Boondocking: Run Generator Overnight?

[JpalmerCass]

Originally Posted by SlowJoe

Who needs AC at 72?

The OP's wife.

[904Dave]

We dry camp often with lots of other rigs and tents doing the same. The organizer keeps the tents away from the generator exhaust. We have never had a problem. Some have the Genturi generator exhaust pipe some dint. Important part is ensuring your CO2 alarm tests good. Today’s generator s are pretty quiet and at if it ends up being warm at night for your trip a lot of your group may run theirs too.

[NeilV]

Originally Posted by PeterFTH

Side note - generator (and other) oil change intervals are entirely made up. If you can change the oil at 50 hours by all means do so, but that oil is good for many hundreds of hours and your generator will never know the difference if you go over the interval. As a test, take an oil sample at 50 hours and I promise it will come back as "ok for continued service."

Its a somewhat false sense of security since once it comes back as reading due for a change you have already been running it for an unknown period of time with marginal to unacceptable oil in it. Most are not going to want to run an engine until oil analysis tells them there is already too much metal suspended in the oil.

[Ivylog]

50 years ago CAT’s oil change recommendation was 100 hours...worked out to every 2 weeks. Oil sampling made it possible to go to 250 hours/5 weeks...could have gone even longer but 250 worked well with a hour meter.
In 50 years the quality of oils (additives too) have improved but when I get the oil changed in my car they still want me to change it in 3000 miles...not going to happen. That myth was debunked in Checker Cabs 55 years ago by CReports Oils do not go bad in a year and a engine that works hard, like a RV or generator, does not have moisture in it. Some folks need to spend more time out in the real world.

[Reacher]

For less than 20.00 a year to service my genset why would I waste much more $ on an analysis?

[Easyrider]

When we boondock in hot weather we will run the generator and ACs up to when we go to sleep and then shut them all off. Our motorhome stays comfortable until the sun comes up at which time we start everything up again when it starts warming up inside.

One time we had some tenters set up right next to us within about 5 feet of our generator's exhaust. We didn't know them, and I still ran my generator thinking if they're that stupid to set up that close to us I'm not going to worry or feel sorry for them. They packed up early in the morning and left before I had a chance to see if they had a pounding headache.

[tripntx]

How do any of you know what temp a stranger needs to be comfortable while sleeping? I find it self righteous, if not disingenuous to say someone else whom you don't know will be comfortable sleeping at 72f by opening windows and running a fan just because you are. Maybe if humidity is extremely low...

I will wake up sweating if temp is 70 or above, with or without fans. With that said, I'm very sensitive to high humidity, and live on the upper Texas Gulf coast where it is always humid, so my point of view is very biased. DW and I sleep with AC in S&B set at 67f, and have ceiling fans running in every room.

If park has quite hours, obey them, and stay in a park with electric hookups to keep DW comfortable.

If park does not have established quite hours, then run the genny all you want to keep DW comfortable and happy. I learned 'yes dear' early in my marriage, because a happy wife means happy life for me.

I'm nervous about CO too, but we have run our genny overnight several times. We currently have two CO monitors, one in living room, and one in bedroom. Each one gets changed every two years, but the years are staggered, so one is always less than one yr old, while the other is never over two years old. Seeing how nervous some of you are about CO has me thinking about adding a second CO monitor to the bedroom. In the grand scheme it wouldn't cost me any more money if I continued replacing one every year, just the oldest would be no more than three years old. Just talked myself into it, I will add another CO monitor to the bedroom.

50 hour oil changes are two soon for me based upon how much we use the genny, but I wouldn't want to go much past 100 hours. Oil change interval is determined by your risk level. We average 200 hours per year, and I change the oil twice a year.

[sibe]

Originally Posted by tripntx

How do any of you know what temp a stranger needs to be comfortable while sleeping? I find it self righteous, if not disingenuous to say someone else whom you don't know will be comfortable sleeping at 72f by opening windows and running a fan just because you are. Maybe if humidity is extremely low...

I will wake up sweating if temp is 70 or above, with or without fans. With that said, I'm very sensitive to high humidity, and live on the upper Texas Gulf coast where it is always humid, so my point of view is very biased. DW and I sleep with AC in S&B set at 67f, and have ceiling fans running in every room.

If park has quite hours, obey them, and stay in a park with electric hookups to keep DW comfortable.

