Generators & Vanlife - Let’s Bust some Myths.

Рет қаралды 15,649

4 ай бұрын

I recently bought a petrol generator and instantly knew I'd be hated for even suggesting to others that they should do the same, but hear me out, if you are full time in your camper and spend winters away from the warmth and Sun in southern Europe then you'll know full well that managing your power is difficult.
I run through costs and compare the noise levels of running your engine vs a generator.
This following contain affiliate links for eBay / Amazon Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase within 4 hours of clicking the links below.
Böhmer-AG W4500i Petrol Inverter Generator
Buy from eBay - ebay.us/JUrYUg
Buy from Amazon - amzn.to/3HO7oK5
📣 Please LIKE & SHARE this video amongst friends and your social media
👉 SUBSCRIBE for FREE kzfaq.info?s...
🚐 Check our Campervan gear page johnandmandy.uk/campervan/
💻 My VanLife Mobile WiFi Setup • THE BEST MOBILE ROUTER...
📡 Starlink Roam extensive review - • WORTH IT? - STARLINK R...
🚲 My MiRider GB3 Folding Ebike • Mirider GB3 Review - T...
𐃏 BFG K02 Tyre review • 10,000 MILE REVIEW of ...
🔋 12V Electrics Guide • Advanced Offgrid 12v E...
🚐 My Off Grid Campervan Electrical System • Is this the best Off G...
👮🏼‍♀️ Campervan Security systems • Serious Campervan Secu...
📲 Instagram / johnmandyuk
The best way to ask Questions is via Instagram
The view expressed in this video are my own and conclusion are drawn from my personal experience of the topic of this video. All comments are moderated before publication to ensure the discussion remains centred on the content of this video. Spam, trolling, abuse and coarse language comments are deleted to keep the channel friendly towards everyone, as well as anything off-topic including but not limited to religion, politics, social / environmental / other activism, beliefs and causes, channel promotion, pandemics, media hatred, conspiracy theories and such like. Stay on topic and civil, please!
#adventure #vanlife #campervan

Пікірлер: 110

@rogerwatkinson6633 4 ай бұрын

Living in Scotland, I went through exactly the same logical argument back in November and bought a genny... Best thing ever!

@timstradling7764 4 ай бұрын

Nice one John. I would also mention that idling your van for long periods may also fur up your DPF which will need to have good heat in the exhaust to properly regenerate. Definitely preferable to have and run the genny.

@paulluggar5964 4 ай бұрын

This sort of video is super interesting because it addresses the reality of power use in a van in the UK over winter. I have looked into power use for a camper van as I'm building a Iveco Daily one now. The Yanks regularly use an on board generator and the best way to install one on a smaller van is to have a sound proof metal box on the back of the van fitted to a towbar rack, it 'will' become a PITA keep moving it around to use it I think? The Hondas are the best generators without question but as you pointed out are horrifically expensive! They are quieter though, just 3db difference is double the sound output so if it's 1db quiter it's significant. I have decided to fit a drip feed diesel heater that uses no power so heat is always available without power, I will fit a CDH as well for instant heat. Gas cooking for me, money saved ! Thanks for a super interesting video. 👍🇬🇧

@PoshcatsCamping 4 ай бұрын

Great video John. Although we totally understand your need for the Genny, they are not for us. We had one buzzing away on an aire recently and we found ourselves sandwiched between a genny and a diesel heater 😝 no peace and quiet for anyone 🙁 Thankfully we moved on the next day. 🚐 Trev

@carrtez 4 ай бұрын

Always informative, detailed and very helpful. Really appreciate the effort you put into these video’s. Thank you

@markfullbrook7364 4 ай бұрын

John didnt you take all your batteries out and redesign because you said you didnt need all that power ????

@GadgetJohn 4 ай бұрын

I covered that point in this video. No point having loads of battery capacity as you’ll still need to charge it.

@FloridaSandy 4 ай бұрын

Move the generator away from your van John. We live in Florida where we’ve had many hurricanes which knocked out the power. Many people have been asphyxiated and have died from generators not being far enough away or vented properly. We use a cargo carrier on our rear hitch to carry the generator and gas tanks. Safe travels!

