Generator Etiquette

[FirstTracks]

Originally Posted by SidecarFlip

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.

Hear, hear... On all counts.

[Skyliner]

Originally Posted by FirstTracks

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.

I agree 100% with you!

Funny story about messing with someone else's generator: We were deployed to the National Training Center for an extended camping trip with our Army Aviation Unit. Being Aviation, we always brought along Air Force weather forecasters. They setup a tent next to ours and had a generator to power their computers, TV/VCR, and video games. We did not have a generator but hauled 10 gallons of fuel each night to feed our pot belly stove for heat. We had to walk about 3/4 of mile and hand carry the fuel to our tent. We noticed that someone was stealing our fuel each night and we suspected the Air Force pukes next door who were too lazy to get their own. Once night we decided to do without heat and lugged water in our 5 gallon jerry cans. In the middle of the night we awoke to the sound of a generator in distress and Air Force pukes cursing when they realize what had happened.

[FirstTracks]

LOL!

[SidecarFlip]

Originally Posted by 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.

Interesting, I run 2 Trojan 6 volt golf cart batteries in series and I run my bi-pap all night (8 hours+) with the humidifer too and have no issues. I run off an AIMS Power remote switching PSW inverter and in the morning, my batteries are still at 65% according to my SeeLevel gages. Thats with the fridge running all night too. I run my inverter (on economy mode) for a couple hours in the morning and the batteries are good to go the next night.

If I ran the genny all night, my wife would file for divorce.

[yetavon]

We just recently got a generator...used it a few times and tried to limit the time used and walked all around our area listening for how disturbing it was.

[325BH]

Originally Posted by FirstTracks

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.

Yes, actually they do. They have the same rights to the public land as you.

Not sure what you don't understand.

Sucks? Sure. But you acting like you own the place is amusing. 100 feet isn't good enough for you? Deal with it.

[Mountndream]

Originally Posted by FirstTracks

I didn't move to the West to have someone encroach upon my space. What you don't seem to understand is that it's a different mentality here. We have literally tens of millions of acres of public land upon which to unhitch. It doesn't have to be 100 feet from me. And yeah, I actually do own my spot - I really do. If someone beats me to it, they own it, not me. It's not my right to claim it regardless, nor is it theirs if I'm already there.

its your space, but 100 ft from you is his space.

have a beer and chill

[NMWildcat]

I just hope I never have to camp anywhere near you guys!!!! What fun y'all must be

[MacGumbo]

There is ZERO campground etiquette anymore!

[timfromma]

Last Halloween, me and a couple of friends were dry camping at a park in northern NJ. I knew it was going to be chilly at night so I my plan was to run the propane heat off battery in the overnight hours then fire up the genny during the day to charge the batteries. Due to my own ineptness, I hadn't properly maintained the batteries since I owned them and they were not capable of running the heat for more than an hour. It was far too cold to sleep without heat so I started walking the campground asking each and every camper I saw if they would be ok with me running my genny all night. If I had received a single no I would have either left my camper and got a hotel or moved to a full hookup campground. Immediately after getting home, I replaced the damaged batteries.

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by timfromma

Last Halloween, me and a couple of friends were dry camping at a park in northern NJ. I knew it was going to be chilly at night so I my plan was to run the propane heat off battery in the overnight hours then fire up the genny during the day to charge the batteries. Due to my own ineptness, I hadn't properly maintained the batteries since I owned them and they were not capable of running the heat for more than an hour. It was far too cold to sleep without heat so I started walking the campground asking each and every camper I saw if they would be ok with me running my genny all night. If I had received a single no I would have either left my camper and got a hotel or moved to a full hookup campground. Immediately after getting home, I replaced the damaged batteries.

Now THAT is campground etiquette.

[Butch Wilson]

if you don't own it, you don't control it !

[Oakman]

Generator etiquette should be governed by the golden rule, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” When I was a tent camper I hated folks who used generators. Now that I own an RV I understand the need to run a generator to charge the battery(ies). However, if you need a generator to make coffee, watch TV, or heat food in a microwave you should be ashamed of yourself and only RV in campgrounds with electric hookups.

When I first began RVing I thought RVers were the nicest people in the world. 15 years later I now know that RVers are the nicest people in the world only when everything is going their way. However, one wrong thing (real or perceived) or they don’t get their way and they become the most selfish, self-centered, hate-filled people in the world.

One more thing and I’ll get off my soapbox. If you need 110 volt electricity to enjoy the outdoors then you’re not a camper, you’re an RVer. Real campers don’t need a 110v connection.

[seagrace]

I actually agree with FirstTracks. I've camped back east a few times along the east coast and a bit in the south. NOT some of my fondest camping memories. Out here in the west, we have wide open country and we like our space. Heck, when I camp, a quarter-mile is too close, and if you have a generator, a mile is too close. There is plenty of room for everybody, if you are scared of the dark, maybe you should go back to the campground where you can be with other people.

[Butch Wilson]

Etiquette :
The customary code of polite behaviour in society or among A group !

There you have it !