Discussion
I have been looking into a Generator for light use when caravanning. It would need to run a Fridge, Water Heater Charge Batteries and provide power for a small 22" TV. There would be an inverter for this when not running the generator.
I have seen generators with a 1KW rating starting at £130!!! but that seems really cheap to me as I had a 4 stroke 750Kw from Costco many moons ago that cost nearly £200.
Whats the deal with inverter generators too as this seem to claim two different outputs.
The Caravan Club has stated that for a typical caravan would need only a 500w generator!
I would love a Honda suitcase one but at £800 plus they are way over budget for the use it will get.
What do people recommend?
Thanks.
I have seen generators with a 1KW rating starting at £130!!! but that seems really cheap to me as I had a 4 stroke 750Kw from Costco many moons ago that cost nearly £200.
Whats the deal with inverter generators too as this seem to claim two different outputs.
The Caravan Club has stated that for a typical caravan would need only a 500w generator!
I would love a Honda suitcase one but at £800 plus they are way over budget for the use it will get.
What do people recommend?
Thanks.
If there is electrics available then we would use it. It will mainly be used when at Motorsport Events where there are no services at all. I have been in all forms of camping from tents to MH's so a very familiar with the camper that runs a noisy generator 24/7 right by the sleeping area of the neighbours pitch.
It would get at the most 1-2 hours use a day.
Solar Panel is nice idea but I would need 240v for some of the time and an inverter although is a good idea, charging laptops and leisure battery quickly are the main requirements. Solar panels will added later for battery trickle charging.
It would get at the most 1-2 hours use a day.
Solar Panel is nice idea but I would need 240v for some of the time and an inverter although is a good idea, charging laptops and leisure battery quickly are the main requirements. Solar panels will added later for battery trickle charging.
Look for a 12 volt charger for your laptops - I've been using one for my Dell for years. Not so sure about running a TV on 12v but there must be sets out there. Then you can add a decent solar setup and at worst arrive on site with a full battery and leave with an empty one (which then recharges off the tow vehicle or from solar over the next few days).
I guess it depends how much power you really need, but I've got a 100 watt solar setup working well on my caravan charging a seemingly endless stream of phones & tablets for teenagers and fellow campers. I've swapped all the light bulbs for LED's which probably helps.
I guess it depends how much power you really need, but I've got a 100 watt solar setup working well on my caravan charging a seemingly endless stream of phones & tablets for teenagers and fellow campers. I've swapped all the light bulbs for LED's which probably helps.
I have only got one leisure battery in my MH and I managed 6 days off the mains at a music festival running fridge electronics (gas fridge), water pump, lighting(LED), phone and laptop chargers(lots). In that time I ran the engine for 45 mins as I don't have a solar panel.
Add a second battery for the TV and you won't need a generator.
My next MH will have a solar panel fitted and then it won't need plugging in to the mains at all.
Add a second battery for the TV and you won't need a generator.
My next MH will have a solar panel fitted and then it won't need plugging in to the mains at all.
Clarke Gennys are decent enough, wait for a VAT free week at Machine Mart and go for the 2.2kw one. Very good, will run a 1.8KW fan heater no problem, lights and freezers together, no issue. Plus pretty frugal, a tank of fuel will last about 10 hours running a freezer and lights.
Vat free mine was about £360 IIRC. And it is very quiet indeed. Really pleased with it.
Vat free mine was about £360 IIRC. And it is very quiet indeed. Really pleased with it.
s3fella said:
Clarke Gennys are decent enough, wait for a VAT free week at Machine Mart and go for the 2.2kw one. Very good, will run a 1.8KW fan heater no problem, lights and freezers together, no issue. Plus pretty frugal, a tank of fuel will last about 10 hours running a freezer and lights.
Vat free mine was about £360 IIRC. And it is very quiet indeed. Really pleased with it.
Thanks, thats what I needed. Will look out for deals otherwise the company might need one so VAT free anyway!Vat free mine was about £360 IIRC. And it is very quiet indeed. Really pleased with it.
Hyundai generators are not bad, we do a lot of caravaning without a hook up and find these gennys quite adequate. It has to power the 1500w hair dryer so have a 2kw one, then are inverter type and run slower on light loads. They are are good on fuel and reasonably quiet. We use to charge iPads etc, water heater, hairdryer, tv and charge van battery ( not all at same time mind!)
The 15" telly I had in my kitchen at home had a laptop style power brick with 12v output. Would run in a caravan or motorhome directly off 12v with a lead with the correct plug to go into the TV. No point in lossily covering 12v dc to 240v ac just to convert it back to 12v. I got a 12v charger with a cigar lighter plug for my laptop from Amazon.
I have run a camper for 4-5 days without running the engine or a generator.
Some fridges can work of both gas/elec.
Solar panels 150w + and a couple of decent leisure batteries, plus 1kw inverter, job done for most people.
As electrical devices use much less power these days, plus lighting using LEDs etc I do not see the need for a generator unless you are running some serious kit or permanently in the dark.
It is possible to do the maths on the amps x time used etc if you need to for each of your devices, to determine leisure battery needed and estimate genuine output of solar.
In a coupe of months I plan on living at least half the year in a motorhome so been trying to suss a lot of this out before we go!
Some fridges can work of both gas/elec.
Solar panels 150w + and a couple of decent leisure batteries, plus 1kw inverter, job done for most people.
As electrical devices use much less power these days, plus lighting using LEDs etc I do not see the need for a generator unless you are running some serious kit or permanently in the dark.
It is possible to do the maths on the amps x time used etc if you need to for each of your devices, to determine leisure battery needed and estimate genuine output of solar.