If park does not have established quite hours, then run the genny all you want to keep DW comfortable and happy. I learned 'yes dear' early in my marriage, because a happy wife means happy life for me.

I'm nervous about CO too, but we have run our genny overnight several times. We currently have two CO monitors, one in living room, and one in bedroom. Each one gets changed every two years, but the years are staggered, so one is always less than one yr old, while the other is never over two years old. Seeing how nervous some of you are about CO has me thinking about adding a second CO monitor to the bedroom. In the grand scheme it wouldn't cost me any more money if I continued replacing one every year, just the oldest would be no more than three years old. Just talked myself into it, I will add another CO monitor to the bedroom.

50 hour oil changes are two soon for me based upon how much we use the genny, but I wouldn't want to go much past 100 hours. Oil change interval is determined by your risk level. We average 200 hours per year, and I change the oil twice a year.

Great post,...

The only thing I am new too is all these CO2 detectors... my ignorance>
my first Class c was a converted Bus Limo... We ran a 2200 or 3000 genny, faced it away from neighbors and our rig,,, never parked close enough where someone's genny was directed near us or we would ask them to turn it...
Common sense approach..
My new to me 96 Minnie 29RQ has 2 Co2 and smoke. I did move the RV onan exhaust exit from under the bedroom window (factory) to the rear along with aresonator and short pipe to quiet it a couple DB and put exhaust out back..

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by sibe

Great post,...

The only thing I am new too is all these CO2 detectors... my ignorance>
my first Class c was a converted Bus Limo... We ran a 2200 or 3000 genny, faced it away from neighbors and our rig,,, never parked close enough where someone's genny was directed near us or we would ask them to turn it...
Common sense approach..
My new to me 96 Minnie 29RQ has 2 Co2 and smoke. I did move the RV onan exhaust exit from under the bedroom window (factory) to the rear along with aresonator and short pipe to quiet it a couple DB and put exhaust out back..

CO is bad.

CO2 is bubbles in soda.

[okcnewbie]

Originally Posted by corton

....DW says she has to have the a/c on to sleep...

If you don't want to run the AC at night;

1. I'm afraid we won't wake up because of the fumes from the gen.
Very weak argument IMO.
2. We'll likely upset some of the campers around us. This could work. If some of your neighbors are running their gens all night than it weakens the argument for sure.

[stew1]

Run ours 24 hrs aday while on beach no one else around most of time

[PeterFTH]

Originally Posted by corton

We've had our Itasca Sunstar 31KE (2016) for a year now, but so far have only stayed at spots with hookups.


We are about to spend 3 nights boondocking. It will be 88 during the day down to 72 at night.


DW says she has to have the a/c on to sleep. Since the gen is under the back corner of our bedroom, I'm concerned about dying of CO poisoning even though we have an alarm in the center of the RV. I don't mind running the generator for a few hours to cool things down, but doubt that would last all night.

Additionally, there will be about a dozen other campers in our vicinity - everything from tents to other Class A's. I'm betting none of them want to hear a generator at 2 AM.

So I was just wondering: how do y'all handle this situation?

One other idea I have yet to see anyone employ is a sound box over their portable genset. I simple box with insulation inside and a port for air to get in with a fan on the output port will deaden the small generator by well over 50%. Surprised some enterprizing company hasn't come out with them yet. Less than 50% noise for you AND your neighbors for a few dollars in materials and an afternoon to construct. PS- Make sure the fan is adequate to cool your generator ... they draw nothing and the electricity is right there. A simple baffle on the air input and output will go even farther to quieting the thing.

[tcg]

Originally Posted by PeterFTH

One other idea I have yet to see anyone employ is a sound box over their portable genset. I simple box with insulation inside and a port for air to get in with a fan on the output port will deaden the small generator by well over 50%. Surprised some enterprizing company hasn't come out with them yet. Less than 50% noise for you AND your neighbors for a few dollars in materials and an afternoon to construct. PS- Make sure the fan is adequate to cool your generator ... they draw nothing and the electricity is right there. A simple baffle on the air input and output will go even farther to quieting the thing.

A quick, very quick, Google search came up with this.



https://www.zombie-box.com/

[Kurtsara]

Originally Posted by tcg

A quick, very quick, Google search came up with this.



https://www.zombie-box.com/

Instead of spending on that I bought a Honda.