rjxj wrote:
You will develop your own "Energy Management" plan and having any noisy generator is going to be a real pita. We have all gone before you.
Boy, I couldn't agree more. :B
To the OP ...
I've owned two Honda EU2000i gensets and yes, with either I
can successfully start and run a 13,500 BTU A/C of any brand with this genset BUT there are caveats. Doing so at sea level is one thing, try it a much higher elevation where the air is thinner and all bets are off, especially if you don't re-jet for elevation. Doing so when the ambient temperature is 75F is easy but once ambient temps start rising much above the mid 80s (ironically when you'd most want A/C) compressor head pressure rises substantially and the chances of successfully starting it diminish rapidly. Adding a hard start capacitor such as a Supco SPP6 helps but it's still no guarantee of success ... so too is running synth oil such as Mobil 1 in the crankcase - really helps but still won't guarantee that when ambient temps are in the 90s or 100s that even a EU2000i (which BTW has a far superior surge capability than any other similarly sized genset in it's class) can't be relied upon to start an 13.5K BTU A/C. Bottom line - if you want to
guarantee success in starting and running any 13.5K BTU A/C reliably under all temperature conditions you need more generator grunt, at least a 3K unit or better still dual 2K units that can be paralleled.
Since budget is a concern and you do seem willing to concede that life can actually go on without A/C I might suggest you invest in a single, "budget conscience" Champion 2K inverter genset, then later if you do find that A/C really is a necessity for the type of camping you do you can always invest in a second Champ that can be paralleled to the first, thereby forcing the need to direct the expense involved in achieving your goals.
As to noise I couldn't agree more with
rjxj - even so-called "quiet" inverter gensets like the Honda and Yamaha 2K units still make a racket, especially when running full tilt when under load from an A/C unit. Believe it, you WILL tire of the noise, as will your camping neighbours ... to that end I even put together
Generator Quiet Box to further dampen the racket. A Champion 2K inverter genset will be similarly noisy but anything else and you can bet the noise will drive you and everyone else around you crazy, ultimately proving to be a lousy investment for use in a camping environment.
