How to Make a Generator Quiet for Camping

What’s the purpose of going camping? Definitely, it is for relaxation and making a relationship with nature. But if your days and nights on the campsite are filled up with irritating generator noise, will you get relaxed? Impossible. That’s why my today’s mission is to introduce you with some ninja solutions of how to make a generator quiet for camping.

Well, we all are supposed to have our camp experience with bird songs, the noise of leaves and owls at the campsite. That’s the way we can build a bond between nature and our soul or mind.

Again, electricity is like a requisition for our camping. And if you are not selecting the National Park or a nearby Eco Park and go for true and adventurous camping, then getting a line of electricity is nearly impossible. So, carrying a portable generator is the only possible solution to this problem.

But there is no way you can mix up the sound of nature with the grgrr noise of your generator. Well, I cannot accept the machine noise and just ruin my beautiful time adjacent to the beautiful nature.

That’s the reason I looked for the possible solutions to keep my generator quiet and luckily I got several solutions from different people. And I apply each of them to find out the acceptability.

I cannot say that all of those ideas worked well. But some of them are really good. And so, I fix my mind today to share those effective ideas to quiet your generator at the campsite. So, keep your eyes open and look for the idea I’ll disclose here. You may not be able to try all of them but if you try one, that will definitely come helpful.

 

Effective Ideas to Keep Your Generator Quiet

We know that the sound of a generator can vary according to its types. Most of the portable size generators make a loud sound and so, they can easily ruin your camping trip.

But some smaller and quieter generators are also available in the market and you can buy them too. It is also true that such a generator can be more expensive than the regular one. I’ll discuss this type of generator in the last of today’s ideas on how to make a generator quiet for camping.

First, let me discuss the DIY or hacks to keep your noisy generator quiet at your campsite.

1. Place the dynamo away from the dwelling place

It’s best to take a generator while going camping. It saves us from many hassles and provides extra security. I always try to carry my generator when I go for camp and I always place it at least 20-25 feet away from the tents.

Most of them are quite noisy but you will find the good ones, I mean the quiet ones if you search carefully. Most of the brands mention the noise measurements in decibel.

You may find it as “7m” or “9m”, which tells us the noise was measured from 7 meters or 9 meters away. Of course, there are many with a higher rating and you must avoid those unless they are really cheap or on offer.

Yes, there is a difference between the generators that are marked as quiet and the unmarked ones. It’s best to keep the machine at least 20 feet away from the campsite even if you’re carrying a quiet one.

At sleep time, you don’t want that irritating noise. If you need to run any electric device, such as projectors, fan, or music system, I would suggest you use a plugin extension cord. It serves me well and it will suffice your needs too.

2. Relocation of exhaust pipe away from the campsite or pointing it upwards.

You have to know the most noise-generating part of the generator. Sometimes the positioning of that part dynamically reduces the noise or directs them away. Generally, they tend to be the engine and the exhaust system.

The positioning of the exhaust pipe should be away from the dwelling spot. The direction of the exhaust should be faced in the opposite direction. We always place it away from the tents and turn the exhaust pipe upward position.

Both of those systems will direct the noise away from the campsite. It is also suggested to place it following the wind direction. These might help to divert the noise but will not make the machine silent.

It is best to choose relatively low noise-making machines over the regular ones. Positioning will also help to reduce the noise. And also remember to place the machine securely.

3. Place the generator on a platform or put in on a rubber feet

Another thing you can do to suppress the noise ratio by decreasing the vibrations it produces. In both home and camping usage, you should place the generator on concrete or wooden board. You can put it a bit higher than the ground level.

Alternatively, you can also put the machine on the ground. So, most of the vibrations will be absorbed or use an anti-vibration sheet underneath the dynamo. Many brands provide their machine with such feet or stands that produce fewer vibrations.

You can also use anti-vibration mats for washing machines or plenty of other materials which suits best for your situation. You need to decrease the heat of the generator if it overheats.

Sometimes heat makes the components of the machine produce more noise. If your one makes more heat, you will need to use rubber mats. If it’s normal heat then any clothes or blankets will do.

