Generator Noise

[BikeNFish]

There are better batteries for cpap (going on a limb here and assuming that's the medical device). We bought a dedicated lithium battery pack for the mrs cpap when we were planning a long trip with lots of boon docking. Her cpap runs five nights before needing a charge. The 24v lithium battery can be charged by 120v charger or by 12v charger in the truck while we're driving. The point is... if this medical device needing a charge is the main reason for running the generator, there are better options than just charging the 130 ah camper battery with a generator.

This is assuming you are only camping five nights and only one CPAP. We have two CPAP's and boondock for up to a week at a time. And that does not include needing to recharging the pup battery on occasion. I'll stick with the tried and true genny.

 

[Toedtoes]

We are new campers this year (long story short, international travel plans got squashed), so we redirected the funds into first time camping.

While we have tried to be "good neighbors" during our trips (and we haven't seen it ourselves), it seems like some more seasoned campers have an impression of new campers this year (called "covid campers" on some boards) that isn't very favorable. Wonder if the complainer just had a preconceived notion of who you were and didn't like it?

Please ignore any "covid camper" comments. Folks tend to blame everything on "newbies" regardless the year and this year just saw more newbies than usual.

 

[Robmoo]

Had two complaints from tent campers this week about my Honda 2200 was too noisy. It was in eco mode. Has anyone come up with a way to make it quieter?

For the record it was 4 pm in a generator approved zone.

It doesn't matter how quiet your generator, if it is running then it would be too loud for these people.

 

[Matt D Wilder]

Willing to lay in the dirt like an animal but don't want to hear a put put put while they do it! Kinda splitting hairs. Hahaha Hippies go figure!

 

[tfischer]

Willing to lay in the dirt like an animal... Hahaha Hippies go figure!

Many (most?) of us started by tenting, so kind of a broad brush to paint with.

 

[aleym]

Like camping. Don't like generators. Don't like LED lights on campers. Seen people drive into a camp site with a big rig, deploy auto levelers and never set foot outside of their "camper". Ran their outside LED lights all night. I don't get it, they most likely don't get me. Hiked three days to a back country site years ago. When I got there a fellow at the site had three horses, a generator, and an electric chainsaw. Everyone is different, most are weird. I might be, too. The one item I always take when camping now...earplugs.

 

[Sherronlee]

I am totally one of those anti-generators people. When we lived back east, our favorite campground had a section that did not allow any generators or radios. We always camped in that section. For me when I go camping, I am there to enjoy nature and I don't want any noise interrupting or over-riding it. I love to hear the water rushing, the birds chirping, the frogs or whatever other wildlife there is. I also love to hear kids laughing and playing or people singing around a campfire at night. I understand that some people really need to run them sometimes but I sincerely wish every campground had a no generators or radios section.

 

[Karen Gay]

Here are my thoughts on this:

I hope my opinion on the subject does not offend.

Hmmm... Do you work for the government ?

 

[1380ken]

I have never heard a generator while camping. I have camped for over 40 years. Might be because it is cooler in the Northeast and AC is not necessary.

 

[Joeyt]

Had two complaints from tent campers this week about my Honda 2200 was too noisy. It was in eco mode. Has anyone come up with a way to make it quieter?

For the record it was 4 pm in a generator approved zone.

If your within the permissible hours tell them to go scratch. It's your business why your running the generator. Just saying

 

[Econ]

There is another thread where the posters are saying Camp Hosts are quitting due to the new campers being jerks

 

[Toedtoes]

New campers aren't jerks anymore than old campers are.

We have many new campers joining this forum all the time. They are here looking for comraderie, advice, and a shared joy in a new experience. They are open to views about generators, music, etc.

We need to stop blaming "new campers" for all our perceived issues. If this were all about new campers, then it would be a new phenomenon. The truth is generators, music, cutting through sights, barking dogs, shrieking kids, drunken idiots, and so on have always been a part of the camping experience.

How many longtime campers have made statements like "I did my time roughing it, now I want my comforts" on generator posts? Are they not just as much of a "problem" as new campers who want their comforts?

 

[tfischer]

How many longtime campers have made statements like "I did my time roughing it, now I want my comforts" on generator posts? Are they not just as much of a "problem" as new campers who want their comforts?

