Do I need an RV specific generator?

Guysakar wrote:

westend wrote:
If I was planning on cooling a 10-16 ft. WELL insulated box van, I'd use an AC with the lowest power draw, a 5K or 6K unit. I have an 8K unit in a tent trailer and it will freeze you out in the summer in the Midwest. I ran it at night for comfortable sleeping and would turn it off during the wee hours. With a lower power draw, you'd be entering the realm of solar power use for that and the money not spent on a generator could be spent on solar, inverter, and batteries.

You think I could get away with solar on a 5K BTU and get away with a 5K BTU in a 16 ft box van? I'm definitely going to insulate (going to try and find something not too thick as I'm working with limited room as it is; if anyone has any ideas).

Solar sounds really nice, but when available, I'm going to be parking in heavily wooded areas.

The only other thing I'm really going to be running is possibly a propane fridge, but I'm not even 100% sure on that. I'll have a laptop, phone, etc... but I'm not concerned about those at all. I have to go into town 4 times a week or so to access high speed wifi for work anyway, so I'll charge up then.



What I'm not liking is...I was assuming that for every hour of AC I would only need to run the generator for about 30-45 minutes, but it is looking like it is common place to just leave the gen running the entire time.

I wonder how bad that would be, if I had a remote start, to turn the gen on and off a couple/few times an hour.



The Honda 2k says it uses about 1/4 gallon an hour under half load. So if the AC is off and gen is running, I wonder if that is still going to be about 1/4 gallon an hour?

Edit. OK, it says that it (Honda 2k) runs 4 - 9.6 hours in a single tank, so I assume that when the AC is running, 1/4 gallon per hour or so, and when AC kicks off, 1/8 per gallon or so. So if AC runs for 30 minutes an hour, that would be 1/5-1/6 a gallon an hour.

Yeah, most RV users that have generators and use AC, run them non-stop.

The van body or straight truck build is something that interests me, mostly from the chassis' available. If I was proceeding and had a healthy budget, I'd be aiming for one of the newer Sprinter type chassis' because of the potential fuel savings. Using my past mantra's (cheap), choice might revolve around 1 ton chassis. FWIW, they recycle ambulances at low mileage points and they have a kick-a** alternator with, usually, battery isolators and a heavy duty electrical scheme.

About the insulation: I would use 2" foam board, sealing over and offering thermal break from any of the steel box. With 2' board, as opposed to 1", you are only giving up an inch on each side and the comfort/economy involved is worth the space.

I have that 8K AC mounted on the forward wall of the popup, directly over the tongue. It is in the path of road debris and needs to be cleaned every few years. I'd put a screen over the vent openings if I was going to do a lot of off-road travel.

Just one caveat about truck conversions: If you are buying all the appliances, fixtures, and rest new, allow for a hefty budget. It is surprising how much $$$ one can throw at the mechanical systems to get everything right.

Honda or Yamaha generators lead the pack for RV use, with Champion coming in a close third. It is about decibel level and economy of use.

FWIW, I installed solar, batteries, and an inverter to keep the 120v dorm fridge powered when boondocking. If using solar for AC, there will be considerable expense and installation but no generator noise. If you always park in the shade, a generator is probably a good choice. You may want to check RV salvage vendors for an RV, roof mounted AC.