RV FEATURE
WIND TURBINE GENERATORS
In the world of long-distance yachting , wind turbines are a regular thing . But in the world of caravans and RVs , they are virtually unseen . In all my years of travelling across the country , I ’ ve only ever seen three caravans utilising a wind turbine to recharge their batteries . The reasons for this vary but a lot of it boils down to perceptions of poor performance . That is true to a certain extent , especially with cheap eBay turbines that have little to no chance of matching their output specifications . So like anything , you get what you pay for .
Wind generators come in a huge range of power outputs , starting at about 200W and all the way up to 3000W ! You have to ask , why are we not using them ?
The reality is that for a wind turbine to generate anything over 400W , the wind has to be blowing at a very high speed . Further , it needs to be a consistent wind and , unless you ’ re camped on the coastal fringes , you just cannot rely on that to happen .
Wind turbine generators may not be the most convenient method of recharging your batteries but they work when the sun isn ’ t shining or if you ’ ve run out of petrol , as long as the wind is blowing .
Wind generators are quite large and require a degree of assembly to erect . They also need to be placed as high as possible off the ground in order to take advantage of whatever wind is available . This makes them impractical for shortterm use but if you spend your holidays on the coast for weeks or even months at a time , a wind turbine may actually be useful , especially for those times when the sun isn ’ t shining .
Advantages : They will work when solar isn ’ t available and you ’ ve run out of petrol for your generator . In ideal conditions , they can produce some very useful power levels .
Disadvantages : The market is flooded with cheap units that deliver less than satisfactory performance . They can be noisy . Require some assembly every time you use them .
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