@charliegould5865 4 ай бұрын

Just watching your video reminded me to check the battery on my van, it’s been sitting for a three or so weeks undriven between trips. The battery was down to 10.4 volts, we’ve had c**p weather for a couple of weeks or more and the solar panel just can’t keep up with the alarms and tracker power draw. So tomorrow I’ll put my generated on for couple of hours that’ll bring it back up. I carry a small Clark 1200 watt generator from Machine Mart, it gives me peace of mind when we go away that if the worst happens and I run out of power, I have an independent power back up to get me out of the s**t. One thing I do when I shut down my generated is I turn the petrol valve off and let it run the carburettor out of petrol, that way there’s no fuel in the carburettor to create a leak or smell, and of course close the fuel cap vent after it’s stopped.

@titusreene3949 4 ай бұрын

I have had one for the last year. its a great winter back up. I just go to a lay-by during the day, so it doesn't effect other people.

@mrdave4735 4 ай бұрын

Hi john, thanks for this video, it was really interesting. It was nice to here that you were having power issues (in the nicest way), as i have built my own camper in a ducato, but used 2x agm 165ah batteries, which have worked great for a few years, but last weekend did a pub stopover, and weather was crap, after 2 days batteries packed up and had to run engine, but was convinced if i upgraded to lithium i would be ok, but now i realise i could still have issues, so thanks very much for highlighting your issues, and providing a solution, nice one

@gjohn7728 4 ай бұрын

Great, informative video as always, John. Best wishes to you both

@docbarham2431 4 ай бұрын

I bought one of these 4 years ago. Great bit of kit. Very quiet 😊

@wevegonetouring 4 ай бұрын

Brilliant, you answered my immediate question about van idle b2b charging cost v generator cost. Fair point about huge battery banks and time to charge them, often in life bigger doesn’t mean better and that is another example. Stay safe Michael.

@user-tv8sm6so9y 2 ай бұрын

I bought this generator over 4 years ago, In the Eco mode it will run for over 13 hours if you fill it right up to the top, ive used mine for just over 75 hours in the past 6 months before that i hadnt used it, But it is a great generator and well worth the money. thanks for posting.

@MegaXxREAPERxX 3 ай бұрын

Great vid John I went for the bigger brother the 3kw and love it and use it for the same reason when we go away to keep the battery topped up As well as with the solar and the extra solar panel we take and to power the van when we go to events. We love it that much we bought one of there solar generator power banks as well

@pageant1fd 4 ай бұрын

A few yrs ago I bought the W5500i and can also confirm the splendid performance and quality. The only con is the darn weight of it, but mine is for emergency household use….boiler,fridge, freezers and a couple of lights. Housed in a well vented outside kennel like construction . Neighbours have said they haven’t known I’ve run it. At 52 kgs far too heavy for vanlifers I imagine.

@nealeburgess6756 4 ай бұрын

Nice looking genny John. Looks like a good choice. It has got to save a fair bit of wear and tear on the vans too.

@paulmillen1758 4 ай бұрын

Very good video, John 👏

@TrailersCigarettes 3 ай бұрын

FAST DC to DC charging is the secret to our electric camping (including gas/LPG generator). If we use our 1973 31’ Airsream, we’ll load only the Ecoflow Delta Pro and spare battery. Charging from the trailer’s panels and a fast charge at any EV station makes things easy. However, our truck camper has the Ecoflow Delta 2 Max and 2x batteries (no EV charging). So we needed to bring along the Ecoflow Smart Generator to quickly top up our batteries together with 700w from the panels (weather permitting) on top of the truck camper. The genny runs for 1.75hr/ or less. We live in Newfoundland Canada, and the weather here easily matches the UK weather system. This summer we plan to tour the 3 oceans in Canada/Alaska. Traveling will be in the northern regions of North America. HEATING is our only concern-as we haven’t fully tested our truck camper with all of the mods. We’re only using the Ecoflow Eco system for our needs; Delta Max 2/2 batteries, Delta Mini (for all 12 volt stuff), Wave 2 (some heat/AC), duel fuel Smart Generator (DC to DC including spare 1800w AC, and a Victron 12v to 24v DC to DC boost charge (from the alternator - about 450w). There are now many Solar Generators that are good, but FAST DC to DC Charging is key to our traveling lifestyle. Love from Newfoundland, MeHi+Fatima

@Mevi 4 ай бұрын

I'm still using the original solar panel that John and Mandy fitted to their silver Autotrail!! Winters are a challenge. For viewers' reference, the dB scale is *_logarithmic_*. A 10dB increase will be heard as a doubling of loudness. Great that you promoted considerate running. I've often thought of picking one up, but I've always been put off by wild campers running a genny at all hours.

