dwh
Tail-End Charlie
There's really no need to be such a luddite. Just accept that we live in the 21st Century and there are some very good high-tech milk steamers to be had:
Off-Grid Camping- Solar Power/Wind Power- Ac, Heat, Fridge, Lights, Etc
- Thread starter Projectm880
- Start date
There's really no need to be such a luddite. Just accept that we live in the 21st Century and there are some very good high-tech milk steamers to be had:
Projectm880
Duddie's Adventure
Yeah its a little excessive. The other two generators I have are a PTO driven generator that I can power my house with as long as my tractor has diesel and a very old Briggs and straton that can run electric chain saw.
My father has the same generator I linked above but with a diesel motor, its just as noisy and even more heavy.
Are there any small quiet Diesel Generators you would recommend?
Another question for you all is, How would you split up your system as far as power? If I would just use the generator for the AC, Would the solar and battery setup be suitable for the rest of the power system?
CaliMobber
Adventurer
I never expected to laugh when I opened this post but I sure am haha.
We have Wind chargers that make 45watts in 100mph wind and 8000w generators that could power a house haha.
Get yourself a Honda or Yamaha Generator and call it good.
We have Wind chargers that make 45watts in 100mph wind and 8000w generators that could power a house haha.
Get yourself a Honda or Yamaha Generator and call it good.
Haf-E
Expedition Leader
If you have to have air conditioning going - then just run a generator - the Honda inverter generators are about the same noise level as the air conditioner itself - so its not really an issue of noise for you - just others trying to camp in your vicinity unfortunately...
Many camping areas do not allow generators to be operated after 10pm - so that could be an issue also.
Many camping areas do not allow generators to be operated after 10pm - so that could be an issue also.
dwh
Tail-End Charlie
There are no small quiet diesel generators. About the smallest is from Next Gen:
http://www.nextgenerationpower.com/
Their smallest gets 3500 watts out of a Kubota single-cylinder diesel.
It's impressively efficient - 0.2 gallons per hour of fuel (on a watts per gallon basis, that's like 17,000 watts per gallon, compared to a Honda inverter which gets like 4,000 watts per gallon at its most efficient).
But according to those who've experienced it, it's also impressively noisy.
Also costs around 5 grand.
I've seen some Chinese small diesel generators advertised. I know nothing about them, but I would assume they are noisy.
That would be a waste - if you are running a generator anyway, you might as well charge the battery at the same time.
But whether the solar/battery setup would be enough for "everything except a/c" depends on how much solar and battery you have, and what the loads are on it.
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If this is your plan, your going to need to do some homework regarding your electrical requirements.
Managing 12 Volts: How to Upgrade, Operate, and Troubleshoot 12 Volt Electrical Systems by Harold Barre is a good read on the subject.
Projectm880
Duddie's Adventure
Every Diesel Generator I've used have been noisy but have generally had better efficiency with them. Normally adding a additional muffler or exhaust system still doesn't quiet them down either. Thanks for the information.
I've also looked at Generators that can be run off PTO systems on trucks and or right off the motor rather then running a additional alternator.
I lean toward Diesel mainly because I've made my own Biodiesel in the past, that worked out great at a low cost. But was only viable in small quantities.
I will look into the Honda Generators. The few Diesel Military Generators I come across were very loud and heavy.
My question/Idea of a split system was purely to have the solar system to use for my basic system and the Generator to use if I needed it or ran the AC. I know I will only really need the AC for summer months.
I've been reading on 12V Fridges such as the ARB or Coleman. There is a Huge price difference on comparative sizes. Does anyone have any Links or Articles that compare 12v Fridge performance to each other?
Thank you for the link, I will defiantly look into that book. I've been building Off-Road/ Truck /Muscle Car projects for a while, so automotive 12v system aren't out of my realm. I've just never setup a camper system.
Thanks for everyone's help so far, I appreciate everyone answering my Novice questions. This is a learning process for me so I'm trying to research before I purchase to many Items. I realize for some of you that are further along in advanced projects that my questions are Comical, Newbie, or Unobtainable . I just ask that you bare with me as I am actually trying to learn about Solar, Wind, and Generator systems in order to build a efficient system of my own.
Regards,
Eric
DiploStrat
Expedition Leader
Another source, my personal favorite.
Handy Bob is the patron saint of the I-Hey8-gensets crowd. (That would be me.) He is very, very good and more than mildly opinionated, but, unlike many, all of his opinions are based on real experience. You just have to remember that he is oriented more towards big trailers that don't move often while we are more oriented towards smaller vehicles that move every day or so. The other great advantage of his site, beyond the in depth coverage of the basics, is that he is not ten years out of date.
https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com
Final thought: none of this is very hard, it is simply complex and may take a reading or two.
Handy Bob is the patron saint of the I-Hey8-gensets crowd. (That would be me.) He is very, very good and more than mildly opinionated, but, unlike many, all of his opinions are based on real experience. You just have to remember that he is oriented more towards big trailers that don't move often while we are more oriented towards smaller vehicles that move every day or so. The other great advantage of his site, beyond the in depth coverage of the basics, is that he is not ten years out of date.
https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com
Final thought: none of this is very hard, it is simply complex and may take a reading or two.
Projectm880
Duddie's Adventure
This Link Is perfect! Thank you for sharing. I'm currently reading through his "The RV Battery Charging Puzzle".
