Michigan Slim Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 (edited) The free 5 gallon water cooler jugs are great for carrying extra water. Also nice for a quick trip to a hose to get more. Some of the smaller jugs will also fit under the exterior water drain of the nearest neighbor. Edited January 5 by Michigan Slim 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 one thing ive learned with camping is its nice to have a campfire - it brings in folks to sit and talk , i carry a portable campfire ...steel pit that contains the fire but allows a place to gather , i always have at least one spare chair or a perch for a pard to sit on , everyone is welcome when i light it up , 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choctaw Jack Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 1 hour ago, watab kid said: one thing ive learned with camping is its nice to have a campfire - it brings in folks to sit and talk , i carry a portable campfire ...steel pit that contains the fire but allows a place to gather , i always have at least one spare chair or a perch for a pard to sit on , everyone is welcome when i light it up , I carry a portable propane fireplace in my motorhome. Nice when we use it, but that's not often. Most of the larger shoots I attend are in warm country during warm weather, so the fireplace doesn't get much use. Choctaw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 54 minutes ago, Choctaw Jack said: I carry a portable propane fireplace in my motorhome. Nice when we use it, but that's not often. Most of the larger shoots I attend are in warm country during warm weather, so the fireplace doesn't get much use. Choctaw i get that , most of mine are northern climb and it cools off at night no matter how hot the day was , theres just something about the flames of a pile of burning wood that draws out conversations , memories and things that get shared , 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 Yep, the campfire is all part of it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Rich Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 Most of the shoots where I have dry camped have areas that cowboys who need to run the generators can park. I will usually ask when registering or on arrival. If someone parks next to me I will tell them if I need to run my gens all night. Only had a problem once and it was minor. kR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted January 10 Author Share Posted January 10 (edited) Bought a Wolf Pup 161BH today. I think it will serve me well. along with the 1000 small things (hose, blocks, chocks, surge protector etc) I’m also shopping for a 3500W inverter generator. Any recommendations there? Edited January 10 by Hoss 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Rick Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 I went with two smaller 2500W Champion inverter generators that I can run in parallel if I need to power the AC. The older I get, the less I want to lift a 3500W+ size generator. I can run the microwave off of one 2500W. My solar/batteries have maintained the fridge and 12VDC power points for multiple day dry camping excursions. Make sure whatever you get is an inverter generator to better protect more sensitive electrical/electronic devices. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Graybeard Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 I have a Cummins/Onan 4500 startup…3800 running inverter. Not real noisy and fairly easy on gas. I can’t run both air conditioners…but it will run my air and microwave without a problem. A lot of the small generators are a royal PITA to change oil on. I found a small 12 volt pump made for sucking the oil out….makes it much easier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 i thik im going to get a psir of the champion inverter.generators and coupler , i just have to look at how ill transport them and fuel , dont want them inside the motor home and no exterior compartments big enout in the mini winni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Rick Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 10 minutes ago, watab kid said: i thik im going to get a psir of the champion inverter.generators and coupler , i just have to look at how ill transport them and fuel , dont want them inside the motor home and no exterior compartments big enout in the mini winni I don't have a problem with fuel smells from the generators, just from the spare gas cans. I can, and have, stored my generators inside my travel trailer while on the road or when leaving the campsite unattended. I carry my generators and spare gas in the bed of my tow truck. If your Minni Winni has an external spare tire, look for something to mount your gas cans to that. If it has a 2" receiver hitch, maybe get a cargo rack that will carry the generators and the spare gas