Initially thought 2000 would be my size but who knows, maybe i would want to run the AC on a rare occasion in the summer. usage would be for overnighting on the road as we never dry camp.I really do not like the increase in weight of the 2400 Yam. however I think it would run my 13,500 AC where as the 2000's would struggle or would not do it.Considering I did not notice something like a 2400 Honda, it looks like the Yam would be the choice in the 2400 range.Also the cut in price for say a Generac 2000 or the Subaru 2500 look enticing, any experience on it out there.thanx

Dave H M wrote:Initially thought 2000 would be my size but who knows, maybe i would want to run the AC on a rare occasion in the summer. usage would be for overnighting on the road as we never dry camp.This is not the usual scenario for buying, or needing, a generator.'Rare occasions' means that you'll be carrying around a generator drained of fuel (if you want it to run when you need it). Sooo.. you have to carry gas - not old gas - then get the gen out, fill it, spill it, then crank it 18 times to get it started. Then, when done, decide if you'll be using it again soon. If not, drain it again. It's a big pain for rare usage.Ok, that said, the 2000 will struggle mightily to run your A/C. Two in parallel will run fine.

IMHO: When you need generator power, there's nothing more worthless than the money spent on an underpowered generator for the job you need accomplished. Staying overnight at Cracker Barrel, Flying J, Rest Stop, dry camping, etc: is fine, we do it all the time and I've got to be comfortable when we do it. Our 5'er has a built in 6500W run generator with a 7500W surge capacity. During warm/hot temperatures, who wants to lay in bed and sweat because your 2400w generator can't handle the air conditioner compressor start up surge? To effectively run a 13,500 BTU RV air conditioner requires a minimum 3000W run power generator that has a 3500W start up surge capacity. A generator with any less capacity and you run the possibility of damage to your under powered generator, your air conditioner, your power panel, and your sanity after spending a night dry camping at Cracker Barrel with the windows open and a hot RV bedroom. There will be others that will argue a 2400W generator will do the job of operating a 13,500BTU RV air conditioner. I however subscribe to the principle that it costs only a skosh more to go 1st Class. If yer gonna do something, do it right or leave it alone. Good luck.Happy camping!!! See y'all down the road!!!:)

Hi,Champion makes a 3100 watt.My choice was a Yamaha 3000 iSEB (2800 watts continuous). It has electric start.

I would be looking at a Victron inverter to parallel with a single H2000.On second thought... Just get a campground and skip the generator.

I can tell you that a Honda Eu2000i will run, but the motor will be running pretty much maxxed out keeping up with the 10 to 12 amps needed to keep your A/C running in really hot weather, 90F or plus. It will not start your A/C by itself.So your options are to pair a couple of Eu2000I's, or buy a Honda Eu3000i, maybe the Handi, because it weighs less, but it is a bit noisier.The 2000i will surge to 4000Va, and run 3200Va. The 3000 will surge 3000Va and run 2400Va constant. Your money, your choice.If you run that A/C on any of these, may as well pass on running the Generator on Eco mode, the A/C start ups really drag any of these motors down in the 13,500 Dometic models.I realize when you want A/C, you want A/C now, but make a point to start your generator(s) up, and let them warm up for a couple of minutes before plugging in the 30 amp plug to them, that A/C start up really loads the gennie motors up at start up, a bad thing to do on a cold motor.

Which Generator to Buy? | Good Sam Community

NinerBikes
Explorer
Nov 05, 2013
greenrvgreen wrote:
Niner, I read your link labeled "Common Sense", and while I found plenty of good advice for keeping the freeloaders from brawling in the parking lot, I found no mention of the people trying to use a Walmart parking lot for parking while shopping at Walmart. Don't they deserve consideration also?