@GadgetJohn 4 ай бұрын

That old solar panel is still rocking it 😎 Yep, a genny is really to be used when no one else is around, just like running your engine too as I’ve shown how loud that is too. Winter Vanlife is all about compromise.

@ourworldonwheels 4 ай бұрын

So does that mean if John has his genny running you would need 10 more running to sound twice as loud? If so, that’s an absolute head duck!lol 😮

@Mevi 4 ай бұрын

@@ourworldonwheels sadly no. It's a reference to the sound level test John does comparing both vans running and the generator alone. The generator looked to be around 10dB louder, which on the dB scale is perceived as twice as loud.

@tonysummers2334 4 ай бұрын

I wouldn't leave our Euro6 van idling to charge the battery as that's a quick way to clog the DPF, EGR Cooler etc. I have a generator for UK winter backup.

@thevanthatrocked 4 ай бұрын

Just bought a similar genny. The box is a good idea. Trust you to come up with simple ideas whilst the rest of us get smells from the garage. 😊

@chris77331 4 ай бұрын

Another good video ! 👍

@vivienne3757 4 ай бұрын

Good video but I won’t be doing full time so won’t need it but thanks for the review, interesting 😊

@yellownev 4 ай бұрын

I have a a Honda on my canal boat. One hours running can give us a nights power from our Delta 2 so I get how useful they are. If I had a van and money (!) it would have a Delta pro that can be charged up at EV charging stations quickly iirc. Good content thanks

@stevebennett6727 4 ай бұрын

Bought a Kipor genny at least 15 years ago. Haven’t used it for camping use for quite a few years but useful if you aren’t getting enough solar during the winter months. I have used it at home for emergency power when we had an electrical fault at home to keep the fridge/freezer running plus lights. They aren’t too loud tbh and before solar and lithium batteries became affordable we used it regularly 👌🏽👌🏽

@susangoodall5037 4 ай бұрын

Very interesting John..No more flat batteries ❤❤

@DA11NOON 4 ай бұрын

Great vlog John 👍

@Albert_206 4 ай бұрын

Well that is the answer to my doubts about how to charge the large capacity batteries, putting “footprint” aside and which is in the larger scale of pollution things very very minimal, to me it is just a proper solution. Very nice price as well! Thanks John.

@thevanthatrocked 4 ай бұрын

John, my genny doesn't get hot on the surface but there's a load of wasted heat shooting out of the exhaust with all kinds of nasties. I wonder if you could use this heat with some kind of heat exchanger?

@user-uu5dk2cs8v 3 ай бұрын

Hi John. Stick some foam window seal around the top of your box.!!

@GadgetJohn 3 ай бұрын

No need, as I said in the video

@stuartbrocklebank6233 4 ай бұрын

Hi John I have a escort van and I bought a Maxpeedinrods generator last year for £341 and it's a 3500 Max Watts 3000 continuous great piece of kit. I have to sleep in truck stop's and I can't sleep near refrigerator trailer's running, but I can sleep with the generator running till it runs out of fuel after about 5 hours

@hairadditions 4 ай бұрын

you get what you need to make your van life easier. Even if you change what originally thought was the right set up. I use a Champaion Atom penny for the base three years. It's a godsend in the winter months, but a waste of space in the summer months. it's all about adjusting your needs as you go along.

@YoSlushi 4 ай бұрын

Nice bit of kit. My suggestion is to get a toughened motorbike chain to put around the tree, to lock it up 👍

@theonlywoody2shoes 4 ай бұрын

I once fitted an “idle up” module on an older Ford transit for a work colleague. This connected via the OBD2 port and allowed two settings above the default tick over speed - 1500 & 1800 RPM. I think the brand of this device was InPower. At low/tickover RPM the alternator fan on a vehicle engine doesn’t cool it that well, and if you have a high current load (DC:DC) this can damage the alternator = expensive. So long as it’s not done too often, and the van gets a good run, there shouldn’t be DPF issues. I have a Lidl Parkside brand 1200W inverter generator (£150), and coupled to my Victron 12/2000 MultiPlus inverter it offers a great solution when solar is scarce in winter.