The more I read the more I'm think I will ditch the Generator/Air Conditioner and find alternative ways of cooling/ac system that will meet a lesser power need.
jonyjoe101
Adventurer
As far as 12 volt fridges the danfoss compressors are pretty efficient. i had the edgestar fp430 and when i set it to 40 degrees it comsumed 27 amps total in a 24 hour period. The ARB uses the same compressor but has thicker insulation. But if you have the space seriously consider getting a chest freezer and using a freezer to fridge thermostat conversion. The super thick insulation on the freezers make it very efficient for there size. And you can get a chest freezer for a 3rd of the cost of the ARB which are about 700 dollars.
I stay cool in my van with a swamp cooler (uses a 9 inch car radiator electric fan) , 3.5 amps at max speed. Its not AC but its better than my fantastic fan which i never use anymore. With my 240 watt panel I can run 3 of these at the same time but 1 does the trick. i had to build my own because none of the commercial 12 volt ones they sell had the features I wanted and were quite expensive. When you build your own you can make them as big or as small as you want. Even with the limited space I have i always carry a spare swamp cooler, that's how valuable they are too me. I grew up in texas where its very humid and we stayed cool with a giant swamp cooler, I wouldn't overlooked them as a means to stay cool. Even a big swamp cooler (with 2x 9 inch fans) would use less power than an AC and at night you can throttle them down even further.
For solar i wouldnt get anything smaller than 240 watts which is what I have, that coupled with my ecoworthy 20 amp mppt controller (cost 102.00) gives me 12 amps of charge power at midday. With that panel i get real power to do things. MPPT is a must for the large panels.
I stay cool in my van with a swamp cooler (uses a 9 inch car radiator electric fan) , 3.5 amps at max speed. Its not AC but its better than my fantastic fan which i never use anymore. With my 240 watt panel I can run 3 of these at the same time but 1 does the trick. i had to build my own because none of the commercial 12 volt ones they sell had the features I wanted and were quite expensive. When you build your own you can make them as big or as small as you want. Even with the limited space I have i always carry a spare swamp cooler, that's how valuable they are too me. I grew up in texas where its very humid and we stayed cool with a giant swamp cooler, I wouldn't overlooked them as a means to stay cool. Even a big swamp cooler (with 2x 9 inch fans) would use less power than an AC and at night you can throttle them down even further.
For solar i wouldnt get anything smaller than 240 watts which is what I have, that coupled with my ecoworthy 20 amp mppt controller (cost 102.00) gives me 12 amps of charge power at midday. With that panel i get real power to do things. MPPT is a must for the large panels.
Projectm880
Duddie's Adventure
Great Information JonyJoe, Thank you for shareing your DYI Swamp cooler.
I was actually looking at this as a alternative to AC
http://www.amazon.com/GoCool-Portab...qid=1423890294&sr=8-8&keywords=12v+air+cooler
Though I want to try to build a low budget version to fit my needs.
The Swamp Cooler you built looks like a great idea. My buddy's shop has a permacool swamp cooler that works pretty well. Though its very large and running on shop power. A small version for a camper or tent sounds like a good idea. Since I am still currently using Tents to camp in, i may try to build one to test out.
Thanks Again for the Information.
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comptiger5000
Adventurer
For a generator, run something water cooled, not air cooled, if noise is of concern. When the airflow requirements across the actual unit are reduced to just what the gen-head needs, it becomes much easier to put it in a well-insulated box to isolate most of the mechanical noise (and a quiet exhaust system can take care of most of the rest). Also, if weight is not a concern, a beefier design 1800rpm unit will be much quieter than a lightweight, cheap unit that spins 3600 all day (although the slower turning unit won't necessarily save a ton of fuel).
dwh
Tail-End Charlie
That's one of the things I like about the Next Gen design - it only runs at 2850 rpm.
Projectm880
Duddie's Adventure
Can any of you all give me recommendation on a Camping base solar setup. A base level setup that I can upgrade and add on to that will eventually be put into a camper. I will use this set up out the back of my truck and use for my tent.
I've been reading through post , But I really don't want to start with a base level kit that I see online. I would rather buy individual components that can be used later on a larger setup. Basically I would rather purchase higher grade items that can be added to later on rather then replaced.
My first set up I would like to be able to run a Small 12v Fridge ( Runs all weekend), A 12v air pump (Only to inflate Air Mattress), a light or two, and charging ports for phone or camera.
What I would like to find is a very simple Wiring Diagram since my wiring experience is limited for this kind of setup.
Can anyone suggest a components list and wiring diagram to follow? Such as Brand, size of solar panel, Controller type, Other components, etc I've read that Tri-metric 2020 and 2025 meters is essential for monitoring your power. And that there are a few brands of Controllers to stay away from.
Thanks for any help
I've been reading through post , But I really don't want to start with a base level kit that I see online. I would rather buy individual components that can be used later on a larger setup. Basically I would rather purchase higher grade items that can be added to later on rather then replaced.
My first set up I would like to be able to run a Small 12v Fridge ( Runs all weekend), A 12v air pump (Only to inflate Air Mattress), a light or two, and charging ports for phone or camera.
What I would like to find is a very simple Wiring Diagram since my wiring experience is limited for this kind of setup.
Can anyone suggest a components list and wiring diagram to follow? Such as Brand, size of solar panel, Controller type, Other components, etc I've read that Tri-metric 2020 and 2025 meters is essential for monitoring your power. And that there are a few brands of Controllers to stay away from.
Thanks for any help