Itinerant1 wrote:
StirCrazy wrote:
Hi, just looking for input from people that have them on their effectiveness. I am thinking of getting a portable genny for the 5th wheel for those times that I need an AC and don't have power. I have a 15000BTU dometic AC, and I must figure out what size genny I need also.
As some of you know I personally hate the noise they make, so it must be quiet and really won't be used for anything else as my solar can do everything else. the other issue I have is there has only been 4 days in the last 5 years of camping where I needed an AC when I was boondocking, so I am really torn weather I need a genny or just see what it would take to be able to run on solar, but I think it's too tall of an order for solar.
Back in July of 2020 I added the Micro-Air Easy Start 364 (ASY-364-X20-IP) to the Carrier Air V 15k air conditioning unit (low profile) on my Cameo.
I can run it off of the EU2200i and not only that I have run it off of just the solar/ batteries, granted if it's run like this long enough the generator will need to charge the batteries but for short term use of a lunch stop or just a 2-3 hours to cool things down some no big deal. If it's going to be "HOT" it's time to move anyways.
I have a Magnum Hybrid 3,000w inverter/ charger unit so I can adjust the incoming current and load share it with the solar.
When I was in a campground hooked up to 50a service and completed the 5 learning cycles. It was interesting to watch the Magnum Me-arc display in the ac input screen, the air conditioner fan would run for a couple minutes then I could see 3-4a load coming in for 60 +/- seconds then quickly climb to roughly 18-20a then settle at 14a.
Looking at the service manual the locked rotor amps for the low profile high capacity is 59.0a now best I can tell since the easy start install it appears to be 18-20a.
While still plugged into the pedestal I turned the load share down 15a, 10a, 5a and turning the air conditioner off for a couple minutes between each lowering and at no time did the ac unit stumble or did a red fault light show on the me-arc.
Then I disconnected the the power from the pedestal and connected it to the eu2200i generator setting the ac input load support to 15a and 10a, same results no red fault light on the me-arc and no "overload" or stumble on the generator. Also I'm in tree cover/ overcast so little to no solar was helping.
Tried the 15k A/C unit from just batteries with hardly any solar contributing to see if the fault light would show on the Me-Arc display from the hybrid inverter, no fault light and no stumble in the A/C at anytime.
Initially turning it on the fan started and after 30 seconds the compressor started to spool up slowly, I could see the amps slowly climbing and max somewhere in the 190a + range before settling down to 94a. So if I just use my minimum loads and the sun is shinning the solar panels will cover roughly 60-75a of the A/C load, balance from batteries would be 30ah +/- (6% SoC be depleted per hour).
I use the air-conditioner quite often in the evening if I want to cool things off some while boondocking. Used at elevation from 3000-7000.
Just my hands on experience.
some nice info. Next time I redo an electrical system I am going to have to look at one of those inverter chargers that can load share.
So that is good, the Honda is quiet enough you won't hear it over the AC even if you're sitting outside Haha. that would also be nice just to run for an hour before bed that way.
Steve
