Propane powered generator

cmaslen

Hi I want to get a small propane powered generator for emergency batter recharge of my NuCamp 320s. Was going to get a Ryobi 900 but seems they are discontinued. Any recommendations on alternatives?
thanks,
Cathy

pthomas745

Welcome to the Forums!  The year of your trailer would be really nice to know.

There are tons of generator threads, and a few that specify propane type generators.

https://www.google.com/search?q=propane+generator+site:tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com&client=firefox-b-1-d&sca_esv=595826640&sxsrf=AM9HkKlEM0B7fGb40sWj7fLQ8MpNNA5t6Q:1704416668280&ei=nFWXZbvlEL7zkPIPvryM-AI&ved=0ahUKEwi7o7_whsWDAxW-OUQIHT4eAy8Q4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=propane+generator+site:tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiMnByb3BhbmUgZ2VuZXJhdG9yIHNpdGU6dGFiLXJ2LnZhbmlsbGFjb21tdW5pdHkuY29tSKs_UOYNWOU3cAF4AJABAJgBOKABhQuqAQIzM7gBA8gBAPgBAeIDBBgBIEGIBgE&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

gande

@cmaslen… the Honda EU 2200 is a popular and very highly rated generator. It is easily converted to propane operation with the Hutch Mountain kit. 

Grumpy_G

As an owner of (uses fingers...) four generators (including a Honda with propane conversion)  I'd suggest something else for emergency recharging. Using the tow vehicle is a 0 $ option but obviously not the most efficient. Maybe get one of those glorified battery/inverter in a box things called "solar generator". They can be (re)charged in the tow vehicle while driving and depending on size can up to fully recharge the trailer battery. Plus they make no noise.

CharlieRN

I second the suggestion by @Grumpy_G to look into a battery powered "solar generator." There are several well-designed units that have substantial capacity and may be recharged in multiple ways, including normal household a/c (120/240v), EV charge points and probably most importantly, solar. They are substantially more expensive than gasoline/propane generators, but have many advantages: they are very quiet, can be used indoors, require essentially no maintenance and have a life span measured in decades.

AnOldUR

@cmaslen We tow our 320S with a two door Jeep Wrangler so space and weight are serious considerations. Even if that wasn't the case, the only use we have is for emergency charging when solar isn't keeping up. At half the weight and size, paying for and toting around something like the Honda would not make sense. Neither would a "solar generator" which is nothing more than an overpriced battery with some bells and whistles. Upgrading our batteries and solar was a better option for us.

We've been using a clone of the Ryobi. It's a Baja 900/700W once sold by Home Depot, but that has also been discontinued. While out with our T@B, it rides on the roof of the TV in a storage bin. In something like 30K miles of travel it has only come down a few times. It's everything we need, but nothing we don't.

If we were looking today the ALP would be on our list.
https://alpgenerators.com/products/alp-generator-1000-watts-orange-black

edit to add that we don't plug our T@B into the generator, but use a lithium compatible charger with a port that goes directly to our two LiFePO4's.

VictoriaP

I own the discontinued Ryobi, and three different sized lithium portable power stations of the kind described above. Guess which actually gets used? It’s not the generator. The portable battery option is so much more convenient that the propane generator is literally relegated to last resort use. While I think prices on the misnamed “solar generators” are still ridiculous, many became more affordable per watt hour in the last year or so, and I find they’re just a lot more versatile than a traditional generator. Anything in the 500 watt hour range or higher will be both a solid addition to your camping gear and a potentially useful thing to have during power outages at home. 

I’m with Grumpy_G & CharlieRN: no noise, no fumes, no extra fuel to carry or refill, no maintenance. Just make sure to get the charger that goes allows you to recharge it off the car when driving, and get one with fast charging capability if possible. 

I don’t regret buying the Ryobi, but I can’t say a propane or gas generator is the best option nowadays unless you’re going to be in a situation where there’s literally no way to recharge a power station in a timely fashion. If that’s the case, the ALP linked above is probably a decent choice for a more compact generator. The Honda 2200 is pretty large, and way more than you need if all you’re going to do is recharge your trailer battery.

Side note: Your first line of defense against running out of juice on the road is make sure you’ve correctly sized your trailer battery setup. For example, if you’re trying to run a current model 320 with 12v fridge off of a single group 24 deep cycle sealed lead acid battery, your smartest move is to upgrade that before looking into any backup solutions. If your 320 has a 3 way fridge, you can potentially get away with a smaller house battery configuration. Likewise, having enough solar helps; installing a DC-DC converter may also be a better solution than buying a generator. Lots of things to consider if you haven’t already!

cmaslen

I want a generator for emergencies only for my NuCamp 320s. Something similar to Ryobi 900 which it seems has been discontinued.

Sharon_is_SAM

@cmaslen - see your original post above.

