[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Help with power! (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 8/30/2013 1:05:43 PM EDT
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I have a piece of property that currently does not have electric service. I met with the electric co-op today and was shocked with how much it would cost to have power ran to my cabin/campsite. He quoted me $24,000 to run 1600ft of line. I had no idea that it would be this much and needless to say this is not going to be an option for me right now. I have been looking at putting a 28-31ft 5th wheel on the property to camp/relax/etc. I want to know what would be my best options for power. I would be using the camper 5-8 days a month and want to be able to run a tv, fridge,heater, tools, etc. I know that I can run a generator and I have a 5000w unit currently but it sounds like two Harley's chocking each other and so I'm looking for the quietest most cost effective power options. From what I can tell solar would be an option but is expensive and I'm not interested in buying new batteries every 3-5years. Would a quite, ie Honda or Yamaha generator and battery bank be the best way to go? Any help would be appreciated and I apologize if this is not the best place to post this.
here is what I'm camping out of currently. http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad308/cjtwoods/Farmpaint2012007_zps21aeb93a.jpg http://s946.photobucket.com/user/cjtwoods/media/Hunting/Hunting%20Videos/bush_creek2_zpsf19221f5.mp4.html |
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If you don't want the loud generators, I think you answered your own question with the inverter type generators. Battery bank optional. You didn't mention A/C, so your other loads should not add up to too much. IMHO, the battery bank for how long you are going to be there isn't worth it. Better off with bigger/second inverter generator. You can make a platform at the back of your 5th wheel (assuming you aren't pulling something else too) for your generator(s). Then they don't have to travel inside the camper. Edit because I re-read your post: I still stick by the inverter generator. Unless you need A/C, your other loads aren't that much. Run the fridge mainly on propane and it will take very little power. The heater doesn't take much load, and should actually run on the battery. Consider adding a couple extra batteries to your 5th wheel's system to minimize run-time of the generator for the heater/fridge. You will need an actual battery charger, as it seems the camper built in charger is only meant to keep it topped off (or at least mine takes a full 2 days to charge a dead battery). |
| Thanks for the reply. Yes I would want to run the a/c on the 5th wheel. Also the 5th wheel would be semi permanent as I would be basically leaving it there until I can build a permanent structure. I had hoped that I could use the generator to charge a battery bank and then run everything off the bank so that I would not have to listen to the generator all night as the ac is running. I think a 3-4000Watt generator would run everything on the camper at the same time and then during the day I could use the generator to charge everything back up. Not sure if it will work this way or not. |
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Quoted: Thanks for the reply. Yes I would want to run the a/c on the 5th wheel. Also the 5th wheel would be semi permanent as I would be basically leaving it there until I can build a permanent structure. I had hoped that I could use the generator to charge a battery bank and then run everything off the bank so that I would not have to listen to the generator all night as the ac is running. I think a 3-4000Watt generator would run everything on the camper at the same time and then during the day I could use the generator to charge everything back up. Not sure if it will work this way or not. |
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Take a rather large battery bank to run the A/C all night... Those camper A/C units suck juice. Quoted:
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Thanks for the reply. Yes I would want to run the a/c on the 5th wheel. Also the 5th wheel would be semi permanent as I would be basically leaving it there until I can build a permanent structure. I had hoped that I could use the generator to charge a battery bank and then run everything off the bank so that I would not have to listen to the generator all night as the ac is running. I think a 3-4000Watt generator would run everything on the camper at the same time and then during the day I could use the generator to charge everything back up. Not sure if it will work this way or not. This ^^^ A/C takes some major juice. For a battery bank that can handle that sort of load you're looking at building a separate building to house it and a several thousand dollar investment in batteries/inverter large enough to handle it. If you don't want to hear the genny running at night you'd be much better off to purchase a very quiet inverter generator rated to run your loads and invest in a heavy-gauge extension cord to put distance between the generator and your camper. Take advantage of natural features to deflect the sound of the genny running. Valleys, plant life, and other naturally occurring things can cut out a lot of the noise if you get it out 100 feet or so away from the camper... |
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If you're in it for the long haul, check out the Lister and Listeroid(3rd world clone) diesel engine & generator setups.
