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Oshkosh & portable generators?

N319BC

Active Member
For those of you that fly into Oshkosh and camp for the week, is there a need to bring along a portable generator?

My concerns are: Is it disruptive to other campers? How long do you actually use it? I have a small inverter generator and Noise levels are roughly 58dB.

I?ve read the ?Official Visitors? &Campers Guide? from 2019 just want to see if I should bring it or leave it at home.

I?m trying to make this trip as comfortable as possible for family members and I feel that a generator would add a little more comfort to the camping experience.

Would like to get actual reports from experienced Fly-in campers.

Thanks

john
 
What are you looking to power from the generator?

The reason I ask, is all our personal electronics and lights can easily be powered by solar and a small battery. Silent, and light weight. Not an answer to your question but wanted to put it out there.
 
I knew a fellow who was arrested for shooting a camping neighbor's generator. IIRC, the other campers made his bail.
 
As someone mentioned, solar chargers work great for things like phones. IIRC generators are only allowed in certain campsites. Some have a policy that they need to be turned off by 10pm.
 
Where do you plan on camping? According to the aircraft camping guidelines generators are only allowed in North and South 40. Not saying people don't have them in HBC or Vintage, just saying what the "rules" are.

In any event after 5 years camping in HBC I see really no need for a generator and I have a CPAP plus my wife and I both have phones and tablets.
 
Sometimes usful, mostly not

I have a small one I bring along. Most years I never use it. When I have used it, was in the middle of the day to charge a dead phone or other battery device. Sometimes it can be a challenge to find an empty plug. Or you may not want to stay nearby to watch your items.

One thing I would recommend is a small plug strip. They extend the limited plugs so more devices can be plugged in.
 
Or you may not want to stay nearby to watch your items.

one tip for this is you can find rechargeable battery packs for relatively cheap, I have left those unattended during the day. If someone walks off with my $30 battery oh well, my $700 phone would ruin my day.
 
one tip for this is you can find rechargeable battery packs for relatively cheap, I have left those unattended during the day. If someone walks off with my $30 battery oh well, my $700 phone would ruin my day.

I do this as well. almost impossible to find an open outlet between 6:30 and 8:30 AM. However, they are open most of the rest of the day to charge your battery.
 
For those of you that fly into Oshkosh and camp for the week, is there a need to bring along a portable generator?

My concerns are: Is it disruptive to other campers? How long do you actually use it? I have a small inverter generator and Noise levels are roughly 58dB.

I’ve read the “Official Visitors’ &Campers Guide” from 2019 just want to see if I should bring it or leave it at home.

I’m trying to make this trip as comfortable as possible for family members and I feel that a generator would add a little more comfort to the camping experience.

Would like to get actual reports from experienced Fly-in campers.

Thanks

john
A generator in homebuilt camping? No worries. But when it comes up missing in the morning, go look in the creek that runs on the south side of the grounds. :)

Kidding. But please don't.
 
But honestly - take a look at the showers at Camp Scholler. When i've been there, I've left my phone outside plugged in along the entrance with a 2.4A charger. No one touches other people's phones.

While I used to think that was true; the crowd of airventure has been steadily changing, especially in Scholler. last year I heard about quite a bit of criminal activity, including stolen phones and golf carts, via various aviation forums; and I personally know someone who had gas stolen from the 5 gal jug they brought for their generator. went to refill the generator and the can was empty, at least they were courteous enough to leave the can :rolleyes:.

With that said I think HBC would be much safer than Scholler, but you still wont be seeing me leave my phone/tablet/etc unattended.
 
Honda has charging stations set up in various locations on the grounds. When I've walked by them, there's AT LEAST 5 phones and various other portables plugged in and charging, and not a soul around them.

EAA/airplane people are great.;)
 
There was no shortage of charging stations in the homebuilder's pavilion ... we're leaving our portable battery pack at home this year :)

Also, bring earplugs (for the guys who do decide to bring generators)
 
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Generator voted out

Thanks for all the advice. The generator will stay in the garage, :D waiting for the next hurricane before it comes out to play.

As some have indicated, I'm not at all comfortable leaving my phones/tablets laying around for someone to take. I have plenty of battery packs that I'll bring along and maybe even one of those solar chargers that someone recommended.

Besides charging of electronics I was hoping to cook some morning meals along with coffee, instead I'll bring a small grill plus it's lighter.

I don't want to be that guy, thus the reason that I asked. Not a lot of info to be found. Thanks for the honesty.

I appreciate all the responses.

john
 
Thanks for all the advice. The generator will stay in the garage, :D waiting for the next hurricane before it comes out to play.

As some have indicated, I'm not at all comfortable leaving my phones/tablets laying around for someone to take. I have plenty of battery packs that I'll bring along and maybe even one of those solar chargers that someone recommended.

Besides charging of electronics I was hoping to cook some morning meals along with coffee, instead I'll bring a small grill plus it's lighter.

I don't want to be that guy, thus the reason that I asked. Not a lot of info to be found. Thanks for the honesty.

I appreciate all the responses.

john

John, where do you intend to camp? HBC has coffee in the morning plus grills up at the pavilion.
 
