[VAC] Re: Batteries under side couch

[Jim Dunmyer <jdunmyer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bill,
 Most AE (alternate energy) setups incorporate a generator as a
secondary source of power to supplement the solar or wind system. I'm
not sure that one of those Honda generators is cheaper than solar, but
it's cheaper than a LOT of solar and a LOT of battery storage. (enough
to take care of all contingincies)

I believe that those generators have a 12VDC output, which will be much
more suitable for battery charging than using the 12VAC into a standard
converter (UniVolt). As discussed here many times, most converters are
very poor at battery charging, so you'd have to run the generator for
hours on end to recharge a depeleted battery bank. If you're serious
about boondocking, you should wire in a 12VDC connector to hook up the
generator for battery charging. Use wire of #10 in size. Alternatively,
invest in a good 3-stage charger and power it from the 12VAC from the
genset.

                                                     <<Jim>>