Budget Generators ??
- Thread starter RAW
- Start date
Millie Master
Forum Member
Oh please don't go down the gennie route Robert as so many people won't like you, including myself, because even the quietest ones make a far from acceptable amount of noise!
Phil
Phil
wildebus
Forum Member
I have just got back from filling my jerry can with petrol for my generator (hey, boy scout time!).
I like my Briggs & Stratton and occasionally take it with me, but never had to use it as yet. Not sure if would be classed as a Budget unit but it is a hell of a lot cheaper than the Hondas (and as I have mentioned before, B&S make more petrol engines than anyone else in the world and has been going for decades longer than many companies, including Honda)
I like my Briggs & Stratton and occasionally take it with me, but never had to use it as yet. Not sure if would be classed as a Budget unit but it is a hell of a lot cheaper than the Hondas (and as I have mentioned before, B&S make more petrol engines than anyone else in the world and has been going for decades longer than many companies, including Honda)
RAW
Forum Member
Was thinking of using it for off grid wildcamping only so when not with other folk at sites.
Squiffy
Forum Member
I remember a time when we were down in the New Forrest a chap shouted over from a caravan "I hope you don't intend to use that bloody thing, I'll bloody sabotage it if you do" pointing at my 10i Honda, I shouted back " Its been running for the last hour buddy, so go and bother somebody else" he swung round and stomped back into his caravan obviously embarrassed that he was pre complaining not realising that it was already running. The truth is these little Hondas are so quiet you can barely hear them from more than 20 feet away especially if they have a new exhaust or the exhaust is pointed away from others on the site. However I haven't used it personally for 5 years now though I still carry it incase of emergency. Phil
P.s. I think the major problem with these generators is that they are used to run heavy duty electrical items like kettles and microwaves and ofcourse they are then thumping away trying hard not to stall because of the load applied to the engine, used to keep your 12volt system running and topped up they just purr away on idle.
That is the Inverter style gennies, not the heavy coil wound old style generators.
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Nabsim
Forum Member
I went for the Hyundai HY1000si inverter generator. As the name suggests its 1Kw but they do a 2Kw as well. I needed something small and light as I cant really carry anything and I manage okay with this. I only use it to charge my batterys via the ehu input, I dont run any 230v items from it. David gave me a demo run of his B&S at the frog last Winter and while it was far too big and heavy for me I thought it was quiet enough. We were at a WC meet and nobody looked round when it started anyway 
EDIT: Before going any further though read my comments on your solar thread
EDIT: Before going any further though read my comments on your solar thread
wildebus
Forum Member
one comment ref Generators ....
Assuming the use of a generator is when the batteries need charging - like Neil uses his and is the best way to use a generator for a camper - you really need a Battery Charger of sufficient capacity to make it worthwhile running, and a size of generator that makes sense with the charger.
say you have a 30A charger on your 12V system (a fairly large charger for the typical motorhome), this would pull less than 500W, so a 800W-1000W Generator (generally the smallest around) would be the right size.
Something like a 2000W Generator would be fairly pointless in that scenario. My B&S generator is a 1700W/2200W peak unit, but I have a 120A charger and would only put the generator on when the batteries were at say 50% and I had no prospect of decent charging via Solar or driving - that 120A Charger happens to be a near perfect match to a 1700W Generator coincidentally.
Horses for courses, and a clear situation where bigger is not necessarily better
Assuming the use of a generator is when the batteries need charging - like Neil uses his and is the best way to use a generator for a camper - you really need a Battery Charger of sufficient capacity to make it worthwhile running, and a size of generator that makes sense with the charger.
say you have a 30A charger on your 12V system (a fairly large charger for the typical motorhome), this would pull less than 500W, so a 800W-1000W Generator (generally the smallest around) would be the right size.
