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Small Cabin Forum / Off-Grid Living / Generator Location Considerations
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paulz
Member
# Posted: 26 Jul 2018 10:12pm
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How far from you cabin is your non-portable generator and why? Far away for noise? Exhaust fumes? Close by for wiring? Do you want to hear it running so you don't accidentally leave it going?

I have a 6.5kw electric start propane powered generator I'm going to find a permanent spot for. Made for an RV, pretty quiet.
It has a remote start switch so I can start it from inside the cabin. Moving the thing isn't easy, plus I need to build a shack for it, so just thought I'd ask.

darz5150
Member
# Posted: 27 Jul 2018 12:50am
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I built this dog house for my old jenny. Its about 10 feet from the cabin. Can't really hear it inside the cabin if we have a/c fans or TV/ radio on. Is the generator your only power source?
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paulz
Member
# Posted: 27 Jul 2018 08:49am
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Thanks Darz, that's about the enclosure I was thinking. My cabin power is a bit unique because I have little sun for solar, although I'm gradually pecking away at it. My lights, water pump, fans etc. are all 12v. My truck has two auxiliary deep cycle batteries in parallel. I drive it every day either to town or working on the property, which charges them. There is a third battery in the cabin to keep the power on when the truck is gone. I do have a small 150w solar setup that gets an hour or two (this time of year) that helps a little. I also have tree climber coming in a few weeks that has installed panels in tree tops, so there may be some hope there.

Back to the generator, it's an Onan RV generator that was gifted to me, so I guess it's made to run for long periods of time. Might be good for battery charging though it probably uses too much propane for that. Maybe power a TV, computer and other household appliances. What I'd really like is a fridge..

Borrego
Member
# Posted: 27 Jul 2018 10:17am
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Ours is under the screen porch deck about 24' from the cabin door. This puts it just far enough away to cut the odors/fumes, but close enough to hook up to the Solar boxes. Also I placed it prposely at the east end as the wind usually blows west to east so that helps too except occasionally when the wind shifts or goes totally dead....

ILFE
Member
# Posted: 27 Jul 2018 05:39pm
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Quoting: paulz
Back to the generator, it's an Onan RV generator


If I may ask, 1800 or 3600 RPM? I had an old 5 kW Onan many years ago, that was 1800 RPM. Man, it was a workhorse.

paulz
Member
# Posted: 27 Jul 2018 07:38pm - Edited by: paulz
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Good thought on wind direction. This Onan is 1,800 rpm also, model NHM. It has two circuit breakers and two 110v circuits. I'm curious if it will power 220v stuff?

Nate R
Member
# Posted: 27 Jul 2018 09:39pm
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Quoting: paulz
It has two circuit breakers and two 110v circuits. I'm curious if it will power 220v stuff?


Likely not. Some people have gotten around this with transformers, though. (There are 120 to 240v transformers.) But, Not sure what 240V device would need less than the current one 120v circuit could supply from this genset.

darz5150
Member
# Posted: 27 Jul 2018 10:29pm
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Quoting: paulz
What I'd really like is a fridge..

I've got an old '70s mini fridge out of a pop up camper that can run on 110 volts or 12 volts dc. It's a Norcold brand. Maybe you could find one at a camper place or ask around for someone wanting to get rid of an old camper. I would think in your neck of the woods, there are lots of old campers available.

paulz
Member
# Posted: 28 Jul 2018 08:40pm
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I had one of those old RV fridges, ran on propane, 12v or 110. I had this old RV I cut a side door in years ago, but it's long gone. Should have kept the fridge..

Tree climber came out today and flew his drone to the tops of my tree canopy. 170'. You can barely see it in the photo, taken from the front of my cabin. Tomorrow he is going to climb up there and check out the possibilities for a solar setup up.
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EsmeraldaDavis
Member
# Posted: 5 Sep 2018 03:01am - Edited by: EsmeraldaDavis
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I think it is better to keep the generator away from the cabin.

toyota_mdt_tech
Member
# Posted: 5 Sep 2018 08:55am
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Esmerelda, you lying sack and spammer! Pretty sneaky of you.

paulz
Member
# Posted: 5 Sep 2018 09:26am
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Wow, is there really someone named Esmeralda? Thought that was just on Bewitched. She could fix a generator though. With a twitch of the nose.

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