generators (1 Viewer)

[johnbwhitehead]

im looking to buy a small generator.
anyone used one.
theres a clarke g950 900w £252.98
honda eu20i £1102.85

 

[johnsandywhite]

im looking to buy a small generator.
anyone used one.
theres a clarke g950 900w £252.98
honda eu20i £1102.85

:Cool: Yes, used one for several years as an extra to our onboard genny on the RV. The Clarke one is just a re-badged overpriced one that you can buy for around £60-£100. The Honda will always be expensive, but is usually highly recommended. It depends on how much you want to spend and how much you intend to use it? I have always had Solar power. But a genny comes in handy for WINTER and dark dismal days. Happy generating. :thumb:

 

[Planetgen]

:Cool: Yes, used one for several years as an extra to our onboard genny on the RV. The Clarke one is just a re-badged overpriced one that you can buy for around £60-£100. The Honda will always be expensive, but is usually highly recommended. It depends on how much you want to spend and how much you intend to use it? I have always had Solar power. But a genny comes in handy for WINTER and dark dismal days. Happy generating. :thumb:

why is the clarke one over priced? have you looked at the fact one could be 2-stroke? Also the clarke has an inverter.
The Planet 1 uses the same case but is totally different internally. This has a pure sine wave inverter and a 2 year warranty for £325. that to me seems like a good buy.

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[Douglas]

im looking to buy a small generator.
anyone used one.
theres a clarke g950 900w £252.98
honda eu20i £1102.85

Please don't! running a generator withing hearing of most other M/H ers will never make you a friend but might make you an enemy

Nothing personal, just an observation.

Doug...

 

[Planetgen]

Why would it make someone unpopular? Having a Generator running for a couple of hours behind the van @ 7 metres will make the gennie quiet.
Obviously dont use the Generator at 10pm! As long as people are sensible with it then no problem.
What about kids running round screaming, dogs howling? Late night parties etc?
Again common sense required, get a quiet one like a Honda or a Planet too and they really are not that bad.
However a 2 stroke or an open frame will obviously be loud.
Owning a Generator company I am privy to all sorts of people saying - "Oh thats not loud!" "I thought they were louder than that" Also if the Generator is too loud or screaming on load, then the Generator is probably the wrong Generator. As a for instance a 3 kva should really be run continuously at 2kva to avoid putting too much strain on things. Again people tend to go for the cheapest bare minimum which is a problem.
Simon

 

[Shubberdog]

Apart from the noise, which is a problem to others on a campsite, there are also the fumes and pollution emitted which we all have to breath in. Don’t do it get a large solar panel and after the initial cost it’s free :thumb::thumb:

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[stagman]

Why would it make someone unpopular? Having a Generator running for a couple of hours behind the van @ 7 metres will make the gennie quiet.
Obviously dont use the Generator at 10pm! As long as people are sensible with it then no problem.
What about kids running round screaming, dogs howling? Late night parties etc?
Again common sense required, get a quiet one like a Honda or a Planet too and they really are not that bad.
However a 2 stroke or an open frame will obviously be loud.
Owning a Generator company I am privy to all sorts of people saying - "Oh thats not loud!" "I thought they were louder than that" Also if the Generator is too loud or screaming on load, then the Generator is probably the wrong Generator. As a for instance a 3 kva should really be run continuously at 2kva to avoid putting too much strain on things. Again people tend to go for the cheapest bare minimum which is a problem.
Simon

More like 700 mts at 7mts any gennie is a nuisance .Dogs howling Kids screaming and late night parties along with noisy generators is all down to inconsiderate neighbours. Yes keep a small 4 stroke as back up to recharge your batteries 1kw is ample but priority would be for a solar panel :thumb:

 

[Jim]

My advice if I was watching the pennies and needed more power.

