Generator vs Leisure Battery

by D
(Cornwall)

Hi David and everyone else

I've written in previously and am very grateful for the response but I need more help regarding how to power everything in my little catering trailer. It has been suggested to me a few times that powering everything with gas is the best way to go but I've also seen a few things about people using one or more leisure batteries.

I have a standard fridge (no freezer), 2x10litre soup kettles (that would be used in Autumn/Winter/cold weather days), lights, a non commercial panini grill (so big enough for one or two sandwiches at a time) and most likely a coffee machine (size and type as yet unknown). The trailer has plug sockets dotted around and 2 water containers under the sink. The measurements of the trailer itself are 2300x1650x2300mm.

The only time I actually need everything to be 'on' is during working hours (3 or so a day) and the rest of the time food is made and kept in my house.

I really need answers explained to me as though I know absolutely nothing, please don't even assume I know the most obvious things, I cannot stress this enough! I'm just getting more confused the more I talk to people!


Thank you very much in advance for any help and advice, I really do love this mobile catering community!

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Jan 04, 2020
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Generator
by: Kitschen Van

Hello, my old HY Van runs a dual fuel coffee machine, gas bain maries, gas twin ring, gas griddle, gas hot water and LED lights. I have two 240AH batteries and a Victron Inverter along with two on board gas cylinders.

Don't worry about what all that means as your choice is easy, if you do not want gas then generator is your only realistic option. The equipment you plan to use would require a top spec Victron Inverter costing several thousand pounds and would eat through a bank of batteries in less than 30 minutes.

Depending on the size of coffee machine you plan to use then you will need a big generator, Honda is good and expensive, Denyo is not so expensive but nearly as good.

The first thing you need to do is calculate the peak power requirement you will have during working hours, each item of equipment you have will have an Watt rating, you need to add these up to see what size of generator you need.
May 21, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Help! How do you use an inverter to power lights?
by: Lady

Hi everyone,
please can someone explain to me step by step how to use the inverter to power my lights? Do I need an electrician do carry some work on my trailer? If so, how much it should cost? Please, if you have any tutorials kindly share them with me because I know nothing about this stuff! Thanks to all of you and have a great day!
May 20, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Catering Generator
by: Perry

The majority of caterers use lpg gas.
A 19kg bottle will give you a 19kw supply.

By comparison leisure batteries are 75-100amp/hour at 12v, a cigarette lighter socket can give max 120 watts (0.012kw) and run that for 7.5-10hrs

The run 230v (mains) you need an inverter, cheap ones will do 300watts, enough for lights, 2000 watts (2kw) start getting expensive.

Kettles draw an average of 3000watts (3kw), 2 x 100 amp hour batteries would run a kettle for max of 48 minutes.

12v solar, batteries and led lights are a good cheap sustainable solution but not for running catering equipment.

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