Generator - first start (1 Viewer)

[Vanman]

Hi folks - I've had this generator sat in the garage for about 10 years - wifely one bought it for use at the allotment, but it never made it that far ... some of my many questions are -

1. would it keep my 65L beer fridge running at bike rallies if I fired it up for a couple of hours a day (12v battery (95ah))

2. given that it's not been used ever and may have stood 'end up' for several years is there anything special I should do before/during the start-up process? It's been sat in the correct rotation for a couple of months now.

Thanks

 

[Figaro]

I`d say give it a check over, top up the oil, put fresh fuel in and give it a pull.
Just don`t park near me please

 

[pappajohn]

Pull it over a few times with ign off to get the oil moving.
Fresh fuel and it should start.

But your a braver man than me starting that at a rally of any description.
It's a builders genny and horrifically noisy.
I have the same genny without the wheels and it really is NOISEY !
Not just the exhaust but the mechanicals as well.....I think they used a ruler to measure machining tolerances when they designed it.
As for charging your battery, it depends what output your 12v outlet is....probably 8amps.

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[Ivory55]

You will not hear the generator going over the top of the noise of the kids kicking their football up against your van. Haha

 

[pappajohn]

If it needs any spares, under its fancy top coat it's a WOLFE and parts are available from the distributors in Batley, west Yorkshire (from memory)

 

[Enword]

This is more appropriate for Rally's

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[hilldweller]

anything special I should do before/during the start-up process?

Pray.

If it ever had petrol through it the carb may be gummed up and need cleaning. Plug might need cleaning.

 

[pappajohn]

Pray.

If it ever had petrol through it the carb may be gummed up and need cleaning. Plug might need cleaning.

You missed this bit Brian....

given that it's not been used ever

 

[pappajohn]

This is more appropriate for Rally's

But of a payload issue though...weighs more than the van.

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[RogerThat]

Pull it over a few times with ign off to get the oil moving.

Definitely do this first

 

[Enword]

But of a payload issue though...weighs more than the van.

Have about 10 of these in the BSB paddock every round! not so good if its right out side your MH, but you get used to it.

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[Vanman]

Pull it over a few times with ign off to get the oil moving.
Fresh fuel and it should start.

But your a braver man than me starting that at a rally of any description.
It's a builders genny and horrifically noisy.
I have the same genny without the wheels and it really is NOISEY !
Not just the exhaust but the mechanicals as well.....I think they used a ruler to measure machining tolerances when they designed it.
As for charging your battery, it depends what output your 12v outlet is....probably 8amps.

Thanks for the tips

Often at bike rallies you get a ring of MH with a generator 'dump' in the middle, they are horrendously loud and run from 0800 (tyre warmers) to 11pm (eek). Mine says it outputs 2x230v by 13a and 2x100v by 16a and also claims a 12v DC battery charging facility which I presume. is for the cab battery? I don't know how long it would have to run to top up a leisure battery running a 65L fridge.

You do have me slightly worried about the noise though, I'd never want to use it on a 'site' as I'd always want EHU, just up to 10 race meetings a year. Not sure now whether to sell it and put the money towards a better one ... if I were going to sell it do you think it would be better sold 'Unused and untested' or fire it up and make sure it works? Not sure it's worth trading up though for so little use. Maybe I need to start it and hear for myself!

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[Vanman]

You will not hear the generator going over the top of the noise of the kids kicking their football up against your van. Haha

Nah - they'd probably get caught in the minefield I lay out first Anyway, kids have a sixth sense that steers them away from old men in vans

 

[Vanman]

This is more appropriate for Rally's

Strangely enough I think I saw one of them at Mallory, it was mounted in a bike frame!!

 

[Vanman]

Have about 10 of these in the BSB paddock every round! not so good if its right out side your MH, but you get used to it.

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At Thundersports meets you just camp in the paddock. The racket when you're in a tent is pretty intense. Still at least they only run them 0800-2300 (unless they come back from the bar and forget to turn them off) lol (not)

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[Enword]

But of a payload issue though...weighs more than the van.

Have about 10 of these in the BSB paddock every round! not so good if its right out side your MH, but you get used to it.

At Thundersports meets you just camp in the paddock. The racket when you're in a tent is pretty intense. Still at least they only run them 0800-2300 (unless they come back from the bar and forget to turn them off) lol (not)

Back in the 90s I had a passenger that would leave our awning quite late, & if there were geny's still running you'd hear them coughing & sputtering as he walked back he'd turn off the petrol tap's

 

[Bacchus]

Thanks for the tips

Often at bike rallies you get a ring of MH with a generator 'dump' in the middle, they are horrendously loud and run from 0800 (tyre warmers) to 11pm (eek). Mine says it outputs 2x230v by 13a and 2x100v by 16a and also claims a 12v DC battery charging facility which I presume. is for the cab battery? I don't know how long it would have to run to top up a leisure battery running a 65L fridge.

You do have me slightly worried about the noise though, I'd never want to use it on a 'site' as I'd always want EHU, just up to 10 race meetings a year. Not sure now whether to sell it and put the money towards a better one ... if I were going to sell it do you think it would be better sold 'Unused and untested' or fire it up and make sure it works? Not sure it's worth trading up though for so little use. Maybe I need to start it and hear for myself!

I would be inclined to sell it as "new and unused" (not unused and untested). If you fire it up and find something wrong you'll have to fix it and it will always be "used"

Sell it and invest the money in either solar or a decent suitcase gennie (honda). I am not anti-generator but in your position I would be looking at solar.