Another angle on this is to look at 2 seperate systems. Properly set up, it's not *that* hard to run a camper/cabin on solar and propane. Build a good system for everything but the A/C. Take what's left over, and put that toward a 3KW generator dedicated to AC duty. Wether it's a Honda inverter or a used Champion depends on your situation; but the AC unit itself will drown out a lot of outside noise. How are you handling water out there? |
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Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like the Honda or a Yamaha is the way to go. I also thought of building a well ventilated but insulated storage unit for the generator. Maybe below grade with a removable roof, drain etc to kill the noise. I've had the property for about 7 years and the shed has worked ok so far. I get potable water from my neighbors well and store 20 gallons to use for cokking etc. I have a 50 gallon rain barrel that is use for whatever else. The shed/cabin is a 10x16 and has bunks, cooking stove, 2 mr buddy heaters, propane lights, carpet,etc. I store my atv in it when I'm not there. I use it a lot more in the fall for hunting and such and usually only have a guest or two. I was looking for a way to make it more comfortable especially in the summer as VA gets pretty damn hot hence my need for ac.
Here's a little video of the shed/cabin. Iv'e made some changes since filming this. Can't embed. http://s946.photobucket.com/user/cjtwoods/media/Hunting/Hunting%20Videos/bush_creek2_zpsf19221f5.mp4.html |
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Quoted:
I have a piece of property that currently does not have electric service. I met with the electric co-op today and was shocked with how much it would cost to have power ran to my cabin/campsite. He quoted me $24,000 to run 1600ft of line. This more than $24,000 is much much less than the cost of solar or wind I had no idea that it would be this much and needless to say this is not going to be an option for me right now. I have been looking at putting a 28-31ft 5th wheel on the property to camp/relax/etc. I want to know what would be my best options for power. Grid, generator, solar, or wind otherwise you go without. I would be using the camper 5-8 days a month and want to be able to run a tv, fridge,heater, tools, etc. I know that I can run a generator and I have a 5000w unit currently but it sounds like two Harley's chocking each other and so I'm looking for the quietest most cost effective power options. From what I can tell solar would be an option but is expensive and I'm not interested in buying new batteries every 3-5years. Would a quite, ie Honda or Yamaha generator and battery bank be the best way to go? Any help would be appreciated and I apologize if this is not the best place to post this. grousehunter, grid power is the cheapest if you can get to the grid. Second cheapest is a generator. Solar and wind will make the $24k for grid power look like a real bargain. Quiet generators begin with the inverter units from Honda and Yamaha, and there are the Kubota lowboy, and light tower units. Heat does not need to be electric. Fridge does not need to be 120V. Propane which would go with heat. 12V dc Engle fridge/freezer https://www.engel-usa.com/products/fridge-freezers. Marine cooler from Igloo, Yeti, Pelican, Engle, etc. Tools; gas power chainsaw, etc. Think of ways to get what you want without 120V ac electricity. AC may really need 120V ac. There are ways to cool a smaller rv with 12V dc and ice, but I do not think that would meet your needs. Hope this helps PA |
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I would be using the camper 5-8 days a month and want to be able to run a tv, fridge,heater, tools, etc. Except for the heater, your power requirements sound like chump-change. If you went with with propane or kerosine heat instead, I'm betting that a solar system capable of meeting your requirements wouldn't set you back more than several thousand bucks. Naturally, if you want air conditioning, you're going to either need a much bigger system, or to use a generator whenever the AC is running. |
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Also, what about having a large propane tank, ie 200-500 gallons installed and buy a propane generator? Thoughts? Propane and gasoline are sorta the same. The engine is the same, but the fuel system is different. Look at the threads on trifuel Honda/Yamaha generators. Trifuel is gas, propane, and natural gas. The Kubota lowboy is diesel, and so are light tower trailers. |
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Thanks for the replies. I need to research the 5th wheel more and figure out what I can get away with. I like the sound of some sort of battery system that runs the lights,tv, etc and then the generator runs the ac primarily. My thought on a propane system was that if I could get a large propane tank I would not have to get up in the middle of the night to put gas in a generator. So looking at a Honda 5000w inverter/generator how many hours of run time do you think I could get out of a tank of gas given, per their description, to run a 5th wheel ac unit?
