Yarome

IMHO, a near worthless and unnecessary expense unless you are going to use a a deterrent bar or similar. Remember the "only as strong as the weakest link" saying. It takes less than 10 seconds to cut through the plastic handle with a hacksaw. 😉 If you feel it necessary, a light cable and reasonable padlock should be sufficient to deter thefts of opportunity.

Sounds like a solid plan. Couldn't hurt to shoot a little carb cleaner to ensure it's not a sticky needle valve. I doubt it's the AC. Your Generac has over voltage protection so in the event of excessive current demand the genset will keep running... it just stops juice output. That's because running 2-2000watt gensets in parallel limits the output to the continuous output rating (vs. max rating) in order to sync the current between the two sets.

Sounds exactly like an over temp shut off. You "should" have an over temp light on your genset(?) Could be a few things going on there that could lead to an over temp. 1. How long has it been since the oil filter was changed/checked and are you using a viscosity appropriate for the ambient temps (SAE30)? A synthetic, like Royal Purple, might do better dissipating heat. 2. How long since the carb has been cleaned? Even slight varnishing in the ventura or on the needle valve can cause your genset to run a skosh lean and run hotter than normal. Remove the air filter and blow a "good" amount of carb cleaner into the intake. Don't worry if it stalls your gen. Let it sit for a few and restart it. You can repeat that a couple 2 or three times. A few ounces of sea foam every once in a while can help prevent future buildups. 3. The oil temp sensor (mounted on top of the oil filter housing) may need to be replaced. They "do" go bad occassionally, but it's a real simple replacement. IIRC... your's is likely to have a 270 temp sensor. You might consider going to a 284. 4. And of course... air flow. Those suck a lot of air so it's always important that there is adequate ventilation. If your compartment is somewhat enclosed the addition of a small fan might help improve circulation. That being said... Generac's "do" have a bit of a reputation for over heating issues, but nothing that can't be cured.

A fuse/breaker list does not a wiring diagram make. 😉 A wiring diagram shows the actual wiring routes, circuits and breakers/fuses as they lay throughout the rig... not just the power distribution panel.

Unfortunately, in the RV industry, "house" 120vac/12vdc wiring diagrams are extremely few and far between and it's not uncommon that the same year, make and model RV to be wired differently than another off the exact same production line. You're most often left to your own devices tracing circuits. If you have ruled out all circuit breakers and made sure that all GFI outlets are functioning properly then a frequency line tracer might be your best bet. Because an outlet may not be located in the near vicinity of a GFI outlet does not preclude the possibility of it being tied into that circuit. You could "try" contacting Monaco RV to see if they might be able to help you, but I very highly doubt they could since they haven't been in production for... what... 10 years(?)

Exact case in point! 2008's run monthly, parrallel kit and 30hrs on em (barely up for their first oil change)... $1200 was "extremely" fair pricing. 😉

With a little patience some really good deals can be found.. and "slightly used" isn't much of an issue as long as they've been taken care of. I think you'll find that there are a lot on the market for sale where folks bought them but didn't actually use them as much as they thought they might... or puchased them for a stick and bricks emergency backup but turn around and let them go with little to no use when the fear of "crisis" is low and money is tight. 😉 Good hunting!

