how to use my generator

bikendan wrote:

plab wrote:
hello all I'm new to the forum and the RV world.
My wife and I just purchased a 2012 KZ hybrid and we're looking forward to enjoying it in the back woods of remote Maine. So I have a question that I'm hoping someone can answer. I have a 1000 watt portable gas generator/inverter I want to use this to supply my 12V needs for an extended stay out. should I just plug my camper right into it ? I'm wondering if it has enough power output(7.5amps) to feed all the campers 12V power needs. i.e. the furnace,smoke alarm, and the various other little doo dads in the coach that will use 12V power .... or should I just hook it up directly to the battery and charge it that way
I question what the minimum power input need is for the on board inverter

thanks Plab

just plug the trailer's shore cord in.
the 12v outlets don't provide much and will take forever to recharge the battery.

and your trailer has a CONverter, not an INverter. all RVs have CONverters. only some motorhomes and 5th wheels come with a factory INverter.

your 1000w will be ok for recharging the battery but not for the microwave or a/c.

you need to understand that the generator won't be supplying the power for 12v items. it will be charging the battery, which is what provides power for the 12v side of the trailer.

take oldman's suggestion of the 12 Volt Side of Life. it'll help you understand how 12v stuff works in your trailer.

OP doesn't give the model number of the gen, BUT, typically the wattage number given to a gen is the start up surge wattage.

Actual continuous or running wattage will be less.

I suspect the running watts would be closer to 800W or 900W which is typical of most smaller gens..

IF the OP has a converter of 35A-45A they most likely will not have any problem running the gen to charge the batteries.. Provided the fridge is set to gas only and no other high wattage 120V items are on.

However, if they have a converter of 50A-55A they are on the verge of not being able to use that gen..

60A and higher and all bets are off (my PD9160 is rated at 1,000W draw at full load)..

When recharging a deeply discharged battery the converter will draw max 120V wattage rating.. As the battery starts charging the wattage drawn will taper..

A lower amp converter would give the OP a more favorable chance of making it work since the converter will not draw as mach power as a higher current converter..

The drawback is it will take longer for a 35A converter to fully recharge than say a 55A converter..

Since OP did not provide much in details it is only a guess if it will work.

To fine tune the guess, the OP needs to supply the battery size, converter model and the generator model.

To find the converter model, the OP only needs to find the breaker/fuse box panel.. The converter is built into the panel and there should be a model number on the panel.

The battery should have a model number..

The generator should have a model number plus other ratings on it..