cans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 11 minutes ago, Chief Rick said: I don't have a problem with fuel smells from the generators, just from the spare gas cans. I can, and have, stored my generators inside my travel trailer while on the road or when leaving the campsite unattended. I carry my generators and spare gas in the bed of my tow truck. If your Minni Winni has an external spare tire, look for something to mount your gas cans to that. If it has a 2" receiver hitch, maybe get a cargo rack that will carry the generators and the spare gas cans. the cargo rack sounds like a good idea , i had thought a small trailer too , it has the 2" receiver hitch , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caprock Kid Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 4 hours ago, Hoss said: Bought a Wolf Pup 161BH today. I think it will serve me well. along with the 1000 small things (hose, blocks, chocks, surge protector etc) I’m also shopping for a 3500W inverter generator. Any recommendations there? Harbor Freight or Northern Tool has an inexpensive 1500 watt inverter generator that you can run two in parallel ( with a parallel kit) if you need full power or just one to charge batteries or power lite loads. They are cheaper than the others and have served me well for years. Yes, they go bad but that is a problem with all generators. I bought the extra warranty and have swapped out generators from Harbor Freight no questions asked. ONLY RUN ETHANOL FREE GAS!!! Yes it is expensive but regular gas (even with Stabo additive) clogs them up in a heart beat. A 3500 watt generator is heavy (HB and NT have a good one). If your heart is set on one, suggest getting a hitch mounted lift like this to lift since they weight 90+ pounds. https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1019253184?pid=163001&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=[ADL]_[PMAX]_[Category]_Hunting&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD-kRFTiQv3W7634YDRtZ_dfO1sqt&gclid=CjwKCAiAhP67BhAVEiwA2E_9g57fzk3sDOHaNSKAZv6djblRcgdPY7ZzJ6sxbniGqfo9oqsg1WyshBoCrF0QAvD_BwE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caprock Kid Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Travel trailer bumpers are not made to support heavy loads. Bumpers are just light welds to the frame - a bike rack or chairs is about it. If you plan to mount generators and such, you need to beef up the bumper. I used these to increase the load capacity. Super easy to install. https://recpro.com/universal-heavy-duty-rv-bumper-brackets/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=primaryshopping&campaignid=10108288062&adgroupid=107415455739&keyword=&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADkYSqZbgqiOfck78tGfC6RNejW8x&gclid=CjwKCAiAhP67BhAVEiwA2E_9gytaMwZkM5aLb6g_frWLlojyI2CImMZdeKwzXS9qYZrSSUXg1aUUkBoCKuIQAvD_BwE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Sloe Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 You may want to look at the duel fuel models. If you run strictly on propane you won't be messing up the carburetor. BS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc McCoy, SASS #8381 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 17 hours ago, Caprock Kid said: Travel trailer bumpers are not made to support heavy loads. Bumpers are just light welds to the frame - a bike rack or chairs is about it. Some years ago I needed a receiver mount on my trailer rear bumper for a bike rack. I had a friend weld on the receiver. He’s a professional welder. 50 miles down the road on a cross country trip the bike rack was coming off. My friend’s weld was holding great. The bumper was coming apart around the weld like the pull tab on a beverage can! We put the bikes and rack inside the camper to continue the trip. I’ll tell you the rest of the story just because it’s pure Cowboy Culture. I went to the Iowa State Shoot and talked to the Match Director. I need a welder guy. He says, “you’re in farm country, there’s a welder every few miles! I could do it but it won’t be pretty. Wait until Monday and I’ll get my sone to do it nice”. Ok. Monday was Labor Day but his son fixed me up with several pieces of crossmember reenforcement steel. Charged me $10 for the steel, wouldn’t consider anything more for his effort. That held for years. You can’t beat Cowboys, or Farmers! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Possum Skinner, SASS#60697 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 On 1/9/2025 at 7:21 PM, Hoss said: Bought a Wolf Pup 161BH today. I think it will serve me well. along with the 1000 small things (hose, blocks, chocks, surge protector etc) I’m also shopping for a 3500W inverter generator. Any recommendations there? Love this generator! https://www.amazon.com/Westinghouse-iGen4500DF-Portable-Generator-Compliant/dp/B06XC47ZX4/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3IG3ED1L4V89S&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Aa_JDuorPTVrUg5Wn3UwtlgDtbGMJ2tplIw5v_huY9OhpUt4mFrjvah4bNZBJSedmoCVZusK9dp-XBYelqsrzy0gWjIHNpkj9i8lii4KWxLQYcgSqgOet0bX1iedq0sAOfgRUeF4J_4nJ_DHtpB7hO7PoAzrqf7uM-gLM1wa_GJ3QI_nOxH5TE6AM3j7fKYlCMwt00zppnwWP4g49gZVQyYy5dFLjABwv1RJjC6LpK4.YuBcZdEWseWnDV6aHZmg4-omvwZdu-ARqkU7NH4GiMI&dib_tag=se&keywords=westinghouse%2Binverter%2Bgenerator&qid=1736600047&sprefix=westinghouse%2Binverter%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-3&th=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 5 hours ago, Possum Skinner, SASS#60697 said: Love this generator! I have that same unit, but it's branded Cummins/Onan and is gray. Who knows who actually manufactures it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kajun Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 (edited) On 1/9/2025 at 8:21 PM, Hoss said: Bought a Wolf Pup 161BH today. I think it will serve me well. along with the 1000 small things (hose, blocks, chocks, surge protector etc) I’m also shopping for a 3500W inverter generator. Any recommendations there? I have a Champion 3400 watt inverter generator, has a remote start feature which is pretty cool. It's the first thing in the morning and you want to make coffee, just press a button to start your generator. The one down side of this generator is it weighs almost 100 lbs. In my younger days getting this into the back of my pickup truck was a job but I could do it. As I gotten a little older it now takes two people. If I were buying a new generator now I would go with the two smaller ones and get the paralleling kit with the cables to combine them together to start and run the 13,500 btu air conditioner that comes on the Wold Pup camper you bought. It makes it easier to load and unload the generators and if you are camping where you don't need the air conditioner then you'll only need one generator. One side note, if you don't already have a Lithium Ion battery on the camper do yourself a favor and change it out to one. Kajun Edited January 11 by Krazy Kajun 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted January 11 Author Share Posted January 11 28 minutes ago, Krazy Kajun said: I have a Champion 3400 watt inverter generator, has a remote start feature which is pretty cool. It's the first thing in the morning and you want to make coffee, just press a button to start your generator. The one down side of this generator is it weighs almost 100 lbs. In my younger days getting this into the back of my pickup truck was a job but I could do it. As I gotten a little older it now takes two people. If I were buying a new generator now I would go with the two smaller ones and get the paralleling kit with the cables to combine them together to start and run the 13,500 btu air conditioner that comes on the Wold Pup camper you bought. It makes it easier to load and unload the generators and if you are camping where you don't need the air conditioner then you'll only need one generator. One side note, if you don't already have a Lithium Ion battery on the camper do yourself a favor and change it out to one. Kajun Yea, not sure I want to (or can!!) sling a 100 lb generator around anymore. I’ve been thinking about ways to rig a block & tackle from ladder support. Then with an aluminum ramp i could winch it up into the bumper platform. The ability to turn it off/start it without having to run out in my drawers to crank it would be nice! K ion the other hand, 3500 Will run my AC. I may just go with a hand crank 50lb model and make the dash! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kajun Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 (edited) 25 minutes ago, Hoss said: Yea, not sure I want to (or can!!) sling a 100 lb generator around anymore. I’ve been thinking about ways to rig a block & tackle from ladder support. Then with an aluminum ramp i could winch it up into the bumper platform. The ability to turn it off/start it without having to run out in my drawers to crank it would be nice! K ion the other hand, 3500 Will run my AC. I may just go with a hand crank 50lb model and make the dash! 3500 watt will easily run your air conditioner. Using complicated loading procedures to get the generator in and out and of the truck isn’t worth it. Hand crank and easy loading is your friend. Kajun Edited January 11 by Krazy Kajun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 The 4000 watt Champion generator mentioned above has a claimed weight of only 48 pounds. How? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Rick Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 20 minutes ago, Three Foot Johnson said: The 4000 watt Champion generator mentioned above has a claimed weight of only 48 pounds. How? Technology? I don't know. My 2500W Champions are 39 lbs each. One thing to pay attention to is how the generators are marketed/rated. My Champions are labeled as 2500W, but the specs are: Starting Wattage 2500 Watts Running Wattage 1850 Watts The 4000W you have shown is actually: Starting Wattage 4000 Watts Running Wattage 3000 Watts Also, my 2500s are rated to run "up to" 11.5 hours at 25% load. My realistic run time is closer to 8-hours under real operating conditions. I try to top off the gas just before going to bed so as not to run out and lose power before I plan on getting up. Do wish the fuel tanks were just a little bit bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 1 hour ago, Krazy Kajun said: 3500 watt will easily run your air conditioner. Using complicated loading procedures to get the generator in and out and of the truck isn’t worth it. Hand crank and easy loading is your friend. Kajun I run tethered, 2kW Yamaha inverter generators. At higher altitudes my tethered 2kW inverter generators will not run my AC. However, they have more power at sea level. They produce pure sine wave power and will not damage electronics. I chose Yamahas because I have a local service center, and the generators have fuel shutoff valves allow me to run the carburetors dry after each use. The generators are light enough for me to lift into my truck myself. I have some larger generators for house use that are easier to change oil than the Yamahas. I too run ethanol free gasoline treated with fuel stabilizer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 1 hour ago, Chief Rick said: Technology? I don't know. My 2500W Champions are 39 lbs each. One thing to pay attention to is how the generators are marketed/rated. My Champions are labeled as 2500W, but the specs are: Starting Wattage 2500 Watts Running Wattage 1850 Watts The 4000W you have shown is actually: Starting Wattage 4000 Watts Running Wattage 3000 Watts Also, my 2500s are rated to run "up to" 11.5 hours at 25% load. My realistic run time is closer to 8-hours under real operating conditions. I try to top off the gas just before going to bed so as not to run out and lose power before I plan on getting up. Do wish the fuel tanks were just a little bit bigger. I have the Champion 2500 as well. For a year it's run my AC with a Micro Aire soft start without issue. Specs show it draws about 1500- watts running (the ac). The end of last year it suddenly stopped making power! Champion said I overloaded it and wouldn't cover it if it happens again. They sent me a new control board immediately however. Thinking of getting their 4000 watt unit as it is only a few pounds heavier (49#). The main benefit I think would be that it will run at a lower RPM , thus quieter. But don't believe I overloaded it or it would have failed last year. The overload lights have never come on either. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 7 hours ago, Three Foot Johnson said: The 4000 watt Champion generator mentioned above has a claimed weight of only 48 pounds. How? this is what i need , i can carry it and i can transport it , i think it will run my AC , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted January 12 Author Share Posted January 12 Saw this one. Claims 13 hrs run time. Dual fuel. Quiet, Light weight. Remote start stop. Certainly checks all the boxes! I’ve never heard of maxspeedrods tho. But I’m betting most of theses generators are made in china anyway. anybody know anything about these? https://a.co/d/iMygALX 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted Monday at 06:17 AM Share Posted Monday at 06:17 AM On 1/9/2025 at 11:40 PM, Caprock Kid said: Harbor Freight or Northern Tool has an inexpensive 1500 watt inverter generator that you can run two in parallel ( with a parallel kit) if you need full power or just one to charge batteries or power lite loads. They are cheaper than the others and have served me well for years. Yes, they go bad but that is a problem with all generators. I bought the extra warranty and have swapped out generators from Harbor Freight no questions asked. ONLY RUN ETHANOL FREE GAS!!! Yes it is expensive but regular gas (even with Stabo additive) clogs them up in a heart beat. A 3500 watt generator is heavy (HB and NT have a good one). If your heart is set on one, suggest getting a hitch mounted lift like this to lift since they weight 90+ pounds. https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1019253184?pid=163001&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=[ADL]_[PMAX]_[Category]_Hunting&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD-kRFTiQv3W7634YDRtZ_dfO1sqt&gclid=CjwKCAiAhP67BhAVEiwA2E_9g57fzk3sDOHaNSKAZv6djblRcgdPY7ZzJ6sxbniGqfo9oqsg1WyshBoCrF0QAvD_BwE thats a great idea but id like to avoid that , im not wanting more stuff to go wrong in this life , enough is these days , im old and tierd , dont need anything new to fix anymore , ill go with two i can handle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Rich Posted Monday at 11:44 