4. Introduce a barrier

To suppress any type of noise you will have to create an acoustic barrier between the source and yourself. I always use this method as it’s cost-saving and works fine. For this, you will need some soundproofing materials.

There are a lot of products that can be used to divert the sounds. Let’s talk about the smaller ones first. There are sound deflectors that are used in televisions but they are costly. Many people use them to divert the noise away from the dwelling place.

You can also use a soundproof barrier to cover the area of the generator. If the machine is on the ground, a soundproof partition will do the job nicely. These partitions can be used for other purposes too on the campsite.

The partitions are generally hard to carry and most of the people have limited space in their cars. If you carry one make sure that is portable. The pipe framed ones are easy to carry as they are foldable and come with lightweight fabrics.

5. Create a detachable rubber cover

It is always better to buy silent generators as there are a lot of variations available in the market. One of the common ways to silence the noisy machine is by using a rubber cover for the dynamo.

A rubber flap helps to reduce noise ration when you use it with your custom generator box with other soundproof materials. You can cover all the sides except the control panel and exhaust line.

The materials should be heat resistant, dense, and durable to be able to contain some noise. You should set the flap in a state that you can easily remove in the future or shift it to another machine.

It is possible to use rubber sleeves like a dog crate cover. That can cover the whole generator box from all sides. I would suggest you use mixed materials. I have made a similar one with some leftover materials.

If you choose this method, be prepared for facing heating issues. Overheating is a common issue as rubber tends to contain air and heat. I use a detachable box so that I can lift it up when the generator needs to cool down.

6. Wrapping it in fireproof insulation

Another way to reduce the sound of the generator is to make a box by using fireproof insulation materials. In this system airflow is a big factor. You can use mineral wool, fiberglass, Rockwool insulation, and others in this system.

If you are serious about this method, I will recommend you to make a removable cover. It is better if you use a cover that can be flipped or rolled. I will suggest you test the system before settling with that.

I have checked quite a few times before making the generator box and wrapping cover. It was hard to find the best solution as this wrapping method somehow increases the temperature of the machine which is harmful.

It’s like a hit or miss. You should systematically test your invention. Like testing it for a couple of minutes then check the temperature and condition. Then try for 30 minutes to an hour. If that works good work, if not go with other solutions.

7. Water bucket solution

Keeping your generator silent is tricky and the water bucket solution sounds pretty complex at first. You can find out about something like attaching a pipe with the exhaust which ends in a water bucket. It is an easy procedure.

It is known that everything sounds botched underwater. So, it’s about diverting the noise in the water. It worked for my friend, but his dynamo makes noticeable vibrations, so we can still hear a bit of sound.

This technique does work and you will notice a difference in the noise level. Pay special attention to making sure that the water must not travel through the pipe to the machine. It will harm the generator.

Always place the generator on the higher ground if you are using a water bucket trick. Making a small hole in between the hose and the exhaust will take away the water if it ever climbs up.

8. Purchase a quiet generator

I will always suggest you buy a quiet generator and it will also be my first choice. Even if they may cost a bit more but believe me that little extra amount of money will serve you right. There are many ways to find quiet ones.

Some are marketed as quiet generators and most of them really make relatively low noise. If you want to shop smart, I will suggest you buy smaller ones with fewer power outputs. A quick tip, look for generators that are in between 1500-4000W.

If the machine makes a comparatively low noise, it is easier to reduce more. Some simple fixes will make such dynamo remain near a silent state. My friend Anne has one such dynamo.

Another thing is choosing a compact machine. They tend to be well built, stable, and less likely to make unbearable vibrations. As it is an important investment choose the most reviewed ones according to your budget.

You have been introduced to 8 different tricks to deal with the question about how to make a generator quiet for camping. You can try any of these tricks and I can assure you that none of these tricks will disappoint you.

 

So, I can now hope that you will never get irritated with your noisy generator anymore. Thank me anytime for these ideas. But for what I love to thank you a million times is your support. And we accept your support as the inspiration to move forward with our idea of inspiring people to go camping.