question re: Travel Trailers at Burningman and Generators

kimspangrude · Post by **kimspangrude** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 8:37 am

Hi! My sweetie and I will be travelling to BRC for our 6th year this year, but alas, we must try to have a slightly different experience than we have had in past years due to health problems. The plan is to rent a 17 to 19 foot travel trailor and haul it behind our Ford Expedition from Salt Lake City. One of the requirements we have is to make sure it has an air conditioner (I know, I know - it sounds less and less like a BurningMan experience but it has to be!). Does anyone have experience with renting a generator and running a travel trailer- air conditioner off of it? If so, pelase share your experiences with us.
Kim Spangrude aka Equinox

Zulegoona · Post by **Zulegoona** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 9:49 pm

I had a 21ft trailer last year, an older 1990 model and the new HondaEU2000 I brought didn't have enough power to over come the compressor start up drag of the air conditioner. Luckily I didn't really need it I just wanted to see if it would work. Newer air conditioners use less power but I would still suggest you get more power than you think you'll need. You might also consider checking into other air filtering systems that could be run off of the trailers 12 volt system.

Dustdevil · Post by **Dustdevil** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 12:04 am

An AC unit large enough to cool a trailer of that size is going to need closer to 3500 - 4000 watt capacity. That is a large jenny. You will also have to plan for fuel. It will consume a lot of fuel. I could see six gallons a day. You certainly will not have to run it 24/7, but if it is a hot week, you could be looking at 10 or so in the am until late afternoon. Have you considered renting a motorhome instead? Perhaps with another couple? More money, more cleanup more hassle in many ways but if the alternative is not going, well......

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:47 pm

Some rental companies charge per hour on the use of their genny's make sure that your rental company has an unlimited genny use policy.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 12:01 am

The Honda EU2000 is hard-pressed to run AC unless used in pairs.
You can rent a Honda EU3000 for the week, usually about $350-ish, and it will run your AC. And yes, bring lots of fuel.
Also bring spare air filters, change it often. You've been to BRC, you know how it is!
Yamaha also makes (and you can probably rent) similar units, also nice and quiet.
You do need more rated power at BM than at home, the elevation (about 5,000 ft.) will reduce the engine's ability to make power by quite a bit.
Whatever you do, don't get anything other than those two (super-quiet model Honda or Yamaha), you and everyone will hate it if you run one of those lawnmower-engine noise factories!
And remember, all Hondas are not quiet. The EU-series are the friendly ones.
Chai Guy is right, almost all RV rental companies charge extra for running the built-in generator, I think about $3/hr.

Lassen Forge · Post by **Lassen Forge** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 9:44 am

Since we're talking generators...

How much fuel does it take to run an EU-2000 or an EU-3000 or even a 4 KW rig for a day? Either an 18 or a 24 hour one? Got an EM-3500 looks like I'll be able to use, and want to know how much gas this behemoth is gonna suck over the week or 2 or 3 or... (Oh, don't I wish!!) We gotta have a chilled space for the kid and my friend and sister-in-law, which means a trailer, which means... well, you get the idea. (Plus we could do electric lights for the kitchen, tho I kinda prefer the coleman/kerosene thing myself)...

I figure if I can get an idea of KW VS Gallons per day, I can guestimate how much 'll need for the run, not just for this but for a bigger/smaller one. Not having something like this available until now, I'm kinda curious...

TIA,
BBS

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 11:29 am

I really like the Eu3000 a friend had one set up for an event recently and we were able to have a hold a conversation while sitting on top of it without really rasing our voices. It's not as quiet as the smaller model, but it's pretty close. The fuel economy is 20 hr on 3.4 gallons of fuel. (so sayeth the website).

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 6:19 am

The Honda EM-series generators are fine sets, I've had them myself... but they are LOUD! You won't like it. Brought one to BM once, came home and made someone a good deal on it and got an EU, they are about 10 db quieter... that's a lot. You will like one of those.

As much as I've run Hondas at BM, I still don't have accurate fuel-use figures because I bring one big tank to fuel the boat, generators, the truck to get back off the playa, etc. and never really keep track. Every year I say I'm gonna get some data next year, but you know life on the playa...

I THINK 5 or 6 gallons a day is enough...
Remember that the listed specs are not accurate at high elevation (like at Black Rock). Power is less and economy is worse. WooHoo!!

Lassen Forge · Post by **Lassen Forge** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 5:34 pm

That's what I was thinking - get like a 55 gallon drum (the truck has dualie tanks, and I know where there is (or at least was) cheap gas in Reno...) for the generator, but I wasn't sure if 55 was enough...

The EM 3500 is one of our back-up units - it hasn't been run in years, so it's a good excuse to use it >>grins<<... but it is loud. Not as bad as the 5.5 KW mounted in my work truck (THAT damn thing is LOUD!!!!!) but I can see where it might become a PITA. ESP when the city populates.

IF I could afford an EU I would (talk about 'spensive!!!), but my priority this year is a kitchen and shower... next year, tho...

That reminds me, I need to score some cheapy propane tanks. I like the 5's (easy to lug and set), would prefer a 20 (or 2) but I have no room for it. (let alone talk about heavy???)

BBS

Tiara · Post by **Tiara** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:26 am

From the survival guide:

Fuel And Hazardous Materials Storage
If you are planning on storing more than 20 liquid gallons of any fuel (gasoline, kerosene, diesel, or propane) either in your camp or at your art project please remember to register online. Theme Camps go to: http:// burningman.com/themecamps_installations/themecamps/Art projects go to: http:// burningman.com/themecamps_installations/installations/

Lassen Forge · Post by **Lassen Forge** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 11:22 am

Thanks, Tiara, almost forgot!!

BBS

Smudge · Post by **Smudge** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 7:28 am

so this person's thread about the air conditioner has become a discussion about generators, fuel, fuel supply etc.
There's a heaper simpler solution called the evaporative cooler or swamp cooler.
Water has the highest latent heat absorption meaning it SUCKS UP HEAT.
Evaporative coolers are relatively inexpensive to purchase, work nicely in dry climates such as utah when you take it home and only need the amount of waatage it takes to run a low velocity high volume squirrel cage fan, maybe 40-100 waats? As a learning experience, build your own swamp cooler and take it to bm2005. The worst case scenarios about this could be the volume of water you'd have to trnsport and having to clean the water screens.
Yes, when the dust storm comes up, the swamp cooler gets shut down and wrapped.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 6:03 pm

Swamp coolers work pretty damn well for tent and domes... they do consume a lot of water. In an RV, AC is unbeatable. It does consume a lot of electricity. But those aren't insurmountable obstacles...

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 7:08 pm

I hope that I'm not in camp long enough to need A/C. By midnight it's cool nuf to sleep until 8:00 or more. In the heat of the day going outside after a/c would knock me out. I use a nice foot soak and a wet towel draped over my core. Then catch 40 winks and away from camp i go.

bradtem · Post by **bradtem** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 12:24 pm

Few places on earth a swamp cooler will work better than Burning Man, but it has to be a moderately open space like a tent. In fact, you want to be sure your tent has a vent at the top, and a sun-fly -- some sort of cover so the sun doesn't beat down right on the tent.

In my article on http://www.templetons.com/brad/burn/burn-power.html on running without generators, I have some links to a low-current swamp cooler for 12 volt operation they claim takes only about 12 watts. Which means that with an 115 amp-hour battery from costco, you could run it over 100 hours, presumably your whole burning man.

However, it would not cool your space. Swamp coolers cool you. You point them at you and they blow 70 degree air at you in the BM heat.

question re: Travel Trailers at Burningman and Generators

question re: Travel Trailers at Burningman and Generators

fuel storage