Forum Discussion

sign_man's avatar
sign_man
Explorer
Nov 07, 2013

ac unit

1)i am looking to purchase an ac unit for my 815 tc. i want to be able to run it with a honda 2000 gen. i frequent temps in the 95+ range. anyone have this setup, and is it sufficient enough?

2)also any recommendations on brands?

40 Replies

  • I have a Honda 2000 and a polar cub 9200, ac it works. I have run it at over 8000 feet. I have stayed cool in my Lance 1055 in 110* heat running off just the Honda 2000. You will not be able to run more than a few lights and the fridge and a 12v tv when running the AC on the Honda lol.

    Seriously though unless you want to be running a big screen and satellite, the microwave, lights and AC all at once a 2000 and a polar cub will do. If you need more power to run a bunch get a bigger genny or two Honda 2000 wired together but for a TC a 9200 BTU AC is sufficient unless you like it like an ice box when its 115 out instead of high 60s inside
  • You don't say where in Cali you are but I'll assume you are going to camp inland where we need AC in the summer. My advice: get the smallest one they make. If you want to read why I say that read on.

    I have a small 23' TT with a 15k AC. Factory either made a mistake or didn't have a 13.5 in stock when they put the AC on the TT I ended up buying. In 2006 I bought my first Honda EU2000. It would not power my AC (obviously). Even camping in Temecula in August the 15k was way overkill for my trailer. So...

    I made an appointment at Camping World to have a smaller BTU AC put in. I think the one I was planning on at the time was 7500BTU's. The price for that was hundreds less than a second EU2000 and after selling the 15k my out-of-pocket would have been very manageable.

    When I arrived at my appointment the service counter guy talked me out of the smaller AC and recommended I get a second EU2000. He convinced me a 7500 would not be enough to cool my trailer. Wrong. I got my second EU2000 from Wise and glad I did. But, I certainly didn't need to go that direction.

    I've camped in 109 degrees in the desert and only needed the Low setting on the 15k AC in my little trailer. My brother had an 815 like yours and he never went past Low on his 13k. So, again, get the smallest one you can find. I like the little Polar Cub.
  • The Polar Cub 7000 to 9500 BTUs runs great on a Honda EU2000 generator and it even has a little extra for the fridge and the converter. I know as we've had the 7000 Polar Cub on one of our past Lance 9-1/2' TC's ordered new and the 9200 Polar Cub A/C unit on a 2007 Sunline Solaris 26' TT that we sold about 2 months ago. I replaced the 13500 OEM A/C on the Sunline trailer purposely with the 9200 Polar Cub so we could run the A/C plus with the Honda EU2000 or just on a 15 amp circuit. Way more than enough cooling at over 90 degrees outside in the full sun with both of them and with the compressor runs only about about half the time or less. The TT was much larger in cubic footage inside than the TC. About double. Our present 11'4" Lance TC has a 13500 A/C and the Honda EU2000 will just barely start and run it at low altitudes by itself. I've tried it and it will but don't use the Honda as the TC has a 3400 watt PP built in generator.
  • If 95% of the information you find says a 2000W Honda will NOT run an A/C, then all 5% of the information that says it WILL must be on this site alone.

    Generally speaking, the general consensus on this site is that a Honda 2000 will power a Coleman Polar Cub 9500BTU unit.

    What I would like to see is a 5000-6000BTU rooftop unit that will definitely run on a 2000W, and quite possibly on a 1000W. My little 5000BTU window unit runs quite happily on my Honda eu1000i.
  • Naturally, you know what you have more than I, but most Travel Trailers and Fifth Wheels have at least 13,500 btu AC units.
  • My 815 has a 11.5 AC and my Honda 2K runs it fine,but it takes both to run my 11.5 AC on my 5th wheel. Not sure why.
  • sign man wrote:
    1)i am looking to purchase an ac unit for my 815 tc. i want to be able to run it with a honda 2000 gen. i frequent temps in the 95+ range. anyone have this setup, and is it sufficient enough?

    2)also any recommendations on brands?


    3/4 ton AC unit will give you plenty of cooling for that Lance 815, I have a 1 ton unit, came with it the TC and it over kill with that unit. I will be getting rid of it sometime next year in favorite of a smaller window unit so I can run it off a small genny.
  • popeyemth wrote:
    We have a 9500 BTU unit that works fine on a 20 amp house breaker so a honda will do it


    I'm not sure I'd use that as a good judge. I had mine hooked up to a 20 amp house breaker and ran the 13,500 AC, TV, DVD and fridge all at the same time and it didn't flinch. Based on 90% of the info on the web (about as valuable as what I paid for it), a 2000w gen won't run a typical AC.

    I'm not saying the honda won't power a 9,500 unit but using the house breaker as a test bed most likely isn't 100% accurate. Based purely on my experience. Keep in mind, I've never tried all that on anything smaller than a 3100w gen so take my opinion for what it's worth.
  • We have a 9500 BTU unit that works fine on a 20 amp house breaker so a honda will do it