Do I Need A Generator?

[CityGuy]

My motto, better to have and not need than to need and not have.
I carry a Honda 2000, we have 2 6v batteries, and a solar panel I need to hook up.

I was scrolling down to wrote "If you take it you don't have to use it."

 

[Canadian Eh]

Take the generator. If you are only going to one location then its not a big deal to set up. Without having a battery monitor you won't actually know how much juice you have left in the tank.
If that doesn't worry you fine, as others have said freeze some blocks and put into the fridge.

 

[John From Detroit]

You should buy a generator. at least 3500-4000 watt and a Generator transfer switch and inlet for your house because though you may not need it camping... You WILL need it at home.

 

[Tulecreeper]

I would take the generator, why not if it was offered to you? Nothing to loose by having it with you, everything to gain if you end up using it.

And oh, by the way, if you are planning on camping anywhere, you really need to pick up a non-electric coffee maker, something like this:

https://imgur.com/pSM3w9b

You can find these at Wall Mart (about $12-$15), any sporting goods store (Cabela's, Bass Pro) and even, sometimes at your local RV dealership parts store.

One time we found ourselves with out power. It was shortly after we got our current fifth wheel. We restocked the new camper, but tossed a lot of stuff out from the old one. In the old camper, we had one of these coffee pots. We'd dragged that thing along with us for over 10 years and never used it. So we left it out when repacking the new camper. BIG mistake. The campground lost power one morning and ... no power means no coffee because everything we had was electric. I ended up boiling water on the gas stove in the camper, put some coffee grinds in a filter and poured the hot water through the filter. It worked, but what a mess. Before that day was over, we purchased a new non-electric, over the fire, old fashioned percolator like in the image above. And unbelievable, ever since then we got away from drip makers, and such and found electric percolators we now use in the house. We gave up Krueg, and all of that. Real brewed coffee just can't be beat!

Best coffee in the world is from a percolator.

 

[meierjn]

Best coffee in the world is from a percolator.

Agreed 100%

 

[meierjn]

You should buy a generator. at least 3500-4000 watt and a Generator transfer switch and inlet for your house because though you may not need it camping... You WILL need it at home.

I just ordered a generator for this reason. Its only a 3300 watt but it'll power everything I need in the event (I mean when) we have an outage. I'm looking at a 6-circuit transfer switch combo similar to the one in the link below:

https://www.costco.ca/.product.1990306.html

 

[Tulecreeper]

I just ordered a generator for this reason. Its only a 3300 watt but it'll power everything I need in the event (I mean when) we have an outage. I'm looking at a 6-circuit transfer switch combo similar to the one in the link below:

https://www.costco.ca/.product.1990306.html

I have a 6500/8250 portable generator for my house connected through an emergency transfer switch. It has six circuits and is barely enough for half my house. I have the living room lights/switches (and the garage freezer is also on this one for some reason), the office lights/switches, the hall bath, the fireplace blowers, and the water heater on it and every once in a while I will still pop the breaker on the generator.

 

[Jeff in Ferndale Wa]

I too say to take the generator. You don’t have to use it but if you need it you’ll have it. then you’ll know how long you can go off grid

This was going to be my response...

 

[Jeff in Ferndale Wa]

This was going to be my response...

And then I figured out how old this thread is! I wonder what the OP ended up doing?

 

[UTTransplant]

I have a 6500/8250 portable generator for my house connected through an emergency transfer switch. It has six circuits and is barely enough for half my house. I have the living room lights/switches (and the garage freezer is also on this one for some reason), the office lights/switches, the hall bath, the fireplace blowers, and the water heater on it and every once in a while I will still pop the breaker on the generator.

The concepts of “portable” and “6500/8250 generator” are rather diametrically opposed in my mind. A 3500 watt generator from Honda weighs about 150 pounds. How much does your generator weigh?

 

[LarsMac]

I too say to take the generator. You don’t have to use it but if you need it you’ll have it. then you’ll know how long you can go off grid.

True. As my Dad always used to say, "Better to have what you don't need, than to need what you don't have."

 

[Krazeehorse33]

And then I figured out how old this thread is! I wonder what the OP ended up doing?

It WAS Easter a couple days ago after all.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

I have a 6500/8250 portable generator for my house connected through an emergency transfer switch. It has six circuits and is barely enough for half my house. I have the living room lights/switches (and the garage freezer is also on this one for some reason), the office lights/switches, the hall bath, the fireplace blowers, and the water heater on it and every once in a while I will still pop the breaker on the generator.

An electric water heater is probably somewhere around 4-5kW, not surprising you could overload a genset with all these loads. Shed the water heater and you could run a lot more stuff around the house.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Tulecreeper]

An electric water heater is probably somewhere around 4-5kW, not surprising you could overload a genset with all these loads. Shed the water heater and you could run a lot more stuff around the house.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

I've looked at the meter when the water heater kicks on and there isn't anything else running and it draws about 3K. The water heater stays unplugged when the generator is running except for a half hour in the morning to get enough hot water for a couple showers. The breaker only trips on that seldom occasion when the water heater is plugged in and heating AND the freezer compressor kicks on AND the fireplace blowers come on at the same time. It's happened maybe three times in 10 years.

And there really isn't much more stuff around the house that needs running.

 

[Tulecreeper]

The concepts of “portable” and “6500/8250 generator” are rather diametrically opposed in my mind. A 3500 watt generator from Honda weighs about 150 pounds. How much does your generator weigh?

The specs say 206 pounds. By portable, I mean it is on a wheeled cart so it can be moved from spot to spot.

 

[John From Detroit]

I just ordered a generator for this reason. Its only a 3300 watt but it'll power everything I need in the event (I mean when) we have an outage. I'm looking at a 6-circuit transfer switch combo similar to the one in the link below:

https://www.costco.ca/.product.1990306.html

That is similar to what I had installed in my house (Few more circuits not all of which were used)
I can tell you... The Electrical panel upgrade was kind of expensive
In the manner of a Master Card commercial
Panel $$$
Technician $$$
Generator $$$
Inlet $$$
Cable $$$
But a warm wife when Detroit Edistone let us down ... Priceless.