Generators here we go

dishlicker · Senior Member

Generators here we go

spida · Guru

It is not so much the noise but the hours that the gen is run that seems to be the biggest problem. Easier to have solar and a couple of batteries. I rarely need to use my gen these day. If you have gas HW and fridge.....

KFT · Guru

There are a few I have seen in use

mr google will be your friend

I would try marine suppliers first

frank

03_Troopy · Guru

Even if you use an old blanket or similar strung between a couple of star pickets, between the genny and other campers, or yourself, but close to the genny, it's makes a pretty good sound baffle.

Yuglamron · Guru

This will sound stupid, but an old guy near Beaudesert told me about the "Gennie" silencer he had for the house "Gennie."

It was an old camping stove baffle. You know the three sheets of metal with hinges that make three sides of a box to stop the burners blowing out in the wind.

He stuck egg carton boxes with the flat tops glued to the plates. The egg holder side towards the "Gennie" He told me it worked great. Not pretty but effective.

I was thinking that maybe an adaptation of that idea may be a good alternative.

The same cooking baffle but using the sound deadening/Heat shield stuff you get stuck under the bonnets of cars. Fire resistant and designed to deaden sound too.

I know most car accessory and also marine stores like Whitworths sell it. I might have a go and see if it's effective myself.

eric2011 · Member

There is an egg carton shaped foam like product used extensively in boats for sound proofing. Try that

Desert Dweller · Guru

If you leave it at home in the original box it came in it'll be completely silent. blankstare

Radar · Guru

Hi DishLicker.

Thank you for thinking of others around you and trying to be proactive in reducing the niose even if it's for those emergency times of low batteries.

There has been some good articles written about usage of batteries, solar and recharging your batteries.on this forum. The interesting one I found is the time you need to recharge using a gennie, there not as quick as you are led to believe to do the real job of charging. Since learning of this I have left my gennie at home and now found a spot for it at my sisters home where she seems to be in area that gets blackout regularly and needs power for the water pump.

Direct charging is low using the gennie and would take most of the day. We budget our power with what comes in via solar, don't use the water pump for the day, one light, not 2 or 4, small things like that make a difference.

Hope this has been help, the egg cartoon idea is good. Ralph.

-- Edited by Radar on Thursday 27th of August 2015 03:43:29 PM

Phillipn · Guru

Desert Dweller wrote:
If you leave it at home in the original box it came in it'll be completely silent.

You should leave your smart arse comments at home as well.

The guy asked a simple question.

Woody2 · Senior Member

Hi all
Thats the way Phillipn I agree. We have looked at this forum for the last 8 mths before joining.
Why because off those sort off comments by the above.
If someone asks a question ,if you have an answer please do so, if not just click then next topic.
My 2 bobs worth

Possum3 · Guru

Anechoic wedge is the egg carton foam that you can line tong box or similar with to dampen sound - although you will need to be aware that it will melt or ignite if too close to exhaust. Barium loaded vinyl will make a perfect sound deadener screen, note this is almost the same density of lead so it may cause a problem with weight unless you are driving a truck.
Both products are available through firms specialising in sound attenuation.

dishlicker · Senior Member

Thanks for the replys i also have 200 w solar power and will only need genny for air and heat not very often hpfully

KevinC · Senior Member

G'day Dishlicker,

There'll be two kinds of noise your generator will produce. There's the exhaust noise, generally generators are muffled OK but space determines that there's not enough space for a long pipe and a decent muffler, so unless you can attach some kind of aftermarket system, you're stuck with this noise. Then there's the mechanical noise caused by the clattering engine and the whirring generator. Maybe a soundproof box will dampen some of this, but then the box gets too close to the exhaust and catches fire. Bugger. So the exercise you're investigating now has been pondered many times before, and there's no simple answer.
So what I'm saying is, there's nothing I've heard of that will satisfy all the complaints that other vanners might have about you wanting a bit of self generated electricity. Of course all this is very subjective. Let there be a week of rain, or an unexpected flood, and all the locals will be clamoring for a chance to use your generator. Short memories.
My personal belief is that you should purchase the quietest generator you can find, you use it during daylight hours or at least with consideration of your neighbours, and you always remember that you are responsible for your own pleasure and grief. I've personally never been upset by a generator, I will soon own one, and I'll use it with consideration. The folk who don't like generators should probably keep their dislikes to themselves because so far neither you nor I have offended anyone.
Happy travels.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Our inbuilt Onan is very quite .. It's housed under motorhome .. It all depends on gene itself or shielding the from / box its mounted in .. Be aware any sound insulation also can effect cooling .. I have used fibreglass to heat and noise insulate ..
Often it's the harmonics that vibrates the fram, panels .. I usually run mine in the morning after 8.0 am and before sunset if batteries look lowish.. Cup of coffee time ..

Wombat 280 · Guru

When we stayed in the dunes we dug a revetment and run the genny in there . it was Honda so not a lot of noise generation at all as others have said be sure you don't over heat the unit by closing it in completely . Have run them in flat country with a sand bag surround, soil does the same job .

Desert Dweller · Guru

Phillipn wrote:
Desert Dweller wrote:
If you leave it at home in the original box it came in it'll be completely silent.
You should leave your smart arse comments at home as well.
The guy asked a simple question.

