Anybody carry a generator with them on camping trips?

Subsea

Subsea

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Subsea
I was looking at this 4 stroke generator and though it could become useful on fly-to/in camping trips. The 12V part doesn't do me much good since I'm 24v, but the small 4 stroke part interests me. I guess it might throw the CARB compliance out the window if run on 100LL. Anyone ran a small generator on Avgas for any appreciable length of time?

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-EF2000...TF8&qid=1429996474&sr=8-10&keywords=generator
 
I like the Honda 2000 quite gen set.,can't use 100 LL ,have to find a gas station or carry a gas can,which is not recommended
 
I've run my Yamaha EF1000s (not the current inverter model) on 100LL for years. The spark plugs need to be cleaned occasionally but they've done fine. My Honda EU2000i is a little more finicky about gas. It doesn't like 100LL at all.
 
When I go camping I take this, it has a 7.5 KW onan, and a boat aboard. plus a wet bar.
 

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If you're within a mile of any source of power or a motor or an engine or another camper then you ain't camping! :goofy:
 
frfly172 said:
I like the Honda 2000 quite gen set.,can't use 100 LL ,have to find a gas station or carry a gas can,which is not recommended
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I've got the dual Honda 2000s, and have used 100LL in them at OSH without trouble.
 
Airplane camping.
 

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timwinters said:
If you're within a mile of any source of power or a motor or an engine or another camper then you ain't camping! :goofy:
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My thought too. Also, given that other people are in tents, aren't generators a little loud for camping areas? Or am I thinking of a different kind of camping. :dunno:
 
I'm no stranger to camping where there's nothing but a tent and you, but frankly... I'm enjoying having the margarita blender close by and a key switch to turn on the genny to use it.

Feel free to camp the hard way.

Then come on by for margaritas and ice cream and Jagermeister from the freezer later.

They say it's called "Glamping". I dunno. Mac n Cheese and hot dogs cut up in it is still on the menu, and the wine is probably from a box and not a bottle.
 
We camped for many years at OSH without the generator. This was back in the "pre-mobile device" days.

Now? We've got my 2000 watt, and friend's 1000 watt Honda going during daytime hours. We power the coffee maker, microwave (for tea and popcorn), blender, and, of course, charge every mobile device in the North 40.

We've shared a lot of coffee and beers with "Chargers", as we call them. :)
 
denverpilot said:
Mac n Cheese and hot dogs cut up in it is still on the menu, and the wine is probably from a box and not a bottle.
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Steaks (that have been marinating all day in a double zip-lock at the bottom of the cooler) grilled on an open fire on a gravel bar with potatoes baked in the hot coals. Likely there will be steamed or sautéed asparagus, onions, and/or mushrooms on the side.

Being secluded, with no humanoid within a mile of me doesn't mean one can't do things up right!

BTW, Tuna is better in Mac-n-Cheese than hot dogs! ;)
 
timwinters said:
Some of the newer generators are pretty whisper quiet.
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Hondas are pretty quiet if the draw isn't too much, once past 50% HP they get pretty loud, you'd have to speak very loudly if you were next to one, if you stack gear around as a sound barrier would make it tolerable or keep high draws to a minimum.
 
I have the Yahama 2000 unit and it is great. I use it in the winter on hunting trips where I need to pre-heat the engine with the Reiff pre-heaters. I chain it to the nose wheel.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I've heard of planes taking off with the towbar attached, but never a generator! I think I'll get one and see how long it lasts on avgas.
 
It'll show sign of hard starting and poor idling in cold weather first. Carry a spare spark plug and you'll get by okay.
 
Laugh if you will (and surely you must), but I have known several people who have bought this cheap-azz Harbor Freight unit, essentially as a use-once-and-throw-away unit, and been amazed at its resilience and effectiveness.

http://www.harborfreight.com/900-pe...63cc-2-cycle-gas-generator-epacarb-60338.html

Of course, if you need big watts, that's fine too, but for under a C-note (as they often are on sale), it's an interesting option.

And, if you're gonna fly with any gas-powered device, drain it completely before flight and vent it to get the vapors out. http://www.graysono.co.nz/?p=1770
 
My A&P bought and used one of those Harbor Freight generators in Scholler. It sounded like a freaking chainsaw, and his neighbors threatened to torch his trailer.

Get a Honda. It just purrs, and starts incredibly easily.
 
Jay Honeck said:
My A&P bought and used one of those Harbor Freight generators in Scholler. It sounded like a freaking chainsaw, and his neighbors threatened to torch his trailer.

Get a Honda. It just purrs, and starts incredibly easily.
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I heard that about the HF cheapies, but also that may have been a prior iteration (especially the "blue ones), as the ones I have heard were most certainly not as loud as you've described.

In any event, at a dime on the dollar, for occasional use...
 
Subsea said:
I've heard of planes taking off with the towbar attached, but never a generator! I think I'll get one and see how long it lasts on avgas.
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Reminds me of a (cold) war story. At the conclusion of a local exercise, the fleet gets launched (all the flyable F-111s on base). The first aircraft would taxi out of the alert facility (not one of the normal alert birds as they had real nukes on board)--this aircraft was called the "mirror the Victor" bird. Two of my buddies were tapped to fly that sortie and it was their first time to have the honor. Well after the hooter and messages launching the fleet were decoded, he started to taxi while still hooked up to the Dash 60--a turbine powered start cart about the size of VW beetle. He got about a 100 yards before the darn thing couldn't keep rolling and tipped over. The next day our squadron cartoonist had it drawn up as a F-111 just after takeoff with a Dash-60 dangling underneath by the hoses with the caption "What is the drag index for a -60?"
 
