Generators

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

I just picked up a 5th wheel camper for multiple reasons, the primary being to take my family on more outings. My questiond is how much juice do I need to power a 32' camper with one A/C unit and are 2 small generators run parallel better than one larger one? Any brands you'd recommend other than ridiculously overpriced hondas?

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[svivian]

You need to know how many btus the air conditioner puts out to get the wattage. That will suck up the most juice.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Just spend the money on two Honda EU2000 generators and a parallel kit and he done. Go enjoy your trailer and your family and the peace of mind you did it right the first time.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

You need to know how many btus the air conditioner puts out to get the wattage. That will suck up the most juice.

13500 I believe

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[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Just spend the money on two Honda EU2000 generators and a parallel kit and he done. Go enjoy your trailer and your family and the peace of mind you did it right the first time.

Maybe down the road but for now I'd like to see how much we use it before dropping $2000+ on generators. Not to mention I don't have that much to invest at the moment.

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[Lostcreekcbar]

3000-3500. Very good cheaper generators for minimal use. Champion,Coleman,generac. Etc. I've had all of them including hondas. I can give you advice on any of them

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Look at the sound output of any unit you consider before buying...that is often the biggest optional benefit you're paying for.

 

[dotman]

If you have a Costco close by checkout the Firman 3200 watt inverter, I have one for my camper and it is great, very quiet and I highly recommend it.

Another option is the harbor freight 3500 watt inverter, it has rave reviews on the RV forums. I know HF but can’t deny that their generators are known for quality, I have one of the 4000 watt std contractor generators that has ran great for many years.

 

[tttoadman]

I bought the honda 3000 9 years ago. It has been flawless and is still whisper quiet. I think a big deal for the noise is the RPM. They seem to run either high or low depending on the type of generator.

I think it takes 2200 to run the big AC units in the RVs. I wish mine could run my well at 220V. If you need something like that, I think they make the harnesses to series a pair of 2000 to get 220V.

The only other one I have experience with is a big coleman that roars like a freight train, but has been getting the job done since 1998.

 

[dotman]

Interesting video HF Predator 3500 generator vs Honda EU2000 - YouTube

 

[Dunndm]

There is a lot of good generators now.. any will work for now but long term Honda is tge best..my dads Honda is 19 years old and still going strong


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[Michiganhunter]

My friend has a generac it is relatively small but very quiet. I don’t know the wattage I’m sorry but it seems like a solid unit.

 

[NJDiverDan]

I run a pair of Yamaha 2000 watt inverters to run the AC in my camper. Couple benefits of having 2 paralleled vs a single bigger unit; one is the weight, mine weight around 45 lbs each and I can easily put them in and out of the truck by myself, and my wife can also move them around. The 3000-3500 watt gennies run 130-150 lbs and are harder to move around. Another benefit is when hunting, I don't need the AC, only want the generator to charger batteries, run the blower for the heat, etc. so I only need to bring one 2000 to power everything else.

Downside is that it is two motors to maintain.

There are several options out there, but the Hondas and the Yamahas are the quietest and most reliable. I like the Yamahas as they have a fuel shut off which allows me to run the carb empty before storage easier than on a Honda.

 

[rayporter]

you need at least 3000 watts and even then running the microwave and a/c at the same time may be too much for it.

when comparing DB [noise] levels don't be fooled by ads. 58 is quiet and over 62 is starting to get loud.

don't forget tank capacity and run time. my 3000 w Honda will run the a/c all night easily. the fuel shut off is right on the front of the unit beside the key on the Honda 3000.

 

[Tod osier]

We have a Yamaha 2400 and it gets a 13k air conditioner going everywhere. At altitude it will not do the micro, but did the ac alone (not that it is needed much at 8k feet). I don’t know if I’d get the two 2000s and link them to do it again. I like what I have. A single 2000 would be nice when ac not needed.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Honda and Yamaha are going to be the best.
I would dispute the notion that Honda's are ridiculously overpriced. They are more expensive, but they are also built better. Whether they fit your needs is another matter entirely.

Esse quam videri

 

[kicker338]

I would go with two 2000 watt. ones over a bigger 3500-4500 watt one, way easer to handle and if you wont be needing to run the ac on some of your camping trips then one 2000 unit will run everything else in the trailer. The exception would be a microwave, for that the 2 smaller units would work. Currently I have a champion 2000 watt one almost as quiet as a Honda and almost as light and just as reliable but less than half the price of the Honda. I have a 23ft camper with ac, no microwave, never need ac where we camp in the mountains. I ditched the microwave that came with the camper as it was too small for most things and the wife wanted more cabinet space.

 

[boom]

I run a pair of Yamaha 2000 watt inverters to run the AC in my camper. Couple benefits of having 2 paralleled vs a single bigger unit; one is the weight, mine weight around 45 lbs each and I can easily put them in and out of the truck by myself, and my wife can also move them around. The 3000-3500 watt gennies run 130-150 lbs and are harder to move around. Another benefit is when hunting, I don't need the AC, only want the generator to charger batteries, run the blower for the heat, etc. so I only need to bring one 2000 to power everything else.

Downside is that it is two motors to maintain.

There are several options out there, but the Hondas and the Yamahas are the quietest and most reliable. I like the Yamahas as they have a fuel shut off which allows me to run the carb empty before storage easier than on a Honda.

this is solid intel.

 

[dotman]

I would go with two 2000 watt. ones over a bigger 3500-4500 watt one, way easer to handle and if you wont be needing to run the ac on some of your camping trips then one 2000 unit will run everything else in the trailer. The exception would be a microwave, for that the 2 smaller units would work. Currently I have a champion 2000 watt one almost as quiet as a Honda and almost as light and just as reliable but less than half the price of the Honda. I have a 23ft camper with ac, no microwave, never need ac where we camp in the mountains. I ditched the microwave that came with the camper as it was too small for most things and the wife wanted more cabinet space.

He probably should point out that being he’s in MO he’ll be running the A/C a lot anywhere they camp close to home.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

He probably should point out that being he’s in MO he’ll be running the A/C a lot anywhere they camp close to home.

This is a valid point and any trips to warmer destinations. I'm not terribly concerned with mountain trips as they'll likely be fair to colder weather with no A/C. I doubt the microwave will get used much, but I don't really know yet. The fridge can run off l.p. and will draw very little power like that.

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