If you say so.😉 To me, that's kind of like comparing a freight harbor tool socket set and snap-on. Under light use they may "appear" to be the same and may function just fine for the "average Joe" doing light auto repair work on his car in the garage... but hardly suitable in a mechanics shop. One might certainly swear that theirs works just fine (for their purposes) so is absolutely no different than a snap-on except in name and price. That's quite a "leap" in logic, IMHO. There are a number of considerations when choosing a portable genset. -Noise? Of course. Measured not only at "idle/eco mode", but at full throttle.. which is where you'll see the most difference. Not exactly a major consideration because they all fall within just a minor few db's of each other. -Fuel consumption? 30min extra run time on the same amount of fuel and identical loads adds up over time and lowers the amount of fuel weight/cost necessary to sustain you over an extended trip. -Clean/consistent power output (or even hitting actual rated outputs for that matter)? BIG consideration. Devices may function, but you may also be doing damage and shortening their lifespan with "dirty" or fluctuating power input. See Kirks April 30 post for more on that. -Serviceability? How readily available are "day-to-day" routine maintenance parts? Will they still make them for your specific model a year or two from now? Many of the less expensive mfg. are notorious for discontinuing parts support when new model versions are introduced. -Repairability/warranty service? Having an authorized service department within convenient travel of any given geographical location and in-stock OEM parts, vs. relying on "Jimmyjoebob's lawnmower and small engine repair" (No offense to Jimmyjoebob. I'm sure he does great work😉), is important to many. Of course, with Predators, you DO have the option of having service center repairs done... as long as you're willing to package and ship (prepaid w/insurance) your genset to Michigan and wait out the turn-around time without it. If it's "found" that the limited warranty does not cover the repair you'll also be on the hook for the return shipping even if you elect not to have them perform the repair. To me that's akin to holding your genset hostage. You either pay whatever exhorbitant repair bill necessary or take a hit on the shipping charges going and coming, regardless. Considered against the inital cost of the genset... that's a pretty big chunk to add on... if or when. Most important to most: -Reliability/longevity. New "out-of-the-box" isn't where you'll see the most difference. Put a few 1000hrs on em we'll talk again. 😉 That's not at all to say that less expensive portables are not suitable for some. If your budget is limited, you're willing to take on the risks involved and it's capable of providing enough energy to meet your needs on a limited basis... I say grab it and go camping!! That "is", after all, the most important factor trumping all others. Live within your needs and means and go camp! If you're happy with your purchase and your gensets performance... that should be good enough! It's not necessary to denigrate others choices where some of the above factors weighed more heavily on their decision making process than it might for some.

The only issue I have with consumer reports is that much is based on published ratings, consumer reviews and service reports... not on actual head to head testing or component examination. If I own a predator I might be perfectly happy with it and rate it as such. That doesn't necessarily make it a better, or as good, a generator as a Champion, Honda or Yamaha. They are simply that... consumer opinion reports. Likewise with Honda/Yamaha. Hondas are considerably more prevalent and are well deserving of their praise. With the "nuts n bolts" head to head performance reivews though... the Yamaha's come out on top and Predators don't even rank. Not that the margins are of any significance on the Honda vs. Yamaha, or that I'm knocking Honda's ONE bit. My personal view on the Honda vs. Yamaha... each is equal, but with different features that may be more appealing in one application vs. another. One has a fuel pump, one doesn't. One has a fuel shut-off, one doesn't. One has a steel drive shaft, the other has a plastic wheel. One get's 20min more runtime on their fuel tank... the other is quieter under heavy load... etc etc. One brand or model within the brand may not always reflect the entire brand... and... may not always be the case. Redesigns and improvements are always on the boards. It's what drives industry so it's always a good idea to keep an open mind and evaluate apples to apples.

A-I Power genset.... NOT to be confused with a Yamaha inverter generator. They use a Yamaha engine (not the one used in actual Yamaha gensets), but that's as far as the similarities go... no matter how much they want it to look like a Yamaha. 😉

Not in the least. "Apples and oranges". Over time... in the budget to mid class portables they have proven to be more reliable than their counterparts and produces "more" stable/consistent relatively "clean" output from unit to unit... if one choses to go that route.... but saying that they are accepted as comparable to the Honda/Yamaha class just isn't so. In the "less expensive" sets the advertised sustained output ratings are not always what is printed on the package. Ie., a 2000watt unit with a published rating of 1800 (sustained) could actually be outputing 50-150watts below that and will vary unit to unit. One in particular I am aware of, has repeatedly had production units measuring as low as 1625 on their "1800watt sustained" sets. There are no industry standards of testing and ratings for those type of gensets. It's strictly a mfg. to mfg. "on your honor" system. Heck... even if you purchase a "2000watt" genset you don't actually know if that is the peak or surge rating and have no idea how that particular mfg. chose to rate their genset or how long it may be capable of outputing 2000watts under ideal conditions. If it's a surge rating that might only be a momentary "starter" output that lasts 5 seconds before dropping to "peak" or even "sustained" ouput levels. Given that... Champion is one that has been relatively more consistent unit to unit and "more"... "on their honor" regarding their published output ratings. They also have a bit more in the servicing and support departmet. Not "great", but better than a "throw-away" or a "see if your local lawnmower/small engine repair guy can get'r runnin" type. Not that there is anything wrong with that as long as you know what you're getting yourself into. That's one of the attractions of the Yamaha/Honda class gensets. The ratings are honest, consistent and maintain frequency and waveform over the range of output (a.k.a. easy on the electronics). They also publish exactly what those ratings are and how long that level of output is sustainable instead of "burying" little details like that from the public. Repair and support is practically world-wide. One thing that makes me chuckle is the mfg's that advertise they use Honda engines in their gensets. All fine and dandy but it's the govenor, regulator and algorithims that are the guts of a genset... not just the mechanicals themselves making the wheels turn. That being said. If you only ever really use up to 800watts at any given time... who would know? Not many do and not many would care as long as it does what they need it to do without much fuss. Wear on your electronics... that's another thread. 😉 The morale of the story: Don't try and make a product more than it is because of how it is represented or how you wish it to be. Ie., "I bought a genset for 1/3rd the price of a Honda and it's "every" bit as good." [If I only had a dollar.... 😆😆] It is what it is. You pay your money and you spin the wheel. If it does what you need it to do in a price range you are willing to pay... be happy! Go campin!! 😉 Not everyone with a genset uses it to full capacity or as a necessary piece of equipment. The only caveat I will throw in there... if you are purchasing an inverter portable as an emergency backup, personally, I would reconsider.