@Raf-zu5le 4 ай бұрын

Great review, always wondered about getting a 'suitcase' generator. As you say tho', always been put by being seen to be non-green and antisocial. But that one seems to fit the bill 👍 And it's not bright orange or yellow and screaming out that it's a generator at a distance ☺️

@CharmingVanAxJ 4 ай бұрын

Interesting. Having had to idle the van a couple of times last week which was reluctant to do this could be the answer. Though appreciate they can be antisocial, but then so is running the van!

@dirtydogsanddiesel 4 ай бұрын

I have a Swanley 2kw, been using for about 7years. I wouldn't be without it, especially the winter months.

@tartanrambo 3 ай бұрын

I bought the exact same 'gennie' from Amazon in 2020. More so, for the zombie apocalypse, than for my van. Which is a micro-camper. I have not had to run it yet! What's my problem? No zombies yet! But your video has inspired me to dig my 'gennie' out of the loft and fire it up. It may mean I need to buy a bigger van... yikes!

@terryhere3889 4 ай бұрын

You live in your van full time John and even tho you have plenty of solar etc i fully understand why you need a generator, you are just covering all your options in case of emergencies, I would do the same if I was living full time too 👍

@mikefaulkner10 4 ай бұрын

Hi John, a bit random, but were you cycling along Portchester sea front, parallel to the Southampton Rd, around two or three weeks ago? If not you have a double! Great content.

@bettyourcampervan 4 ай бұрын

Another fab video John

@northernnarrowboater8423 4 ай бұрын

I always add some fuel additive/ stabiliser to the jerrycan due to the bio ethanol in modern fuels as a preventative measure.

@GeoffAnthonyClinics 4 ай бұрын

Thanks John for your review. Appreciate it. Please forgive this ‘newbies’ question… what is the breaker ‘thingy’ at the end of the cable? And where could I get the same? Thanks John. Blessings on you and Mandy. 👍😀☘️

@GadgetJohn 4 ай бұрын

Do you mean this? amzn.to/3uFr14g

@GeoffAnthonyClinics 4 ай бұрын

Yes, indeed John. Many thanks. Really appreciate it.

@Drive_Camp_Ride 3 ай бұрын

All good info and very valid reasons to purchase and you can't best a bit of camo...😅

@steveelton7279 4 ай бұрын

What is the sound meter app you are using Thanks

@russholah 4 ай бұрын

Has the gene got space inbetween the shell and engine to whack on some silent coat. maybe an additional diesel heater exhaust silencer.? Just a thought on some betterments, can’t beat a back on a back up! 👍

@kathylewis4071 4 ай бұрын

I carry my Honda 2200 with me at all times. I only boondock in my RV.. Good backup when my solar is limited by conditions. 👍

@davesvanlife7024 3 ай бұрын

Hi I’ve had one of these generators 3years now for my van. Never had a problem at all. Wouldn’t be without it. I was told not to plug anything into it till it’s been started as the overload light is on and could damage van’s electrics.

@DavidDwyer 4 ай бұрын

I use the Honda EU10 and the EU22i, (summer/winter) and it costs me about £1/kw for fuel, I'm generally parked up for 3-4 days and don't move.

@disco535 4 ай бұрын

Hi John if your not going to be using the generator for long periods I would suggest whilst it's running turn the petrol off and let it run out of fuel that way fuel won't go stale in carburetor or gell and block jets we always do it on our petrol go karts never had an issue

@danielmadsen4017 4 ай бұрын

Hello John. I have neither a motor home nor a boat.. I don't need a generator,, but you sell the product so well that I intend to buy it anyway 😂

@GadgetJohn 4 ай бұрын

🤣 selling ice to eskimos 🤦🏼‍♂️😂

@cmorait 4 ай бұрын

I have cbe 516 for 300ah in what charger can I upgrade easily ? Thanks

@ari.voutilainen 4 ай бұрын

A generator is a must in the north where you do not really have sunlight all year round. Two tips for usage, though. Do not run the generator too close to your van. The carbon monoxide exhaust might get sucked in without you noticing it. The other tip is to use purified small engine gasoline. The gasoline and the exhaust smell less.

