Genny Size

[morefuntimes]

We are buying our first travel trailer on Thursday and I want to buy a genny (generator) for boondocking and such. The A/C is a 13,500BTU. What size genny can I get away with and what size genny do you all recommend? Thanks.

[Yarome]

Welcome.

A few factors come in to play (ie., aircon brand, runtime duration, ambient temps and generator choice) but absolute minimum would be a 2000watt... and may require some light modifications to your aircon. A 3000watt would be the safer bet.

For serious boondocking, many pack dual (2) 2000watt portables that can be run in parallel. Using a single on a more regular basis to recharge batteries and running 2 in parallel for AC on occasion. A single higher wattage genset might be better suited if your AC will be running often or for long periods of time.

An additional advantage to a dual setup is that you always have a backup to recharge your battery bank in the event of a failure and it is easier to handle 2 40lb gensets than it is a single 90+ pounder.

[Kirk W]

1 hour ago, Yarome said:

For serious boondocking, many pack dual (2) 2000watt portables that can be run in parallel. Using a single on a more regular basis to recharge batteries and running 2 in parallel for AC on occasion. A single higher wattage genset might be better suited if your AC will be running often or for long periods of time.

Most folks don't use the air conditioner when dry camped, or seldom do. A single, larger generator that can handle all loads including the air conditioner will be very large and heavy so a pair would be much easier to move about and store. Also, most RV owners use one of the inverter-generator sets as they are far quieter and the voltage regulation is much better than the less costly but noisy ones at stores like Home Depot and Lowe's.  

[oldjohnt]

 When it gets HOT like up in the nineties I see a bunch of dry campers (I dry camp a lot all over the US) pulling out their Generators big time trying to run an AC to keep cool, some successful, some NOT.

  I agree with Yarome, a 2000 Watt is the LEAST I would consider. If done right "some" of them can run "some" AC units while many simply can NOT, while most (but bigger n heavier) 3000 watt gensets have no problem . You Tube is full of tests with dudes trying to run an AC using different brands and sizes of gensets. The addition of an electrical device called a "Soft Start" or "Hard Start Capacitor" greatly increases the chance of starting an AC when using a marginally sized Genset.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=RV+ac+soft+start&src=IE-SearchBox&FORM=IESR3A&pc=EUPP_UE04

 Honda came out with a 2200 Watt which is just enough bigger then their old 2000 to possibly make a difference. If I was going to buy one in that size range I would definitely buy an Inverter Generator and likely the slightly bigger 2200 watt. They are just so much lighter n smaller then a 3000, and if it doesn't start the AC, addition of a Soft Start might just get the job done.

 If you care about noise levels and neighbors Id definitely buy a quality QUIET Inverter Generator like say Honda or Yamaha or the many others but NOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT a screaming loud loud loud vibrating Harbor Freight or Big Box Store cheap unit grrrrrrrrrrrr.

 A 2200 Watt, Inverter Generator would be my choice (lighter and more portable) and if it doesn't do the job add a Soft Start.

Its your money, your RV, and YOUR choice.

John T

[morefuntimes]

So I was thinking one genny, around 3k-4k rather than two. I'm going to keep it in the bed so I don't mind the weight. Any suggestion on brand? I'm not going to get a Yamaha or a Honda because I'm only going to use it nine to ten times a year. I'd like to spend less than $500 if possible. Thanks for the advice!

[GlennWest]

Boiley. It is quiet. Cheaper. In your price range bout as good as I can recommend

[Yarome]

Have to agree with John. Being a boondocker doesn't make us immune to heat and I'll turn my AC over from time to time, as do many. Kirk's correct though that's it's generally not often and not for any length of time. For me, more in the neighborhood of an hour or so later in the day to knock back the heat of the day and make supper prep a little more pleasant. Then again, I don't spend much time indoors and am what some might call a "goldilocks" boondocker... relocating to latitudes and elevations to stay within my general comfort zone.

A 3k-4k watt in the $500 range... more than likely you'll be looking at something like a Champion open framed genset.

A couple of things to be aware of:

Running a genset in a pickup bed may act as a sound amplifier for generator noise.

Some locations may restrict generator use or limited usage to specific hours of the day.

Running a genset non-stop, very early in the morning or later into the evening in locations where it may "appear" you are the only living soul for miles may not actually be the case... and won't make you many friends. 😉

[Yarome]

6 minutes ago, GlennWest said:

Boiley. It is quiet. Cheaper. In your price range bout as good as I can recommend

A Boliy 3k+ watt in the $500 range?? All the ones I've seen are about double that.

[GlennWest]

Yes, but probably the only quiet, decent one close to his price. Really only thing for his price is loud construction type units. 

[Yarome]

7 minutes ago, GlennWest said:

Really only thing for his price is loud construction type units. 

