CHARGING OPTIONS

[Happy Camper]

Hey guys,recently let go of my camper at the lake as i'll only be able to get away to fish a couple days at a time .looking for charging options,in the warmer months thinking about camping out on the boat over nite,because by the time I pull out and get to a hotel there is very few hours till i'll have to leave to get back on the water before daylight.Been there done that,years ago,thought about adding another set of batteries and another onboard charger.Also looking at a small Honda superquiet inverter generator 2000 watts,weighs like 47 lbs only 20"x15"x12" this seems like the way to go as its lighter than two battery.PRO'S, CON'S, OPINIONS PLEASE, THANKS IN ADVANCE......kenny

[mwardncsu]

I've read where guys use those Honda generators on boats to power halogen lights for night-fishing / bow-fishing. They are not cheap but small and pretty quiet. Not sure what amount of run-time you get off a tank full - biggest concern I'd have is hauling extra has around & refueling on the boat..... guess as long as you are careful...

I'd also look at an inverter that lets you charge batteries when running. MinnKota has them for various bank configurations. TrollBridge does as well - least you could keep some charge when running the big motor. Perhaps a combination of the two... .depends how long and how much you are trying to power....

[Brian]

If you go the generator route be very aware of the hazards of carbon monoxide. Even in an open boat, CO can accumulate in low places so if you were sleeping on the floor it could be bad.

I'm very aware of this danger because a uncle of mine slept on a boat with a generator running when he was a teenager. None of his friends made it and he was in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

[Happy Camper]

Thanks for the reply,looked at something called a stealth charger that charged from the alt. reading on hull truth those guys said you had to be running 2000 rpm for it to even kick in,saw minnkotas version will check into it a little more.the Honda gen had a 6 hr run time in eco mode 1/4 load I was thinking fuel at a marina and run dry Thanks for the heads up Brain I didn't think about the carbon monoxide in a open boat untill I read your post,that is a eye opener.keep them coming guys any comments welcome.......kenny

[Deleted]

Offer one of the hotel managers 20 bucks and sleep tied to their dock and plugged in.

[mwardncsu]

I'm still looking at solar options........

this configuration may work for you...

[Happy Camper]

yea,i was going to talk to wayne where I had the camper before I left about that, but he was gone on vacation.just exploring options.going to have to let yall try out that solar thing, after checking it out for my house don't think I can afford it.

[formula180]

It takes some time to recharge a battery so overnight is your best option.  If a 100 Amp-hr battery is 50 percent discharged, it will take 5.5+ hours to recharge at 10 amps.

Finding a slip with overnight camping is your best option.

You could also build your own generator fairly cheap and camp near the dam with the generator placed on land.  Here is a typical setup using an old lawn mower engine and an alternator out of a car plus a regulator.  Just some thoughts.

12 volt charger

[Happy Camper]

Thanks for the reply formula,thats is what I was thinking about.The Honda does not take up much space,6 hour on less than a gallon

[formula180]

Here is another site that sells the plate for mounting the alternator to the engine.  I made my own plate and setup for the year 2000 crisis that never happened.

The Epicenter

Here is another generator that is about right for charging two 100 Amp-hr batteries using a separate battery charger.  At 450 watts output, that gives you about 25 amps considering losses in the battery charger, etc.  Then when not charging batteries, you have it for other 120 AC uses. It only weights 22 pounds with a .9 HP engine.  They have it at Northern Tool for $299.

Northern Tool