Adding a Windmill. Need mounting ideas.

[Sparksvonrou]

We've been boondocking with solar and it works swell. We wanted to take advantage of the wind that is pretty constant and strong at a few places we stay. We got a 400W unit and it has a swivel flange mount. I can get a flange to bolt it to but am not sure what everyone that has one uses for pipe. What size? 1/2" black iron to small? 1" ? How about aluminum? Once I decide on the pipe size then I can get the flange and get it bolted up. I was thinking of making three 5 foot sections of pipe that screw together with couplings. They could be disassembled and then carried in the back of the Jeep toad. To assemble, screw them together, have a hole drilled through the coupling with a big cotter key to retain it. (one end of the coupling welded permenant). But do I put it against the ladder on the back of the Southwind Storm or make it self standing with guy wires or what? So in summary, wonder about pipe size and material and where you fasten it.
Thanks
Sparks

[twogypsies]

You might try visiting someone on a very windy day who has one to see how much noise would be inside the RV. We did and we just stayed with solar.... nice and quiet.

[Dave0559]

I would like to do the same thing. There's a lot of wind in the south west where we go

[neub]

Definitely do not attached it to the motorhome. Was on a friend's sailboat and he had a small one mounted and at night down below it vibrated the walls and resonance was very annoying

[Dave0559]

I agree, make a platform or a in ground pipe. Don't attach to coach

[Sparksvonrou]

Thanks but I am looking for info on size, material, and mounting from someone who has one. I thought maybe a heavy duty L bracket off the Reece Receiver as the toad will be disconnected anyway when it's being used.

[Dave0559]

I think it might still vibrate in the coach

[Sparksvonrou]

I think last trip last winter we only used the generator maybe a dozen times. But there was always wind and on the sunless days, well I have the thing and am going to try it when I get the pipe and mount figured out. There is noise from the generator so we will see how it goes and if I did the Reese hitch, I'd work on some dampening maybe. So what size pipe and material???

[MisterT]

sounds good, especially if you can harness the wind when it's available, and also develop a hardy but lightweight stand - or dual use of the fifth-wheel hitch on the back of the truck, etc.
of course, the lower the fan blade mount is to the ground, the easier, but also more things to inhibit the wind, and a possible 'danger' element for animals and humans.

I think a water wheel system would also be a nice addition for those times parked near the creek, stream, or river. Quiet, efficient, easy, and very little danger to anyone : )

[vsheetz]

I've seen RV'ers with ground mount wind generators. I would not attach to the RV - noise and vibration.

[BRex45]

Think he's looking for a windmill, not a wind turbine or wind generator.

We have a 7' windmill that has the animation, a farmer chopping wood. Looks good in our yard and we get comments about it.

[Sparksvonrou]

Ok so I called it the wrong thing. No, it is a wind generator. 400W. I said that at the start.

[twinboat]

400 watts at 28 MPH wind, that's a lot of wind.


Check out marine suppliers, they sell the poles and mounts, and will have the specs you need to mount one.

[4travlin]

Spark,

Is this some form of the AirX ?

4T