AM Share Posted Monday at 11:44 AM On 1/9/2025 at 10:40 PM, Caprock Kid said: Harbor Freight or Northern Tool has an inexpensive 1500 watt inverter generator that you can run two in parallel ( with a parallel kit) if you need full power or just one to charge batteries or power lite loads. They are cheaper than the others and have served me well for years. Yes, they go bad but that is a problem with all generators. I bought the extra warranty and have swapped out generators from Harbor Freight no questions asked. ONLY RUN ETHANOL FREE GAS!!! Yes it is expensive but regular gas (even with Stabo additive) clogs them up in a heart beat. A 3500 watt generator is heavy (HB and NT have a good one). If your heart is set on one, suggest getting a hitch mounted lift like this to lift since they weight 90+ pounds. https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1019253184?pid=163001&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=[ADL]_[PMAX]_[Category]_Hunting&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD-kRFTiQv3W7634YDRtZ_dfO1sqt&gclid=CjwKCAiAhP67BhAVEiwA2E_9g57fzk3sDOHaNSKAZv6djblRcgdPY7ZzJ6sxbniGqfo9oqsg1WyshBoCrF0QAvD_BwE Pretty easy to get the ethanol out of gas. Add a quart of water to 3 or 4 gallons of gas and shake it then let it settle til the water is at the bottom of the container. Pour the gas into another container. The stuff that settles to the bottom is really nasty lookin stuff. kR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971 Posted Tuesday at 01:17 AM Share Posted Tuesday at 01:17 AM Use the Pure Gas website to locate alcohol-free gas. They have apps for smart phones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted Tuesday at 09:19 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 09:19 PM Before you buy an off brand genny. Find a shop who will repair it. I like Honda generators. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted Tuesday at 09:30 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 09:30 PM On my Champion when the control board failed, they sent me a new one and emailed a video on how to replace it. Amazing how apart it needs to be to replace the board!! Made me wonder what they do if the engine grenades. No where on they're web site is a list of service centers. But they were certainly receptive on the phone. The gas cap stopped venting after a short amount of usage. A quick call had one in my mailbox in two days. On both issues I had tracking info by the time I was off the phone. I guess for me, even if they don't last as long as a Honda, they are only 25% the cost. My 2500 was $430 and a 2000 Honda was $2100 YMMV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted Tuesday at 09:49 PM Author Share Posted Tuesday at 09:49 PM (edited) 18 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said: On my Champion when the control board failed, they sent me a new one and emailed a video on how to replace it. Amazing how apart it needs to be to replace the board!! Made me wonder what they do if the engine grenades. No where on they're web site is a list of service centers. But they were certainly receptive on the phone. The gas cap stopped venting after a short amount of usage. A quick call had one in my mailbox in two days. On both issues I had tracking info by the time I was off the phone. I guess for me, even if they don't last as long as a Honda, they are only 25% the cost. My 2500 was $430 and a 2000 Honda was $2100 YMMV That’s one of the things I looked at…cost. I bought mine thru Amazon, and got the 4 year protection plan. Amazon is pretty good about customer service. I’ve kinda figured out that Amazon ought to GIVE an RV to every prime member! I’ve bought a mountain of stuff to do with the TT. I may have to cat a utility trailer to tow behind it to carry everything 🤑 Edited Tuesday at 09:49 PM by Hoss 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted Tuesday at 10:15 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 10:15 PM 23 minutes ago, Hoss said: That’s one of the things I looked at…cost. I bought mine thru Amazon, and got the 4 year protection plan. Amazon is pretty good about customer service. I’ve kinda figured out that Amazon ought to GIVE an RV to every prime member! I’ve bought a mountain of stuff to do with the TT. I may have to cat a utility trailer to tow behind it to carry everything 🤑 I got mine through Amazon as well. Did your protection plan add 4 years to the 3 years you already get from Champion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted Tuesday at 10:16 PM Author Share Posted Tuesday at 10:16 PM Just now, Eyesa Horg said: I got mine through Amazon as well. Did your protection plan add 4 years to the 3 years you already get from Champion? Mine is not a champion. It showed 1 year. (As I recall) 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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