Generator Camping

[az bound]

Originally Posted by phxmtngirl

Hi first of all it is CO not CO2.
At PIR in AZ you are not allowed to run your gen very much, stated times only and it is monitored, the reason is not really the noise, but the CO (carbon monixide) levels get very high.
Have fun and enjoy your first NASCAR race, its a blast.

That sounds like some real logic. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy NASCAR and Nationwide but when I think of all those cars that only get about 3-MPG. running on a track for a week. All the BBQ grills for the vendors and tailgaters. And then saying that generator use needs to be restricted to control CO.
Wonder if those same rules apply to raceteams and officials?

[jimbo16720]

Originally Posted by RedneckExpress

So, basically, in terms of electronics, they're "No names". Which adds a whole new degree of fun to warranty repairs and returns (Since they're not brands any regular electronics store is going to carry).

I think you just answered your question as to why most folks aren't buying 12 volt LCD sets.

Personally, I use a regular 19" flat screen and a magnavox up-converter DVD Player. I have switchable outlet system wired up in my rig that allows me to switch several outlets from the shore power connection to the inverter so I can watch TV off battery at night if I wish.

The generator mostly gets used to charge the battery, or run the a/c, or power the microwave or toaster during breakfast.

Can't run it all at the same time but I do rather well on 1200 watts of generator power.

The 12volt will use less amps from the batteries than the 120 volt through a inverter. If you want to run off shore or generator power it won't matter. Makes your batteries last longer by using less power. Mine will have the 12 volt lcd and use the generator for battery charging and bigger loads like microwave and coffee pot.

[RedneckExpress]

Originally Posted by jimbo16720

The 12volt will use less amps from the batteries than the 120 volt through a inverter. If you want to run off shore or generator power it won't matter. Makes your batteries last longer by using less power. Mine will have the 12 volt lcd and use the generator for battery charging and bigger loads like microwave and coffee pot.

Originally Posted by RedneckExpress

The generator mostly gets used to charge the battery, or run the a/c, or power the microwave or toaster during breakfast.

To date, I have yet to run the TV off the generator, its either powered off shore power when available or off the inverter. I've watched 5 or more hours of DVDs/TV off the inverter without denting my twin SCS225 battery bank.

Unlike alot of newer, bigger rigs, my little 40 year old camper is very much a power miser. For example, I can run my furnace all night without running my batteries down because its blower motor only draws 2.6 amps.

So, splurging a little using the inverter and a regular and less expensive to replace TV has never really bothered me.

[Pghwizard]

Alrighty, I mentioned in a couple other posts that we are currently on our 3rd travel trailer after getting of of this for 10 or so years.

So I'm loving the forum, reading over things posted, using the "search" button and researching this so I can hit the ground running when the weather breaks.

I can't recall (it's in another post) I have this beefy Honeywell unit myself and plan to place it in the bed of my truck. Question I have is I'll create and extenstion to vent it but is there and reason I can't add a switch or a switch to use as a remote switch? A switch that can be stuck in threw a window or something so I can start and stop it without going outside?

Any thoughts folks?

[Dadeaux]

Why not, if it's electric start that should work.

[Pghwizard]

Originally Posted by Dadeaux

Why not, if it's electric start that should work.

Figure it already has a electric switch I'd just jump off of it to a 15 or 20 foot line....

[Dirtbuster]

Originally Posted by ejm4

We too plan to attend our first Nascar race this spring. It is my understanding that generators are tolerated from say 7am until 11pm. I have also been told that if the weather is hot they really don't enforce the rule. I would imagine it varies from track to track.

As for the Genturi - check amazon as they are cheaper and offer free shipping.

As for not running a generator all night due to co2, I never have heard of that, but I profess not to know everything - Yet. :-)

At last years Labor Day race in Atlanta, generators were running constantly. We had a neighbor that had a generator that was so loud, we could not here ourselves talking. Track officials walked by and turned it off, because no one was there. He was a big guy, that was not to happy. Courtesy is something that is not found at most Nascar races. They are there to party.

At 3am my CO alarm went off due to the fumes. I started to stay the night after the race, but my alarm went off again. So around 1:30am I pulled out, & headed home. There were people sitting around camp fires, that were taller than the motor homes.

I might head down to Daytona week after next to watch practice for the 3 days. Admission will be free. Maybe I will run into some of you!

[SarahW]

Originally Posted by tsumner

Thanks for all the helpful information. One thing for sure: I thought I spent a lot of money on my travel trailer, but owning an RV is a much more expensive proposition. I am looking at a Genturi and the autostart.

Now, a dinghy!

Tsumner

Get used to it!! "Empty wallet syndrome" goes with RV ownership! And welcome to the forum.

[1stCougar]

Hey RedneckExpress want to look into buying an inverter for tv
at night, can you get me going in the right direction don't know
what battery's I have but I have a 50amp service so I'm thinking
I have two 12v battery's any help would be great I have a 32in TV.
thats the smallest tv I can see anymore

[RedneckExpress]

First off, what type of 32" set? LED Backlit, standard LCD, or a Plasma? Some of these suck serious juice and wouldn't be feasible to run off of an inverter for an extended period of time, at least not only 2 batteries.

I have a MSW unit, 400 watt/800 watt surge, but most of my electronics have decently filtered power systems so they're not really affected by the block wave form. I also have a 19" flat screen positioned at the foot of my bed, so it too doesn't draw too much juice.

For a big 5th wheel, I'd personally invest in at least 2 banks 6 volt golf cart batteries (4 batteries total), especially if you want to be able to do some higher demand activities using an inverter.

If money is no object, the next thing I'd invest in is a Pure Sinewave inverter, preferably a Xantrex as they're some of the higher quality units on the market.

You can get by on a less expensive Modified Sine Wave unit, but some more sensitive electronics won't work well with it and in some case can be damaged.

You'll need to set up that inverter in a good ventilation location as a permanent install, if you rig is capable of having a switch over setup, you can potentially upgrade to a switchover that will also connect your rig to the inverter, just remember to switch the fridge to gas mode before ya do .

[EricGT]

Never had to do this before, but it sounds like heat can be run all night off the coach batteries. I guess it is only the a/c that requires the generator to be on.

[RedneckExpress]

Originally Posted by EricGT

Never had to do this before, but it sounds like heat can be run all night off the coach batteries. I guess it is only the a/c that requires the generator to be on.

Yer forced air furnace in an RV is 12 volt powered, but is an amp hungry beast. If you plan to run one of the bigger ones found in larger RVs with ducting, you'll need more than the one-two token group 27 deep cycle batteries to get through the night and a good 3-stage charger to bring them back up on the generator the next morning.

I have a total of 3 deep cycles, 1 group 27 and two group 31s, for a total of 360 AH's, which I have yet to consume a large quantity of, but I have a very small RV and an equally small furnace with a new digital thermostat driving it that locks the number of times an hour it will cycle.

[JohnRR]

Originally Posted by EricGT

Never had to do this before, but it sounds like heat can be run all night off the coach batteries. I guess it is only the a/c that requires the generator to be on.

It works for me at least into the thirties with thermostat set at 65 with more than enough electrical power left in the morning.

[Steve N Sal]

Common practice would be to just use it when you need it.