Quite true. Even bumping up the budget into the $850 range would get a guy into a quiet(er) enclosed inverter type... again... a Champion. A $350 jump from a $500 budget though might be too much to bite off.

[Lance A Lott]

I went with two Champion 2000 watts each and combined them two 4000. I found it did not work that way. Sometimes they would run the ac and sometimes not. I had done the construction type and they are too loud and use way too much gas. My parents have a Honda 2000 and it will run the ac one out of five times but it runs full throttle. My fifth generator was a Yamaha. It about 6000 watts and will run both the generator and the microwave, it's quite and very efficient. It cost less than all my fooling around, and I only have one to maintain. Yamaha makes a 3000 watt one that uses power from the battery to help start heavy loads, my neighbor has one and loves it. Once you have one that is quite you will use it a lot more than you thought you wood.

[Yarome]

11 minutes ago, Lance A Lott said:

I went with two Champion 2000 watts each and combined them two 4000. I found it did not work that way. 

You may not always get the full rated output (continuous or peak) with some of the budget oriented gensets. Running 2 in parallel will automatically limit individual output to their continuous rating so trying to run a 15k BTU AC might be hit and miss. Especially if you have other loads running... like forgetting to turn of the converter and having it run a charge cycle at the same time.... or forgetting to turn off the AC side of the water heater.

In the OP's case we are talking about a 13.5k unit though. Pretty much any 2000watt duals in parallel would handle a 13.5k without much issue. Again... providing you're not running any other significant loads at the same time.

[oldjohnt]

11 hours ago, morefuntimes said:

So I was thinking one genny, around 3k-4k rather than two. I'm going to keep it in the bed so I don't mind the weight. Any suggestion on brand? I'm not going to get a Yamaha or a Honda because I'm only going to use it nine to ten times a year. I'd like to spend less than $500 if possible. Thanks for the advice!

 Funtimes, you started a good discussion:

  I see a bunch of 3 KW Gensets kept in the pickup bed. That's a good choice/method for trailer hitch or fifth wheelers and "most" 3 KW units will power your rooftop AC   PLUS    you don't have the hassle and expense of packing TWO smaller gensets and having to run BOTH and connect them in parallel. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO which one for the lowest price ????  For my own use and if noise is a concern and if you don't want to be the hated RVer in the dry camp area 1) LOOK AT NOISE LEVELS when making your decision 2) Look at service and parts and reliability and consider some Big Box or Harbor Freight units might be tough to get serviced or find parts for.

Click here for some reviews:  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rv+generators+for+travel+trailers

As far as noise levels, if you go with a louder genset there are methods to reduced noise. 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=generator+noise+reduction

 As the old saying goes "you get what you pay for" but in my many years of camping all over the US and talking and visiting with Genset owners, those with the better quality quieter units were more likely to be "happy campers"

 However, I'm like many who choose to save bucks when I can and if I were to go with a "louder" unit I would definitely spend a few more bucks on noise reduction. There are a bunch of dry campers out there (seen them all over the US) who use Gensets, and yes even more and more to power their AC. I'm like Yarome, if its too hot I just go to a higher elevation and/or  head North, but many short timers don't have that option so its Genset City lol.

 Do your homework then make an informed decision that suits YOU

John T  Still Full Timing and Homeless but am buying a home I need to get in shape before heading out again yayyyyyy    

 

[k4rs]

Over the years we have had several Hondas.  An EU2000, 3000, and currently a 1000.  They have all served us well.  We found that the 2000 would not quite power everything in the rig, so we moved up to the 3000.  We really liked the 3000 but it was too heavy (which may not be an issue for you).  We realized that we rarely boondock where we need AC so we decided to downsize back to a 2000, but found a great deal on the 1000 instead. 

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, we found we really did need a generator that would run everything in the RV so we began looking again.  We ended up with a Champion 4000 watt model 100302.  It is slightly louder than the Honda, but much lighter.  It was also much less expensive.  It still has the advantages of being an inverter model with pure sine wave power and great fuel economy .  It has excellent reviews and if we ever need service that is widely available too.

https://www.amazon.com/Champion-4000-Watt-Digital-Inverter-Technology/dp/B01M3R711N/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1529237351&sr=8-2&keywords=champion+hybrid+generator&dpID=51EKSpfRvPL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Safe Travels...

[dennisvr]

Choices, Choices, and more Choices.
One thing I would strongly advise, as others did is go with the invertor generator.  You and especially your neighbors will appreciate it.
When I was shopping for one I narrowed it down to these choices,
Honda or Yamaha 3000                       Around $2000
Champion 3000 with remote start     Around $1200
Predator 3000                                       Around $650
As being cheap "I mean thrifty" I went with the Predator and heres why.
I have a 5500 Onan built in the 5th wheel, but hate to run it for hrs just to charge batteries, but wanted at least a 3000 to run other appliances when needed.
We sold our house last Aug. and bought a piece of property to build another.  WE would be without Elec. power for 6 months.  So I thought I would give the Predator a shot.
I have put over 500 hrs on it and to my delight it runs our 15,000 BTU AC.  I have used a Honda 3000 and if they were side by side I think the Honda would be quitter, but not by much.  
So to finish this up, I will say I'm glad I bought the Predator and now that I have power on the property I can put it away for the next time I need it.