I have no problem with people wanting their comforts, much as I sometimes don't get bringing your whole house along to the state park. But there are electric sites for the reason, and if you can't get one at the state park there are plenty of full service campgrounds around.

Using a quiet generator sparingly is fine... we sometimes do too. It's the people that run it from sunrise to quiet hours that bug me.

 

[tenttrailer]

I have a honda generator. I used it many years ago (8+ yrs ago) for winter camping. Its quite if you have other noise,but very annoying it you dont have other noise at the 50db level. You do have to raise you voice a little when talking to someone next to the gen. But I dont like generators. I dont do camping to hear a generator or smell engine gas fumes , but to smell and hear the sound of the forest.

I also have a motor home with a 65kw LP generator. It has a very quite generator about as loud as the 2 AC units running and most of the noise is to the front of the Motor Home. We mainly use this generator when remote camping to charge up the batteries before dusk if the solar was not able to do it that day.

I had people camping next to me with a generator and they felt they need to place it way off to my side of the campsite, maybe it was on my CS??? It was a honda, i did not like the consent sound of the motor. I dont get it if its so quite, why not place it right next to there own camper and keep is as far as you can from you neighbor??

 

[Toedtoes]

I have no problem with people wanting their comforts, much as I sometimes don't get bringing your whole house along to the state park. But there are electric sites for the reason, and if you can't get one at the state park there are plenty of full service campgrounds around.

Using a quiet generator sparingly is fine... we sometimes do too. It's the people that run it from sunrise to quiet hours that bug me.

I don't like generators at all. I have no need for generators or solar. I can camp very nicely with just my house battery and propane.

With that, my point was not on generator use, but on the belief that only new campers are the problem at campgrounds. We have had these same issues forever. Many longtime campers are rude and self absorbed. Loose dogs, generators, music, cutting through sites, etc., are not a new problem.

 

[Ductape]

2 related stories.......

A friend was camping in a National Forest campground and ended up near fellow (tent) campers that were running an open frame generator constantly. They ran it way outside of generator hours, and it was loud ( according to my friend). So, after a couple days of this, my friend walked out into the trees behind the campsites where the generator was chained to a tree...... pulled out his wire cutters and cut the plug boot off the plug wire and threw it as far into the woods as he could. Problem solved.

Right now we are camping in the White Mountains of NH. Just as I'm starting the grill to make dinner, some guy in a site behind us fires up a 2 stroke backpack leaf blower and not only blows every leaf and pine needle out of his campsite, he did the same to the site next to him. I assume 2 parties were together. Took him close to an hour. This was a first for me, although a couple years ago I was next to a guy that did his site with an electric leaf blower. Did I complain? No, but I'll bet the generator complainers from the original post would have.

 

[xxxapache]

I sure hope someone doesnt ever walk into my campsite and damage my property because he doesnt like something I am doing.

 

[Toedtoes]

I sure hope someone doesnt ever walk into my campsite and damage my property because he doesnt like something I am doing.

While tales of such comeuppance action are "fun" to hear, in reality they become as much, if not more so, of a problem.

 

[Toedtoes]

Right now we are camping in the White Mountains of NH. Just as I'm starting the grill to make dinner, some guy in a site behind us fires up a 2 stroke backpack leaf blower and not only blows every leaf and pine needle out of his campsite, he did the same to the site next to him. I assume 2 parties were together. Took him close to an hour. This was a first for me, although a couple years ago I was next to a guy that did his site with an electric leaf blower. Did I complain? No, but I'll bet the generator complainers from the original post would have.

Maybe he was cleaning the space before putting a tent down. Even so, I would have a problem with leaf blowing as I have asthma. Leaf blowers put a ton of dust and mold particles into the nearby air, not to mention the gas fumes. If it happened next to me I would have to leave the area until he was done. If it happened every day I'd complain.

 

[Econ]

Sometimes I use my Harbor Freight floor mats to do this

Decided I would give myself a break and build a floor mat cage for myself.

Do you have the smooth side in or out? It would seem that the crinkled side would be better at directing sound in different directions but the smooth side would absorb rainwater better.

It appears your "house" has a greater than 45 degree peak.Did you trim the interconnectors from one side of the end wall?

Any re-inforcements? What did you do to allow ventilation?