In a coupe of months I plan on living at least half the year in a motorhome so been trying to suss a lot of this out before we go!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqpQZd9XxJM <==== this !
generators and batteries - electrical supplies for camping and leisure use.
invertor generator will generate AC that is then rectified and this dc is inverted to clean ac for your load.
invertor will generate ac from a dc supply. this will quickly run a battery down. 240v 300w load would at 12v would be over 30 amps...
ive looked at this in several applications and in general I would be looking at trying to run as much as you can from battery power - any conversion is wasteful. so you would look to have LED lighting running off of 12v. cooking you do by gas, water heating ? gas forget showers lol find a place that has a pool and use their showers.....
All your computer and electronics can you run off of 12v ? if not then use your invertor sparingly and try recharging off of solar panels where and when you can.
id try and limit what I needed to operate from 240v - internet computers etc ? can you not use a mobile phone and recharge / operate from a usb charger from the car ? remember if running from a car keep an eye on the car battery !
rethink your needs and tailor accordingly.
http://www.yamahaef2000is.com/conventional_generat...
generators and batteries - electrical supplies for camping and leisure use.
invertor generator will generate AC that is then rectified and this dc is inverted to clean ac for your load.
invertor will generate ac from a dc supply. this will quickly run a battery down. 240v 300w load would at 12v would be over 30 amps...
ive looked at this in several applications and in general I would be looking at trying to run as much as you can from battery power - any conversion is wasteful. so you would look to have LED lighting running off of 12v. cooking you do by gas, water heating ? gas forget showers lol find a place that has a pool and use their showers.....
All your computer and electronics can you run off of 12v ? if not then use your invertor sparingly and try recharging off of solar panels where and when you can.
id try and limit what I needed to operate from 240v - internet computers etc ? can you not use a mobile phone and recharge / operate from a usb charger from the car ? remember if running from a car keep an eye on the car battery !
rethink your needs and tailor accordingly.
http://www.yamahaef2000is.com/conventional_generat...
Kenty said:
Hyundai generators are not bad, we do a lot of caravaning without a hook up and find these gennys quite adequate. It has to power the 1500w hair dryer so have a 2kw one, then are inverter type and run slower on light loads. They are are good on fuel and reasonably quiet. We use to charge iPads etc, water heater, hairdryer, tv and charge van battery ( not all at same time mind!)
Hyundai ones are pretty respectable, like a slightly cheaper version of a honda EU.abbotsmike said:
Kenty said:
Hyundai generators are not bad, we do a lot of caravaning without a hook up and find these gennys quite adequate. It has to power the 1500w hair dryer so have a 2kw one, then are inverter type and run slower on light loads. They are are good on fuel and reasonably quiet. We use to charge iPads etc, water heater, hairdryer, tv and charge van battery ( not all at same time mind!)
Hyundai ones are pretty respectable, like a slightly cheaper version of a honda EU.Thread resurrection!!
Actually looking now as have a need for one asap.
Hyundai ones look good as does the clarke.
Clarke is cheaper is the Hyundai worth the extra.
Would you recommend pull start or electric start. I quite like the idea of electric start. But that rules out the Clarke if I am right.
Actually looking now as have a need for one asap.
Hyundai ones look good as does the clarke.
Clarke is cheaper is the Hyundai worth the extra.
Would you recommend pull start or electric start. I quite like the idea of electric start. But that rules out the Clarke if I am right.
I've had the Clarke 2.2kW generator for a few years now. Never had an issue with the pull start on it - much, much better than the older frame-mounted Clarke genie I had.
For the money, it's hard to beat.
Although it's quieter than my old one, it's not really that quiet. I do wonder if putting together a "sound shield" for it might be worthwhile...
For the money, it's hard to beat.
Although it's quieter than my old one, it's not really that quiet. I do wonder if putting together a "sound shield" for it might be worthwhile...
Absolutely love our Hyundai, we often go places without ehu & throughout the year, being able to just press a button so that swmbo can straighten her hair while I don't have to get up, get dressed & go out in the cold while nursing the effects of last night's over indulgence is worth the cost on it's own!
powerstroke said:
I would avoid honda I had a EU10i the inverter board failed and the repair was going to be almost as much as a new one
I bought a Kipor which is a half price copy and has been fine ...
Au contraire.......we have had a Honda EU20i for 6 years and it has never failed to start first pull and has never missed a beat.I bought a Kipor which is a half price copy and has been fine ...
A superb generator.
Still have my pull start Hyundai generator (5 years now), not had too much trouble over the few years - i would like an electric start- mostly for convenience but the pull start is not too difficult!
I do find you need a few plugs as a tendency to soot up, they are easy to change and clean and easy to rotate round.
certainly where i use mine - steam rallies - with no hook up these are a lot more popular than Clarke. Honda are the rolls royce but expensive to buy.
I do find you need a few plugs as a tendency to soot up, they are easy to change and clean and easy to rotate round.
certainly where i use mine - steam rallies - with no hook up these are a lot more popular than Clarke. Honda are the rolls royce but expensive to buy.
I bought an Honda EU20i to help me out whilst full-timing and it's been great.
Done about 10hrs so far and never fails to start on the first or second pull.
I leave it about 2m from the van and inside it just sounds like someone cutting the grass a few houses away.
Runs my 650w microwave perfectly and tops up the batteries in an hour or so.
Done about 10hrs so far and never fails to start on the first or second pull.
I leave it about 2m from the van and inside it just sounds like someone cutting the grass a few houses away.
Runs my 650w microwave perfectly and tops up the batteries in an hour or so.
Gassing Station | Tents, Caravans & Motorhomes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff