Generators

I have a Honda EU10i which I inherited from motorhome owning and now late father.I seldom use it because my OH regards it as an unnecessary,neighbour annoyer.It will charge the batteries and run a small caravan kettle but not a microwave nor the electric elements on our Truma unit.Our TV will run on 12v as well as from the mains/generator.our fridge is a Waeco which runs off the batteries.We have a roof mounted solar panel and two 110ah batteries;to be frank the generator is not something I would have chosen to own if the old man had not bought it new just before he died.I use it at most three times in a year and mostly to charge up my MH batteries if the MH has been locked up in my garage during a spell of poor  weather,when sunny and dry I back it out and let the sun do the work.All of this is to back up Rogher's advice that a good roof mounted SP might be a better use of your money.

Oh,and extra battery capacity as R advised.Sorry if I mis qouted you R.

Accepting that in the OP application generators have not the issues they have on tranquil campsite and are the norm, can I suggest they look to purchasing specifically a used second hand Honda. These often are resold and if my Honda is anything to go by it has been very durable if looked after, it is now 25 years old. Buying SH takes a huge chunk out of the new cost and with care a little used well looked after machine can be found.

cornishpixi, A cheap generator will drive you and others mad. I've got one I use for emergencies at home and on the farm, and it's noisy. The Honda ones are quieter, but at a price, and you can still hear the wretched thing drone on in the background. I, and many others use solar, and very happy to do so. Its also cheaper than a honda or about the same as a noisy cheapo. A generator can be the fastest way to make enemies on site.

I am in the solar panel cheap gas camp - by cheap gas - I mean using a Safefill refillable cylinder - I have no trouble with the TV and lights on the solar panel even in winter time - well not many lights as I prefer candlelight.  Another huge down point to the genny for me is the smell of its fuel unless you have a seperate outside locker to keep it in when travelling.  Hope you can make the right decision for you!  

I use an LPG conversion to avoid the need for petrol. Beware that some of these still need petrol to get started, though. I didn’t want smells, nor the need to mess with yet another fuel type. I bought it when I was about to get a Brit van with fixed microwave (but small battery bank and no inverter). I changed my mind but kept the generator. Even though I can run the microwave though an inverter, I’ll use the genny when wild-camping to give the battery bank a rest. Generators are not a very cheap source of electric power, whether from cheap LPG or petrol. I would not recommend using one to heat water except in emergency. 

SDMO make a nice generator but they are not cheap, as with most things you get what you pay for, the other problem is modern petrol doesn't store that well and gums up the carburetors,

The noise level affects the price the lower noise level the dearer they tend to be.

If you're not too bothered about noise then the open frame ones are a lot cheaper , and if you are only running it for a short while surrounded by yapping dogs then it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

If you can put a screen around it that will help absorb / deflect some of the noise away.

If you can get a second hand honda that would be the way to go, Take a fan heater or a kettle with you to test it.

If you must have a generator may I suggest the Honda. They are well worth the expense.  They are among the quietest but even then, can be irritating to campsite neighbours.

Remember you have to carry petrol in a can (to top up) either in the car or caravan, can be smelly and some might say dangerous. 

For the price of a decent generator you could have a solar panel fitted. Keeps the leisure battery well topped up.

K

I regularly assist with the set up of horse shows, so I'm in a similar situation to you.  As I run a laptop and printer and recharging power tools when onsite, I need a genny (solar and an inverter just won't cut it) and recommend the Honda 10i.  Provided you are not trying to put high loads through it (kettles, microwaves etc) and revving the do-dos out of it, it is suprisingly quiet.

You pays your money and takes your choice.

If you must h ave a generator make sure it's four stroke.

Most are advertised with the noise level measured approximately 7 meters away, so close oil service up it will be noisier.

I have seen homemade ventilated cover to try to reduce the noise but as the generators are usually fan assisted air cooling this can lead to overheating.

If you could borrow one to try first it will give you an idea of how nosy they can be, and most places will have a cut off like for generator use in which case you will still be using battery power  in the evening/nights.

The advantage of modern solar panels is the fact that the power can still be supplied when the sun is not out, and power is generated from dawn to dusk.