Wind generators

[GeorgieBoy]

I'm thinking about getting a smallish one to recharge my battery while camping, either in campgrounds or boondocking. Most of the places we camp are in the national forest, so sometimes solar isn't a good option. I know very little about what I might need, can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks,

[Eagle]

Buy a Honda inverter generator & forget the wind thing.

[jbfunfinder]

Small wind turbines seem to be common in the world of boating. Check companies on the internet that sell parts and supplies for sailboats and motor yachts. Although we have camped a lot in the windy deserts and along the beaches of SoCal, I cannot recall ever seeing a wind turbine on an RV, although I'm sure they're out there. Solar has worked well for me.

[SWFL FlyFisher]

Having crewed on a sailboat with a wind generator and having spent time in anchorages where other boats have had them, I'll never have one on my boat. They're incredibly noisy, even the "quiet" models and you'll need quite a bit of wind to get much out of one. Space, mounting, and vibration are also issues with most.

As recommended above, get an invertor generator. You don't have to spend the money for a Honda - I bought a 3200w Firman invertor generator from Costco with a lifetime warranty for $535 including tax and shipping. It's quiet and has enough power to run our airconditioner all day. With a generator you'll have more flexibility, your buy in cost will be cheaper and you'll get more bang for the buck overall.

[profdant139]

We camp in the forest all the time -- we have a portable solar panel (120 watt) that works great. If the trailer is in the shade and the cable won't reach the sunshine, we just move the panel and our spare battery into the sunlight.

In several years of camping, I have almost never had to run my generator!! But I carry it along, just in case of a long cloudy spell.

We stayed once at an ecotourism resort in Mexico that had a wind generator -- very noisy.

[GeorgieBoy]

Thanks, everyone, for weighing in. I've had some generator issues with my current, clunky one so I am exploring options. It looks like I'll go with solar and get an inverter generator as a backup.

[jbfunfinder]

Just another thought. Check out the Home Depot Ryobi 900 watt propane generator. It is small, light, no smelly gasoline and at $300, relatively cheap. My son owns one as an emergency back up when the clouds roll in and solar just doesn't do it.

[runner421]

Depending on where you regularly camp, I'm wondering if there will be enough wind?