Author Topic: The best, most quiet generator to charge camper battery? (Read 1872 times)

jackfish · « **on:** September 08, 2004, 04:04:41 AM »

I have a popup camper and want to run the lights, water pump and furnace blower off the battery over a seven day period. Which generator is the best and quietest just to provide 12V/8.3A for a couple of hours a day?

bgjohn · « **Reply #1 on:** September 08, 2004, 04:39:01 AM »

Solar is the quietest.
JM

jackfish · « **Reply #2 on:** September 08, 2004, 05:01:14 AM »

What would one expect to pay for a couple of panels and the circuitry to keep an RV battery charged?

IntrepidWizard · « **Reply #3 on:** September 08, 2004, 05:07:32 AM »

There all over the place ,try Cabellas,I use them on the stand by PU's through the lighter.You should have no trouble.

screwman · « **Reply #4 on:** September 14, 2004, 01:50:15 PM »

jackfish, try this site
http://www.rvsolarelectric.com/

Mike

jackfish · « **Reply #5 on:** September 14, 2004, 04:57:00 PM »

laborer, thank you very much!

Daveinthebush · « **Reply #6 on:** September 14, 2004, 05:54:18 PM »

Hey the original question was about generators. What about us poor guys that don't have sun for a few months out of the year???

Anyone know the quietest ones out there?

jackfish · « **Reply #7 on:** September 15, 2004, 05:32:01 AM »

Here is what my research has come up with so far:

Honda

Yamaha

Robin Subaru

Mitsubishi

Sinemaster

A 1000/950 Watt generator is more than enough to just charge my 12 volt deep cycle battery on my popup camper.

All of the above produce around 59 dB at 21 feet under full load. Some of these have throttle technology which slows the engine at less than full load which reduces the noise level. 59 dB is the sound level of regular conversation. Every 3 dB increase doubles the sound level. So, 56 dB is half as noisy as 59 dB, and 65 dB is four times louder than 59 dB.

dla · « **Reply #8 on:** September 16, 2004, 05:29:36 AM »

Quote from: jackfish

59 dB is the sound level of regular conversation. Every 3 dB increase doubles the sound level. .

I think that noise level is fine during the day. I personally have camped next to folks who felt they had to run their generator at night and found it very irritating.

Seems like most of the irritation is from the pitch produced when running a small engine at 3600RPM (required to produce 60hz AC power). Too bad they don't make a simple 12v generator for charging batteries.

jackfish · « **Reply #9 on:** September 16, 2004, 11:52:16 AM »

The inverter generators I believe produce 12 to 48 volts which is then inverted to 120 AC assisted by digital technology. This accounts for some of the noise reduction.

HuntenNut · « **Reply #10 on:** September 20, 2004, 09:35:49 AM »

Nothing more irritating than someone running a generator in a rustic camp, even in the day time, except maybe for loud music. I personally think if you can't do without the electricity, then go camp in a modern sight.

If you're out by yourself then fine, but if you're going to a rustic campground where there are other campers, please consider that many who camp in the rustic areas are there to stay away from all the noise.

Even 59dB is annoyingly loud when you're trying to hear the birds and the wind in the trees.

I camp in tents and get light from flashlights and campfires, if needed, I fire up the coleman lantern, but even that is rare. Thats what rustic camping is. It really bugs me when somebody pulls up in the next lot with a big camper and proceeds to run their generator all day.