"Fuel efficient - Runs up to 15.2 hours on 4.5 gallon tank Thanks to our exclusive Eco-Throttle System, the EM5000iS offers great fuel efficiency. Runs approximately 15.2 hours at 1/4 load and 5.7 hours at full load. This makes the EM5000iS great for overnight power. - See more at: http://www.allbrands.com/products/39146-honda-em5000is-inverter-generator-5000w-223lbs-qui#sthash.evSdqSOr.dpuf I would be assuming that the ac is not running constantly but summers in VA can be hot all night. I have a very hard time sleeping if it's above 74 degrees. I know I should man up but I am looking for some camping comfort. |
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$24K will put in an awesome solar system.
Back in the day when 120 watt panels were $625. each, our entire original 1600 watt system was well under that WITH a 12KW diesel genset, battery bank of 20 L16's and Trace 4024 inverter. TODAY, all these components are much cheaper. Solar is finally under $1. a watt. Screw the power company.... you don't need them 
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If your mechanically inclined at all, you'll find a way to hook your generator to a larger tank.
I'd shy away from propane since its only advantage is stable storage time, extended enging/oil life, and price (for now). Everything else about it is more difficult or involves outside help. |
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Quoted: If your mechanically inclined at all, you'll find a way to hook your generator to a larger tank. I'd shy away from propane since its only advantage is stable storage time, extended enging/oil life, and price (for now). Everything else about it is more difficult or involves outside help. I find propane to be easy. We have multiple vehicles at the farm that run on it. You have tank (no fuel pump), electric shutoff (on vehicles), vaporizer and very simple carb. You don't 'need' the shutoff, and replace 2 diaphragms and you have essentially rebuilt the fuel system.
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A possible option for grid connection would be to get a quote from the power company to have them run power to a meter placed at the property line and get a separate quote from a private contractor to run the service line from the meter to the campsite, essentially changing the point of demarcation from the campsite to the property line.
The $24k quote from the power company most likely consisted of a meter placed at the campsite with the power company owning and maintaining the feeder cables all the way to that point. If the meter is placed at the property line, it is possible to get a good price from a contractor to complete the circuit. It could save quite a bit of money, but would still be a good chunk of change for that 1,600 foot run. |
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The other problem you will have is the refrigerator. Since you'll only have power when you are there, you'll have to empty it and leave the door open every time you leave. I would have a 250 or 500 gallon propane tank set on the property and hook it to a Honda EU with a propane conversion kit. I would also connect to a propane fridge so you have cold food/beverage when you arrive. The propane fridges are extremely fuel efficient and I would guess that you would use around 100 gallons/yr running one. Running on propane eliminates having to refuel and avoids having any ethanol related carb problems as well. Propane stores forever and is the least likely fuel to be stolen, especially stored in a large tank. It makes the most sense for cooking and heating as well. I had a propane/DC/AC fridge on my houseboat and a few times in the beginning we made the mistake of trying to not leave it running because it was empty and just brought food with us for each trip. This proved to be stupid because it took hours even days for it to do its initial cool down. If you are going to try and use a fridge occasionally make sure everything you put in is already cold (or frozen) or that you are going to be there for a while. For intermittent use a nice cooler like a Yeti. I have a Yeti and love it. As others have mentioned you won't be able to hear the generator running over the AC especially if its on the other side of any substantial barrier, ie fence, shed, propane tank. Just make sure you get one large enough to handle the start-up load of the A/C. Depending on the size of the A/C unit 2 EU2000's paralleled together might fit your need. 2 2000s are a better purchase than 1 3000 from a mobility and redundancy standpoint. I believe Yamaha makes a 2400 that a lot of guys like and it will start some of the smaller A/Cs. The smaller inverter units are small enough that you can haul them back and forth from your house so you also have a home backup as well. You mentioned leaving an ATV onsite but I would hate to lose a generator and ATV all at once. If you get one small enough 1 guy can move it then transportation won't be an issue. Grove |
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Do you own the ground that the line would have to travel over? If so see if the co-op would be willing to hook to your supplied under ground line and if it is a green light from the co-op get some bids on a private contractor laying down an under ground line ....it may very well be a waste of time but sometimes strange things happen in the competitive world ....like a bidder with cable left over from another job whose cost has already been reduced or even costed out ...or a guy with a machine payment coming up needing $$ to ease the pain ...just saying you do not know until you turn ALL the rocks over
