Why do some people have a generator ?

Annyalla

Guest
I am very new to all this and wondered why some people have a generator in their motorhomes ?
And not sure what the difference is between leisure batteries and a generator?
 
i carry a big diesel genny . 2.8kw
its used for working an inverter welder if needed . never know if off roading what might break.
earlier this year it got used on a mates m,bike stand . broke while mountain tracking in spain .
have welded broken springs while in the sahara one year.
also could power most things . its ideal after 15mins you cant hear it running .
you are deaf .
but cant go adventuring with out tools .
its amazing what can fracture while on wild tracks fuel tank straps or just brackets for this n that.
also useful if others park too close .ha ha .
 
Annyalla said:
I am very new to all this and wondered why some people have a generator in their motorhomes ?
And not sure what the difference is between leisure batteries and a generator?
Click to expand...

Not many do and even fewer use them. :)

Richard
 
Annyalla said:
I am very new to all this and wondered why some people have a generator in their motorhomes ?
And not sure what the difference is between leisure batteries and a generator?
Click to expand...
A leisure battery is a second battery to power the habitation electrics ,so you don't flatten the engine battery .
A generator is portable petrol driven device that can charge your batteries and run you 240 and 12 volt electrics ,usually carried by larger vans that don't use electric hook ups. Some van have 2 or more leisure batteries. Some vans have solar panels to maintain batteries.
 
hi, I'm not as knowledgable as some, but here goes. leisure batteries are linked into your 12volt system, and can be kept charged via mains[240 volt] input, solar panels,or an onboard charger. I have something called a battery to battery charger which runs when the engine is running and charges the leisure batteries from the alternator. a generator is an independent charging unit, usually run on petrol or diesel. they can be a bit noisy. hope this helps.
 
If the other half wants to use a hair dryer it could be handy to have generator as it would need a lot of batteries if not on ehu.
 
Annyalla said:
I am very new to all this and wondered why some people have a generator in their motorhomes ?
And not sure what the difference is between leisure batteries and a generator?
Click to expand...

Some people have Generators because they don't want friends .
 
whether you need one or not depends on what you might get up to.i used to carry 2. one was 700 watt and good for battery charging,running small power tools etc. the other was 2500 watt,like vwalan for welding and brazing,running all my heavier power tools etc.sometimes we might park up for a couple of months while working in the area,and solar panels and leisure batteries wouldn't be able to supply our power needs
 
As said above, I have a small generator predominately to recharge my leisure battery. This extends the time I can wildcamp. As long as I have somewhere to dump waste and take on water I have no need for campsites.
Also they will keep your home freezer going during power cuts so you get your compo from power companies without losing your cod pieces. ;)
 
Hi Annyalla,

I was going to say the normal people on here but better to go with the "average person" :) on here does not often find the need for a 3.5kw genny but most settle a leisure battery and a few have a solar panel as well.

Richard
 
runnach said:
Alan, what spec rod you use for spring repair, is this leaf, or coil?

Cheers..
Click to expand...

hi. only use 2mm mild steel rods . not ideal as they will break again , but just weld again . gotta keep the wheels turning .
cant sit around crying . they got the truck back to spain then had new springs .
i use a small 100amp inverter welder in the truck very light and only cost 70 quid from a tool warehouse in malaga years ago.
driving through africa is very hard on the vehicles . my inverter welder as payed for itself many times over .
mig would be nice but more to carry . it doesnt have tig shame .
amate runs a garage in malaga so if i get there its easy fixed . or carry on and fix it here at home .
oh by the way it was leaf springs on my trailer .
coils would be a bit harder to do i imagine but would have a go.
its amazing what breaks when overlanding . done all sorts of repairs from springs to door hinges falling off others trucke . fuel tanks splitting . if it breaks you just have to fix it .
 
Tbear said:
Hi Annyalla,

I was going to say the normal people on here but better to go with the "average person" :) on here does not often find the need for a 3.5kw genny but most settle a leisure battery and a few have a solar panel as well.

Richard
Click to expand...

all my mates are normal . i think many on here arent . they even use prison camps . ha ha .
you must come away with us one year you will understand there are different types of normal .ha ha .
i know many that carry oxy/accet as well . and have all sorts of toys to play with .
 
Tbear said:
Hi Annyalla,

I was going to say the normal people on here but better to go with the "average person" :) on here does not often find the need for a 3.5kw genny but most settle a leisure battery and a few have a solar panel as well.

Richard
Click to expand...

*coughs* Less adventurous perhaps? Great oaks etc. I find vwalan's posts pretty stimulating personally.
 
oi,i'm normal- honest

well that's what my shrink says

i'm not going to let him go yet

he's been very naughty
 
I have a folding solar panel, no space on roof for panel. Carry a Honda EU20i genny for using hair driers, microwave etc when wilding. Also will use it over the winter months when solar panel will not be adequate to charge liesure batteries.
I also use the genny at home and on the shoot that i help out on.
Wouldn't use the genny when on site, its quite but not silent no matter what anyone tells you.
 
Why because we have one, it efficiently tops up the leisure bank and recharges the laptops and phones etc within an hour and a half, it's also usefull for work etc. our truck has a 24v leisure system so a decent solar system would cost a nice few quid and would be next to no good during the UK winter ( we live in the van full time) apart from that, stick it out in front of the van with the Rottweiler and no one seems to crowd us
 
We have managed with a 90 watt freestanding panel and 2 x 110 ah batteries on Winter trips for a few years.

It means being sensible with the use of 12 power. We just used a 10" TV which draws just over 1 amp and LED lighting. It should be remembered that a wildcamper moves on every day or two (which puts charge into the batteries).

Nowadays we have a 100 watt solar panel on the roof and I carry the 90 watt panel which I plug in to the circuit for when there is little or no sunshine.

I also carried a small wind turbine which was not used a lot but came in very handy at times.
 
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