Something like a 2000W Generator would be fairly pointless in that scenario. My B&S generator is a 1700W/2200W peak unit, but I have a 120A charger and would only put the generator on when the batteries were at say 50% and I had no prospect of decent charging via Solar or driving - that 120A Charger happens to be a near perfect match to a 1700W Generator coincidentally.
Horses for courses, and a clear situation where bigger is not necessarily better
RAW
Forum Member
I am considering something like this:
www.machinemart.co.uk
Though I do not have a charger that is 30A and having seen the Mechanic today it looks like all the brakes and brake hoses need doing on the Merc and a spot of welding; so much of my budget for upgrades is going to be blown on getting the running gear in order, c'est la vie.
Mechanic though, who is a motorhome based and knowledgeable mechanic, said he thought i got the Merc for a good price nonetheless and besides the brakes issue it was pretty sound mechanically as far as he could tell.
Clarke IG1200B 1.1kW Inverter Generator - Machine Mart - Machine Mart
www.machinemart.co.uk
Though I do not have a charger that is 30A and having seen the Mechanic today it looks like all the brakes and brake hoses need doing on the Merc and a spot of welding; so much of my budget for upgrades is going to be blown on getting the running gear in order, c'est la vie.
Mechanic though, who is a motorhome based and knowledgeable mechanic, said he thought i got the Merc for a good price nonetheless and besides the brakes issue it was pretty sound mechanically as far as he could tell.
Millie Master
Forum Member
Well I will continue in my way of trying not to use anything but the bare minimum of electricity when we are out and about.
With the exception of the 12v CR50 Waeco fridge and a very limited few 12v LED lights we don't use any electricity at all.
Our only radio or music comes from the standard fit Renault radio/cd and that runs off the van battery, as for a TV, well as far as we are concerned there is bugger all to watch on the box these days so we seldom have it on at home and so we saw absolutely no need to take one away with us.
Having lived in rural France for many a long year, we tend to do what so many rural French people do, i.e. they tend to go to bed not all that long after their evening meals.
Even when we are at home these days we tend to go to bed normally not long after 21.00 hrs and are up some time before the sun rises again in the morning, the result of this is that we are often out and about with the dogs from as early as 06.00 hrs which is normally long before anyone else has even lifted and eye lid.................
Phil
With the exception of the 12v CR50 Waeco fridge and a very limited few 12v LED lights we don't use any electricity at all.
Our only radio or music comes from the standard fit Renault radio/cd and that runs off the van battery, as for a TV, well as far as we are concerned there is bugger all to watch on the box these days so we seldom have it on at home and so we saw absolutely no need to take one away with us.
Having lived in rural France for many a long year, we tend to do what so many rural French people do, i.e. they tend to go to bed not all that long after their evening meals.
Even when we are at home these days we tend to go to bed normally not long after 21.00 hrs and are up some time before the sun rises again in the morning, the result of this is that we are often out and about with the dogs from as early as 06.00 hrs which is normally long before anyone else has even lifted and eye lid.................
Phil
wildebus
Forum Member
Robert, ref your brakes and hoses ... I am not a mechanic, but I would say is get them sorted by a old-school garage who make their own pipes and stuff as they need them rather than buying Mercedes parts to replace.I am considering something like this:
Clarke IG1200B 1.1kW Inverter Generator - Machine Mart - Machine Mart
Though I do not have a charger that is 30A and having seen the Mechanic today it looks like all the brakes and brake hoses need doing on the Merc and a spot of welding; so much of my budget for upgrades is going to be blown on getting the running gear in order, c'est la vie.
Mechanic though, who is a motorhome based and knowledgeable mechanic, said he thought i got the Merc for a good price nonetheless and besides the brakes issue it was pretty sound mechanically as far as he could tell.
When I got my LT (which is a Sprinter like yours under the skin), I took it to my garage to get serviced and checked over. They did the work and when they went out on a test drive and a brake pipe failed. they charged me an additional £5 for the pipe and fitting as they just knock them up as needed.
