Generator Etiquette

[kfergiez]

Originally Posted by 325BH

I think this should be repeated!

Thing to understand is, are you dealing with rules or etiquette?

If at a campground, rules are more than likely in play.

If out in the sticks, there are probably no rules and etiquette comes into play.

Rules are more black and white. Etiquette, not so much. Out in the sticks, people have just as much rights to make noise as anyone else.

I wholeheartedly agree. One of the experiences I had was a person had an older generator (read: burning oil) running in the site next to ours, and we got smoked out. But they started it up at 5:00 a.m. and let it run all day. I don't know what you'd be doing all day that required a generator, but wow. We spoke with the hosts and they took care of it. I felt bad.

I tend to wake up early when camping. I don't know what early time you are referring. 5-6 am. I consider that early. If I relied on the generator to make coffee I would be chomping at the bit or making with fire. I found a percolator at my dads house....I'm gonna try it. Haven't made coffee on one of those in prolly 40 years.

I understand, but coffee with fire is better. Much better.

[timfromma]

If generators bug you, use full hookup campgrounds so generator use is not necessary.

[kamper00]

I am currently at a state campground with no hookups.

There are a few campers near me that have a large non-inverter generators that they run from 8AM to 10PM so they can stay in the camper with the A/C on or the kids with the PlayStation.

I think there is a time and place for a generator...but when the loud generators are running, my wife and I can't talk to each other on our site without us raising our voices.

Just seems it's just a world about "me me me"

[Shackrat]

Personally I have no objection to people using quiet generators so long as they're operated in accordance with CG rules. Two years ago when we were still tent camping we had an issue with a family in a motorhhome while staying at a NYS campground in the Adirondacks. Despite being a couple sites away the noise was loud enough that we weren't able to hear any of the natural sounds of the area; birds chirping etc.

The campers also didn't feel the need to abide by the campgrounds generator hours policy. We tolerated their disregard for the rules on the first day, reported them on the second day, and had them kicked out on the third day.

Now that we are RV camping I will always remember how irritating and disrespectful loud generators were to us in our tent days and in turn will always be mindful of how we use ours.

[SidecarFlip]

Originally Posted by kfergiez

I realize that this topic might get a bit touchy, but hear me out.

I'm genuinely asking your thoughts on the etiquette regarding the usage of generators, or more specifically, when is it okay to ask somebody to shut it off. Personally, I hate generators with the fire of a thousand suns because I love the peace and quiet of camping. But I understand that other people like to use them.

I could go on and on about how much I dislike generators, but it wouldn't lend much to the conversation at all. So here's the question, when is it appropriate or inappropriate to run a generator? My thoughts are no generators during quiet hours. But often times people run them late at night, or at the crack of dawn.... even during those quite hours.

What is a universally appropriate way to ask people to shut them off?

See post number 3.

If it irritates you so much, maybe you should try camping in the woods or not go camping at all. Sell your unit and motel it.

If I was camping (and I boondock all the time) and you per chance came into the area where I was camped and told me I should turn of my extremely quiet Inverter genny, you might not like the answer, in fact I know you would not like my reply.

We will leave it at that.

[325BH]

Do the state campgrounds allow open frame generators?

[aeblank]

Originally Posted by SidecarFlip

See post number 3.

If it irritates you so much, maybe you should try camping in the woods or not go camping at all. Sell your unit and motel it.

If I was camping (and I boondock all the time) and you per chance came into the area where I was camped and told me I should turn of my extremely quiet Inverter genny, you might not like the answer, in fact I know you would not like my reply.

We will leave it at that.

Your desires trump his? Why?

[DaGrinch]

Originally Posted by Shackrat

Personally I have no objection to people using quiet generators so long as they're operated in accordance with CG rules. Two years ago when we were still tent camping we had an issue with a family in a motorhhome while staying at a NYS campground in the Adirondacks. Despite being a couple sites away the noise was loud enough that we weren't able to hear any of the natural sounds of the area; birds chirping etc.

The campers also didn't feel the need to abide by the campgrounds generator hours policy. We tolerated their disregard for the rules on the first day, reported them on the second day, and had them kicked out on the third day.

Now that we are RV camping I will always remember how irritating and disrespectful loud generators were to us in our tent days and in turn will always be mindful of how we use ours.

Being considerate is #1 priority for DW and I. While we usually use CG's with at least electric, there may be a day when we "go rogue" and need use of our generator in our Sunseeker. To that end, one of the first things we did was purchase a Gen-turi. It does 2 things... #1 - puts the exhaust up above other campers so no one breathes the exhaust, and #2 - the noise level at the camper is lessened and is pushed above the campers.
But I agree - rules state no generators in quiet hours, let the CG personnel deal with it. When boondocking, proper etiquette would be to probably let the offender know what the issue is in a decent way.

[Wobbles]

Originally Posted by 325BH

Do the state campgrounds allow open frame generators?

I have never seen any state or federal distinctions between to two. Only a quiet hour guideline.

