We have just been away in our caravan, and although very careful with our electrics ran out of battery power. There is no problem with the battery, it's new, so what generator do we need?
We are very wary, we do not want to spend a lot of money and find it is not man enough for the job, but we do not want to buy one which will annoy our fellow campers.
I've been thinking about a second battery that can live in the car and be charged when driving about and swapped when required. Many CL's offer a battery charging facility too.
A GOOD solar panel will work well to keep a battery topped up, even in our climate, for running lights and water pump. Look for something at least 20W - the marine ones are worth looking at. Also, I know you said that you're careful with electricity usage, but have you changed all bulbs to low energy types? A company called Solar Wind are good for this sort of thing - 12v low energy bulbs. See http://www.shop.solar-wind.co.uk/acatalog/energy_efficient_bulbs_12v_24v_dc_cfl.html
Another option might be a small wind turbine - I've got an AirX marine on I use for supplying power to keep 12V batteries going for amateur radio gear. That, in combination with the solar, does a good job.
Both options can be cheaper than a good quiet generator, and once purchased there are no additional running costs. Of course, you could just have another leisure battery!
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Topic: generators