Besides charging of electronics I was hoping to cook some morning meals along with coffee, instead I'll bring a small grill plus it's lighter.

If you're in HBC, the pavilion has multiple propane grills free and available for use. Typical homeowner style. I've cooked breakfast and dinner on them many times. Grocery shopping is not too hard. The new Red Barn over by the North 40 (walking distance) is surprisingly well stocked or you can take a shuttle to the North 40 exit by Friar Tuck's and walk to a full grocery store. Ice chest and a few cooking utensils and you're set.
 
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Since I built the plane, I assume I'll be somewhere in the HBC area. No idea where I'll end up since I've never been there.
I go wherever the Marshall's direct me to go. HBC sign in window.

john
 
Since I built the plane, I assume I'll be somewhere in the HBC area. No idea where I'll end up since I've never been there.
I go wherever the Marshall's direct me to go. HBC sign in window.

john

Then that's where they will park you. Besides the charging stations, grills and coffee already mentioned you can also buy ice there next to the pavilion.
 
If you're in HBC, the pavilion has multiple propane grills free and available for use. Typical homeowner style. I've cooked breakfast and dinner on them many times. Grocery shopping is not too hard. The new Red Barn over by the North 40 (walking distance) is surprisingly well stocked or you can take a shuttle to the North 40 exit by Friar Tuck's and walk to a full grocery store. Ice chest and a few cooking utensils and you're set.


If you walk over to the bus park you can take a shuttle all the way to the Pick-n-Save/Target. The Bus park also has shuttles to various other establishments in town too. There's also Uber.
 
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Wow - I did not know HBC had free propane grills. That?s fantastic! I?ve never been there before, but will be flying my about-to-be-finished -10 in this year
 
If you walk over to the bus park you can take a shuttle all the way to the Pick-n-Save/Target. The Bus park also has shuttles to various other establishments in town too. There's also Uber.

For simple groceries and supplies, and you don't mind a little walk, there's a Red One (Red Barn) Market not too far south of HBC. Warning on bringing beer and wine in from outside the fence. Security varies. Has required a "donation" in the past. More creativity in other instances. Just sayin.

I believe Uber (and Lyft?) picked up right by the portable cellular tower just southwest of the HBC pavillion. Very convenient travel option.
 
For simple groceries and supplies, and you don't mind a little walk, there's a Red One (Red Barn) Market not too far south of HBC. Warning on bringing beer and wine in from outside the fence. Security varies. Has required a "donation" in the past. More creativity in other instances. Just sayin.

I believe Uber (and Lyft?) picked up right by the portable cellular tower just southwest of the HBC pavillion. Very convenient travel option.

The camp store in North 40 is a bit closer to HBC than the Red Barn, especially if you are on the North side of HBC.

And the HBC gate, the one you'd go through to go directly to SOS Bros, is hit or miss that first weekend in my experience, kinda like security on beer.
For Uber, I haven't done it, but if that gate is locked just go over to the Waukau Ave gate and give Uber the address for one of the houses right there. Might work since the show hasn't started yet, but I dunno for sure.
 
Go to the EAA website or call them. It is all on the site.

There are areas approved for generators and of course they have hours of operations. This is the camper area with RV's and Travel Trailers.

The tent areas and areas on the airport proper you can NOT run a generator. With solar cell, car or plane battery, you can do fine without AC. You have enough to run LED lights, charge your phone.

When I last went 2018 there there was NO TENT camping avaiiable, so I went to the RV section and settled into next to a travel trailer with my new best friends from Colorado. They ran a generator and so did the Class-C RV next to my tent on the other side.... Did not bother me. After a full day of AirVenture I slept like a baby. Modern generators are pretty quite. Again there are hours of operation from morning to evening. Late night no Gens I recall.
 
The tent areas and areas on the airport proper you can NOT run a generator. With solar cell, car or plane battery, you can do fine without AC. You have enough to run LED lights, charge your phone.
.

This is incorrect. IAW the camping guidelines generators are allowed in the North 40 and South 40 aircraft camping areas.
 
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A small solar generator and a small solar panel have provided all the tent camping electrical needs I?ve ever needed. Run a fan, charge sell phones, run lights.

You can charge the battery pack at the pavilion or via solar. Obviously solar is more restrictive.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0791Y1WSQ?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_asin_title

And something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/25000mAh-Hiluckey-Compatible-Smartphones-Waterproof/dp/B07FMFGGNR/ref=sr_1_17?crid=7RNCO2GZ9NXJ&keywords=portable+solar+panel&qid=1583279480&s=electronics&sprefix=Portable+solar%2Celectronics%2C276&sr=1-17
 
Wouldn’t airplane engines drown out any quiet generators that are running?

During the day, it's pretty much a non-issue. At night, however, there's nothing to drown out the gen noise hence why they have hours of operation outside of the 24hr-gen area in Scholler.
 
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quiet ones

In Scholler, the quality of generator you have also makes a big difference.

I splurged and got a good yamaha for my camper. Its pretty darn quiet when in eco mode and not powering the air conditioner.

The guys with generators from Harbor Freight and Northern Tool - you can tell who they are. Get what you pay for....
 
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