AnOldUR

VictoriaP said:

... Your first line of defense against running out of juice on the road is make sure you’ve correctly sized your trailer battery setup ...

This, I believe, should be the first thing to keep in mind in any of these discussions. Unless I needed it for uses outside camping, a "solar generator" or power station would not be the place I'd put my money. I haven't been convinced that charging my battery with a battery makes any sense. Having that capacity built into my T@B does. Additional house batteries can be charged in the same ways as a power station. Paired with adequate solar this is the set-and-forget solution I went with. It's been enough 99% of the time. Leaving the little propane generator on the roof of our TV is more about peace of mind.



The one pound canister in the tub is a backup for our backup. When we've needed the generator, we used the 5lb tank that we carry for our Blackstone griddle.

WayneW

I chose to address this need with a DC-DC charger. A 60 amp Renogy dc-dc charger is now $180 and weighs a bit over 5 lbs. An Alp generator costs $530, weighs a bit over 30 lbs and puts out a continuous 7.1 amps. Plus you need a battery charger. 

Unless there is a need for a stand alone generator, the dc-dc charger is a pretty good option. I can fully charge my battery while going down the road, even if there’s no sun. I can put a good charge while at camp in fairly short order if needed - much quicker than a small generator would. I know it’s not quite what the original post asked, but perhaps it’s something to consider. 

AnOldUR

A DC-DC charger can be an excellent consideration, but things to keep in mind before buying a 60 amps charger like @WayneW is using ...

"It’s important to ensure a DC to DC charger does not exceed 50% of the alternator’s output current (Ah). This will prevent the alternator from overloading (which could reduce its lifespan and burn it out)."

"In general, most car alternators have an output rating between 40 to 120 amps. Older vehicles or smaller cars typically have alternators with lower output ratings, around 40 to 70 amps."

You'll need dedicated wiring between the alternator/dc-dc charger and trailer batteries. Your standard 7-pin cable will not handle that amperage over the distance required. This is an added expense, especially if you have someone else do the work.

The ALP may only put out 7.1 amps, but that's at 120V. A 30 amp smart charger will only draw around 3 amps at 120V while outputting 30 amps at 12V. You could comfortably go up to a 50 amp charger with the ALP or Ryobi generators.

WayneW

@AnOldUR Excellent points.  And thanks for clarifying (correcting) my math on the electrical draw.  I had thoughts about that after I posted.  I've always been a better mechanic than electrician!

Our tow vehicle is an F150 with a high output alternator so 60A draw isn't an issue with us, plus I almost always run the charger at "half speed" while driving so that's less of an issue.

Cost of installation is an issue.  I did the install myself and needed slightly less than $100 for wiring and connectors.  It's pretty straightforward but not something everyone would want to take on.

cmaslen

Thanks all for the suggestions. Since I have to get something fast I am thinking I will get the Jackery 1000 solar as can buy where I am at without waiting. and plan to keep charged with 2019 Highlander.
btw the NuCamp is a 2022
Would there be any reason I can’t plug directly into my camper?

AnOldUR

cmaslen said:

Would there be any reason I can’t plug directly into my camper?

There's no reason that you can't do that, but the Jackery converting 12V to 120V and then having your trailers converter change it back to 12V is not very efficient or cost effective. Unless you have other uses for the Jackery, why not just upgrade your onboard battery system?

pthomas745

@cmaslen IF your Jackery has a "regulated 12V output", you can plug it into a 12V port and run the trailer 12V items.  With the battery switch off, the trailer battery would not be charging, but I agree with @AnOldUR that charging a battery with another battery is sort of pointless.  Some owners here have also managed to wire their Bluettis, etc, directly into the 12V setup of the trailer and use them to run the trailer.  Basically, they wind up being "extra" batteries.  Connecting directly into the 12V system eliminates the run around of the converters.

Look over this thread, and the Bluetti conversation is on page 2.  Somewhere in this group there is a conversation of the ability of the 12V ports to be used as "2 way devices". They can supply power and accept power. 

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/7008/anyone-carry-a-spare-battery/p1

Mickerly

We have a "solar generator." But we didn't buy it for camping. We have it because the power at the house is intermittent during storms. I have solar panels to keep it charged. It could be used to charge the trailer, but there is some loss. There are a lot less expensive and more efficient methods of charging the trailer's battery.

Be careful connecting to a cigarette lighter 12v plug. They have a fuse. As stated above, have the battery disconnected and hope your trailer's load doesn't exceed the fuse value. If I wanted to power the trailer from the solar generator, I would use and extension cord and plug the solar generator's 110 AC to the trailer and allow the power converter do what it should. There will be loss, but it works safely.

Using a spare battery (or solar generator) to directly charge the trailer battery, may not be the best idea. Batteries have a recharge schedule. Different kinds of batteries have different requirements. Not using a regulated charge system may not be smart in the long run, particularly if the trailer is not lithium when the solar generator is.