Where to run generator in a pinch in urban/suburban setting?

[TonyMinnesoti]

Hey all, I’m making my way down to the Florida national parks and realized it gets quite cloudy here. I work from the van and am often around town during the week to pick up cell or Wi-Fi. My poor batteries are getting beat down by my fridge and I could really use a quick hit from the generator.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation? Public park maybe? I’d appreciate the input!

 

[bullfrog]

Any truck stop that has refrigerated trucks or cab heaters probably won’t notice if you park out on the edge of parking and put the generator on the far side of the vehicle. Most construction sites are noisy anyway so that might work as well. A school bus garage around the times they leave or return or any lot that has a lot of activity with large vehicles running. An industrial area or rail yard with train tracks or station nearby. Most national parks will have an outlet you could plug in a battery charger on an extension cord in restrooms or maintenance areas for a few hours if you ask.

 

[bullfrog]

Just an added note any public fish cleaning station usually near boat ramps have outlets for electric knifes so often not in use late at night and an extension cord and charger could be used, just ask around public boat ramps about locations.

 

[jacqueg]

Depends on how large/noisy your generator is. Assuming you are using a 2000w or smaller inverter/generator, like a Honda, there are lots of places. Highway rest stops. Any large parking lot, such as a mall parking lot. Public parks, depending on how busy it is - you don't want to disturb someone who is looking for peace and quiet. Check your generator's decibel output, can be found on the manufacturer's website.

In general, park on the "edge", and try to block the generator with your van. Also, maybe look at cobbling up a small 3-sided "box" to act as a baffle.

 

[user 423]

Public parks during the week usually aren't very busy so there's less chance of bothering anyone. In some parks your genny might be drowned out by loud music anyway..LOL.

Do you have any alternator charging going on? If you drive much, that would be a good way to help keep things charged.

 

[maki2]

I would say choose an industrial zoned neighborhood as noise is an expectation there.

Maybe somewhere close to railroad tracks.

 

[WanderingRose]

During daylight hours, away from residences and businesses that might be bothered by the noise and call police.

 

[user 22017]

Just an added note any public fish cleaning station usually near boat ramps have outlets for electric knifes so often not in use late at night and an extension cord and charger could be used, just ask around public boat ramps about locations.

Good to know! Now if I can just remember that, lol.

I noticed a couple Native American Casinos that offer free RV hookups. I should have written those down, too.

 

[Happy Camper]

If it's a smaller quieter inverter generator you can probably just park somewhere and place it close to your van so it's out of sight.

Those generators aren't loud at all. Just park on a street with a lot of traffic and place it between the curb and your van. The traffic noise will be louder then the generator by far.

I did swap meet work for years and you could have a conversation a foot away from an inverter generator. Keep it close and out of sight.

Parks, parking lots, wherever. Now if you feel like you need to run it 20 feet away from you, that limits your options. I agree alternator charging is a good backup as well.

 

[afblangley]

I am not into camping so I’m in large urban, suburban, or small towns almost exclusively. My philosophy during the daytime is park where I am not a nuisance. Most people and establishments don’t care what I'm doing as long as I’m not interfering with what they are doing. I’ve learned this because my generator is in a 40’ class A, so it’s not stealth, it will always be noticed. I’ve never had problems hanging out in the parking lot of large malls, on the streets in industrial areas, city parks, the vacant lot of closed businesses, and gas stations that cater to trucks. When parked in any of these places I have an inviolable rule: I will never run my generator around people unless they are running one. This may mean parking at the far edge of a lot or on a low traffic street in an industrial area. At night I park in areas where RVs are welcome (or at least tolerated). I've had no problems running a generator at rest areas, welcome centers, truck stops, and RV dealerships closed for the night.

In my van, I opted for a large battery bank and alternator charging rather than a generator because I want it to look unoccupied (especially at night). But in cold weather, the noise from running a diesel heater thwarts this effort as much as a generator would. During the day, people don’t care if I’m in the van so I have no problem idling the engine or running the heater almost anywhere (away from pedestrians). In the van this includes busy streets in urban areas, small municipal airports, strip mall and big box parking lots. At night, I want to park somewhere where people don’t care or won’t notice the sound of my diesel heater. One of my favorite places are park & ride lots.

I always separate my hang out spot from my overnight spot. The same could be done when using a generator. For example, use it a the Walmart parking lot then drive somewhere else when finished.