3000w Inverter generator/AC at altitude

KendallP wrote:

JiminDenver wrote:
I've decided to go with the guaranteed results of a new Champion 3500/4000. Even if a 3100i could do it, I think it will be pushed to the limits causing me to worry that the generator or air conditioning may be damaged. That's no way to spend a afternoon. Remember that there is only a 3 DB difference in the machines when under full load, not worth the risk.

Since I'm sure you were hanging on my every word... :) I want you to know that I like your logic here. It's akin to why I got into LEDs fairly early. Now I never stress, running around behind my girls, shutting off lights. Camping should be fun and a time to unwind. Leave the worry at home.

An enclosure directing the sound upward wouldn't hurt.

Park in the shade if you can. With all this talk about altitude, we have been forgetting that even 85 outside can mean 100 in if you've got any sun beating down on that hot box.

And don't forget how much difference a few extra fans can make

Kendall

Of course I hang on your every word, don't we all? ;) Then again it was you that sent me down the road I'm on.

I like overkill especially out in the middle of now where. 230w portable was more than enough last year so I am mounting 490w just to make sure. I have no plans on running the Champ if I don't need again this year. We will just stay out of the CGs when it's hot and enclose the generator out in the boonies. I use the snap together floor pieces from HD, it helps some.

Usually I park us awning side to the morning sun. I use the awning and sunshade to help keep the trailer from heating up early. Pointing south gives it the least exposure mid day and if it hasn't cooled by evening, the trailer provides the shade on the awning side until it does. Sometimes I get a big pine to use its shadow to shade us for part of the day but I'll have to rethink it once I get the panels mounted.

I'd be happy to run a 5000 BTU window AC off of my panels and bank.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:

Overhead valve and overhead cam engines are darned near untouchable.

Nah, people get scared off by the ECU (some people call them PCM's). It's still all mechanical and can be entirely hot-rodded (modded is the term nowadays) just like yesteryear using much of the same techniques, all the ECU does is control fuel, timing and spark and read stuff off the sensors to adjust fuel, timing, and spark. What's amazing is what you can do with todays engines when modded that you could not do back in the day. How does 300 hp from a normally aspirated, 2.0L 4 cylinder sound? And that was 15 years ago.

"Back In The Day"

With flathead aircooled engines we would remove the head and have .030" shaved off of it. Many of these whiz-bang engines operate with 5.5 to 1 compression ratio. So what if you need to use premium gasoline at sea level. At altitude it may get the job done.

Overhead valve and overhead cam engines are darned near untouchable.

Hi Kendall,

In Canada a Yamaha 3000 Sieb set me back $2786.00. It will run the air for about 7 hours and 55 minutes on a full tank. The cost of that tank is about $17.00.

I'm far better off to go to a cheap campground @ $10.00.

My climate abounds with solar with few gray days.

The battery bank will be drawn on for surge when the compressor starts, but equally will refill when the compressor cycles to off.

My goal is to be 100% off the grid, and to use minimal propane doing so. When the air conditioner is not needed I'll run the fridge on 120 volt. I already do that when trundling down the road.

We do get to 37 C (100 f) degrees but equally we cool off to 15 C (60 f) at night. I guess I get to sing that song about a horse with no name. Up until the end of May air conditioning would be rarely used. June, July, and August will be the "needy" months, but happily it still cools off at night.

I sure wish someone would come out with a viable solar awning!

I, too, spend more on exercising the generator than actual use. That may change now that I'm full time and urban boondocking. If I can eliminate the generator I'll be happy.

mthockeydad wrote:
Seems like any time I get over 4,000' and certainly near 5,000', I rarely have need for an a/c.

Here 5000 might be a couple degrees cooler than the desert floor. I have some friends that live at 4000 ft and it's just as hot as my house (2200 ft).

Having lived ten years at 6,780 and then during the year spending 12 weekends plus 2-4 weeks packing to as high As Goethe lake (12,600) I can tell you when it decides to get hot it damned sure will get hot. Not warm. Check the FREEZING LEVEL in meteorology. When it goes to 15,000 to 18,000 feet or even higher sometimes it means TEN THOUSAND FEET LOWER is not going to be chilly.

I have seen so many days where I fled to the shade (less warm) when it got to ninety degrees plus only to have nights drop into the forties. Hey! Forties! Great sleeping. Does not help a damned thing at 2 in the afternoon, when the rig is like a furnace.

Altitude HELPS. It is not a cure-all. Down here, when it is 95 and humid on the coast it will be in the eighties and dry at 8,000 ft. at Zirahuen. At night the coast will drop to eighty. Zirahuen will drop into the sixties.

Such is life.

Sierras can be brutal in the summer. Not only can either side do 90 any old time in the summer, the eastern side pretty much requires a reason NOT to be that hot. Not only do you have the parched Owens Valley pushing 100 degree + air at you, but much of the high sierra is nothing but windless cubby holes that cook up in the summer sun. Lovely!

Where is it that hot that high in the mountains?!

Seems like any time I get over 4,000' and certainly near 5,000', I rarely have need for an a/c.


Edit: I suppose I should add I rarely spend time in my RV during the day, so I'm only ever concerned about cool enough sleeping temperatures anyway!

Thanks, PT

OK. So at 1250W, you're talking about a negative sum system. You'll be using your storage and you'll need to run the A/C less than your full sun hours. Of course, the A/C pump will cycle off and on, so full power is some fraction anyway and the fan, alone uses minimal power.

But what about everything else that runs on electricity? And let's not forget efficiency. A 1250W system will put out 1250W on a nice, clear and cold day only, right?

I would say that someone who wants to run the A/C a good part of the day should consider more panel real estate.

So roughly 5 grand in parts for peace and quiet. For anyone with the financial means and the roof real estate to accommodate, I say definitely go for it! I want to park next to you!

If money IS an object, about $2K (and less if you can find a sale) will get you 3200W of continuous and fairly quiet Honda power. Shoot... the A/C might even be louder than those things are. I'd still be happy to park next to you. 'Cuz... if it's hot... (and it pains me to say it because I much prefer peace in my campground, but...) my old Onan's gonna' be runnin' anyway.

But only if it's hot. Otherwise my rig can go a week without the generator if need be. My genny gets more hours just exercising it while in storage than it does camping. But then... I don't do enough camping.

Thanks again, PT! Good info.

Hi Kendall (and welcome back),

Start with the new Magnum 3000 boost inverter $1880.00
Add 1250 watts of panels @ $1 per watt $1250
There is one controller that will do 96 amps. It is in the $800.00 range.
I'm using seven 12 volt Marine batteries from Walmart so that's another $1000.00
Labor??? Wire???

I have the batteries, and inverter, so I guess about 3000.00 should get me to where I need to be.

I'll be extending my urbandocking time with the new panels as well. Every day I can stay out of the campground saves me $36.00. I should be able to do a fair bit of electric heating.