@bobscullion3533 4 ай бұрын

can fully understand the need if full time in your van/motorhome. its another insurance policy for you (and Mandy of course) In the video i noticed you had a campsite style hook up for tents, where do you stand on the debate of safety using these for campervan hook up against the permanent garage style consumer unit set up? Thanks for posting another sensible informative video, all the best

@vantabulouslife5704 4 ай бұрын

its not good to charge from your alternator at idle. The cooling fan on the alternator isnt spinning fast enough to cool it. I know because i cooked my alternator. I upgraded to a 150amp powering a 60amp dc to dc charger and at idle its still hitting around 85 degrees!

@MrPhlipflop 4 ай бұрын

Now the race for campsite/pubs stop overs to install overnight ev chargers.

@alanwright-ky1fo 4 ай бұрын

It looks good, but dB level compared to a Honda (52) quite a bit lower. I had considered one but saw too many objections on generators.

@thevanthatrocked 4 ай бұрын

I just bought a similar genny and there's a label saying 95dB. However, in reality it's surprisingly quiet even at full power.

@360audiovision6 3 ай бұрын

HiJohn, I hope you are both doing ok in your current circumstances, I am looking for a little advice please my current van has been written Relay 2015 2.2 Kuga engine, How house your van been since you have had it would you buy again or would you look for an alternative. many thanks in advance

@tomwebb986 4 ай бұрын

What battery charger do you have in the van that the generator powers?

@GadgetJohn 4 ай бұрын

The power station plugs directly into the genny to charge and I have a victron 30A mains charger too that plugs into the genny. Both vans have the same setup & the genny charges both vans.

@Bob-thenomad 4 ай бұрын

Hi John at least with a generator you won't be shocking up the PDF on the vans as a PEF filter will clog up much more in idle and not cheep to have cleaned. Plus gram for gram of CO2 is less from a generator and cheper to run as I know from my own

@LoftechUK 4 ай бұрын

I run mine in for an hour without a load. Then I emptied the oil and topped up with fresh as all the contaminants from the build was cleared.

@jimrodda 4 ай бұрын

Hi John, a great review, but as you were saying it's great for the British weather, but my question is, is it waterproof to leave outside while charging when it's is raining ?

@GadgetJohn 4 ай бұрын

It’s rainproof, but any engine can’t be waterproof.

@andypugh2000 4 ай бұрын

You might want to ditch the storage box. The really useful ones have a ventilated lid. Have a look around the lid rim, you will see what I mean. 😊

@RickandHeather 4 ай бұрын

Best option that you have, idling the 2 vans will not do them any good with the dpf.

@martprice7726 4 ай бұрын

An interesting thing that I’ve never heard anybody else mention I’ve noticed my solar panels produce 1.5v when there is a full moon and no power when there is no moon at night, so I wonder when there is a full moon how much power these fields covered in solar panels produce. Could be possible to charge batteries at night. if you had lot panels.?

@Chris_Carini 4 ай бұрын

Sound logic, especially for two vans, but I wish they wouldn't claim silent operation. No generator is silent.

@mrdave4735 4 ай бұрын

Hi John, sorry to keep harping on, but could you confirm the genny's dimensions, as there are two different sizes on the amazon listing, cheers

@ourworldonwheels 4 ай бұрын

I remember you removing loads of your original power setup to save weight/not using to full potential.. is this just a “backup for the backup”or are you actually needing more power to keep up with daily need? I’m firmly on the genny support team!lol driving is no1 charging, solar no2 but if parked and no sun it’s the way to go 👍🏼 I’d rather a smaller 1kw ish briefcase style myself just for “that time you need it” but yeah, I’d definitely carry a generator👍🏼

@GadgetJohn 4 ай бұрын

As I said in the video, the problem with excessive battery banks is that you need a much longer charge period, so we’ve got enough power in winter for 2 to 3 days without any charge, then we can either go for a drive to charge or get the genny out if no one else is around.