1. An extra battery maybe all you need, this is the cheapest option, before you buy anything else get as many batteries on board as space and weight allow. If you still need more.. see '2'
2. A small Genny to recharge all your batteries
3. A solar panel to silently recharge your batteries

If money is no object, first choice is still the best, extra batteries, the only change is that a genny becomes the least attractive option. If you can afford a roof full of solar panels you will probably not need to carry a heavy smelly genny and the fuel for it. But if you can afford a roof full of panels you probably have a large motorhome and a butler in a car following who could carry the genny in the boot.

Options if you are loaded.

1. Lots of extra batteries, say 4 x 110 ah
2. A solar panel to silently recharge all your batteries
3. A small genny for instant power or when the sun don't shine

My Genny advice: Unless you are at a show when everyone seems to use their genny -Do not use a genny at night at all, do not use it to watch evening TV. Charge your batteries by day. (Place the genny as far away from others as possible). Use an inverter at night. This way you get to stay friends with most people. I say most people, because some people would moan if your genny made no more noise than a mosquito.

 

[johnsandywhite]

why is the clarke one over priced? have you looked at the fact one could be 2-stroke? Also the clarke has an inverter.
The Planet 1 uses the same case but is totally different internally. This has a pure sine wave inverter and a 2 year warranty for £325. that to me seems like a good buy.

So let me see now?

I need a little bit of extra power to watch a little TV, charge Laptops, phones et al.

DO I choose a PURE SINE WAVE 900W genny at £325 or do I choose a £50/60 genny of between 600W and 900W? MMMMmmmmm. Difficult question. Do I REALLY need a PURE SINE WAVE genny? What could I use if for? MMmmmm. Run the fridge? Or perhaps some really awkward appliance like a Microwave that needs an instant boost? You pays your money and takes your choice. The £275 difference will buy an AWFUL LOT of fuel. IMH&HO. :thumb:

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[Planetgen]

it would be great until, something blows in your van. Pure sinewaves effectively stop surges and spikes. Again you spend 10,000's on your camper then you go cheap on a Generator - does not make sense.
Yes 275 is a lot of money, however a £70 2-stroke gennie that blows up is also a problem whn it takes your van out with it.
A lot of the generators cant be heard at 7 metres now?

 

[Planetgen]

shudderdog - fumes? wht fumes? I think your experiences are with 2 stroke. Also, a solar panel is usefull yes, however it will never produce even close to the output of even the cheapest generator.
Why would it be a problem to run for a couple of hours during the day.
Oh and I know about rules and regs on campsites, even etiquette very well.

 

[olley]

Why would you run a genny on a campsite? Only reason I can think of is if you have booked late, or are tight, and booked a non-electric pitch.

At the shows every other person seems to have one, so I think they are hardly likely to upset the majority, more than likely its the minority trying to foster their views on others.

Olley

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[Planetgen]

Why would you run a genny on a campsite? Only reason I can think of is if you have booked late, or are tight, and booked a non-electric pitch.

At the shows every other person seems to have one, so I think they are hardly likely to upset the majority, more than likely its the minority trying to foster their views on others.

Olley

Hi Olley, I agree. :thumb: Also without going too much into it, a cheap £70 2 stroke generator, wont power your tv laptop or even your van. The reason being, it has an avr instead of an inverter and it means things will go pop. When tv's and laptops start doing this then it comes an expensive game, so dont be tight and but a better one in the first place!
We gat asked to part ex 2 strokes all the time, our answer is always no. They are pointless so we wont deal with them. There may be 1 or two on the used section on our site.
If they are used correctly then no one should have a problem with a Generator.

