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Aging into the night


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I've got a 240ah lithium battery in my camper trailer, I'm thinking of putting in another 240ah battery and upgrading the solar array from 250 watts to 600 watts. Or purchasing a generator/ inverter (around the $500 to$1000 mark). the generator will be the cheaper option, but my concern is the noise. The question is, any recommendations on a quiet generator?



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Whenarewethere


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Build a thick plywood box & fill it with engine bay insulation to cover the generator, with gaps, preferably at the bottom at different ends for air intake & exhaust. The air intake design with internal air flow to keep everything cool.

 

Plenty of ideas on the internet for air compressors as they are very noisy beasts.



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Thanks for the advice on the box, I'll pop into Kings and ask them to start up a 58dcb generator, if its too loud (even with a box), I'll opt for an extra battery and solar panels.

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Are We Lost


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Personally, I would not consider a generator unless there was absolutely no alternative.

Even with excellent sound insulation they are still easily audible. I don't know about other states, but in NSW if you rely on a generator you will be excluded from using it at most National Parks. Also excluded from a lot of caravan parks (non powered sites).

Generators not permitted in most NSW National Parks

"Generators may disturb wildlife and park visitors and so are generally not permitted in parks. But there are places where you can use them."

If you fit another battery and solar panel, it's done and just works silently in the background. With a generator it is another large heavy piece to lug around, maybe requires a different fuel, need to set up/pack away when camping, and an ongoing cost for fuel and maintenance. Also a theft risk.

Save yourself and your neighbours from the noise pollution of a generator. The restrictions on where you can stay are not applicable.



-- Edited by Are We Lost on Saturday 26th of July 2025 01:43:12 PM

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Peter_n_Margaret


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We have been travelling all over this country for 3 to 8 months each year for 20 years. We almost only free camp and we don't own a generator.
Fit as much solar as you can and you probably won't want or need an extra battery or a generator.
Cheers,
Peter



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OKA196 DIY, self contained 4WD motorhome, 1160W PV, 326Ah of CALB LiFePO4 batteries, 1.3kW inv, 310L water, 350-450L diesel.
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I do spend a lot of time in N/Ps, usually a lot of shade as well. But I take on board what you say about noise. The only reason I considered a generator was that I ran out of battery power at Wingan Inlet or at least the fridge shut down because there wasn't enough power in the batteries. Headed back a day earlier than planned. Mind you by the time I got to the bitumen the batteries were happy again, hence the query about "quiet" generators. Sounds more and more like there is no such thing. Upgrading the solar and storage may be the way to go.

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Peter_n_Margaret


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RE: Another battery or a "quiet"generator
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If you have lots of money, there is a quiet "generator".
We owned one of these in Europe for a couple of years.
Makes about the same noise as a compressor fridge, can be installed inside without venting and the exhaust creates a little carbon dioxide and some pure water.

EFOY Fuel Cells by SFC Energy - Product overview

Cheers,

Peter



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OKA196 DIY, self contained 4WD motorhome, 1160W PV, 326Ah of CALB LiFePO4 batteries, 1.3kW inv, 310L water, 350-450L diesel.
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Recently I have been getting popup adverts for motorhome generators by Macfarlane Generators. So I checked their website and here is a link:
www.macfarlanegenerators.com.au/products/2187/3kw-usr-petrol-inverter-vehicle-generator-tec30
The capacity of that model probably exceeds your needs. States powered by Honda but maybe other tech for the generator etc.
When I was checking generator prices, for the equivalent capacities, Honda generators were about three times the price as a Kings generator. I cannot comment on the Macfarlane units.

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nomadz


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Hi,
Assuming you only run short of power on rare occasions and that you have a dcdc charger, or your alternator wired to charge your camper batteries, why not use the generator you already have - your vehicle engine.
Ian

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Cheers Ian, done that once or twice as have others at various campsites. Something I didn't think about last time I went bush. These days most vehicles are fairly quiet when idling.

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erad


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There is no such thing as a "quiet Generator". Yes - they can be quiet when you tet them in the showroom, but when you get them out in the 'real world' and startusing them, they still make noticeable noise above the background ambient noise level. A quiet generator may put out noise levels of 60 dBa (at 5 m distance). That is good performance noisewise if you are parked near a road, but get away from everyone, and the background noise levels go way lower than that. I worked at a site where machinery noise was a problem. At night, the background noise level was around 30 dBa, and most of that noise was from the cows in the paddock. A 60 dBa generator would then be vey intrusive, even to yourself if no-one else was around.

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Yes, I think I may invest in a solar array(600w ish) and another 240 ah lithium battery ( li po4). I'm thinking that those db readings are taken at idle, not under load. Having 2 x 240ah batteries will give me plenty of power to run a fridge and a few lights after fully charging the batteries before leaving home.


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