Read the last paragraph... if your cart has some items you purchased as a customer at WalMart before you ask for permission to spend the night from the store manager... that's mentioning you as a walmart customer and shopper also, and removes you from the status of "freeloader", hopefully they made a profit off you, to offset your footprint overnight in their parking lot that they comp'd you. It's a two way street. Leave some money in their coffers, and they'll seek your business while letting you park/loiter for more than just shopping time there.
NinerBikes
Explorer
Nov 05, 2013
pnichols wrote:
Dave H M wrote:
Common folks, between the local hot rodders and the trailer trucks in wally world parking lots it is not like you can hear a mouse pass gas. Two nights ago I wound up with a reefer on both sides of me, in addition to the local hot rodders and one guy that was playing that noise that makes the real loud booming sound. The guy one spot over ran his genny in the Mo Ho all night. But his genny could not hold a candle to the rest of the stuff. I just do not see how say a 2000 running on eco mode could hold a candle to the goings on in Wally's parking lot.

Dave, is dead-on right with this.

We've taken our Class C (built-in genny, of course) coast to coast across and back in the U.S. now, twice ... 7000-9000 miles per trip. Most of it during July-August in the South. Hotter than you know what and humid-ier than you know what.

We've spent plenty of hot/humid nights in Walmart lots. We ran the genny some of these times at night in order to sleep or at least get to sleep in the heat, the humidity, and among all the other noise in the Walmart lots. I guarantee you no one noticed our puny little Onan genny noise that was lost within all the other racket. We of course parked way out in far corners of the Walmart lots where their managers recommended. However, if available, we preferred parking right where the Walmart big-rig semi's over-nighted - for safety - but boy, was the racket from their idling rigs something else. That noise completely covered up any generator noise from us.

Walmart lots are NOT anywhere near quiet at night - especially those Walmarts that are open 24/7.

However being in a small, compact Class C motorhome, we don't present a "big monster" RV outline that attracts attention and we do not open the awning, spread out chairs, open slides, or have a generator sitting out somewhere. Just a little white box with a van nose. Being that, we can even cool the coach area in an ultra-quiet and stealthy but short-term expensive way by idling the main engine for hours so as to use the cab air conditioner. This requires using about 0.7 gallons per hour to feed the main engine, but it is non-detectable from the outside, and from us in the inside too. The Ford V10 is very stealthy when idling.

The point is being missed, it's not about the noise in the parking lot by others, it's about pulling out the portable generator, and 30 amp cable and "setting up camp".

It's perception by others in the parking lot of setting up camp, and complaining to the manager about it. It's out of the ordinary, it stands out, and it ostracizes all of us RV'ers.
greenrvgreen
Explorer
Nov 05, 2013
Niner, I read your link labeled "Common Sense", and while I found plenty of good advice for keeping the freeloaders from brawling in the parking lot, I found no mention of the people trying to use a Walmart parking lot for parking while shopping at Walmart. Don't they deserve consideration also?
pnichols
Explorer II
Nov 05, 2013
Dave H M wrote:
Common folks, between the local hot rodders and the trailer trucks in wally world parking lots it is not like you can hear a mouse pass gas. Two nights ago I wound up with a reefer on both sides of me, in addition to the local hot rodders and one guy that was playing that noise that makes the real loud booming sound. The guy one spot over ran his genny in the Mo Ho all night. But his genny could not hold a candle to the rest of the stuff. I just do not see how say a 2000 running on eco mode could hold a candle to the goings on in Wally's parking lot.

Dave, you're dead-on right with this.

We've taken our Class C (built-in genny, of course) coast to coast across and back in the U.S. now, twice ... 7000-9000 miles per trip. Most of it during July-August in the South. Hotter than you know what and humid-ier than you know what.

We've spent plenty of hot/humid nights in Walmart lots. We ran the genny some of these times at night in order to sleep or at least get to sleep in the heat, the humidity, and among all the other noise in the Walmart lots. I guarantee you no one noticed our puny little Onan genny noise that was lost within all the other racket. We of course parked way out in far corners of the Walmart lots where their managers recommended. However, if available, we preferred parking right where the Walmart big-rig semi's over-nighted - for safety - but boy, was the racket from their idling rigs something else. That noise completely covered up any generator noise from us.

Walmart lots are NOT anywhere near quiet at night - especially those Walmarts that are open 24/7.

