Trailer Mounted Wind Generator

[John&Vicki]

Wind turbine electricity generation has continued to improve over the years. I'm wondering if it would be feasible to mount one on the trailer in order to generate electricity while on the move.

Attach a propeller to an alternator, mount it on the trailer, wire it, good to go. Seems like a constant 60 mile an hour wind for several hours could provide a significant charge to the batteries.

Plus a propeller on an Airstream would look awfully cool.

Thoughts?

Poppy

[TinTin]

If the wind is at 60 miles an hour, I'm moving to a more peaceful spot!!

I've seen posts on the subject. Some have tried it I believe, the TTs may have been permanent placements. . Search wind turbine!

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Birdmaestro

Wind turbine electricity generation has continued to improve over the years. I'm wondering if it would be feasible to mount one on the trailer in order to generate electricity while on the move.

Attach a propeller to an alternator, mount it on the trailer, wire it, good to go. Seems like a constant 60 mile an hour wind for several hours could provide a significant charge to the batteries.

Plus a propeller on an Airstream would look awfully cool.

Thoughts?

Poppy

Hi Poppy

This was done with some regularity in the early days when cars had 6 volt generators that were not capable of charging the trailer battery.

With the arrival of the 12 volt silicon rectified alternator in the late 1960s it became cheaper and more fuel efficient to run a charge line from the tow vehicle. If your goal is to charge the battery while driving this is what you should do.

Wind generators have their advantages for sailboats. Sailboats have limited space for solar panels, and the wind blows stronger on cloudy days. A mast mounted wind turbine compliments a small solar installation.

With RVs there is no mast to get the turbine up into the wind and there is more space for solar, making solar the more practical and cost effective alternative in nearly all cases

[DKB_SATX]

TANSTAAFL.

You'll waste more energy overcoming the drag you introduce to the truck/trailer combo than you'll produce from the windmill. If you want to charge your trailer batteries while on the move I think you'll be better off with solar panels on the roof or upgrading the charge line from your tow vehicle.

[TinTin]

Whoops, should have read your post more carefully regarding 'on the move'.

My bad!!

[Colin H]

Originally Posted by TinTin

Whoops, should have read your post more carefully regarding 'on the move'.

My bad!!

Perhaps, but it gave me my afternoon chuckle

[drboyd]

Originally Posted by Jammer

<snip>
Wind generators have their advantages for sailboats. Sailboats have limited space for solar panels, and the wind blows stronger on cloudy days. A mast mounted wind turbine compliments a small solar installation.

<snip>

I have to share this - a true story. Some years back, we were in San Diego Bay headed out past Point Loma on our chartered sailboat. There's another boat alongside us, overtaking us; they have a wind generator.

My wife says, "Of course they're going faster than we are - they have a fan!"

[Wolfe]

You would be best served to think solar it works even standing still.

[Protagonist]

The small-diameter propellers that you could attach to the front of you Airstream are little more than toys. The propeller diameter must be small in order for it to not hit anything (propane tank cover, tongue jack, spare tire, tow vehicle, etc.) And rooftop mounting isn't any better because you're still limited to no more than 14 feet of overall trailer-plus-generator height before you start getting into the "oversized vehicle" category. But that's not the real problem.

But the REAL problem is that wind-power generators have a propeller cut-out to keep them from over-revving. When you're driving around town and you're traveling about 25-35 mph, you'll do fine, and that's actually the sweet spot for maximum generator output. But get up to highway speeds, and you'll be generating ZERO power, because the clutch in the propeller hub will disconnect to let the prop freewheel to keep from damaging the generator.

[flygrrl]

Has anyone seen those little hitch cover plates that look like a propeller? I followed an SUV with one of those the other day and it was spinning beautifully. I thought, well if it is turning so well in the slipstream of an SUV, why not put a couple of SS ones on the back bumper of the trailer. Must be pretty good slipstream at the back of Airstreams, what with the curves 'n' all. Then I saw this thread