Loud generators, I don't understand why...

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H5-Phil

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May 24, 2017
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Penryn, CA. (foothills of the Sierra)
Why do some RVers bring obnoxiously loud generators to a crowded campground??  This generator might be fine if you live on lots of acreage with no one around, but it's not welcome in a campground with other campers nearby. 
Not until the campground host and ranger got involved did these folks shut it down.
Bottom line, when you bring something like this to a campground, you're basically saying to everyone around you, I couldn't care less about you and your camping experience.
 

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Just another symptom of the aggressive "me" attitude that seems widespread these days. I need this and you don't have any right to deny my desires.  Somewhere along the way many have lost the notion that we all have to live together and doing so harmoniously yields the best for everybody.
 
Because no matter where you go or what you do, you will always encounter rude, obnoxious or just plain clueless people.  ;)
 
That's a fact, Bruce.  But, as more of the general public flocks to RVing the population of Rvers begins to take on the same percentage of obnoxious people of the population as a whole.  It seems to me that 20 years ago the demographic of "RVer" tended to be include more nature lovers, privacy seekers, and those who wanted merely to "get away".  Most (not all) were considerate of their neighbors and the environment. No, not so much.

I'm an old guy now, so may well be recalling the "good old days"and lamenting about the younger generations, but it sure seems to me we encounter a lot more self-centered and obnoxious people in RV parks these days. Maybe it just goes hand-in-hand with the crowded campgrounds and highways.
 
Given the typical crowded RV park setting, every time I see an RV with an outdoor entertainment center I wonder exactly how one could possibly use it without disturbing your neighbors.
 
They saw a nice shiny generator on the shelf and it was cheap, they never considered the noise level. For the same or little more money they could have had a much quieter unit but never considered that. Many years ago I pulled into a very nice campsite, set up my tent, started a fire and prepared for a peaceful evening. A large moho pulled into the next site and all heck broke loose. The generator started right next to me,  the sat dish was raised, the stereo started blasting and the football field lights came on. The kids were yelling, the women were yelling at them while the men proceeded to get drunk judging by their volume and language. Very irritated to say the least I packed up and left.
 
That's just ONE of the reasons I like my Goldwing. Can't even hear it running going down the road, pretty much just wind blowing by.  :D
 
malexander said:
That's just ONE of the reasons I like my Goldwing. Can't even hear it running going down the road, pretty much just wind blowing by.  :D
X2 with my Yamaha Venture  :))
 
Because they are inexspensive and they dont care.
 
What do they need generators for?  I mean ,most places have electric hookups. 

I can't stand the generator running at home if the power goes out,why would I want to listen while camping?

Is it like how dog owners can't hear their own dog bark all night?  Some dog owners.
 
It's reassuring that loud generators are still few and far between in the RV community and remain unpopular when they do show up.  For the most part, we find being a good neighbor is still alive and well in the RVing community.
I don't know how the inexpensive units are for longevity, but I would imagine you get what you pay for.  We've had our Honda 3000is for at least 18 years now and have 2,800 trouble-free hours on it.  We still have our hearing and we've never had an angry neighbor come over and yell at us.  That $1800 investment has been worth every penny... 
 
Dragginourbedaround said:
Or maybe they don?t have the knowledge or experience to know any better.
We had a next door neighbor who bought a trailer, a truck, and a 3000 watt contractor generator. Since we lived in Utah at the time, the generator idea was a good one (huge swaths of land for primitive camping), but his generator choice was not. First he couldn?t lift it into his truck by himself since it was well over 100 pounds. Second, he said it was terribly loud and he just couldn?t keep it running smoothly. He said he had really made a mistake. In his case it was due to inexperience, and we talked to him about our Honda 2000s. Much lighter weight, quiet, and amazingly reliable. When he heard one of ours was 15+ years old, he just sighed and said he would be lucky if his made it next year.
 
The campground I'm hosting at has a solar setup(which is no way big enough for even my 30amp coach) for me to plug the coach into.  The solar setup also has a HF generator hooked up to it to charge the batteries on a cloudy day.
First, the solar won't run my washer/dryer, or the a/c, and it barely runs the microwave or Keurig without the generator running.  The first time I started the generator to run the washer, I ran it for about 15 minutes and then cut it off and just used my coach generator. 
I discovered that I can't even hear my Onan Marquis 5500, which is built into the coach over the Predator generator 50 feet away from my coach.
Logging a lot of hours on the Onan this summer.

 
cheap generators on sale at local big box hardware store....I know better...Honda for me, although I can't afford it today. So, no genset for me yet..i'm waiting it out. there is a lot of cheap generators and inverters (non-pure sine) out there on kijiji...wonder why? lol
Wonder how Yamaha compares to Hondas...

In all cases, I noticed that there is a lot of inconsiderate campers out there. Where i usually camp, I use self-registration lots (NO services). So some Big RVs/fifth-wheel peeps show up and grab some of these lots too, and the generator is fired soon after they arrive, as there is no plug-ins on these lots.
 
There is a certain type of motorcycle used by all ages that the owners remove the mufflers immediately.  Blame excessive noise on complete lack of law enforcement and uncaring campground management.  There will always be nitwits that need controlled.
 
spencerpj said:
X2 with my Yamaha Venture  :))

if you like smooth and quiet ... you should ride one of the new electric motorcycles.

and then,  others think the sound and feel of an engine... are all part of the romance.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
Just another symptom of the aggressive "me" attitude that seems widespread these days.

I will agree this is part of the problem. ... Another part is the "Don't Know Any Better"

I mean I knwo there are LOUD. Soft and "is it even running" generators out there.. So do most of the folk in this forum.. How many RVers never heard of this forum.. Or INVERTER generators????
 

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