Yamaha's have been rated best in class for multiple years running. Honda's are the most popular and right on par. Honda has the advantage of the number of service centers within a given mile radius and "off the shelf" regular maintainence parts across the nation at most big box HP stores. Yamaha's are no slouch in that department, but Honda clearly has the advantage. Honda or Yamaha... you'll never go wrong and will outlast the budget brands many times over... so if your usage is long term, you'll likely save money by buying "up" from the get-go. That being said. If you only go out the occasional long weekend and it's not going to ruin your trip if your genny gives you fits... IOW, a "nice to have" vs. a necessity or emergcency backup... there is certainly nothing wrong with keeping a little extra padding in your wallet. Just like FH.. sometimes all you really need is that "one-off" odd ball socket you may never use again. Why pay beyond your need? I would still "very" much steer clear of the predators though. You'll get better bang for your buck with a champion or similar class. TXiceman put it best in the mid and budget classes. "you pay your money and you take your chances." They may last for years and suit your needs if your energy demands are modest... or... it might go belly up on use 2. Usage may also be a consideration. If you're only looking to charge your batteries and run a few lights the demands on your genny will be "modest". If you're looking to run your aircon and other such heavy or extended loads then you might be better served moving up in class.

Apology letter? Personally, I don't buy it for a hot second. Someone truly remorseful would be able to craft his/her own letter of apology rather than turning to a PR firm to create a domain, draft an apology and then respond to commentors on his behalf. He must not have paid them much though. No "replies" since Friday so I guess he didn't want to spring for their firms weekend rates. It appears to be coming out that this may not be the first incident of defacing historical landmarks. If that's true... he certainly didn't feel badly enough about it to fess up and apologize prior to being caught. $10,000 fine or 150hr's community service? That works out to $67/hr. $10/hr (at most) would be more in line. Ergo, 1000hrs community service for him. 500hrs for his accomplice (the wife) and encourage them both to include their children (within reason and not to exceed "x"hrs)... discounting their service hours by any hours of service provided by their children. Or so it "stings" on all "fronts"... a $5000 fine and, respectively, 500/250hrs community service on public lands. Make no mistake... by any definition of the law, she was an accomplice during the commission of a crime and bears some responsibility as well. I don't think banning the couple from public lands for life is appropriate. Not only is is fairly unenforceable, it's the kids that would suffer the most if they are denied the opportunity to experience and learn to appreciate nature. They shouldn't be penalized for the sins of their parents. If it's proven true, the license plate thing just stinks to high h***. No honest person just happens to have a spare set of plates to obstruct identification. That, combined with the possibility that his children knew about them and knew how to follow their fathers instructions just smacks of a multiple offender of one type or another. He most absolutely knew better which makes it all the more offensive, to me, that "one of our own" would defame a natural landmark. As far as the company and employees... I feel for em. If I were one, I would be heading out the door, however, I see "no" distinction between a business owner making a poor business OR personal choice that detrimentally affects the viability of a company. It sucks, but it happens every day. The employees didn't commit the crime... true, but they also have no say in company policies or directives that could shut the doors just as summarily. It "is" unfortunate for them, but that doesn't change my resolve to immediately inform all of my property and ranch managers to remove any Andersen equipment from any/all of our rigs, will never purchase from them again and will encourage others to do the same. They've "crapped on my lawn" and I take that quite personally. There! Now I can "let it go" and enjoy the rest of my day.

