Hi Cyril,

Welcome to our play ground.

We do have a Search button top of the page in the middle, highlighted in Blue.(its a great place to fine many a topic.)

For the long haul, You can't go past either Honda or Yamaha for the reliability. Not the cheapest, but then again you get what you pay for.

Now days more and more are going Solar and don't like folks with cheap, noisy units.

Many of us here still carry our Geni as a backup.

I for one, would not go bush without one.

Cheers Jim

Hi kapees, I'll go with what dougwe & Jim said but add this.... I have a Kipor GS2000 which is more than capable to run my 1450 watt Air Command Air Conditioner, it's 2.5 years old and in the few times I've used it it's never missed a beat.  I've even had it running alongside a Honda of around the same capacity and others (including the Honda owner) commented how quiet it was in comparision.  Now please excuse me as I run for cover to join Dougwe!.

Hello, welcome to the playground. Have fun n enjoy. We have had a yamaha for two years n only needed to use it bout half a dozen times. It is a yamaha n will run our aircon. Has a 4yr. Warranty. No problems but we have hardly used it. We also have solar which we use a lot N is preferable. Generator is just for aircon. Heating and cooling. It is just a backup. Have heard a honda working n in my opinion, i like them Too. Loud generators give me a headache so we soon move on. If u buy a loud one, i do not c u making too many friends.. enjoy

Gday...

So far, ess kapees, you have received a wide, and completely expected, response from members on the forum.

There are pros, and as you may have noticed, some cons.

Despite those who are staunch, and almost unswerving, advocates for solar only, there is a need on occasions for having a generator.

I travel full-time and I began with a generator only ... then about five years ago I installed solar on the roof. Since then I have only had to use the generator on one occasion to restore my battery. That was after four days of consistent rain and thick overcast clouds.

Five hours of generator and the battery was back to a healthy, charged state.

I camp away from parks and 240v 90% of the time and find that even on an overcast day the battery is sufficiently restored to get me through the night.

Having said all that, I would not consider discarding the generator - it is far too convenient should I need to recharge the battery. Also, if I do need to run some equipment for 'emergency' or 'repairs' it would be invaluable. Combined with the fact that I already owned it.

I assume you already have a battery installed in your van - so the cost of providing a couple of decent solar panels on the roof will quite possibly cost less than a generator. Perhaps if you had two (eg 120Ahr) batteries and two (eg 200W) solar panels you may not need to have a generator or actually, to very rarely have the need to use one.

Again, having said that, it all depends on what your power consumption needs are and whether that set-up would be sufficient to cope on a 'continuous' basis to supply your needs. 

If you want to run a large inverter, TV, air con and other power hungry items then you will need considerable solar/battery installation ... and that is notwithstanding extended (eg three or more days) no-sun/rainy days.

Here he goes again ... having said that, if you don't intend camping away from 240v for extended periods than everything becomes moot.

Despite those who will castigate anyone who even contemplates owning, let alone USING, a generator, 99% of campers are quite tolerant of their use, IF used only in the 'accepted hours' (eg 4pm>8pm) and placed so that you are being mindful of others and their acceptance or otherwise of the sound of it running.

Cheers - as you will have also gathered, there is really no precise answer to your question  - John

Hylife wrote:

If I am such a princess that 230 volts AC for aircon units and microwaves and washing machines are vital to a me, then I am probably more suited to a motel or caravan park.

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 Live on the road do you? Or are you the SAS? 

Im hardly a princess mate....but I don't see why I should have to go to a caravan park to do my washing and pay out for a machine (when I have one) and do my washing in something that some inconsiderate person has done their dog blankets or kids vomity clothing in, when I can use my own, under gennie power. I am not 'better suited' to a caravan park thanks. I'll do what I need to do when I need to do it, however I make it happen. 

Grubbygypsy wrote:

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Hylife wrote:

If I am such a princess that 230 volts AC for aircon units and microwaves and washing machines are vital to a me, then I am probably more suited to a motel or caravan park.

---

 Live on the road do you? Or are you the SAS? 

Im hardly a princess mate....but I don't see why I should have to go to a caravan park to do my washing and pay out for a machine (when I have one) and do my washing in something that some inconsiderate person has done their dog blankets or kids vomity clothing in, when I can use my own, under gennie power. I am not 'better suited' to a caravan park thanks. I'll do what I need to do when I need to do it, however I make it happen. 

 

 

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Never called you or anyone else a princess. Jeez, some folks bite hard when they don't read posts properly. The word was "I".

I was offering what the majority see as an alternative to a generator. You might not like what I have to say but I am sure that the vast majority of serious travellers will agree with me.

Yes, I, hate generators. There is a tiny percentage that use them, and that minority has little regard for how they destroy the peaceful amenity of a campsite for the majority of other campers.
It was once commonplace to see horses and old tractors down our streets but progress has dictated that outmoded forms of transport are banned from main roads. Eventually the same will apply to generators as many state and national parks have already done. They are so last century.

For me, when ever possible I avoid caravan parks. I can't stand them. They aren't where you will find the real Australia or meet true blue outback or local Aussies.
Full of soft city folk who have only checked in for power and who all disappear at sunset and all you see is the shadowy glow of the TV through their windows.

$50 a night for a sandy 6x6 van site? For chr!st sake,I don't want to buy your van park! For less than that you can rent a new 30 square home in most capital cities.
I see it over and over, every country town that has embraced the concept of encouraging free and minimalist camping is thriving and those with van parks that rape the local economy are slowly dying.