 

[johnsandywhite]

Hi Olley, I agree. :thumb: Also without going too much into it, a cheap £70 2 stroke generator, wont power your tv laptop or even your van. The reason being, it has an avr instead of an inverter and it means things will go pop. When tv's and laptops start doing this then it comes an expensive game, so dont be tight and but a better one in the first place!
We gat asked to part ex 2 strokes all the time, our answer is always no. They are pointless so we wont deal with them. There may be 1 or two on the used section on our site.
If they are used correctly then no one should have a problem with a Generator.

oh: I must have been doing something wrong then? When my Alternator packed in on my 1988 Coachmen Classic, my 5KW generator packed in and my Solar power (2x120W + 1 x 50W and 4 x 110AH batteries) was not giving me sufficient power during dark winter days. I used my cheapo 900W generator to RUN:-

Fridge/Freezer/Satellite and TV and some charging to the batteries via the Truecharge 20/40 charger. Why did it only intermittently start hunting/struggling when the Fridge kicked in? I MUST have been VERY LUCKY then not do some real serious damage. I then used it for 4 years of Wildcamping instead of my repaired onboard genny. :thumb:

BTW. I must just mention that I always run my Laptops via an 800W Inverter (NOT Pure Sine Wave). The only time I had a problem was with an OLD Toshiba that would NOT operate via said Inverter.

 

[Douglas]

Why would it make someone unpopular? Having a Generator running for a couple of hours behind the van @ 7 metres will make the gennie quiet.
Obviously dont use the Generator at 10pm! As long as people are sensible with it then no problem.
What about kids running round screaming, dogs howling? Late night parties etc?
Again common sense required, get a quiet one like a Honda or a Planet too and they really are not that bad.
However a 2 stroke or an open frame will obviously be loud.
Owning a Generator company I am privy to all sorts of people saying - "Oh thats not loud!" "I thought they were louder than that" Also if the Generator is too loud or screaming on load, then the Generator is probably the wrong Generator. As a for instance a 3 kva should really be run continuously at 2kva to avoid putting too much strain on things. Again people tend to go for the cheapest bare minimum which is a problem.
Simon

Its obvious that you are going to be biased in favore of generators and thats ok. But I have to tell you that in my experiance there are more people that dislike them than like them, I do a lot of wild camping so most of the people I meet go down the solar panel path.

Do you sell solar panels? if you don't maybe you should.

Doug

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[sinbad1]

oh: I must have been doing something wrong then? When my Alternator packed in on my 1988 Coachmen Classic, my 5KW generator packed in and my Solar power (2x120W + 1 x 50W and 4 x 110AH batteries) was not giving me sufficient power during dark winter days. I used my cheapo 900W generator to RUN:-

Fridge/Freezer/Satellite and TV and some charging to the batteries via the Truecharge 20/40 charger. Why did it only intermittently start hunting/struggling when the Fridge kicked in? I MUST have been VERY LUCKY then not do some real serious damage. I then used it for 4 years of Wildcamping instead of my repaired onboard genny. :thumb:

BTW. I must just mention that I always run my Laptops via an 800W Inverter (NOT Pure Sine Wave). The only time I had a problem was with an OLD Toshiba that would NOT operate via said Inverter.

I agree ran a cheapo for 12yrs no probs at all, i would ony run the genny if out in the wild though, they can be annoying to others,and to be honest if you have a good set of batteries /solar pannels and inverters you can manage without a genny.


Regards

 

[Douglas]

Also, a solar panel is usefull yes, however it will never produce even close to the output of even the cheapest generator.

Not True, with my setup using solar panels, In the last 5 years I have never used a generator and I have never pluged into the mains, solar panels are my only sorce of power.

Doug...

 

[johnsandywhite]

Not True, with my setup using solar panels, In the last 5 years I have never used a generator and I have never pluged into the mains, solar panels are my only sorce of power.

Doug...

:thumb: I have had Solar power in varying amounts for the last 9 years. But being a heavy user of power I sometimes have to resort to a genny.
BTW. I asked before? You have a Swift 630G? I am in the process of buying a 2004 Swift Suntor 630G to replace my 1989 Swift Kontiki as a commuter. Have you had any problems? Sorry to go off topic, but I am actually going to be fitting an 80W Solar panel to the 630G. So I suppose it is still on the subject? :thumb:

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[Road Runner]

I use my 2KW kipor genny at shows which I seem to be at most recently but you cant beat a hook up (sheer bliss)

I will one day soon get a solar panel though.