ALSO ...the price per foot sounds very high quoted by the co-op ...I am not an expert and I am guessing here but it sounds like your co-op either does not have their own construction crew and are throwing a 'hail Mary" quote to cover whatever price an outside contractor may charge or possibly they have quoted you A 3 PHASE LINE INSTEAD OF A SINGLE PHASE LINE ...three phase is much more expensive and you do not need it for a camper n cabin Good Luck Bear PS : Be sure to let the co-op give you the specifications of the cable they would be willing to hook their system to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Quoted: Except for the heater, your power requirements sound like chump-change. If you went with with propane or kerosine heat instead, I'm betting that a solar system capable of meeting your requirements wouldn't set you back more than several thousand bucks. Naturally, if you want air conditioning, you're going to either need a much bigger system, or to use a generator whenever the AC is running. Quoted: Quoted: I would be using the camper 5-8 days a month and want to be able to run a tv, fridge,heater, tools, etc. Except for the heater, your power requirements sound like chump-change. If you went with with propane or kerosine heat instead, I'm betting that a solar system capable of meeting your requirements wouldn't set you back more than several thousand bucks. Naturally, if you want air conditioning, you're going to either need a much bigger system, or to use a generator whenever the AC is running. +1 We can run the A/C in our camper w/ a Honda 2K if we start the fan before the compressor kicks in, and it'll run overnight (~7 hrs) on a full tank of fuel. That 5th wheel might have a little bigger A/C in it, so the 3K might give necessary headroom. Everything else could be run w/ a few panels and good batteries. We replaced the single 12v battery in our camper w/ a pair of T-105's and they last much longer... |
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You have received lots of good replies on generators that I can't top. However something else popped into my mind....security. How are you going to secure your fifth wheel, generator, and vital equipment from theft and vandalism? Seeing that thieves will have 20 to 26 days a month to case the place, then break down into movable loads and cart off your stuff. OP you need to put some thought and research into how you set up the place. |
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Soundproof your generator.
Build a concrete shelter point the intake and exhaust away from your living area and beware of anything that's going to reflect sound back at you. A circuitous path for the air intake and exhaust will help. Casting ridges into the concrete will help too. You can also plumb the exhaust into a bigger/better muffler. The ones included with the generators are sized constrained for portability. Years in the future if you run power the generator will serve as a secondary source of power. Depending on where you are in VA it looks you'll get about 3 solar hours a day. Not a good as most of the US. 
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I have a Yamaha YG2800i that is quiet, a bit louder than a Honda 2000i, but I can power my entire house except for central a.c. 2 refrigerators, chest freezer, lights, computers, furnace in winter, or 10,000 btu a.c. upstairs in summer. The trick is to not bring up everything all at once.
My goal was to get something big enough to run everything, quiet enough to hardly be noticed, *and* lightweight enough that I can single handedly get it into the back of the pickup truck. Dry weight is 67 pounds. Looks like a construction type generator with the roll cage. Can be had with a tri-fuel adapter, gasoline, propane or natural gas. Not my campsite, but it shows the size of it pretty well. Mine gets used at a buddy's deer cabin. The smaller yamaha or honda 2000i looks more like a portable sewing machine, and will be quieter because the engine is fully enshrouded. My buddy uses a Yamaha 2000i and it's almost drowned out by the ceiling fans in the cabin even with windows open. It's in a shelter 50 feet away made out of a 55 gallon drum split lengthwise on one side, sort of an open bottomed quonset hut -- so no extraordinary sound proofing is being done. Just rain shelter. 
Both yamaha and honda have parallel kits. |
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Seeing that thieves will have 20 to 26 days a month to case the place, then break down into movable loads and cart off your stuff. OP you need to put some thought and research into how you set up the place. Quoted:
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You have received lots of good replies on generators that I can't top. However something else popped into my mind....security. How are you going to secure your fifth wheel, generator, and vital equipment from theft and vandalism? Seeing that thieves will have 20 to 26 days a month to case the place, then break down into movable loads and cart off your stuff. OP you need to put some thought and research into how you set up the place. This.... |
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I see where you are. We power with solar and run a frig and freezer and it was marginal with 4 Sharp 224 watt panels and 8 l16 batteries -to bridge cloudy days. Added moar solar.
