Neutral-Ground bonding with generator (no utility power)

Question

I've been doing plenty of searching around the internet, but cannot find anything for my specific scenario. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I would like to install a breaker panel at my campsite in the woods, but I will be using my portable generator to power the panel instead of utility power. This means I don't have any transfer switches or interlocks or other existing infrastructure.

My setup: Ground-neutral bonded generator. L14-30 cord going to panel. The breaker panel is permanently installed at the campsite, with all circuits from the yard.

Now here's the question:
Part 1: Am I correct in my understanding that the breaker panel should NOT have the ground bonded to the neutral since the generator already provides this?

Part 2: Where do I need to drive my ground rod? Does it need to go at the location of the panel, the location of the generator? Or does it not matter which end of the L14-30 cord it gets connected to?

Thank you, Kaden

Answer 1

Pull the bond, drive the rods at the panel

You are correct that you need to have the panel unbonded since the generator already provides the bond. Practically speaking, though, unless you want to leave a bunch of copper laying loose for someone to run off with, you'll be using a #8 Bare Armored Ground (BAG) cable between your panel ground bus and a pair of 8' ground rods 6-8' apart. Note also that if your panel doesn't come with a ground bus, you'll need to fit one (many main breaker panels simply don't provide them fitted from the factory on the assumption they'll be used as a main panel for a building).