Inverter generator for camper

[BIG JOE]

Can I get by without having to buy an inverter stye gen. set. I know they are louder but cheaper.

Yes, you can get by with cheaper one. BUT, (JMO) unless you Camp/RV all by yer self, WAY out in the in the woods, with no other campers, fishermen or hunters within 2000 feet..... yul Pizz everyone off with the engine noise when it takes any load at all.. Let alone having to Holler amongst yer selves... while it's run'n.

My 2800i Is a bit louder than some, but not offensively loud at all. I face it away from others and mainly only run it to re-charge the Batts. (2 6v Batts and a 3000w, 12v inverter for routin 120v needs)

We're beyond "Dry Camping" in HOT weather

 

[bushpilot]

so it sounds like a good "practice" is to run the things during
the day & then "survive" on batteries at night...

 

[f100cleveland]

Do the 6v batterys last longer than 12v or is there another reason to use them? What and how long can you run things off your inverter?

 

[Maxtor]

so it sounds like a good "practice" is to run the things during
the day & then "survive" on batteries at night...

Bush the only bad thing about that is if you want to watch TV, you need to run a generator or hook up to electricity. We have the two Honda 2000i generators, that are very quiet. At night when you do not need the a/c, 2000 watts is adequate to run most everything in the rv. We ran one Honda for 10 hours on one gallon of gas and still had some left in the tank. It has an economy mode so that it only increases rpm when the current load requires it. Inverters use up battery voltage very fast.

 

[Maxtor]

Do the 6v batterys last longer than 12v or is there another reason to use them? What and how long can you run things off your inverter?

With everything being equal, most 6 volt batteries last longer than most 12 volt batteries. Remember you need space for two 6 volt batteries to supply 12 volts of current. How long can you run an inverter depends on your usage and your batteries. That question is like asking how high is high. If you are going to dry camp, the best solution is to get one or two generators, that have enough wattage to supply your needs. Your local RV center can help you with that information on your RV, and give you some options on different generators.
We will normally camp in a campground with full hookups, but we bought the generators because if we want to dry camp, we can.
Space, weight, portability, RV's electrical demands, noise, are all factors you need to look into before purchase.
You are wise to ask questions before you buy.

 

[BIG JOE]

Do the 6v batterys last longer than 12v or is there another reason to use them? What and how long can you run things off your inverter?

Yes they do last longer. I have 2, Exide GC-110, 6 volts. an example of Staying Power would be: I ran the LCD TV, Sat. receiver and a few 12v lights for about 3 hours... then the furnace all night. In the morning I made coffee with a 120v coffee pot.. The batts were a bit below half capacity when done with the Coffee brew. NO WAY my 2 12v Deep Cycles would have handled that.

I tried the Coffee pot one morning before, on the 2 12s... went dead, Inverter kicked out 'bout half way though the brew.

What MAXTOR sez too.

I've only had them in for about 6 months.. so their Service Life is yet to be seen. 24 month replacement, then Pro-rated. We'll see

 

[Fire1]

Big Joe,
What size inverter do you have. We have considered adding one.

As for generators. I have a Champion 3500 w/ an RV receptacle. We do not "dry" camp or go without hook ups, so we use it while on the road for short stops and such. It is not that loud, but too loud for boondocking w/ neighbors.
It was cheap and fulfills my needs. We were getting two Honda 2000's, but I could not justify th price for the way we will use them.

 

[powerboatr]

Yes, you can get by with cheaper one. BUT, (JMO) unless you Camp/RV all by yer self, WAY out in the in the woods, with no other campers, fishermen or hunters within 2000 feet..... yul Pizz everyone off with the engine noise when it takes any load at all.. Let alone having to Holler amongst yer selves... while it's run'n.

My 2800i Is a bit louder than some, but not offensively loud at all. I face it away from others and mainly only run it to re-charge the Batts. (2 6v Batts and a 3000w, 12v inverter for routin 120v needs)

We're beyond "Dry Camping" in HOT weather

yes i forgot to mention the noisy cheap units
we have a guy out here we like to call "weekenders" and he hasnt hooked up elct or water yet to his fishing RV (work play toy thing) OMG that genny is loud, even at our distance it makes that nice reverberating banging each time the a/c kicks on
really spoils the nice sunsets and wildlife

 

[Crumm]

Don't go cheap when it comes to a Generator. I have a cheap Coleman Powermate 1800. Darn thing is very noisy and burns more gas than my 3000 Honda. I have a Honda 1000 on my wish list as they are quiet and very portable yet large enough to charge the battery's back up. No need for AC in Alaska so packing the 3000 is senseless. Whatever size you need get a Honda or Yamaha rather than a cheap one.

a few 12v lights for about 3 hours

I found out the other day that two of my 12v lights use more power than my furnace I did a little research over at rv net and found out that the best upgrade to fight against battery drain is LED lighting. I installed four Sea-Sense LED fixtures and have two more on the way. I also installed a led cards in two of my reading lamps. I can now turn on all these lights and have less draw than one of the factory 12v fixtures.

These are the led fixtures I installed available at bestcoverter.com

These are the cards I installed available at jclampstand.com

 

[BIG JOE]

Spooky you should mention LEDs Crumm.. I've got 6 of the 36 LED cards on the way myself. I'm trying to get as Bulletproof as possible with all the needs for our 4+ month RV Road Trip. LEDs everywhere I can plug'm in/hook'm up.

So Far.. I've converted the 350 Inside & Out. The 5r exterior-wize... work'n on the inside.

On past "Vacations" we've stayed in the occational Rest Stop and Wal'Mart P-lot sooooo anything Low Draw is a Good Thing, IMO.

Thanks for the Link to the cards, I'll compare prices.