 

[jezport]

why is the clarke one over priced? have you looked at the fact one could be 2-stroke? Also the clarke has an inverter.
The Planet 1 uses the same case but is totally different internally. This has a pure sine wave inverter and a 2 year warranty for £325. that to me seems like a good buy.

I was next to their stand at Newark and their generators sound nice and quiet. They didn't even disturb my parrot

 

[Shubberdog]

shudderdog - fumes? wht fumes? I think your experiences are with 2 stroke. Also, a solar panel is usefull yes, however it will never produce even close to the output of even the cheapest generator.
Why would it be a problem to run for a couple of hours during the day.
Oh and I know about rules and regs on campsites, even etiquette very well.

Well you would say that wouldn’t you as you are trying to sell generators and expensive ones at that. Perhaps you are so used to the smell that you don’t notice it anymore. However I think most people on this site will know what I mean and if you are down wind of one the fumes and noise carry a long way, or are you trying to say that the engines on your generators don’t produce fumes, unlike every other engine in the world.

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[Douglas]

:thumb: I have had Solar power in varying amounts for the last 9 years. But being a heavy user of power I sometimes have to resort to a genny.
BTW. I asked before? You have a Swift 630G? I am in the process of buying a 2004 Swift Suntor 630G to replace my 1989 Swift Kontiki as a commuter. Have you had any problems? Sorry to go off topic, but I am actually going to be fitting an 80W Solar panel to the 630G. So I suppose it is still on the subject? :thumb:

Ok John, as we are not supposed to be too rough on manufacture's as the owner of the site can get it in the neck, I will send you a PM with my comments about your question.

Is that OK Jim?

Doug...

 

[hilldweller]

we are not supposed to be too rough on manufacture's as the owner of the site can get it in the neck
Doug...

????

No-one gets it in the neck if the comments would stand up in court.

At least he's buying a good Fiat chassis. No experience of Swift.

 

[Planetgen]

Dont worry about being harsh on the manufacturer, the Planets are built for us to our specs. We own the machines!
I never thought they were expensive especially with the backup in place.
I am not adversed to selling "greener" items. We sell all types of solar panels and wind turbines.
In fact we have just got a contract to supply 16,000 Vertical Axis Wind Turbines, these are completely green. However everything has a purpose.
Not everyone can afford loads of panels and leisure batteries, nor do some people have the space to store them.
Yes of course ours produce fumes, I am not disputing that. They are however a lot more efficient than other types of Generators. Most of the suitcase Gennies are.
They do have other used too, with the 12v they are great for flat batteries on vans!
Also they will work whatever the weather.
I would never knock solar panels as they work very well in good weather as a trickle charger, the same with wind turbines.

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[Diabalo]

You can't beat a good gennie, I would need a whole bank of batteries to run the dishwasher and the other halfs hairdrier. Can't see what everyone is moaning about, they are not noisy and virtually odour free. You will probably find the ones that are moaning are wild campers and a bit in the tight side, too tight to go on a site and too tight to buy a gennie.

 

[scotjimland]

You can't beat a good gennie, I would need a whole bank of batteries to run the dishwasher and the other halfs hairdrier. Can't see what everyone is moaning about, they are not noisy and virtually odour free. You will probably find the ones that are moaning are wild campers and a bit in the tight side, too tight to go on a site and too tight to buy a gennie.

ohh that's fighting talk ..

don't you just luv a good genny thread

next please ! :Cool:

 

[olley]

I was gassed by a genny while I slept. The thieves lugged the genny onto the roof and plugged the exhaust in through my vent, stole everything.

Two contentious issues for one Jim.

Olley

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[Diabalo]

What about towing a gennie with an A Frame, is it legal?

 

[The Wallace]

How about using a Calor bottle you have filled yourself to fuel it with a home made regulator?

 

[pappajohn]

What about towing a gennie with an A Frame, is it legal?

not sure if thats totally legal....

i'v towed my solar panel behind a gennie using an inverter as a home made A frame...beat that

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