[Lafitte]

Something to think on. I have owned a contractor generator , since Hurricane Ike in 2008. It performed well , used for 6 months while rebuilding home and living in a 27' Aljo TT. However it was loud ! 

Fast forward to 2017 , had purchased another home , retired , retired from full-timing for 2 years . Power goes out regularly ( now living in East Texas) . Still had old faithful 5000 watt contractor generator. Strung extension cords for power outages , etc.Worked fine , but LOUD.

Then , I purchased this

https://photos.smugmug.com/2017-18-new-pics/i-CRGhN53/0/c7a25cb6/S/product_2325_500-S.jpg

Yamaha 6300 isd inverter generator. 6300 watts and QUIET. Used dry camping in our new Jayco 28.5 RSTS 5er . Runs BOTH 15K BTU AC's and everything else in 5er. Did I mention it is QUIET. I have a LWB truck and it rides in front of hitch.

Use it to power house as a standby via a Generlink hookup. Now no more extension cords and it powers all 110 volt in house. No more extension cords.

Long story short : Get biggest you can afford. 

No regrets , it was expensive , but you get what you pay for.

 

 

[GlennWest]

What that weigh

[Sehc]

200 pounds.

I have a 2000i Westinghouse. It is very quiet. But, it is a steady drone when running. If you wanted quiet time, it would annoy you for hours.

[morefuntimes]

Thanks for the information all! I really appreciate it!

Where I plan on using a generator is going to be out in the boondocks, not around folks. I'm looking at a Champion 4375. It is going to be louder, I know, but does anyone have any experience with Champion products?

Thanks!

[Kirk W]

37 minutes ago, morefuntimes said:

Where I plan on using a generator is going to be out in the boondocks, not around folks.

You and anyone traveling with you will have to tolerate the noise and you may be surprised how difficult it is to get truly alone with an RV.

[Al F]

17 hours ago, morefuntimes said:

Thanks for the information all! I really appreciate it!

Where I plan on using a generator is going to be out in the boondocks, not around folks. I'm looking at a Champion 4375. It is going to be louder, I know, but does anyone have any experience with Champion products?

Thanks!

Please stay at least 1/4 mile away (half mile much better) from your nearest neighbor when you are in the "boondocks" with that loud generator!  Any closer and you will have some very unhappy neighbors, unless they are also using one of those loud generators. 

Nothing makes a boondocker madder than to have someone drive up and park 100-200 yards away and then crank up a noisy generator. 

[GlennWest]

Yes, please let us know where you camp at so we will not go there. Nothing personal, we just don't want that noise.

[morefuntimes]

Will do guys!

 

[k4rs]

I just used my Champion generator for field day.  It had been stored with non-ethanol gas with stabil added and the carb bowl drained (as described in the long term storage section of the manual).  Even though it had not been run in a year, it started on the first pull and ran perfectly all day long.  Add me to the list of satisfied Champion owners.

Safe Travels...

 

[offroad]

On 6/17/2018 at 8:27 AM, k4rs said:

Over the years we have had several Hondas.  An EU2000, 3000, and currently a 1000.  They have all served us well.  We found that the 2000 would not quite power everything in the rig, so we moved up to the 3000.  We really liked the 3000 but it was too heavy (which may not be an issue for you).  We realized that we rarely boondock where we need AC so we decided to downsize back to a 2000, but found a great deal on the 1000 instead. 

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, we found we really did need a generator that would run everything in the RV so we began looking again.  We ended up with a Champion 4000 watt model 100302.  It is slightly louder than the Honda, but much lighter.  It was also much less expensive.  It still has the advantages of being an inverter model with pure sine wave power and great fuel economy .  It has excellent reviews and if we ever need service that is widely available too.

https://www.amazon.com/Champion-4000-Watt-Digital-Inverter-Technology/dp/B01M3R711N/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1529237351&sr=8-2&keywords=champion+hybrid+generator&dpID=51EKSpfRvPL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Safe Travels...

Like the champion mentioned, at 80 pounds its not too heavy.  But am trying to find one that will run on Propane tank.  The kit to convert that is $200 more than the $600 price for the generator.  Most of the 4000W generators weigh 100 pounds. 

Still looking for the holy grail of a generator solution that has propane, and can run a 13500 BTU single HVAC unit (assuming HVAC may have a booster capacitor circuit).