How To Power Your Next Road Trip

The caravan, camping and camper-trailer industry has taken off in the last 12 months as our nomadic population  has been forced to ditch the overseas holidays and discover the glorious sites of our homeland. 

Whether you're camping, travelling by caravan or camper trailer, you'll need to power yourself around our sunburnt country. 

Read below about how to figure out the best generator size and type for your needs.

How to determine generator size you need

Defined below are some common terms to get familiar with and an appliance chart to better understand what size generator you will need for your power requirements.

Rated / Continuous Output – is the power that a generator can produce for long periods of time. This corresponds to an appliances Running Load Requirement as defined below.
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Maximum Output – is the maximum output that a generator can produce. Maximum power is usually available for a very brief period to cater for start-up wattage of appliances. This corresponds to an appliances Starting Load Requirement.

What is a Running Load Requirement?

Running load requirements are simply a total of all the electrical loads to be operated simultaneously. This is stated on the appliance specifications or can be based on actual measurements if a clamp-on probe type AC Current Meter is available. Any electrician should be able to assist you with this exercise. Some appliances may not list the wattage on the nameplate, but may show the rated current in amps and voltage. The wattage can estimated by multiplying these together to get the watts. So the formula is Watts = volts x amps
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What is a Starting Load Requirement?

​This is the power your appliance will take on start-up and needs to be calculated and researched. Determining the starting load requirements can be a bit more complicated. Certain electrical devices require additional power and current when initially turned on. An example of this is an electric motor because the rotor of the motor and the shaft driven load (fan, pump, compressor, saw, etc.) is initially at a standstill. It requires more energy to accelerate these rotating parts to operating speed than it does to keep them rotating. Therefore, during the period of acceleration, the demand on the power supply is greater. To precisely evaluate the motor starting capability the detailed motor characteristics need to be known.

For a great tool in estimating your start up and running requirements for each of your appliance, Outbax has created a detailed summary here.

What is an Inverter Generator?

An inverter generator uses a small petrol or diesel engine to deliver AC power in the same way that conventional generators do but it does this by converting high frequency AC voltage to DC power and then inverts back into a stable AC current. Why is this important? Because it offers uninterrupted power flow to your appliances and it’s been designed to use a more efficient engine that requires less fuel than conventional generators. They have also been designed specifically to maximise portability. This means that inverter generators are designed to be incredibly lightweight and easy to move rather than only a quick and easy means of producing onsite electricity when you need it.

Other benefits of finding an inverter generator for sale include noise reduction and environmental impact. Because they are designed to be as fuel-efficient as possible you are doing your bit for the planet and enjoying the significant reduction in noise that a smaller and more efficient engine offers.

Outbax is know for Powering Adventures – they are have one of the best ranges available for diesel, petrol and inverter generators. You can now SAVE $1000 on a Gen Trax 2kw Inverter Portable Camping Generator and get free shipping. Plus the have a range of larger generators