Running costs for a newbie

[lesrollins]

Is a travelpower 3.5kva a reliable item and I presume it needs the engine running to make it work, and if so would it be a good idea to get a generator to keep the hours down on the engine. I need to learn fast

[Grace and Favour]

Is a travelpower 3.5kva a reliable item and I presume it needs the engine running to make it work, and if so would it be a good idea to get a generator to keep the hours down on the engine. I need to learn fast

 

A 3.5Kw Travelpower is as reliable as any form of generating - and it runs off your engine (like any alternator)

 

Produces 240v, all one does is plan to run your heavy 240v items (Washing machine, Vacuum cleaner, MIG Welder, Nasal hair trimmer) whilst your engine's running/you're cruising.

 

Quite effective, and if you're good at planning, it's a lot cheaper than running a separate diesel generator

[lesrollins]

What sort of amps would a mains 130w led tv use, and what solar panels are better the ones that contour to the roof of the boat or the solid flat panels that you can move about and how many or what size panels would you need to keep the batteries topped up. Sorry about asking so many questions in one thread but it saves starting new threads up for this and that.

[Grace and Favour]

What sort of amps would a mains 130w led tv use, and what solar panels are better the ones that contour to the roof of the boat or the solid flat panels that you can move about and how many or what size panels would you need to keep the batteries topped up. Sorry about asking so many questions in one thread but it saves starting new threads up for this and that.

 

You'll need to produce a power audit to determine how much power you use, and then you can decide how much power you need to produce

- - only then can you decide how much solar power will optimise your requirements / and available £capital.

 

I believe flexible panels are considerably dearer per Kw than rigid panels

Edited January 22, 2012 by Grace & Favour

[Bobbybass]

A 3.5Kw Travelpower is as reliable as any form of generating - and it runs off your engine (like any alternator)

 

Produces 240v, all one does is plan to run your heavy 240v items (Washing machine, Vacuum cleaner, MIG Welder, Nasal hair trimmer) whilst your engine's running/you're cruising.

 

Quite effective, and if you're good at planning, it's a lot cheaper than running a separate diesel generator

Don't forget it can run your battery charger as well...

I use mine for that initial 'bulk' phase...

Has worked very well for some years...

[bottle]

it's a lot cheaper than running a separate diesel generator

 

After initial cost there is no difference in running my engine and my 7Kw diesel generator.

[Spacebar]

You really need to factor in things like having the boat bottom re blacked. It's a necessary part of owning a boat and it takes a couple of days in a dock when you can't live on board.

 

Boating is a way of life but not necessarily a cheap style, if you try to be too cheap then things bite back - hull corrosion, battery failure, and hundreds of other things need to be attended daily.

 

Houses don't sink. Houses tend to rise in value boats fall in value, ...

To be fair though houses dont cost between 10k and 70k especially if they are in a postcode area where a house will cost 500k either.

Some dry docks will let you stay aboard.

If its your home where else would you stay anyway?

 

A 3.5Kw Travelpower is as reliable as any form of generating - and it runs off your engine (like any alternator)

 

Produces 240v, all one does is plan to run your heavy 240v items (Washing machine, Vacuum cleaner, MIG Welder, Nasal hair trimmer) whilst your engine's running/you're cruising.

 

Quite effective, and if you're good at planning, it's a lot cheaper than running a separate diesel generator

But if for any reason your engine decides to have the day/week/month off you will wish you bought that generator while you wait for someone who is supposed to know what they are doing fix it.

Edited January 27, 2012 by Spacebar

[lesrollins]

House

I agree with you spacebar, we are born, grow up and go to work some take out mortgages chipping away for 25 years making the banks richer. If we need to go into care the government take the house what we have been working hard to pay for and improve and use the money for our care. Thats unless you are lucky then your children benefit from all your hard work and graft. When we got married nobody gave us anything and both of my lads have said enjoy it while you can. So thats what we are going to do, at 50 we are buying a boat and trying a different way of life we don,t expect it to be easy, we are both grafters. At least I will not be sitting somewhere in the future thinking I should of done that. And who knows the value of scrap may go up that much the boat could be worth more dead than alive. lol.

And the house, that will swallow some more money from the next person who wants to change its insides and pay the mortgage. work, shuffle, shuffle, work work

 

Generators

I have looked into the Paguro 4000 generator not quite sure they seem to have been going a long time, I did see a boat fitted with a Sincro generator but I can,t seem to google anything but I do not know what the reliability and spares are like for either.

Edited January 28, 2012 by lesrollins