Squiffy
Forum Member
Yes I always made up our own brake lines when I had the garage, not only was it cheaper for our customers, but a dam sight easier to fit as you could put a union on one end and feed the pipe through various tight areas then fit the opposing union on the other end. Manufacturers pipes were also in the main made of steel and hard to bend into shape ( If the were not already profiled) plus as soon as they were fitted they started to rust unless they were greased, the bundy pipe we used was rust proof (Copper alloy). The flexi pipes were a different matter ofcourse but much cheaper at Motor Factors than main agents. Phil
RAW
Forum Member
Pretty sure Sean makes his own pipes and that, he did on Sylvia the Talbot. Will probably see him again Monday and mention that to him and good points. When I got the Water Pump fitted to the Talbot I bought that myself and fitted it. Will ask him about parts cost but I doubt they will be Mercedes parts, probably some non-OEM parts I would think.
wildebus
Forum Member
Thought I would add a little extra comment on this thread ... bear with me here ....
I do not enjoy gardening. I have a petrol lawnmower and as soon as I can at the end of the season, I stop cutting the grass and the lawnmower gets abandoned in the garden until the next year (I sadly don't even put it under a cover!). Nice day here today so I thought time to cut the lawn
Went to get the mower, put some petrol in it, little bit of petrol direct under the ai-filter to 'pre-charge' and it started with about 4 pulls, cut out, but repeated the process twice more and now running smoothly within 5 minutes of going to get it. And this was after maybe 5 months of just being left outside.
Relevance of this? It is a Mower with a Briggs & Stratton Engine. And the above is the reason that when I bought a generator, I chose a Briggs & Stratton one
Squiffy
Forum Member
True, but then my son has a lawn mower with a honda four stroke engine which he has left outside year on year and has in four years never failed to start after a few pulls on the cord, we will see if it starts this year it looks a sight with rust and left over grass cuttings all over it, I have the exact same mower but is kept in a garden store and still looks like it was bought last season. I feel that although Briggs &Stratton do build good engines the engineering tolerances and electronics makes most small and large engines equated in performance and longevity.Thought I would add a little extra comment on this thread ... bear with me here ....
I do not enjoy gardening. I have a petrol lawnmower and as soon as I can at the end of the season, I stop cutting the grass and the lawnmower gets abandoned in the garden until the next year (I sadly don't even put it under a cover!). Nice day here today so I thought time to cut the lawn
Went to get the mower, put some petrol in it, little bit of petrol direct under the ai-filter to 'pre-charge' and it started with about 4 pulls, cut out, but repeated the process twice more and now running smoothly within 5 minutes of going to get it. And this was after maybe 5 months of just being left outside.
Relevance of this? It is a Mower with a Briggs & Stratton Engine. And the above is the reason that when I bought a generator, I chose a Briggs & Stratton one
. Phil
mistericeman
Forum Member
Thought I would add a little extra comment on this thread ... bear with me here ....
I do not enjoy gardening. I have a petrol lawnmower and as soon as I can at the end of the season, I stop cutting the grass and the lawnmower gets abandoned in the garden until the next year (I sadly don't even put it under a cover!). Nice day here today so I thought time to cut the lawn
Went to get the mower, put some petrol in it, little bit of petrol direct under the ai-filter to 'pre-charge' and it started with about 4 pulls, cut out, but repeated the process twice more and now running smoothly within 5 minutes of going to get it. And this was after maybe 5 months of just being left outside.
Relevance of this? It is a Mower with a Briggs & Stratton Engine. And the above is the reason that when I bought a generator, I chose a Briggs & Stratton one
I've brought many a briggs and Stratton powered mower back from the tip AND coaxed it back into life (before flogging it shortly after for a healthy profit....)
I've also butchered a few mowers to make some beastly machines,when I liven on my narrow boat (free moorings for some grounds maintainance now and again)
I had a push along that I fitted with 12hp off a sit on....
It was a beast that took no prisoners at all...
These days I use one of these.....
A awful lot less clattery than a briggs