Generators and Remain Stealth
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My thoughts are to build a box around the generator, venting the exhaust outside, my van will have the rear 20-24 inches sealed off from the rest of the van. For air intake I was thing of louvers on the rear window, I would love to see other(s) who have permantely mounted Generator.
fraz627 said:
I'm positive someone will post up photo's as an example of what they have done successfully in their own Van or Trailer.
Otherwise you are looking for something that is rare in the cheap rv living world. However, if someone would post photo's of their RV that came with on-board air-con powered by their Generator you've got a nice working example, professionally assembled.
I'd start by sitting the Genny inside your Van at the rear doors, start it up and see how much it vibrates. Experiment, you may make something to work for you. But, I'd offer a caution about breathing ANY fumes and do air out the inside's before entering, keep the windows down too.
As to Battery recharging, every watt out of the battery has to be put back + a percentage to recover the battery before the next days use. If your only charge source is the Genny make sure you have one that is large enough to handle start surge of even a 5K btu Air conditioner unit.
Personally I charge with solar and if possible once a week I charge batteries with 120V AC shore power, if not, I use the Genny at a truck stop, a city park or any rural area outside a town. I do not use AC other than when driving and of course if it's that hot out I'm learning to find some elevation or anyplace that's cool inside rather than inside my box truck.
If I were stuck in town, well that really makes the whole thing tuff. I guess I'd figure out a way to plug in someplace where I park in town. Maybe find someone that will rent a space in their driveway and give the owner a few bucks extra for electric plug-in. Forget the Genny and batteries, get a good extension cord.
just my ol 2¢
For the OP... True story... late one night I had a young officer ask me to come look at an old box truck he found parked in the Walmart parking lot. He only noticed it because he heard a generator running inside as he drove by... All the U-Haul decals were removed, no windows on the sides, and it had a top vent that was open. I went by and looked at it, heard and the generator exhaust coming out the bottom of the box, and told him there was probably somebody inside watching TV and getting ready for bed... He also thought somebody was inside and already knocked but there was no response. So, I asked him if the van was bothering anyone? He paused and said "no." He went on to explain he was more concerned with safety and just wanted to check on the person because, "What if someone is inside passed out from the exhaust fumes?" I told him they were probably more freaked out by his knock and didn't want to talk to police. So we left it be, and the next night it was gone, never to be seen again... Officers have more on their mind than someone just sleeping in a vehicle. Unless the local city council makes a big issue of it (usually caused by past or ongoing problems) it just goes back to common sense - don't draw attention, don't make a mess, don't park where you're not wanted, don't panhandle, don't get drunk and behave stupidly... and you'll probably never get contacted. As others have suggested, if you do get contacted, have some Id ready and just be cordial and polite. The officer is probably checking on your safety, or about to inform you that place is not the ideal spot for you to be... Just talk to them. They might check your name for wants and warrants, but once they've Id'd and get to know you, it usually means there is even less of a chance you'll get contacted a second time. If you left them with a good first impression, they'll likely have a favorable memory of you...
I was getting gas at a convenience store and noticed an old Sprinter van parked on the side. Thought it was a camper, but turned out to be an express cargo van.
They had a small sized generator covered with a plywood box (about the size of a Honda 2000).
One side of the box had an intake fan, and the other had an exhaust fan, both had an air baffle.
I saw the generator before I heard it. Stunningly quiet even standing next to it. Car traffic was louder.
Just a bit bigger than the generator underneath. Stupid simple plywood box with (probably) some poly insulation lining it, sitting behind the van.
Super quiet, no one would object to the noise
They had a small sized generator covered with a plywood box (about the size of a Honda 2000).
One side of the box had an intake fan, and the other had an exhaust fan, both had an air baffle.
I saw the generator before I heard it. Stunningly quiet even standing next to it. Car traffic was louder.
Just a bit bigger than the generator underneath. Stupid simple plywood box with (probably) some poly insulation lining it, sitting behind the van.