 

[DanielFord]

That looks like it will be extremely noisy, since it isn't really designed to be a 'silent' model. However for the specifics:

1. would it keep my 65L beer fridge running at bike rallies if I fired it up for a couple of hours a day (12v battery (95ah))

It should do, but to be honest a better option is the fridge in the van, which will run on gas whilst you are not on hookup. (Assuming you have a fridge that is)

2. given that it's not been used ever and may have stood 'end up' for several years is there anything special I should do before/during the start-up process? It's been sat in the correct rotation for a couple of months now.

As others have said, before you even think about starting it, you will need to give it a full service. That entails cleaning the carb, cleaning the air filter, change the oil and spark plug. Give it a few tugs with the ignition off afterwards to circulate the oil.

Once you have confirmed that it works, put it on ebay and buy a 'suitcase' type generator like a Honda or Hyundai, they are much quieter and better suited to your needs

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[Vanman]

That looks like it will be extremely noisy, since it isn't really designed to be a 'silent' model. However for the specifics:

It should do, but to be honest a better option is the fridge in the van, which will run on gas whilst you are not on hookup. (Assuming you have a fridge that is)


As others have said, before you even think about starting it, you will need to give it a full service. That entails cleaning the carb, cleaning the air filter, change the oil and spark plug. Give it a few tugs with the ignition off afterwards to circulate the oil.

Once you have confirmed that it works, put it on ebay and buy a 'suitcase' type generator like a Honda or Hyundai, they are much quieter and better suited to your needs

Well thank you for addressing the specifics , even though you're assumptions are a bit inaccurate

I'm not sure how a generator can 'look noisey' I did find a db quote for it, but to be honest I lost a lot of interest when I tried to extract it from it's box yesterday and my back broke in several places. Lifting it even only partially filled with oil - as it is sold, is at least a 2 man if not 4 man game, so not really much use to me at race meetings. I think I'm going to go with the New & unused sales pitch, although there's no hurry as I'm also leaning towards a 2nd battery and Solar panel. Some risk in bad weather (that's the UK most of the year) but as the main risk is to the coldness of the beer, it's still likely to be cooler than it would be in a tent

Just to explain ... the 'beer fridge' is the one that comes with the van, it morphs into a beer specific model at bike race meetings when the van itself transforms into a man-van The model that comes with the van is a 65L compressor (electric only) thing so if it starts running on gas at any point I'll be mightily impressed, but probably die soon after due to the lack of vents and the CO2 poisoning

 

[Treeeev]

Vanman

I think that as your fridge is a compressor one, you may need to re-think your solar requirements (ie 2 or possibly more panels as well as a second battery) to ensure you have sufficient power for your fridge. Having owned VW's for many years, I have been to many VW meetings where the majority seem to like these fridges as there are no "ugly vents" (their words) in the side of the van. The downside is that I have also seen many of these people with luke warm beer after 2-3 days because the battery was flat. I like the 3 way fridges as there is always a way of cooling the beers as there is nothing worse

Cheers

Trevor

 

[Vanman]

Vanman

I think that as your fridge is a compressor one, you may need to re-think your solar requirements (ie 2 or possibly more panels as well as a second battery) to ensure you have sufficient power for your fridge. Having owned VW's for many years, I have been to many VW meetings where the majority seem to like these fridges as there are no "ugly vents" (their words) in the side of the van. The downside is that I have also seen many of these people with luke warm beer after 2-3 days because the battery was flat. I like the 3 way fridges as there is always a way of cooling the beers as there is nothing worse

Cheers

Trevor

Thanks for that Trevor. Sadly? I've only got a little one which explains the original post about the capacity and time equation. I very much doubt there will be room up there of two panels and the cost becomes silly for 10 times a year, which brings us back to Doh.

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[Treeeev]

Vanman

I that case, I think you have three options
either your plan of an additional battery and solar panel and see how that goes.
or a smaller suitcase genny
or a really good coolbox which will keep ice frozen for a few days for the beers

Sorry, can't help you with your small one

Cheers

Trevor

 

[davejen]

Fourth option, sell the genny and GIVE UP DRINKING!!! Just think how much money you will save.....
Cheers, Dave

 

[davejen]

This is more appropriate for Rally's Is that the engine from your outfit?
Cheers, Dave

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[jnn]

what model of fridge is it? or does it say on the side how many amps current it uses?

 

[jnn]

You might get away with solar panels. mine are being fitted to the van today and so haven't been used in anger yet but 2*100W panels - just fit on a Renault Traffic - when they were set up in my garden on a dull overcast day a couple of weeks ago they produced 700W between 9.30 and 1600.

That would be enough to power my small fridge (4amp) for 14 hours if its compressor ran continuously (which it doesn't)

 

[Vanman]

Not certain but I think it's this one. Ideally I want it to last from Friday lunch time until Sunday night - circa 55 hours. Most of that time it would be closed, open maybe 20 times for a few seconds a time (to get a pair of cans out)

It's only a 5.4m van though so I'm not sure there's room up there for 2x 100w panels.

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[jnn]

that's longer than mine and the panels just fitted, with a spoiler and vent too.

The compressor doesn't run most of the time, so long as it's well insulated and running some of the time you'd probably get away with one 100w panel - that'd charge the battery during daylight.

What we tend to do when having a BBQ whilst out climbing is freeze all of the meat, and wrap in a foil blanket, even on a hot day we often still have frozen burgers at tea time (in a rucksack not a fridge). Starting off with a cold fridge and adding a few frozen cool blocks or frozen food might help keep it cool and keep it from needing to run the compressor as much too

 

[jnn]

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1.6ah/h at 25c (45 watts)

 

[teensvan99]

This geni does not look like the inverter type so never connect the 230v feed to your van hookup. It could fry the charger unit. much to loud to use at meets. As stated builders use only.