there, Someone brings Somthing that makes noise - even it is ends up being traffic on the road.

Posted By: MrWizard on 06/22/12 02:44pm

Duely Noted

Posted By: colliehauler on 06/22/12 05:45pm

I for one would not go to a campground to boondock. If you feel the need to camp next to me in the middle of nowhere you might just here my generator.

Posted By: bpounds on 06/22/12 06:55pm

MrWizard wrote:

Duely Noted

Thanks for stepping up. It isn't safe to tow with anything less. [emoticon]

Posted By: pnichols on 06/23/12 12:20pm

Quote:

It isn't safe to tow with anything less.

Not necessarily. [emoticon]

We leave in a few hours towing our boat behind our 11,800 lb. Ford E450 Class C motorhome to a lake way up high in the Sierras.

The V10 gasser will handle it just fine ... it's the 10+ year old yellow top Optima boat trolling battery that may not make it through the week!

Posted By: Shavano on 06/26/12 05:23pm

All right, back to the conversation on generators... or this one goes to the "Towing" forum... [emoticon]

'15 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD
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Posted By: christopherglenn on 06/26/12 10:53pm

If you MUST run a generator during quiet hours, google "propane fuel cell"..

Posted By: livingaboard on 06/27/12 12:31am

for whatever reason, engines running or generators running don't bother me. It's those damn dogs and loud music that pisses me off. A generator is like a white noise to me and actually helps me sleep

Dave
Everett, WA
2000 Itasca Suncruiser 35U, F53 Triton V-10
Firestone air bags with Quad control air gauge
Pressure Pro tire pressure monitor
Banks Exhaust
SuperSteer rear trac bar
Olympian Wave heaters (Wall mount and portable)

Posted By: EMD360 on 06/29/12 08:06am

Has it been made clear that there are no generator rules in dispersed camping? At least not that I have read. But it is quite annoying to be near folks who play loud music or shout to one another even during the day. These noises can carry 1/4 mile! Engine noises, however, rarely carry that far.
It would be possible to run a generator all night in the places we camp, however, we would not. We would sleep warm instead. I do have a 12 volt O2Cool fan that holds ice and acts as a mini evaporative cooler. We mostly camp up in the mountains or on the rim during the summer. I can't imagine trying to camp in 90/90 with it, evap coolers don't work in high humidity either.

We're hooked!
2003 Itasca Spirit 22e

Posted By: pnichols on 06/29/12 11:10pm

Quote:

If you MUST run a generator during quiet hours, google "propane fuel cell"..

I did.

Here's a link to a typical propane fuel cell for RV use. This hasn't got much to do with providing enough direct real-time power during quiet hours so as to be able to run air conditioning, but for other uses during quiet hours and no-sunlight hours ... such as RV battery charging and small appliance powering ... a propane fuel cell in your RV could be an outstanding way to create electrical energy from a source you normally have in an RV anyway:

http://www.ultra-ami.com/portable-power-........el-cell-products/roamio-explorer-series/

Posted By: JiminDenver on 06/30/12 06:43am

EMD360 wrote:

There are no restrictions on quiet times where we boondock and I have heard other generators while we were out there. One we could hear at 11 pm and they were quite a bit farther than a quarter mile from us.

I did DB test on our Champion 3500/4000 this last time. I'm not sure about just how accurate the smart phone app was but it gave me a general idea.
2 ft ..mid 80s
23 ft high 60s
50 ft low 50s
100 ft low 40s
at this point a singing bird was 48 dp. the wind and a plane way over head were both louder but you could easily hear the hum of the genny.
After that it dropped into the 30s but stayed there even if I doubled the distance. I was on foot and never got far enough away to not hear it at all.
I will say listening to it at 50 db was not that quiet.

Posted By: pnichols on 06/30/12 09:53am

Quote:

I will say listening to it at 50 db was not that quiet.

That may be due to the particular frequencies in the sound spectrum that your Champion is putting out.

We just returned from camping with our friends (both of us in small Class C motorhomes) in which our rigs were about 100-125 feet apart in a pine tree forested campground. We both carry along the same model of a small portable generator for battery charging and powering of small appliances.

Both of our portable generators put out around 54dB at full power. Their sound is a low frequency muffled putt-putt type of sound with very, very little mechanically derived clicking or clanking sounds of any type ... pretty much only the muffled 3600 RPM putt-putting sound. These generators could "almost not" be heard by each of us between our rigs when we were outside our rigs. Way less volume than the chirping of birds. You even have to listen hard to hear them when inside the motorhome when they are running just outside the motorhome. They are entirely enclosed (except for their exhaust opening) inside an insulated all-steel case.

IMHO, the sound spectrum frequency content may be just as important as overall sound spectrum volume in a generator's perceived loudness.

Posted By: christopherglenn on 06/30/12 11:15am

pnichols wrote:

Quote:

If you MUST run a generator during quiet hours, google "propane fuel cell"..

I did.

Here's a link to a typical propane fuel cell for RV use. This hasn't got much to do with providing enough direct real-time power during quiet hours so as to be able to run air conditioning, but for other uses during quiet hours and no-sunlight hours ... such as RV battery charging and small appliance powering ... a propane fuel cell in your RV could be an outstanding way to create electrical energy from a source you normally have in an RV anyway:

That is a 250 watt cell, coupled with a decent battery pack, and an inverter you could run everything but the AC. 3 or 4 said units would run the ac if it was cycling (like it does overnight). I have seen 1kw units (on the internet).
http://www.ultra-ami.com/portable-power-........el-cell-products/roamio-explorer-series/

Posted By: 2oldman on 06/30/12 11:18am

pnichols wrote:

That may be due to the particular frequencies in the sound spectrum that your Champion is putting out.

The cheaper gennys do a pretty good job of engine muffling, but it's that bolts-in-a-can sound of the generator section which is annoying and carries quite far.

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