After we get beyond the war about whether only inverter or open frame, we can argue about what color genny can be used on what days.

[Homebrew]

We found most CG & NP allow generators to start as early as 7am.
Some NP only had two times a day you could run your generator for 2 hours each time.
I just need the generator to make coffee, hair dryer for DW and charge the batteries. Couple hours twice a day works for us.
We always get a site with power if the AC is needed.

[aquaholic3]

I've heard of strange things happening to generators left running all night

[325BH]

Originally Posted by aquaholic3

I've heard of strange things happening to generators left running all night

While I understand your frustration, messing with people's property can cause things to escalate very fast. Especially regarding his home/castle.

[FirstTracks]

Originally Posted by DaGrinch

When boondocking, proper etiquette would be to probably let the offender know what the issue is in a decent way.

When boondocking, proper etiquette would be if I'm there first, don't camp within eyesight or earshot of me. I won't do that to someone else either.

I was pissed last week when while set up at Wild Horse Butte, someone pulled in overnight and plopped down in a tent about 100 feet from my site. DW had all she could do to keep me from cranking death metal on the outdoor speakers when I got up and saw them at 6am. It was the only time I wished that I had an open frame Genny instead of my inverter.

[Skyliner]

Originally Posted by FirstTracks

When boondocking, proper etiquette would be if I'm there first, don't camp within eyesight or earshot of me. I won't do that to someone else either.

I was pissed last week when while set up at Wild Horse Butte, someone pulled in overnight and plopped down in a tent about 100 feet from my site. DW had all she could do to keep me from cranking death metal on the outdoor speakers when I got up and saw them at 6am. It was the only time I wished that I had an open frame Genny instead of my inverter.

I agree, I boondock to get away from people and can't stand it when someone setups next to us despite there being thousands of other places they can go. If my 3 overly friendly dogs that I never leash when camping don't get rid of them, I have a 2 stroke generator that I'll run 24/7 if needed. I'll also blast ABBA on our outdoor speakers which is excellent repellent.

[FirstTracks]

Originally Posted by Skyliner

I'll also blast ABBA on our outdoor speakers which is excellent repellent.

That would absolutely keep me far away! [emoji2]

[Skyliner]

Originally Posted by 325BH

While I understand your frustration, messing with people's property can cause things to escalate very fast. Especially regarding his home/castle.

There was a 2 year period where we had to run a generator all night when we dispersed (boondock) camped. At that time, we couldn't not afford additional batteries and an inverter and the best we could do was a quiet inverter generator. My wife was on peritoneal dialysis and needed electricity for her machine which did the fluid exchanges while she slept. If you damaged my generator and I found out about it, you'd be tree fertilizer in a National Forest.

The biggest idiot we ran across was once in a campground with no power many years ago. The moron next to us ran his Van 24/7 to power a wireless fence for his 3 dogs. That moron was my brother who is about as clueless as they come. We never camped with him and his family after that and I laughed so hard when his catalytic converter failed soon after from excessive engine idling.

[325BH]

Originally Posted by FirstTracks

When boondocking, proper etiquette would be if I'm there first, don't camp within eyesight or earshot of me. I won't do that to someone else either.

I was pissed last week when while set up at Wild Horse Butte, someone pulled in overnight and plopped down in a tent about 100 feet from my site. DW had all she could do to keep me from cranking death metal on the outdoor speakers when I got up and saw them at 6am. It was the only time I wished that I had an open frame Genny instead of my inverter.

Well, since everyone has equal rights to the boondocks, we all have to get along.

Everyone has different requirements of personal space I guess.

[FirstTracks]

Originally Posted by 325BH

Well, since everyone has equal rights to the boondocks, we all have to get along.

Everyone has different requirements of personal space I guess.

Not around here they don't. I'm not in New York, I'm in Utah where over 80% of the state is public land. I don't go to the wilderness to have some idiot plop down 100 feet from me with millions of empty acres to choose from. If we're going to all get along, people need to find their own little slice of paradise and not mooch on mine. If I arrive in my favorite spot to find someone already there, I simply find somewhere else to camp. Too many people lack that common sense respect.

[actadh]

We often do 2-3 night trips at a dispersed campging area where we situate the generator towards the back of the site against hillsides. We don't run the generator except in the designated hours. My husband is on oxygen 24/7 and sleeps with his portable tank when dispersed camping - about 6-7 hours. He takes a long 4-5 hour nap during the heat of the day with his oxygen concentrator, bpap, & AC all powered from the generator.

At this camping area, we actually could run the generator at night as all you need to do is tell the host that you are using medical equipment. As his daytime nap is nearly as long as his nighttime sleep, we just reverse the usage.

[SidecarFlip]

Originally Posted by aeblank

Your desires trump his? Why?

Simple, I was there first. Having said that however, I don't run my inverter at night. I like it silent, I like to listen to the crickets and animals scurrying about.

Why I never stay in a campground. No dogs barking, no kids whining no muffled conversations no noisy generators owned by inconsiderate campers running either.

Just silence and darkness. I'm all about it.