It's easy to get a bad cuppa from a french press. If done correctly though it's darn near impossible to beat when you have complete control over the grounds, water temp, steeping time and press pressure. Poor grounds being probably the biggest "fault" and can lead to "muddy" bitter coffee and the hated "floaties". IMHO, folks that say they don't like french press or that gassers work just as well as diesels.... they just don't know any better. But once you've had one bad cup it's understandable you really don't want a second. An old thread, and I don't know which grinder was in the video, but there are some links to the one I use and am quite fond of there.

Fantastic little units for those that like the convenience of drip... and the no muss no fuss cleanup. I've never heard of anyone that uses those that's been the least bit displeased. My only issue with them would be.... ya canna put'em over the fire.... but ONCE.

Exactly! I have my biggin, but also a single insulated mug press/travel mug. A nice pot of cowboy coffee is always a nice change-up, but it's really hard to beat freshly ground beans and a french press. The hand grinder I use does a fantastic job and not a drop of electricity used. Side note: I didn't watch the video, but I assume it was probably something along those lines. As a side bar... AGAIN... I, personally, don't appreciate folks using the forum to help drive traffic to their youtube channels or other off-site content. A "for additional information" link is fine, but share the base information you would like to present here, or not at all, IMHO. A reasonably sized photo in a signature is also fine, but please remember that some folks are on metered or expensive satellite bandwidth. Rant over.

Although there are a number of factors at play, the main reason it is recommended to not discharge "any" deep cycle (wet cell) battery below 50% is because that is the average SOC that most deep cells will be capable of maintaining maximum expected life. Beyond that, most batteries will start to have an increasing rate of loss. Not all batteries are created equal though. Some will only maintain optimal life capacity above 60% SOC. However, it's easier to use a general "rule of thumb" and the additional rate of decrease is still "marginal" considering that, in the course of using the 50% "rule", folks don't typically drop to 50%SOC. They are more likely to begin a charge cycle (or have their charger thresholds set) at 50+ (ie., 55 or 60). That gray "marginal" range is less frequently visited and helps mitigate unnecessary losses. What we see is, for example, a 3000lc battery dropping to 1500lc's (50%) @ 50%DOD. If we drop that down to 25%SOC (75%DOD) we wouldn't see 750lc's, but likely only 680 or less. The higher the DOD the faster the lifecycles decline. More importantly... the total AH capacity will also decline at an accelerated rate so it's really a double edged sword. Of course you can discharge them down to 20% (80%DOD). Just realize that your battery banks working AH capacity and lifecycles will decrease at a much faster rate than staying above 50%. Talking Crown's CR260 specifically... specs show 3000@20%DOD, 1500@40%DOD (50% of max), 1200@50%DOD (40% of max). Ideally, what you would want to see in a true deep cycle would be 50% of max rated lifecycles @ 50%DOD/SOC. That doesn't make them a bad battery, but it might be something to keep in the back of your mind and lean more toward staying in the 40%DOD range for optimal life... and in practical terms... adjust your charger thresholds accordingly.

They'll last quite a while longer than that. As long as your needs are being met and keeps you rolling within your budget... they're the "perfect" battery!

X3! The only word that came to mind for me was, "textbook"! That's the way it's supposed to work. The payoff for having that type of freedom and independence? Priceless!

In an RV application I think the biggest drawback with flexibles is the durability factor. They are quite easily scratched. Road grit can deteriorate the surfaces rather quickly, you can forget about even a light tree branch scrape or fine hail and even washings can produce fine line scratches in the surface material that will affect production. The other major factor is heat build-up. As panel temperatures increase production decreases. Having a flexible mounted directly onto a white roof... you can imagine... heat convection itself will be greater and heat dissipation only has one route away from the panel. With a rigid raised an inch and 1/2 or so you reduce heat convection from the roof itself and allow for air passage and heat dissipation from all sides of the panel. It may or may not be an issue, but something that should be considered is shading. Shading might be more of an issue with flexibles. Ie., a rigid raised 1-1/2" above the roof will receive less shading from other roof mounted appliances/fixtures than a panel of the same size, occupying the exact same position, but sitting 1-1/2" lower. Not that fexibles don't a have a place. Some RV's may have "extremely" slim cargo capacities. Flexible panels weigh dramatically less than rigids and can be a viable choice. Curved top RV's might also benefit. Flexibles can be curved to around... IIRC... about 30 degrees so what may be an exceptionally challenging and awkward install with rigids might be greatly simplified by using flexibles... and likely give you a greater number of watts to boot. Personally, for RV use I see the greatest useability of flexibles as portable stand alone arrays. They are lightweight, easy to store, easy to manipulate, can be "strung" with cordage between any two points and at any angle you desire. That also leaves you the option to only put them out when weather permits.