Looking at your solar opportunity, I'd say with the often cloudiness in VA and the low solar radiance, that a little solar system to maintain batteries and a small diesel genny that can run intermittently and charge [and periodically equalize them -important, with a modest battery bank, might be the optimum solution for your situation. A small diesel [to minimize fuel costs and make storing it easy] engine like this ~4 HP Kubota with an efficient alternator and a remore sense voltage reg might be just the ticket. 
Setting this up is a little technical but the strength you would gain by doing it would be invaluable in the future. |
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Shopping list to do the above...
6 L16 batteries... $300 ea? One small few HP diesel engine with an efficient 12 vdc alternator. I found this [Kubota] for $1000 A marine regulator [was included] with automatic engine control. 4 Sharp 240 watt panels [price now abt $250 ea plus $200 or so shipping] One Outback FM 60 solar charge controller. $500 And work and study that will be well worth it. |
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Quoted: Shopping list to do the above... 6 L16 batteries... $300 ea? One small few HP diesel engine with an efficient 12 vdc alternator. I found this [Kubota] for $1000 A marine regulator [was included] with automatic engine control. 4 Sharp 240 watt panels [price now abt $250 ea plus $200 or so shipping] One Outback FM 60 solar charge controller. $500 And work and study that will be well worth it. $212.50 each: Link. 5 of them shipped to S IN was $190. (EDIT: $1.002/W delivered!) I probably could've gotten a whole skid for only marginally more in shipping. EXPY, I'm curious how he'd wire up 6 batteries? 3 groups of two? If it were me I'd get 8 and go w/ a 48v system. Also, an Inverter? Or run everything on DC? |
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$212.50 each: Link. 5 of them shipped to S IN was $190. (EDIT: $1.002/W delivered!) I probably could've gotten a whole skid for only marginally more in shipping. EXPY, I'm curious how he'd wire up 6 batteries? 3 groups of two? If it were me I'd get 8 and go w/ a 48v system. Also, an Inverter? Or run everything on DC? Quoted:
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Shopping list to do the above... 6 L16 batteries... $300 ea? One small few HP diesel engine with an efficient 12 vdc alternator. I found this [Kubota] for $1000 A marine regulator [was included] with automatic engine control. 4 Sharp 240 watt panels [price now abt $250 ea plus $200 or so shipping] One Outback FM 60 solar charge controller. $500 And work and study that will be well worth it. $212.50 each: Link. 5 of them shipped to S IN was $190. (EDIT: $1.002/W delivered!) I probably could've gotten a whole skid for only marginally more in shipping. EXPY, I'm curious how he'd wire up 6 batteries? 3 groups of two? If it were me I'd get 8 and go w/ a 48v system. Also, an Inverter? Or run everything on DC? Yes groups of two. Two groups of 2 each might be fine for him, I was just overkilling a bit. Fuse each group with something like a 200 amp cartridge fuse with the copper bars on each end. Drill a hole in each bar and bolts to the battery and to the cables. I use four groups of 2 ea and it's worked out fine. And we use 2 fuses, one for each four batteries. For a small system, it makes sense to me to stick with 12vdc so everything is compatible. [I've been accumulation everything to go to a 24 vdc system but have reservations abt implementing it] A Xantrex Prowatt Sinewave with 600 watt rating is inexpensive on ebay. I've had good luck with them for lower power aps. |
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Security needs another mention. That is part of why I would go ahead and run the genny you have and work on a secure enclosure for it. Propane for heat. Coolers for the weekend visits. Run the fridge if you are going to be there a week and feel the coolers won't really get the job done. If I pack my good coolers well and plan things accordingly I can run a long time on coolers. I don't have a yeti or anything that awesome either. Part of getting by with what you have right now is because it will let you shop craigslist and closeouts for the best deals on other stuff. Make your plan. Work on getting there. But don't try to over do today just because you want everything perfect today. Depending on the electronics in the 5th wheel you might find it cheaper to upgrade some of the stuff with items that use less power. Lots of sales on led televisions and what not. Heck, my laptop will play several movies on one battery charge and since I have a spare battery for it I don't really need to plug it in all the time either. Use what you have. |
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A possible option for grid connection would be to get a quote from the power company to have them run power to a meter placed at the property line and get a separate quote from a private contractor to run the service line from the meter to the campsite, essentially changing the point of demarcation from the campsite to the property line. The $24k quote from the power company most likely consisted of a meter placed at the campsite with the power company owning and maintaining the feeder cables all the way to that point. If the meter is placed at the property line, it is possible to get a good price from a contractor to complete the circuit. It could save quite a bit of money, but would still be a good chunk of change for that 1,600 foot run. Assuming a 50 amp circuit from the meter location to the camper 1600' away would require 1000kcmil conductors.............. That $24k is a good price. |
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Here our coop will run lines over head to a pole with a light on it if you pay for the $9 a month fee for it or a minimum meter fee. If you plan on building, setting a 100 Amp temp pole or 200 Amp pole they might bring service in. I have a contractor here that will do triplex installed in 2" PVC conduit for $3.50 per foot, trenching,etc included.