Super quiet, no one would object to the noise
lenny flank
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I've had people park near me with "quiet" generators.
I wanted to kill them.
I wanted to kill them.
I have an 8KVa biodiesel genset I'm setting up for my workshop (offgrid cabin) I'm trying to adapt what I learnt when living aboard a boat. I haven't got it right yet but have been experimenting with a water lock mufflers as I've found most small boat diesels are really quiet due to having water passing through the exhaust piping.
If you can somehow recycle the water back as it cools and reinjecting it back into the exhaust only on a small scale ??? (biggest problem) it would be great for a campervan etc.
If you can somehow recycle the water back as it cools and reinjecting it back into the exhaust only on a small scale ??? (biggest problem) it would be great for a campervan etc.
For what it's worth...
In my real-world experience, six Duracell GC2 golf cart batteries-- the well-known cheap ones from Sam's Club-- will reliably power a 5000 btu Frigidaire air conditioner plus an especially power-hungry model of C-Pap plus Engel's tiniest compressor-fridge overnight. I've done it many times now, always in the steamy Southeast. What I think makes this possible for me are the following:
1) I always begin with fully or very nearly fully charged batteries.
2) At night the air conditioner's compressor runs a lot less often than during the day, so most of the time the air conditioner's actual draw is at a much lower level than the device's full rated wattage.
3) My smallish 6x10 cargo trailer is very well insulated, again reducing the load on the compressor.
4) I'm perfectly willing to drain my batteries below 50%, though so far it's only happened once (to about 40%). I bought the cheapest batteries on the market for exactly this reason. If I have to replace them a little earlier, so be it.
5) I don't live in my trailer. Instead I only use it for travel. That means I almost never draw any power during the course of the day, since I'm either driving or doing other things. This (and the fact that I mostly remain pretty far south) is why I almost always have a full charge again by dark (with 600 watts of panels.) When and where I travel, there tends to be lots of intense sun.
Note that I'm also perfectly willing to stop and plug in at a cheap campground or use my tiny propane generator as needed. But in practice... So far, it's only happened once due lack of charge versus twice due to mechanical failure of my charge system. (My wiring came undone due to road vibration.)
My usage case is unusual, I guess. But this setup works pretty well for me and my needs. So... If you can super-insulate, make room for six GC-2's, and arrange for a reliably full charge at the end of every day, maybe it can also work for you?
In my real-world experience, six Duracell GC2 golf cart batteries-- the well-known cheap ones from Sam's Club-- will reliably power a 5000 btu Frigidaire air conditioner plus an especially power-hungry model of C-Pap plus Engel's tiniest compressor-fridge overnight. I've done it many times now, always in the steamy Southeast. What I think makes this possible for me are the following:
1) I always begin with fully or very nearly fully charged batteries.
2) At night the air conditioner's compressor runs a lot less often than during the day, so most of the time the air conditioner's actual draw is at a much lower level than the device's full rated wattage.
3) My smallish 6x10 cargo trailer is very well insulated, again reducing the load on the compressor.
4) I'm perfectly willing to drain my batteries below 50%, though so far it's only happened once (to about 40%). I bought the cheapest batteries on the market for exactly this reason. If I have to replace them a little earlier, so be it.
5) I don't live in my trailer. Instead I only use it for travel. That means I almost never draw any power during the course of the day, since I'm either driving or doing other things. This (and the fact that I mostly remain pretty far south) is why I almost always have a full charge again by dark (with 600 watts of panels.) When and where I travel, there tends to be lots of intense sun.
Note that I'm also perfectly willing to stop and plug in at a cheap campground or use my tiny propane generator as needed. But in practice... So far, it's only happened once due lack of charge versus twice due to mechanical failure of my charge system. (My wiring came undone due to road vibration.)
My usage case is unusual, I guess. But this setup works pretty well for me and my needs. So... If you can super-insulate, make room for six GC-2's, and arrange for a reliably full charge at the end of every day, maybe it can also work for you?