@Mary-fq6sm 4 ай бұрын

We love our generator for wild camping! It allows you freedom to stay as long as you’d like wherever you’re visiting. Congrats to you both & happy camping!

@MarcelEling 4 ай бұрын

Out of stock already. Shouldbe a good one then:)

@Doc1985 4 ай бұрын

Very impressive video, John! What kind of sound-meter did you use (name, model, and where it can be purchased)?

@marksadventures3889 4 ай бұрын

Bad design of the oil tank and fil potion - why so fiddly?, I think that's best as an outside access. I would prefer diesel if available. I would also keep the unit away from my vehicle, a meter at least. A very video for the product introduction. How long does a tank of fuel run for? Less than £400 is okay, but I've seen older models cheaper. I reckon with a modern power supply and solar set up you're good to go on long journeys and self-sufficient for a while. Two vans?

@campervanchris4171 3 ай бұрын

Another thing to add to the list 🤔🤦‍♂️DAM you 🤣🤣🤣🤣

@victor007ven 4 ай бұрын

😊

@robs4988 4 ай бұрын

If it takes two hours of running the generator to charge a battery then that's a very expensive way to do it. A couple of litres of petrol is around £3. Over time that will really add up.

@GadgetJohn 4 ай бұрын

If only I covered that in the video eh.

@maddavvid2339 4 ай бұрын

I sold my Honda generator to buy a Bluetti AC 180 Don’t get me wrong, I love the Bluetti but I will be reinvesting in a new Honda generator 👍

@simongurney7821 4 ай бұрын

This might be a dumb question, is it waterproof?

@GadgetJohn 4 ай бұрын

It’s rain proof but not waterproof.

@gazwolves9489 4 ай бұрын

Rember few months back you took a battery out said you ad to much power

@GadgetJohn 4 ай бұрын

If only I’d talked about that in this video eh

@everleen56 3 ай бұрын

I shouldn't laugh! At least folks are taking notice.. some of the time. It totally makes sense, though. Thanks for the video @@GadgetJohn

@cornishbuddha 4 ай бұрын

use mine when nobody near, can't see the problem some people seem to have.

@stum8374 4 ай бұрын

Must be good genny John sold out ebay and amazon !!! 😂😂😂

@des2610 4 ай бұрын

Put a cardboard box with holes in it over it the top of the generator to quieten it down a bit.

@Daz-Heysham 4 ай бұрын

Ok running generator away from others as you say. Db loudness is one part of the sound spectrum but a generator is a droning noise and much more annoying than a diesel heater or engine on tickover.

@GadgetJohn 4 ай бұрын

🤣 a generator is an engine, it’s the same noise as running the van

@Daz-Heysham 4 ай бұрын

@@GadgetJohn I was referring to the noise pitch not level. 👍

@AJ-qn6gd 4 ай бұрын

We recently pulled up to one of our favourite wild camping spots and there was another van there and I saw a green light close to his van when I got out of of van I heard what I thought was a tyre pump running and assumed he must have a flat but an hour or so later I could still see the light, somewhat confused I took the dog for a walk past the van and saw it was a Honda generator purring away !

@dalegreenacre2635 4 ай бұрын

Isn't it an offence to leave your van engine idling anyway.

@exploresandtosummit 4 ай бұрын

Hondas are much much quieter than that!

@GadgetJohn 4 ай бұрын

£1,000 more for just a couple of db isn’t worth it in my view.

@exploresandtosummit 4 ай бұрын

@@GadgetJohn to be honest I agree with you. 👍

@ollydogtravels9465 4 ай бұрын

Just posted for clicks, for a guy that posts Gadget john (clue there) if your van is set up properley you dont need shore power, 3 years now without hooking up even 2 months at newyear in Scotland and last year 6 weeks on Anglesea over Xmas

@jonnywilson6932 4 ай бұрын

👍🏼🚐

@snoman1999 4 ай бұрын

Ive been saying to my fellow van mates, I think a std battery set up with a powerbank AND a Genny is the way to go 👍🏽 Instead of running 2 vans at the same time, would it be possible to run one and charge the other van of the van that's idling ? 🤔🚐💨