One of my friends has that yamaha generator (or possibly the bigger model). He uses it to power tire warmers at the racetrack. It's very quiet and easy to use. I've yet to see a Harbor freight generator that came even close in the noise department, those things just sound awful. He's able to keep his generator right next to his truck, about 10' away from the race bike without noticing that it's even running. The guys with the el cheapo generators generally set up way in the back of the pits and put the generator across the entry road with a long extension cord to get away from the noise. This is at a racetrack with very loud motorcycles going full throttle, think about that.

The Hondas are even quieter than the yamaha and from what I've been told they have a sealing vent for the gas tank so you dont have to drain them when taking on a flight. They are very popular with the boating crowd where gasoline vapors in a bilge are a big concern. Not sure if the Yamaha has the same sort of system, but for something you plan on flying with I'd consider that a big selling point.
 
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I bought this; http://www.amazon.com/Hyundai-HY200...=1430178703&sr=8-1&keywords=hyundai+generator a few months back for use off grid. I tested it near sea level and it put out over 2000 watts, which is why I chose it to use at altitude.

It's made in China, and not as good as the Honda and Yamaha brands, but it's also about half the price. So far so good. I made a small mod to make it run slightly lean for altitude. Fairly quiet, easy to start, but it's heavy. I'm going to make a small wheel cart for it later.
 
timwinters said:
Steaks (that have been marinating all day in a double zip-lock at the bottom of the cooler) grilled on an open fire on a gravel bar with potatoes baked in the hot coals. Likely there will be steamed or sautéed asparagus, onions, and/or mushrooms on the side.



Being secluded, with no humanoid within a mile of me doesn't mean one can't do things up right!



BTW, Tuna is better in Mac-n-Cheese than hot dogs! ;)
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Heh. I can do it up right with whatever is handy. I was mostly sayin' we aren't stuck up about dinner. If it's edible, we're cool with it.

Even if we are hanging out in a 30'+ rolling house with a bigger flat screen TV than the actual stick house, we're fine with a sandwich. Heh.

(We often have no reason to turn the TV on at all, but some kids enjoyed watching Planes on it last year at OSH.)
 
Oh to answer the question of the thread... I'm a Honda convert. And yes I have one of the HF cheapies at the hangar. I won't run it anywhere it can't be drowned out by jet noise. It's obnoxious.

Both a Honda 3000 and a Honda 1000. For various jobs. The 3000 runs enough stuff in the 5th wheel that it's the tool used for that. The 1000 gets assorted other jobs throughout the year.
 
Nah, most of my camping is motorcycle camping, thus very elemental equipment that must fit in the dry bag strapped to the pillion seat.
 
I've been looking at the Honda 1000... of course, this is predicated on having a job where I can work remotely and find someplace with no people and good cell/4G service to 'camp'.
 
I measured my Honda 1000 at about half capacity, 80 decibels 1 ft from the generator, FWIW
 
timwinters said:
Steaks (that have been marinating all day in a double zip-lock at the bottom of the cooler) grilled on an open fire on a gravel bar with potatoes baked in the hot coals. Likely there will be steamed or sautéed asparagus, onions, and/or mushrooms on the side.

Being secluded, with no humanoid within a mile of me doesn't mean one can't do things up right!

BTW, Tuna is better in Mac-n-Cheese than hot dogs! ;)
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Marinating in exactly what?! please give receipie if possible.
 
I guess I'll get a Yamaha, since it's blue and matches my sled. While I'm in a blue mood, I'll run it on blue fuel and see what happens.
 
The invertor Yamahas are on par with Hondas.

What's with the drain the fuel comments? I fly with gas powered equipment in the plane all the time.
 
People are skeerd of fumes. Some equipment seals fumes in better than others. I find this to be much more of an issue in boats where gas fumes sink into low areas and cause a real explosion hazard. In a plane I wouldn't really worry, but some do.
 
Jimmy cooper said:
Marinating in exactly what?! please give receipie if possible.
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Don't recall for sure, it varies. Sometimes it's a home brew, I have a few recipes, and sometimes it's the packaged marinades. It all makes the steaks pretty darned tasty after being in the cooler marinading for 24 hours or more.
 
Can you carry it on your back for 10 or 20 miles? Then no, that's not camping. That's a reconnaisance in force.
 
You guys are too hardcore for me. Carry it on your back for 10 to 20? You guys remind me of Jesse Ventura in Predator, strolling around with a GE minigun and 2,000 rounds. I ain't got time to bleed!
I just need my hairdryer and espresso in the morning, not trench foot and dysentery.
 
timwinters said:
If you're within a mile of any source of power or a motor or an engine or another camper then you ain't camping! :goofy:
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My back doesn't allow me to do that kind of camping any more, so I got one of these.

Call me a wuss if you want, don't care. :no:

Kinda hard to pull behind the Arrow though.
 

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Honda started the pocket generator frenzy, now there are so many brands the prices are starting to get down there. I picked up a Yamaha based (labeled some other company) one at Costco for $689 and have been using it for 3 years without issue. Side-by-side comparison to the Honda is that it's about 3-5 dB louder, has a bigger fuel tank so it runs longer but otherwise is identical.
 
guardrail said:
Honda started the pocket generator frenzy, now there are so many brands the prices are starting to get down there. I picked up a Yamaha based (labeled some other company) one at Costco for $689 and have been using it for 3 years without issue. Side-by-side comparison to the Honda is that it's about 3-5 dB louder, has a bigger fuel tank so it runs longer but otherwise is identical.
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What brand is on it so I can look it up?
 
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