We knew there'd be someone come along with no sense of humour. wink wink

Phillipn · Guru

Desert Dweller wrote:
Phillipn wrote:
Desert Dweller wrote:
If you leave it at home in the original box it came in it'll be completely silent.
You should leave your smart arse comments at home as well.
The guy asked a simple question.
We knew there'd be someone come along with no sense of humour.

If you don`t like the sound of generators, why don`t you stay at home. problem solved.

Ondabeach · Senior Member

The best way to silence a generator is to sneak over in the wee hours and put some salt in the fuel tank

03_Troopy · Guru

Ondabeach wrote:
The best way to silence a generator is to sneak over in the wee hours and put some salt in the fuel tank

Although you could accidentally get a broken leg that way.... I mean by tripping over something, hard and pick-handle shaped, in the dark. biggrin

Jaahn · Guru

Ondabeach wrote:
The best way to silence a generator is to sneak over in the wee hours and put some salt in the fuel tank

Hi,

To the people who choose to put up these sort of biased and pointless post, might I suggest constructive post are much better.

I don't like the noise of generators either, and find some people annoying for various reasons but I also find some people on here are also annoying, for different reasons.

The guy asked a straight foward question and some people gave rational answers that may assist. Good ! But then the dog whistlers set in for a stir and next the thread get shut down. Where is the point in it confuse Get a real life and go out and enjoy the world !

Jaahn

Spydermann · Senior Member

Desert Dweller wrote:
If you leave it at home in the original box it came in it'll be completely silent.

I like your answer. I took it as a wicked sense of humour, not nasty smart arse reply.

Baz421 · Guru

Spydermann wrote:
Desert Dweller wrote:
If you leave it at home in the original box it came in it'll be completely silent.
I like your answer. I took it as a wicked sense of humour, not nasty smart arse reply.

Yes I did too.

Desert Dweller · Guru

Phillipn wrote:
Desert Dweller wrote:
Phillipn wrote:
Desert Dweller wrote:
If you leave it at home in the original box it came in it'll be completely silent.
You should leave your smart arse comments at home as well.
The guy asked a simple question.
We knew there'd be someone come along with no sense of humour.
If you don`t like the sound of generators, why don`t you stay at home. problem solved.

Did we say we didn't like the sound of generators? confuse confuse

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Desert Dweller wrote:
Phillipn wrote:
Desert Dweller wrote:
Phillipn wrote:
Desert Dweller wrote:
If you leave it at home in the original box it came in it'll be completely silent.
You should leave your smart arse comments at home as well.
The guy asked a simple question.
We knew there'd be someone come along with no sense of humour.
If you don`t like the sound of generators, why don`t you stay at home. problem solved.
Did we say we didn't like the sound of generators?

Deaf any other time ! Lol

Kiwi-as · Guru

I made a cover for the mufler end of my genny. Glued some polystyrene onto heavy cardboard and formed a kind of tent over gen.
Used poly from old esky I found. Hold it down with a couple of ocky straps. Yes you have to be carefull not to affect the cooling.
Use pva glue, spirit based glue will dissolve polly.

Best to just ignore those negative comments.

Phillipn · Guru

Woody2 wrote:
Hi all
Thats the way Phillipn I agree. We have looked at this forum for the last 8 mths before joining.
Why because off those sort off comments by the above.
If someone asks a question ,if you have an answer please do so, if not just click then next topic.
My 2 bobs worth

The half wits can`t help themselves.

pomme · Senior Member

Wombat 280 wrote:
When we stayed in the dunes we dug a revetment and run the genny in there . it was Honda so not a lot of noise generation at all as others have said be sure you don't over heat the unit by closing it in completely . Have run them in flat country with a sand bag surround, soil does the same job .

This is the way we for many years ran the genny working up the bush (pro shooting) dig a hole put the genny in, put something pretty solid on the side nearest camp to block sound a bit more, worked a treat.

Pomme.

Shayne · Member

Generators in compartments, great idea but some times a nightmare unless its done correctly, as a boatbuilder retired I have fitted all sorts of quality gen sets all water cooled and very expensive. So when I fitted a petrol, air cooled 4 kva inverter generator fitted with its own sound shield already quite into a compartment I had to control the exhaust out a large pipe 20 mm into 32 mm wrapped with exhaust blanket tape just in the compartment. Fit a radiator fan right at the hot end of the generator plus a inlet fan which also cools the power converters. The inside of the compartment is fitted with foam sound insulation 12 mm thick it has a self adhesive glue just peal of the paper and stick on the metal. This is very important as sound bounces around a metal box the foam stops this.

12 volt power from the generator powers the fans as well as a power feed from the battery. A RED light is fitted in the cabin so I see the fans running as well as a auto shut off when the temperature in the compartment reaches a unsatisfactory limit. Do not attempt to run a air cooled generator in a sealed compartment unless your fans maintain a satisfactory temperature or the generator will suffer serious damage.

I will do a video and put it on youtube shortly, Look our chinese generator (Honda like) is a cheap generator it makes power really well and stays really cool in the compartment and the best thing is the sound it is very quite.

Hope this helps.

greyhoundtom · Senior Member

Thanks Shayne,

Good practical advice there which is much appreciated as I'm tangling with the same dilemma as the OP.

Cheers, Tom

The Doo crew · Senior Member

Run ours in a box on the rear bumper, two fans underneath blow air into the genset & a big fan on the LH top sucks the hot air out, has been run at full load on a 37 degree day with any issues.

Since the photo was taken foam has been added to the door, the rest of the box is lined with "Aircell" insulation.

Genset Box.jpg