Festival do I need a generator

[cason]

Hi We have a pilote 696 essential and my daughter is borrowing it for a festival, they are worried about the drop down bed lasting on battery and solar panel do I need to buy a generator. Thanks

 

[Lenny HB]

How much solar & what size is your battery bank?
How many days?

 

[cason]

Just one solar, one battery, we wild but never had a problem as we move about touring, They will be there for around 5 nights.

 

[Swifter]

save the money on a generator and buy her a tent

 

[cason]

save the money on a generator and buy her a tent

Dont think she would appreciate that

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[Lenny HB]

Just one solar, one battery, we wild but never had a problem as we move about touring, They will be there for around 5 nights.

I assume 100watt solar and 100ah battery, if they are not using the TV & not much heating should be OK.
You could suggest they buy you another solar pannel & battery.

 

[pappajohn]

It's a festival, nobody gives a toss so get a small generator just for topping up the battery but remember, it will take a few hours running if the battery is allowed to get low.
If its a little one stick it under the van to reduce the noise a bit.

 

[bridgedino]

save the money on a generator and buy her a tent

thatll also give the neighbouring vans peace from a generator. Pretty sure a neighbours noisy generator might drive me to murder

 

[pappajohn]

thatll also give the neighbouring vans peace from a generator. Pretty sure a neighbours noisy generator might drive me to murder

It's presumably a music festival..... You won't hear a generator.

 

[poppycamper]

It's presumably a music festival..... You won't hear a generator.

I have been to a few music festivals and I disagree with what you say... camping and mohos are usually quite a distance from the stages and main arena.

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[JJ]

From my limited experience of festivals... Glastonbury, Reading, Monsters of Rock Donnington, Hop Farm etc, the very last thing anyone would worry about would be the genny noise... on hearing it you will be surrounded by youth wanting to charge up their phones...

(mind you this was several years ago...)

JJ

 

[JohnJan]

Just fill it with diesel before she enters the field/site and tell her to run the engine for a couple of hours each day, she'll get 7+amps per hour output from the alternator.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Once arrived, just leave the bed down. They won't be in the MH enough to be worrying about needing to sit around ass they'll be out and about, and then returning to traipse mud all the way through your plush facilities.

 

[chaser]

Once arrived, just leave the bed down. They won't be in the MH enough to be worrying about needing to sit around ass they'll be out and about, and then returning to traipse mud all the way through your plush facilities.

That crossed my mind as well, what's the bed got to do with electric?
That's all they need a bed, so just leave it ready to drop into.

 

[Just smiffy]

You either have a very responsible daughter or your mad..

I take my hat off to you...

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[RubyOptics]

I really don't think they'll need a genny. Just make sure they turn off everything non-essential when they leave the van to go around the festival and even minimal solar should keep everything ship-shape for 5 days.

 

[Lenny HB]

Just fill it with diesel before she enters the field/site and tell her to run the engine for a couple of hours each day, she'll get 7+amps per hour output from the alternator.

And bugger the engine last thing you want to do with a modern diesel.

 

[RubyOptics]

And bugger the engine last thing you want to do with a modern diesel.

Lenny, in this regard, what counts as "modern"?? My van is a year 2001, should I also be wary of doing this?

 

[JohnJan]

And bugger the engine last thing you want to do with a modern diesel.

I doubt it would bugger the engine after 5 days of minimal use. It would be possible to inform her if the regen light came on to not use it anymore rather than the prophet of doom approach.

 

[Lenny HB]

I doubt it would bugger the engine after 5 days of minimal use. It would be possible to inform her if the regen light came on to not use it anymore rather than the prophet of doom approach.

Not worth the risk modern diesels never get up to operating temperature on tickover the should be driven off straight away. There is at least one Funster who found the hard way and it cost him quite a few grand.

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[delta juliet]

Once arrived, just leave the bed down. They won't be in the MH enough to be worrying about needing to sit around ass they'll be out and about, and then returning to traipse mud all the way through your plush facilities.

Oh I don’t know, I am sure you could get at least another dozen drunken, weed smoking youths into a moho if you could get the bed back up out of the way, depending on how many of them in it at the time of course - I think mud is going to be the very least of the worries !!

 

[Janine]

I have a 100w solar panel, run the water pump and led lights. In sunny weather, I can last at least 5 days without running the engine.

 

[Lucky]

If you do get a generator, buy a beefy lock and chain to go with it

 

[Lenny HB]

Idealy you don't want them to run the battery low but if it did happen can't they wind the bed up & down manually. I assume it has a handle for emergency use, our front blind has.

 

[chaser]

Not worth the risk modern diesels never get up to operating temperature on tickover the should be driven off straight away. There is at least one Funster who found the hard way and it cost him quite a few grand.

How does this affect my ex ambulance then, it's done 350000, and for most of its life before I got it, it's stood ticking over for hours on end.

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[dosser]

Regularly do 3/4 day festivals and never had a problem thats with 3 of us charging phones and Bluetooth speaker lights etc. I'm sure they will be fine.

 

[Lenny HB]

How does this affect my ex ambulance then, it's done 350000, and for most of its life before I got it, it's stood ticking over for hours on end.

When in service the engine was always up to temperature from driving.
No problem if you drive a few miles then leave it on tickover.

 

[poppycamper]

How does this affect my ex ambulance then, it's done 350000, and for most of its life before I got it, it's stood ticking over for hours on end.

Yes once warmed up....NOT FROM COLD.....

 

[SuperMike]

In my limited experience. The MO will be used only for the bed and possibly toilet. Leave the bed down ready to use and when waking up, just fall out of your pit and find a stall selling grub, then find music, come back at end of day and fall back into bed. The toilet is for the amount of beer being drunk. If the battery does not manage the time, then just start the engine for a little time, no worse than being in a two hour traffic jam and all engines start from cold. But most of all have fun, regretfully my festival days are done.

 

[Lucky]

The Pilote 696 bed drops down into the lounge, so leaving it down isn't really practical.