Calling all electrical engineers here....

[davidmfranks]

I'm wondering if it's possible to use a generator to run a printer. macbook and heat press from my camper van. I was thinking about attending boot sales and craft fairs etc,
Trouble is, I am no kind of electrical guru, and I have no clue if a generator/inverter is man enough for the demand. Has anyoine got any idea if it's possible?

Thanks
Dave

[Mrteajunkie]

Yes provided the total load doesn’t exceed the max output of the generator.

if your press and printer take up 900w and the gen is 1kv then you have little wiggle room and you would be working the gen at almost full load the whole time.

[pw66]

Be very careful what generator you use!!!!! If you use a standard 'frame' type generator you will destroy all of your sensitive electrical equipment.

It must be an 'inverter' generator. An inverter will give you a continual and even power supply, but a frame generator will be subject to power spikes (every time the thermostat of the hea press kicks in you will hear the engine rev) that will damage your equipment.

If you are going out on the road make sure that your laptop is fully charged to minimise the amount of time you need to connect it to the generator, and back up all files.

[davidmfranks]

Wow - much thanks to you both. Very useful information there.
Looks like the next step is smashing the kids' piggy banks!

Thanks again.

[GoonerGary]

Have you seen those Jackery/ Anker power stations? Not sure how long a heat press would last on it, or if the cost would justify it. Double check with the craft fairs to see if their insurance allows heat presses.

[pw66]

To safely run your low power computer, printers and cutters you would be much better off running a 12v leisure battery with an inverter to take it up to 240v.

An inverter generator to run the heat press is about £400 for a 2kva one, which is realisticly what you are going to need. Generators are rated at their peak output, so a 2kva set will give you a realistic continuous output of about 1700w. A 1kva set will only provide continuous output of about 850 watts, which might just be enough to run a small heatpress.

Only use a cheap press with a generator and budget to replace it once a year. (It would be immoral for me to suggest that you claimed on the guarantee.) if you are tempted to plug a kettle in make sure you unplug everything else first to counter the power spike.

[pw66]

Double check with the craft fairs to see if their insurance allows heat presses.

..and if they allow generators.

[GoldRapt]

This was an intersting question and I have seen vans with cuttters doing t shirts in the past, this is a good read, although like the others have said, youll neeed breakers and a decent silent genny
https://www.tedstahl.com/how-to-travel- ... eat-press/

[pisquee]

make sure genny you get is super silenced, and rated for twice the load you will throw at it
Make sure you have surge protectors on everything sensitive (probably everything but the heat press)
Oh, and an earth spike and big mallet!