How clever! Probably not framed the best, but it was a legitimate question. You've stated in other threads that you've said "this/that/or the other" just to get a reaction out of people. Just reading a screen it's difficult to tell if some of the gross misinformation you state, the criticisms and name calling ("gomers) is actually out of truly being misinformed or simply your "tongue-in-cheek" way of illiciting reactions from folks. At any rate... it's not a prerequisite of forum membership to believe anything anyone has to say... although... you may learn a thing or two from others experiences and expertise. Something to consider, but no skin off my nose one way or the other and won't comment further unless it pertains to the discussion or the OP.

I wouldn't even know where to begin to reply to that. Do you truly believe that or are you just making stuff up to incite controversy? Like telling everyone you're a commie? There's really nothing new about LiFePO's (Lithium-iron). It's actually about half a decades old tech (if you note the tradmark date of 2015... that particular article hasn't been updated for years) and lithium chemistries have expanded and multiplied greatly since then. We are still in a condensed version of "betamax vs. VHS with DVD's being tested and blu-ray just on the horizon" phase, IMHO. Lithiums are viable in an RV, but yet to have a true "pack leader" chemistry that is truly stable, can provide the lifecycles promised in real world application and affordable in the mainstream. Just as combustion engines will remain a mainstream modal over electric cars for the forseeable future... wet cells, in it's various forms, will persist as a highly cost effective and proven tech in RV applications... fully capable of supporting even the largest of solar arrays.

Not at all. I get no joy from someones discomfiture when they are just trying to be helpful.

You're aware, of course, that the one linked has a minimum order of 24 panels and won't ship until late 2018, correct? Otherwise... not a bad panel with LG's NeON2 tech and just a shade over 19% efficiency.

All good points raised thus far. A couple additional to consider: 1. Localized weight. A single large panel requires more structural support and will, therefore, generally weight more than the combined weight of 4-100 watt panels. Not necessarily a major consideration, but something to be aware of... If you are using heavier mounts and larger screws as a result then in the "unlikely" event that your panel get's snagged by a branch... subsequent damage to the roof itself may increase. Idealy, I would like to see a lightweight panel shred and leave the mounts intact. 2. Heat. A large single will generate more internal heat than 4-singles. As temps increase, production decreases. 3. Maintanance. Dismounting a large heavy panel for under roof maintanence is more difficult and increases the likelihood of damage to the roof or other components. A bit on shading. It's not difficult these days to find single larger panels with internal cell "cluster" bypass diodes (which I would consider just about necessary in a single panel array like that). Especially in higher voltage panels. Much like a single shaded panel out of a 4 panel array will be by-passed to prevent a massive drop in the array's combined output, a larger panel may have interal "zones" so equipped so as not to affect the output of the entire panel. So, basically the same 'nanimal. Touching on your question as to "why?". Trying to keep it simple... a shaded cell doesn't just sit there idly by and simply not contribute to output. If it's not "pushing" it's "pulling"... basically becoming a heat sink within the cell cluster/panel capable of "absorbing" massive amounts of current from the surrounding "cells". Typically, a shaded cell is compared to a weak battery in a string. For all intents and purposes that's generally an apt example everyone can relate to, however, a batteries capacity is "fixed". A shaded solar wafers ability to "absorb" energy is dynamic and unlimited. To think of it in another way... if you have a water pipe with passive pressurized water moving through... say... like rain water moving through a pipe. Call it "energy production". A shaded cell would not just "not" contribute to raise the water flow/pressure... or be similar to a leak in your pipe... but the equivelant of an active back flow pressure. With "passive" water pressure it doesn't take much of any backflow pressure at all to stem the overall flow by a highly significant degree. That's why I'm often heard to say that all panels are not created equal. Wafers are not just "poly" or "mono". They will have different conductivity characteristics, resistivity, O2 and carbon concentrations, thichnesses, and on that affect not just their ability to produce energy, but how they will react within a cluster. It's not really talked about much, but how well a panel deals with shading can have long term affects. I think everyone is well aware that heat is the enemy of any electronics. A wafer is no different. I digress. All the above is just academic and in no way meant to discourage you from your current plan of attack. None of us know your particular situation, roof-top real estate layout or what your future plans may be for solar. Just points to ponder and likely TMI as is.