Tailgating Generator

[ken]

What type of generator do you use at your tailgate, and what do you like or dislike about it? I only want to run a couple small items and a TV, so don't need a lot of power. I'm looking for something cheap and quiet.

 

[VeloClone]

What type of generator do you use at your tailgate, and what do you like or dislike about it? I only want to run a couple small items and a TV, so don't need a lot of power. I'm looking for something cheap and quiet.

We use my brother's Honda quiet generator. Someone forgot his extension cord Saturday so we had to have it running under the bus right next to our food table. We couldn't even hear it over the generator on our neighbor's RV even though the Honda was practically right under our pop-up tent.

 

[Gunner4Cy]

Cheap and quite is a tough combo, honda is very quite but not cheap.

 

[VeloClone]

Cheap and quite is a tough combo, honda is very quite but not cheap.

True, but my brother bought his used on line and paid less than half what they are new. We've had zero problems with it.

 

[goldmember]

Buy a Honda Generator.

 

[ajk4st8]

Bought a powerconverter for my truck runs right off the battery. My Honda truck running is a LOT quieter than a generator.

 

[alarson]

If you're going to get one, get a quiet one. Dont be that guy that gets the loud one that annoys every other tailgate in your lot.

 

[ken]

alarson, Yeah, I don't want to be that guy. I noticed several Honda's that were very quiet on Saturday, so that's probably what I'll go with based on the feedback here. Now I just need to try to find an affordable one.

 

[alarson]

Yamaha makes some nice and quiet ones too.

 

[thisISnextyear]

anyone have experience with the generators at Sam's? I think it was a 2000W for like $488

 

[yler4cy]

I actually am the guy at tailgate with the loud generator. I couldn't pass up a 5,500W Coleman generator that only had 3hrs at most on it for $200. Sucks, but money speaks louder I guess.

 

[Cycsk]

Bought a powerconverter for my truck runs right off the battery. My Honda truck running is a LOT quieter than a generator.

Stock up on fuses for your truck! It is easy to forget that you are running power through a system intended for low grade auto devices. I used to do this, but couldn't get enough power for what I wanted to do.

Now I use a Lowe's "special" (cheap and loud) that I bought during the Ames floods last Summer. I wish I had bought the quiet Honda. I've thought about building some sort of box around it that allows ventilation, but muffles the sound. Some guys just put something on a few sides to block the noise from coming particular directions (poor guy on the other side!).