Rob&Deryl
Well-known member
Keep learning and asking questions.
Hello everyone from Idaho. New to the RV scene and have found out how much I don't know.
- Thread starter Idaho newbie
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
IBTripping
Well-known member
Some of our members purchased a quiet inverter generator from Harbor Freight which should be adequate to keep your A/C working: 3500 Watt Super Quiet Inverter Generator
Idaho newbie
New member
Thanks for all the advice, eager for spring. I now know what kind of generator I should purchase could I
have your thoughts on this?
JudyJB
Well-known member
Most campgrounds, even some Forest Service campgrounds, do not allow you to use generators at night because it will irritate your neighbors, even if those neighbors are a few hundred feet away from you. They will require you to turn off generators during "quiet hours." And you will NOT be popular with tenters or other RVers if you run even a fairly quiet generator all day and all night!!
I think you need to investigate Corps of Engineer campgrounds and state parks. I have been in many woodsy campground where sites are very much separated from one another, but still have electric hookups so you do not need a generator. Try just about any Oregon or Washington state park.
Also, remember that many isolated campgrounds are in the desert, and that means gravel and dirt, not trees surrounding you. I tend to like desert campgrounds because you can see long distances--mountains and lakes in the distance. One of my favorites that is not too far from you is Cochiti Lake, which is about 30 miles north of Albuquerque. ALso in NM, but about 80 miles north is Abiquiu Reservoir. Both of these are available through recreation.gov. And one of my favorite NM state parks is Oliver Lee Memorial SP south of Alamagordo. This one is especially pretty when the desert is in bloom.
I think you need to investigate Corps of Engineer campgrounds and state parks. I have been in many woodsy campground where sites are very much separated from one another, but still have electric hookups so you do not need a generator. Try just about any Oregon or Washington state park.
Also, remember that many isolated campgrounds are in the desert, and that means gravel and dirt, not trees surrounding you. I tend to like desert campgrounds because you can see long distances--mountains and lakes in the distance. One of my favorites that is not too far from you is Cochiti Lake, which is about 30 miles north of Albuquerque. ALso in NM, but about 80 miles north is Abiquiu Reservoir. Both of these are available through recreation.gov. And one of my favorite NM state parks is Oliver Lee Memorial SP south of Alamagordo. This one is especially pretty when the desert is in bloom.
Alontheway
Well-known member
Altitude needs to be considered when sizing your generator.
Altitude tends to have cooler weather that negates the need for air cond. Consider this even more.
Get an inverter generator. these can puto out 120 household current at any engine rpm and will be more quiet and more fuel efficient than the standard gens.
Consider a smaller roof AC. A 9200BTU Coleman, for example, will run off a 2,000 or 2200 watt inverter generator. These are small and can be carried with one hand and are pretty quiet. You could run that ac unit 8-11 hours on one tank (0.9 gallons I think).
Such a small ac unit will not cool the entire 26 foot RV on a hot day though, but sitting under it or if you block off half the RV it will.
Look at installing a mini-split. They are much much more efficient than the old technology roof ac's so will use less gasoline and give you longer runtime.
This require a lot of know-how and some work.
I doubt wife will sit in the RV 24/7 for two weeks straight, what's the point of camping ? You can easily carry a few jugs of gas to handle a couple of weeks on and off generator use.
You are thinking, and that is bad. go out and use the RV first and then when you have more knowledge then do some thinking.
Everyone and every situation is different and can be met with different needs.
Harbor freight has some good generators. They will do just fine. If you plan to use a generator all the time all year, every year then nothing will beat a Honda or Onan; they are just built a little more precisely and will last longer.
Get the size gen you need, don't get too much bigger size than you need
Altitude tends to have cooler weather that negates the need for air cond. Consider this even more.
Get an inverter generator. these can puto out 120 household current at any engine rpm and will be more quiet and more fuel efficient than the standard gens.
Consider a smaller roof AC. A 9200BTU Coleman, for example, will run off a 2,000 or 2200 watt inverter generator. These are small and can be carried with one hand and are pretty quiet. You could run that ac unit 8-11 hours on one tank (0.9 gallons I think).
Such a small ac unit will not cool the entire 26 foot RV on a hot day though, but sitting under it or if you block off half the RV it will.
Look at installing a mini-split. They are much much more efficient than the old technology roof ac's so will use less gasoline and give you longer runtime.
This require a lot of know-how and some work.
I doubt wife will sit in the RV 24/7 for two weeks straight, what's the point of camping ? You can easily carry a few jugs of gas to handle a couple of weeks on and off generator use.
You are thinking, and that is bad. go out and use the RV first and then when you have more knowledge then do some thinking.
Everyone and every situation is different and can be met with different needs.
Harbor freight has some good generators. They will do just fine. If you plan to use a generator all the time all year, every year then nothing will beat a Honda or Onan; they are just built a little more precisely and will last longer.
Get the size gen you need, don't get too much bigger size than you need
All good stuff above.
You may at times be able to find a secluded spot just to yourself in which case you can run your gen more frequently, and into the eve and later hours to sleep cool,but keep an open mind as others said,once you gotten out a few times you will find your actual needs possibly be desires and how they can be met. You can adjust once you find that. Those higher elevations, as others said will cool you nicely at night with windows open etc. As you mentioned if your out and about during the day you obviously won’t need to run the gen so frequently.
Mix up your types of camping as you see from above there are many loca to go with privacy,power and beauty that will likely make you both happy. Get out and get a feel for it!
Scott,Orlando,Fl
You may at times be able to find a secluded spot just to yourself in which case you can run your gen more frequently, and into the eve and later hours to sleep cool,but keep an open mind as others said,once you gotten out a few times you will find your actual needs possibly be desires and how they can be met. You can adjust once you find that. Those higher elevations, as others said will cool you nicely at night with windows open etc. As you mentioned if your out and about during the day you obviously won’t need to run the gen so frequently.
Mix up your types of camping as you see from above there are many loca to go with privacy,power and beauty that will likely make you both happy. Get out and get a feel for it!
Scott,Orlando,Fl
Utclmjmpr
Well-known member
Clessie CUMMINS ( A very famous individual,) would prefer his name to be spelled correctly..>>>Dan