Run your fridge on propane and just get a EU6500 with trifuel kit. Gives you plenty room for future and no poco needed. If you are going to try solar, just use two 6V golf cart batteries for the 5'er battery with modest and affordable solar charger. You can replace the 12VDC lights with LED bulbs, the water pump is not going to run unless you have demand. When batteries get low run the generator for a charger, I would even consider using a Samlex or Iota charger instead of the factory one. What are you doing for water, septic? |
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Assuming a 50 amp circuit from the meter location to the camper 1600' away would require 1000kcmil conductors.............. That $24k is a good price. Quoted:
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A possible option for grid connection would be to get a quote from the power company to have them run power to a meter placed at the property line and get a separate quote from a private contractor to run the service line from the meter to the campsite, essentially changing the point of demarcation from the campsite to the property line. The $24k quote from the power company most likely consisted of a meter placed at the campsite with the power company owning and maintaining the feeder cables all the way to that point. If the meter is placed at the property line, it is possible to get a good price from a contractor to complete the circuit. It could save quite a bit of money, but would still be a good chunk of change for that 1,600 foot run. Assuming a 50 amp circuit from the meter location to the camper 1600' away would require 1000kcmil conductors.............. That $24k is a good price. Power company would run over head usually at 13,800 or 7200 from road to pole mounted pot. |
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Assuming a 50 amp circuit from the meter location to the camper 1600' away would require 1000kcmil conductors.............. Naw, man - Go cheap! 1. Have the power company put a transformer and meter on a pole on your property line. 2. Install your own junkyard transformer on your property line to step the 240V back up to 13KV. 3. Throw up some scrap electric fence or barbed wire to get the 13KV (actually closer 11 to 6 KV at the load end, depending on load) to your other junkyard transformer at the end of your "private distribution line". 
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Naw, man - Go cheap! 1. Have the power company put a transformer and meter on a pole on your property line. 2. Install your own junkyard transformer on your property line to step the 240V back up to 13KV. 3. Throw up some scrap electric fence or barbed wire to get the 13KV (actually closer 11 to 6 KV at the load end, depending on load) to your other junkyard transformer at the end of your "private distribution line". Quoted:
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Assuming a 50 amp circuit from the meter location to the camper 1600' away would require 1000kcmil conductors.............. Naw, man - Go cheap! 1. Have the power company put a transformer and meter on a pole on your property line. 2. Install your own junkyard transformer on your property line to step the 240V back up to 13KV. 3. Throw up some scrap electric fence or barbed wire to get the 13KV (actually closer 11 to 6 KV at the load end, depending on load) to your other junkyard transformer at the end of your "private distribution line". 