However being in a small, compact Class C motorhome, we don't present a "big monster" RV outline that attracts attention and we do not open the awning, spread out chairs, open slides, or have a generator sitting out somewhere. Just a little white box with a van nose. Being that, we can even cool the coach area in an ultra-quiet and stealthy but short-term expensive way by idling the main engine for hours so as to use the cab air conditioner. This requires using about 0.7 gallons per hour to feed the main engine, but it is non-detectable from the outside, and from us in the inside too. The Ford V10 is very stealthy when idling.
Dave_H_M
Explorer II
Nov 04, 2013
Niner, I can see you are on a roll, but i am not gonna get down there with you. keyboard warriorism is not one of my cups of tea. :B
NinerBikes
Explorer
Nov 04, 2013
greenrvgreen wrote:
Parking lots have "normal resting hours"?

Common Sense
NinerBikes
Explorer
Nov 04, 2013
Dave H M wrote:
2oldman wrote:
NinerBikes wrote:
BTW... if you are overnighting, you'll wear out the welcome for everyone if you start something like this up in a WalMart parking lot or a rest stop after hours.

x2. It's bad manners.

Common folks, between the local hot rodders and the trailer trucks in wally world parking lots it is not like you can hear a mouse pass gas. Two nights ago I wound up with a reefer on both sides of me, in addition to the local hot rodders and one guy that was playing that noise that makes the real loud booming sound. The guy one spot over ran his genny in the Mo Ho all night. But his genny could not hold a candle to the rest of the stuff. :h I just do not see how say a 2000 running on eco mode could hold a candle to the goings on in Wally's parking lot.

Thanks for the advice all, you helped me make a final decision.

Here's a suggestion... why don't you go inside and ask the store manager if it's OK to park your 5th wheel outside all night and run the external generator all night long in the parking lot. Let him have the final say. If it's OK with him, it's OK with us. The parking lot sweepers love us enough already without running over your auxiliary equipment laying around in a parking lot. This ain't the infield of Daytona, ya know.
NinerBikes
Explorer
Nov 04, 2013
NinerBikes wrote:
Dave H M wrote:
2oldman wrote:
NinerBikes wrote:
BTW... if you are overnighting, you'll wear out the welcome for everyone if you start something like this up in a WalMart parking lot or a rest stop after hours.

x2. It's bad manners.

Common folks, between the local hot rodders and the trailer trucks in wally world parking lots it is not like you can hear a mouse pass gas. Two nights ago I wound up with a reefer on both sides of me, in addition to the local hot rodders and one guy that was playing that noise that makes the real loud booming sound. The guy one spot over ran his genny in the Mo Ho all night. But his genny could not hold a candle to the rest of the stuff. :h I just do not see how say a 2000 running on eco mode could hold a candle to the goings on in Wally's parking lot.

Thanks for the advice all, you helped me make a final decision.

Hate to have to call you out, for trying to justify your position on the matter, it just makes you ignorant.

Read up... and don't let the rest of us down with your selfish behavior and get us all banned.

WalMart Etiquette

Don't make us have to beat a dead horse. :o
NinerBikes
Explorer
Nov 04, 2013
Dave H M wrote:
2oldman wrote:
NinerBikes wrote:
BTW... if you are overnighting, you'll wear out the welcome for everyone if you start something like this up in a WalMart parking lot or a rest stop after hours.

x2. It's bad manners.

Common folks, between the local hot rodders and the trailer trucks in wally world parking lots it is not like you can hear a mouse pass gas. Two nights ago I wound up with a reefer on both sides of me, in addition to the local hot rodders and one guy that was playing that noise that makes the real loud booming sound. The guy one spot over ran his genny in the Mo Ho all night. But his genny could not hold a candle to the rest of the stuff. :h I just do not see how say a 2000 running on eco mode could hold a candle to the goings on in Wally's parking lot.

Thanks for the advice all, you helped me make a final decision.

Hate to have to call you out, for trying to justify your position on the matter, it just makes you ignorant.

Read up... and don't let the rest of us down with your selfish behavior and get us all banned.

WalMart Etiquette
greenrvgreen
Explorer
Nov 04, 2013
Parking lots have "normal resting hours"?

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