camping generator

pongo69

hi all i am thinking getting a generator for camping in my camper i am thinking of something like https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GYYLC30/ref=dra_a_ms_ss_hn_xx_P1200_1000?tag=dradisplay0bb-21&ascsubtag=ece4b99dc43cea9b187fec0d17068c71_S

or

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00D18F7EW/ref=dra_a_ms_ss_hn_xx_P1200_1000?tag=dradisplay0bb-21&ascsubtag=ece4b99dc43cea9b187fec0d17068c71_S

it wont be used to much as we go to camp sites most of the time
any advice please

thanks

CJhaughey

What do you want to run with the genny?
TBH they are noisy and smelly and the two you linked to are poor enough, If you really need one I would bite the bullet and buy a Honda Eu10i.
I'd rather put the money into a decent solar array personally.

pongo69

CJhaughey wrote: »

What do you want to run with the genny?
TBH they are noisy and smelly and the two you linked to are poor enough, If you really need one I would bite the bullet and buy a Honda Eu10i.
I'd rather put the money into a decent solar array personally.

i have to things on the cheap

crabbypaddy

pongo69 wrote: »

i have to things on the cheap

What do you actually need to run? An inverter is a much better idea than a dodgy chinese 2 stroke gennie.

SeamusG97

CJhaughey wrote: »

What do you want to run with the genny?
TBH they are noisy and smelly and the two you linked to are poor enough, If you really need one I would bite the bullet and buy a Honda Eu10i.
I'd rather put the money into a decent solar array personally.

Spot on there. I actually went and bought a cheap two stroke genny some years ago. Noisy, smelly and possibly a fire hazard - it filled the van with a stink of fuel overnight. Ended up never using it.

pongo69

crabbypaddy wrote: »

What do you actually need to run? An inverter is a much better idea than a dodgy chinese 2 stroke gennie.

we are going to Scotland and will be stopping in the wild over nights but i have a 240v fridge and i want to use a satellite and tv and charge the leisure battery i am ok when we go to sites its just when we are in the middle of nowhere i will just use a generator for a hour or two at the moment a solar system cost a to much

CelticRambler

Forget about using one of these generators for the TV - the noise (93dB on the Draper, not specified for the other, but will be similar) will make it impossible to hear anything. I have a (quieter, four-stroke) generator for use here at home during power cuts, and even with it hidden away in a shed out the back, it has me driven demented after an hour. The effect of the noise is not like using a strimmer or riding a mower/bike with a similar engine.

I'd save the money and put it towards a new gas-powered fridge which you'll get a lot more use out of.

sunshinereggae

If you go with generators like you link to above, they are highly unlikely to have AVR which is not good for your TV and satellite (spikes in electronic equipment). Depending on your fridge type, if its a compressor type the starting current is going to be a lot higher than rated and needs to be factored in to the gennie size (may not be relevant to your fridge type). I have a Honda eu10i mentioned above for years, great gennie easy to start and relatively quiet it also has a 12v 8A outlet as well as 230v ac, I know people who bought cheap gennies like above and they are long gone. If I was buying a gennie again now for camper I would be looking at a dual fuel AVR one and run it on propane, I understand you want to do it on a budget but if you want it to last for years and start when needed (an advantage of propane) spend a little more, but then again solar is a very viable option nowadays, and not as expensive as it used to be. Personally I wouldn't touch a 2 stroke gennie as already said above, noisy, smelly and smokey but up to you.

pongo69

i was also thinking of the parkside generator from lidl but i dont know if that they are any good

crabbypaddy

If money is tight a cheap alternative is to look for a used highly insulated passive cooler like a coleman xtreme or igloo maxcold. Then freeze iceblocks when you're at a campsite, or buy ice cubes in a supermarket when your stuck, that will actually keep your food cold for a couple of days. In my experience it takes a couple of hours just to cool an empty 240v fridge to fridge temperature let alone anything inside it. That small draper one will probably cut out rather than start a fridge compressor.

For satellite and tv if you're going to be wild camping much I would look for 12V or at a push run of a sinewave inverter but this is less efficient.

pongo69

crabbypaddy wrote: »

If money is tight a cheap alternative is to look for a used highly insulated passive cooler like a coleman xtreme or igloo maxcold. Then freeze iceblocks when you're at a campsite, or buy ice cubes in a supermarket when your stuck, that will actually keep your food cold for a couple of days. In my experience it takes a couple of hours just to cool an empty 240v fridge to fridge temperature let alone anything inside it. That small draper one will probably cut out rather than start a fridge compressor.

For satellite and tv if you're going to be wild camping much I would look for 12V or at a push run of a sinewave inverter but this is less efficient.

i just found the info of the fridge its a AKUNA ARF045T and it says 220/240/v~50 HZ 12v-75w dose this mean its 240v or 12v i cant find any thing on the net about it

crabbypaddy

pongo69 wrote: »

i just found the info of the fridge its a AKUNA ARF045T and it says 220/240/v~50 HZ 12v-75w dose this mean its 240v or 12v i cant find any thing on the net about it

Is it a compressor, absorption or peltier fridge?

pongo69

crabbypaddy wrote: »

Is it a compressor, absorption or peltier fridge?

dose that mean its 240v & 12v ????????:)

pongo69

crabbypaddy wrote: »

Is it a compressor, or peltier fridge?

sorry its absorption

crabbypaddy

pongo69 wrote: »

sorry its absorption

Absorption just uses a simple heating elements so there would be not problem running that from a crappy generator but its still not the best approach.

It probably has a second heating element for 12v or you could fit one from ebay is its absent however 65w is very low wattage for an absorption fridge, they are very inefficient that 65w probably only produces 30w of cooling.

campingcarist

I got a gene with a gas conversion from the UK. It may be a little noisy but I don't have the hassle of carrying petrol in the camper. I just plug it into the Gas outlet for the BBQ. But can't use the BBQ and gene at the same time!

pongo69

campingcarist wrote: »

I got a gene with a gas from the UK. It may be a little noisy but I don't have the hassle of carrying petrol in the camper. I just plug it into the Gas outlet for the BBQ. But can't use the BBQ and gene at the same time!

where did you get the gas conversion did you do it yourself and how much noisier than normal

campingcarist

pongo69 wrote: »

where did you get the gas conversion did you do it yourself and how much noisier than normal

I can't remember the name of the company. But if you google portable gas generators you should find a couple of suppliers.

I got the gene already converted - I didn't want the hassle of converting myself. Noise wise, it is no louder than the average portable, non Honda generator.