power source for boondocking

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R.J.

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Dec 16, 2017
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Going on a X country trip late this summer/fall. Wife and I will be staying at private sites as well as national parks. New to boondocking, but we want to enjoy the NPs and save some $$$. Looking at different generator options. A couple of questions...
I know most folks lean towards Honda and Yamaha, but they're big $$$. I've been looking at Firman. Getting good reviews and much more budget friendly. 4000 watt generators seem like the would provide plenty of power, but is a bit heavy and loud. the 3200 watt inverter is lighter and quieter, but twice as expensive. 
Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

2013 Summerland 2570
2012 Chevy 2500 6.0
 
You, and all those anywhere near you, will not be happy if you get a loud generator.
 
You can get two 1600 watt Yamahas at Costco for 499.00 apiece, they come with the parallel connector.
 
You are going to have some really unhappy neighbors if you park within 1/4 mile (400+ yards) and crank up that noisy generator!
 
Sounds like most folks are not fans of generators. How about the 3000 watt inverter?  good compromise? Checked on the twin Yamahas. Can't touch them or Hondas for less than $999.00 each plus parallel hook up. Costcos are not real Yamaha inverters.
 
R.J. said:
Sounds like most folks are not fans of generators.
Click to expand...

Just not fans of loud generators. Sound can carry a long distance, especially with a slight breeze or if convective heating is moving the air. Any generator can be a nuisance so it's nice to be a good neighbor with regard to what you purchase (and it's more pleasant for you as well).

I would check the sound rating to get a sense of how loud each generator is that you're considering and go from there, keeping in mind that the decibel scale is logarithmic not linear, so a rating of about 60db (to pick a number) is WAY louder than one earning a 55db mark
 
Not all generators, but the open-frame, contractor types are loud. Also, inverter type gensets are variable speed, whereas the others run at fixed speed regardless of load. 3600 rpm idle speed.A variable speed inverter genset is not noisy at all when the load is light.

I have no first hand knowledge of the Firman models you mentioned, but they have inverter models too.  And there are many brands less expensive than the nice Honda & Yamaha models and most get good reports these days.

Using an inverter instead of a genset is great, but you have to have adequate batteries (inverting tales a lot of 12v amps). 3000W draws about 275 amps from 12v batteries, so you need a bunch.  It's rarely practical to run an a//c from an inverter, for example.
 
Be aware that national parks have a limit on how loud your generator may be. "Generators must conform to National Park Service regulations pertaining to audio disturbances, which states that 'motorized equipment or machinery cannot exceed a noise level of 60 decibels measured on the A weighted scale at 50 feet' (36 CFR 2.12)." Many of the open frame generators will not comply.

There are other sources of inverter generators that are very similar to the Hondas and Yamahas, but are significantly less expensive. Whether they are as reliable is a subject of debate. Champion is one common brand. and Harbor Freight is another.

Joel

 
R.J. said:
Sounds like most folks are not fans of generators. How about the 3000 watt inverter?  good compromise? Checked on the twin Yamahas. Can't touch them or Hondas for less than $999.00 each plus parallel hook up. Costcos are not real Yamaha inverters.
Click to expand...
I think you are referring to the 3000 watt inverter generator, not a 3000 watt inverter attached to your batteries.

Yes a 3000 watt inverter generator would be a very good option. 

There is also a Westinghouse 4500 Watt inverter generator for about $1100:  https://www.westinghouseportablepower.com/shop/all-products/igen4500/  Westinghouse has a 2500watt which "may" run a 13,500BTU air conditioner as long as all other AC devices are not used.
 
Thanks to everyone for the info. It will be a big help to me and my future camping neighbors. Probably go with the Firman.

Firman 2900W Running / 3200W Peak Gas Inverter Generator






















r
 
Be aware that when running at full load, an inverter generator isn't notably more quiet than any other. Its advantage is that it can run at lower rpms when loads are moderate.
 
Just a thought...

I'm also on the 'overly noise sensitive' list (sorry) so I really appreciate those folks that put a "box" around their outside generator (yes, even the seemingly "quiet" inverter generators).  I've seen these boxes made from a variety of materials (plywood to foam panels) and the idea appears to be directing the noise up (instead of to the sides) while not restricting cooling air flow.
 
There is no such thing as a quiet generator. There are only noisy and less noisy.

If you are in the infield of a NASCAR event or a rock concert, it is not an issue. If you are in a secluded camp spot by yourself it is not an issue, if you are in a camping location where generators are tolerated at certain times of the day, it is not an issue.

If however you are seeking peace and quiet and solitude; and therefore chose to set up in "primitive" area, a generator can be a real annoyance.

It is not necessarily how much noise, it is where and when.       
 
Clearly a lot of people have been annoyed by the noise of generators. I can't speak for anyone else, by I always take great care to be respectful of other campers. Thanks to everyone for your input.
 
R.J.  we have Firman generators/inverters.  We have two 2000W that can be used together to power the A/C.  We've had them for two years and no problems.  They are slightly (ever so slightly) louder than the Honda/Yamaha ones.  You can research the db ratings.  We use them to top off the batteries after a night of CPAP usage.  We always wait until we hear the hum of someone else's generator before starting ours or we wait until the neighbors are out of camp.  We also have a 100W Renogy portable solar panel that does the trick for us if the sun is favorable.  But that will only charge batteries while the generators allow us to use a little 110V power also.
 
We have a Briggs and Stratton inverter - P3000 that has worked for us. We have put about 50 hrs on it. Paid about $1000 on an Amazon warehouse deal. I like it.

I had to re-wire the outlet that we plug the TT into to make our surge protector happy (initially came up with a reverse polarity code).  Not a big deal, opened the cover up and reversed the common and line wires to that outlet.  I had read about this possibility in the reviews. Also needed to use a "Bonded plug" that I made myself to take care of an open ground code on the surge protector. The bonded plug will likely be needed with most any inverter generator if you are using a similar surge protector as we use. You can search "P3000" on this site for a couple of threads where this has been discussed.

If sitting for a while (I am talking months) and you experience a starting difficulty you will need to drain the bowl on the carb to introduce fresh gas to the carb. IRelatively easy to do. Yes, I treat my gas but was still needed. I do not consider this a brand specific issue with B and S. I would buy another. I was trying to stay with a USA company...  Weighs about 100 lbs with full fuel tank.
 
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