generator needed but what size and kind

If you can get along without AC just one 2000W genny will do as long as you are concious of power management. Not likely it will run the waterheater & microwave together. Leave the waterheater on propane & turn on as needed.

Most of us seem to get by with the one genny.

Rather than buying a second genny so that the AC can be run money might be better spent upgrading the battery bank & installing at least a 1000W inverter to run the little loads like phone chargers, TV, sound system in silence.

Splashers3 wrote:
I strongly suggest a pair of Yamahas....CW is always pushing red over blue. Blue has a few features that red doesn't....last time I checked. Do some homework. Yes, I have a Yamaha and love it.

True, the Yamaha EF2000iS has a fuel shut off separate from the main ignition switch so the genset can more readily be run dry than the Honda EU2000i and also has a fuel gauge which the Honda doesn't. However what it does not have is a fuel pump which the Honda does have and which makes running from a large capacity auxiliary fuel tank far easier to implement than with the gravity feed Yamaha. The Yamaha also has a 20% smaller engine than does the Honda and as a direct result doesn't have anywhere near the same capability to maintain a surge demand beyond it's rated 1600 watts for any length of time as does the Honda which will sustain a full 2000 watt surge load for as much as 1/2 hour. And if this is not enough to consider here's another important issue ......

IMO every RV owner would be wise to invest in some sort of surge / EMS protection device to reduce chances of expensive damage to their rig's electrical system when plugged into shore power, the two most common brands being TRC (Technology Research) and Progressive Industries. However, anyone using a surge / EMS device should be aware that if they choose a Progressive Industries EMS (the product seemingly recommended by far here on the forums) the EMS should be removed either physically or electrically when running on genset, for two reasons. First, both the Yamaha EF2000iS and Honda EU2000i have floating neutral outputs which if not first Ground / Neutral bonded will be interpreted by the EMS unit as an "open ground" error, in which case it will refuse to pass power on to the trailer. Ground / Neutral bonding the output of either generator is easy and will solve this problem nicely BUT there's still a second issue to consider. Progressive Industries has posted a warning on their website against using a Yamaha EF2000iS with any of their EMS units ... do so and you can destroy the EMS and will definitely void the warranty. So ... if your choice is a Yamaha EF2000iS over a Honda EU2000i you'd absolutely want to ensure the EMS is removed from the system either physically or electrically when running on this genset. Progressive has no restriction on using the Honda EU2000i with any of their products and in fact I've done it myself for years with two different trailers and two different EU2000i gensets, no issues at all with either my previous TRC #34370 or current Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C surge protectors.

Finally, the OP hasn't said but I would have thought a 5th this size would be wired for 50 amp main service, more likely a 15,000 BTU A/C rather than just 13,500 BTU, and perhaps even have two A/C units rather than just one. If the intention is to run on genset one would want to define just exactly what is required of these gensets before committing to any one particular model.

The devil is in the details ... ignore them and you could be making a costly mistake. ;)

I'm thinking about getting this one. Powerhorse. I can buy 2 for the price of 1 Honda.

I suppose you could go yellow with the gennies for half the cost? :h

Two "blues" or two "reds" hooked in parallel will run your unit for sure. We bought a EU 3000 I Handi which does a good job of powering up most of our unit, I say most because we have two AC units and I don't try to run both of them at once. We love it because it gives us the option to use any where we want, any how we want like in an emergency at home during a power failure. The draw back to this is the weight, I still have the physical ability to handle this generator myself but I can see a day where I may have my hands full lifting it into my truck bed. Just food for thought.

Dan

I have the 13,500 A/C on my trailers. My 2KW Honda will not run them. I got one to start one time by running the fan first then kicking in the compressor but when it cycled the first time it kicked out the generator...

I think you need two 2KW generator running in parallel. Two hondas sitting in the tailgate corners of your truck does great. Does not get into the way of the fifth wheel hitch setup...

I can carry my portable 5K window unit and the 2KW generator runs that just fine when camping on the beach or off-road. Have set this up in one of the doors on a three room tent setup sitting on a wood pallet on the ground. Worked great haha...

Roy Ken

What could possibly go wrong: new RV, from camping world, salesman said to do this!!

If you're going the route of 2 generators using the parallel wiring kit....I strongly suggest a pair of Yamahas....CW is always pushing red over blue. Blue has a few features that red doesn't....last time I checked. Do some homework. Yes, I have a Yamaha and love it.

Good Luck.

I have never had any trouble powering anything, including a/c, with my 2.2 kw unit. Do I try to use the toaster, a/c, and microwave at the same time I'm charging low batteries. No.
Noise is a large issue for me, and quiet costs significant $s in a generator. 2 generators is just double the noise and double the cost for an occasional upgrade in function IMHO, your mileage may vary on that.
If you have 2 a/cs then the story changes in favor of needing 2 generators or a larger builtin one.

To run everything at once, you will need a good 5000 (or more) watt generator. Otherwise,like mentioned before, turn the a/c on and off when using other "high-draw" items like the microwave.

g'luck!