Never needed a washing machine in 30 years of vanning. Unnecessary power hungry devices. If I can't wash my own clothes it is time to find a nursing home.
A bucket and some soap and I can be done in a fraction of the time of some dirty old park machine, with a cleaner result to boot. 5 minutes a day, a little longer for towels and sheets. If you are driving, a bucket with a lid does it for you.
Those baby caravan washing machines are next to useless and require you to carry yet more heavy water.
Oh and there are such things as laundromats when the weather turns sh!tty with nice clean huge commercial washing and drying machines at half the price of a van park.

Never needed an aircon in 30 years of vanning. Unnecessary power hungry devices. I don't live my life in my van, I just sleep in it.
I travel to see this great country which is outdoors not in, and to meet and get to know the locals who live there, and to meet other like minded individuals.
If I want soft @rse power hungry mechanical luxuries I can stay at home or stay in a motel or stay in a caravan park. None of these was the reason I bought a caravan.
Got an aircon in the car and never use it. You know once we used to just wind down the window. Have we all got soft we can't live without aircon?
I've got a flyscreen security door on the van and I open up a few windows.
A week or two up north and you acclimatise pretty easily. If I am going to spend all day in air conditioned box, why go away?

Solar. Genny.
Had\have both. Genny's for over 50 yrs. Solar since early '70's.

Wouldn't do without either. for same reason.
BOTH have their place.

Solar will top up battery's and run the "MAJORITY" of things.
But NOT all

and nothing at all. at night or in heavy inclement weather.

Genny runs EVERYTHING. No matter what the weather
Within it's capacity and what you bought it for.
PLUS....

TOOLS. etc.Easily.

A motorhome with larger unit runs Inverter welders too. A PLUS Plus.
Try doing that with a coupla solar panels.

Mine doubles for home too. AIrcond. Fridges and general running.

Incl next doors home too. IF we turn Air cond's off.
and have bypass sw in power boxes (we do)

Some people are too one eyes and are normally NEW caravanners
NEW meaning 10\12 yrs or less in general.

Apart from that. Back pockets come into it too.

A Genny to run ALL. Mine (3.8kva,) Chinese and VERY reliable so far.
came in at around $450ish ish, around?, thereabouts. A while ago.)

Does all above.

Solar. even at todays cheap Chinese prices. Couldn't\doesn't cover that.

I have a mix of 40a and 25a smart chargers in general use.
Which I run\ can run on genny if req'd. (OH  15a in van too.)
How many panels you need to cover that on an hrly basis.
65 +15a. PLUS solar.

You simply CAN'T win.

it's only lack of knowledge and that other word which I won't use here.
Out of respect for the ladies.

As said.
They BOTH have a place.
People should accept that.

Then if they don't like it. There's the road Jack. Your choice.

NOT OURS. We quite happy.

The world belongs to ALL.  NOT a select Biased few.

We have solar but also have a genie which we only run in northern summers for the aircon. 

Tried sleeping with just the fans going but too bluddy hot.  Just great with the aircon (there was no one else around for us to annoy).

Each to their own.....

Well, that generated some lively discussion.

DMaxer wrote:

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I see the generator brigade condescend to "tell" others what time they propose to cease their selfish anti social behaviour each evening with their own self determined hours of use. Tell me, do any of you ever bother to ask the rest of us camped nearby if we object to you even starting up your noise?

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Gday...

Speaking personally, and only from those days five years ago when I used to use the generator at least every second evening, I always approached those camped within 50metres of my camp and advised them I would be starting the generator around 4pm but that it would be off by 8pm.

That was those campers already insitu and I would also approach any new arrival as they were setting up. Once the genny was set up and running, anyone else who arrived I could only assume they had heard/saw it running and were at ease to set-up at their spot.

My experience from those days was that most, definitely the majority, of "generator users" would advise anyone nearby of their intentions.

In the three years I travelled with the generator as my main power-recharging source I never met anyone who was not accepting of my limited use of the generator... never met anyone who approached me, either with generator running or the next day, to complain and ask that it be turned off.

But then again, I haven't had the misfortune to camp at the same time and same place as some who post on here. I guess ya can't help bad luck.       

Obviously these days, with solar so predominant with vanners, the number running generators is nowhere near the same level. However, when a generator does go on during the day - early morning (eg 8am) or late arvo (eg 4-5pm) - other campers are very tolerant and I haven't seen anyone go over and 'suggest' the generator be turned off. Indeed, the "generator users" seem very aware of using it and seem to always place it somewhere where it minimises any annoyance.

And let's be quite honest - whilst a generator is definitely not silent, the sound it produces when running steadily on 'eco' is almost non-existent at 50metres.

Those who love to be up with sparrow-fart and seem to think everyone else MUST be up as well, pack up noisily with the diesel tug idling for half an hour make as much or more noise ... and give more annoyance ... than any generator I have heard running.

Exuberant happy hour mobs often make more noise - and usually go longer into the evening than the generator.   

I could go on ... ankle-biters running around squawking and little white fluffy overgrown rats yapping at everything that moves annoy me far more than someone using a generator responsibly. 

Cheers - John

I think (Rocky Lizard) Johns words sums it up yet again.

Never park next to someone who Snores. ON off ON off all night. Its the worst nights sleep you will ever get.

My Honda only purs at best till 9pm.

And if they don't like it, They can Bugger off cause I am always in my camp spot before they invade US.

Jim