We do not have a lightning animation so this will have to do 
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Naw, man - Go cheap! 1. Have the power company put a transformer and meter on a pole on your property line. 2. Install your own junkyard transformer on your property line to step the 240V back up to 13KV. 3. Throw up some scrap electric fence or barbed wire to get the 13KV (actually closer 11 to 6 KV at the load end, depending on load) to your other junkyard transformer at the end of your "private distribution line". Quoted:
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Assuming a 50 amp circuit from the meter location to the camper 1600' away would require 1000kcmil conductors.............. Naw, man - Go cheap! 1. Have the power company put a transformer and meter on a pole on your property line. 2. Install your own junkyard transformer on your property line to step the 240V back up to 13KV. 3. Throw up some scrap electric fence or barbed wire to get the 13KV (actually closer 11 to 6 KV at the load end, depending on load) to your other junkyard transformer at the end of your "private distribution line". Good thinking Then all you'd need is a suicide cord to run the juice from the scrap transformer and plug it into a outlet on the outside of your trailer. Problem solved. Be sure to install a ground rod to meet code. |
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Naw, man - Go cheap! 1. Have the power company put a transformer and meter on a pole on your property line. 2. Install your own junkyard transformer on your property line to step the 240V back up to 13KV. 3. Throw up some scrap electric fence or barbed wire to get the 13KV (actually closer 11 to 6 KV at the load end, depending on load) to your other junkyard transformer at the end of your "private distribution line". Quoted:
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Assuming a 50 amp circuit from the meter location to the camper 1600' away would require 1000kcmil conductors.............. Naw, man - Go cheap! 1. Have the power company put a transformer and meter on a pole on your property line. 2. Install your own junkyard transformer on your property line to step the 240V back up to 13KV. 3. Throw up some scrap electric fence or barbed wire to get the 13KV (actually closer 11 to 6 KV at the load end, depending on load) to your other junkyard transformer at the end of your "private distribution line". I thought what in the world is this guy thinking when I first read this post. Then I saw it was Skibane and realized it was a joke, he seems pretty knowledgeable so I know he was joking. I was laughing so hard thinking it was a for real post I started snorting and my wife asked me What was wrong was I OK. LOL |
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OP, Many years ago when I was a 16 year old boy I had been doing some plumbing work and earned enough money to buy 4 acres. We were quoted $20K to have power run to it. I wrote a letter to my state Public Utility Commission and that fee was dropped to $349. You might try that, like someone else said, grid power is cheapest if you can get it. |
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You guys are awesome. Thanks for the replies! I was out of town so I didn't have a chance to check back in. Lots of very good info posted. The line would start from a pole that is across a road from my property. The co-op said I would need to obtain an easement from the adjacent landowner before they could pull a line. Not crazy about this but I'm a real estate broker so I am aware of the process. I talked with a friend over the weekend and as another poster mentioned, we talked about having the co-op just run a line across the road and then we would take it from there. Still looking at all possibilities but the idea of 2 Honda 2000eu sounds like a good back up if the co-op doesn't work out.
As far as security, Ive had the property for 7 years or so and haven't had any problems (knock on wood) with anything other than some poaching. I used a diplomatic approach to the poachers. I got him on a trail camera and drove over to his extremely posted property, got out the truck and walked over to him. I told him that I had tracked some size 10 Nike's up to the back of his property and that I needed his help catching the jackass that was walking over his property to get to mine. I said that I had contacted the sheriff and the game warden and that the game warden had been over to see the tracks. I asked him to help me and to call the game warden if he saw anyone crossing his property to get to mine. This worked for a couple of years until I saw the same guy and some buddies doing a deer drive on the top field. I grabbed my ar and raced over there on an atv. When I got there they were gone so I just stood there and smoked a cigarette. As I was standing there I heard a cell phone start ringing about 50 yds in the woods. I yelled at him to come over and told him I had pictures of him trespassing. He walked up to me and I explained to him that we do a lot of shooting on my property and that I didn't want anyone to get hurt so I needed to know when someone was there. I told him that he could take 1 doe off my property a year if he called me first. If he didn't call me then I would have him arrested. He has never called or come back. You can not see the cabin from the road and the terrain would make it very difficult for someone to access the property. Someone could cut the gate lock but my neighbor watches my gate like a hawk. He calls me anytime he sees something going on near the gate. Maybe I've just been lucky so far. |
| Regarding security, I don't know how I could make the property more secure. To access the property by vehicle you would have to cut trees or the gate. You could access it by atv but it would not be easy. The property consists of 5 hilltops with small creeks running through the ravines. The property was once a cutover so if someone wanted to try to get to the cabin by atv other than from the road, they would have to go through a gauntlet of briars and some very steep terrain. I have roads/trails cut throughout the property once you access it from the gate but none of them lead to the property lines that could be accessed by a vehicle. Someone would have to really want what I have to get it out of there. Everything is insured if it's stolen so I hope that I will never have to deal with it. |