talk to me about built-in LP gennies...
Greetings, RV.net - been lurking a while and figured "high time" to try and ask a question I've not seen discussed, although I may be "search fu limited"... I'm looking at TC's to support my racing...
Forum Discussion
Speaking as someone who is in California where the temps in the summers are generally very mild once in the mountains I'm probably not the most qualified to comment but for what it is worth...
I don't see a generator as being a viable method of running the AC for any extended period of time. The tanks on campers aren't big enough and it's super expensive to do it regardless of tank size. That being said, if your boon-docking in parking lots and not paying for a place to stay at night, burning propane to stay cool might actually come out ahead in the money department but your still stuck finding propane at least every other day.
From my own experience, my propane generator is LOUD (is that just common for the Onan's?) and it causes a lot of vibration in the camper because it's mounted to it. I'll only use it to fire the micro-wave or running the blender but that is about it. I wouldn't think about using it for extended periods of time if I was trying to catch some sleep. Also consider that running the generator in those closed compartments on hot days could lead to more maintenance or possibly burning the thing up resulting in a paper weight or very expensive repair bill.
I'd suggest first looking for a really well insulated camper that comes with at least two fantastic fans coupled with some large batteries (I have two AGM deep cycle that sit saddlebag style in my truck bed up front to balance the weight). Even after three days of not moving they still are 75% charged usually. Go without the onboard generator and just use it to store a Honda or Yamaha that is strong enough to power your AC when you need to do so. Get by as much as you can with the fantastic fans but for the nights you can't, setup the generator a few feet away from the truck and enjoy a good night's sleep. Though you have to carry another type of fuel, it is everywhere diesel can be had and fairly compact for the amount of run-time you will get out of a couple of gallons.
I don't see a generator as being a viable method of running the AC for any extended period of time. The tanks on campers aren't big enough and it's super expensive to do it regardless of tank size. That being said, if your boon-docking in parking lots and not paying for a place to stay at night, burning propane to stay cool might actually come out ahead in the money department but your still stuck finding propane at least every other day.
From my own experience, my propane generator is LOUD (is that just common for the Onan's?) and it causes a lot of vibration in the camper because it's mounted to it. I'll only use it to fire the micro-wave or running the blender but that is about it. I wouldn't think about using it for extended periods of time if I was trying to catch some sleep. Also consider that running the generator in those closed compartments on hot days could lead to more maintenance or possibly burning the thing up resulting in a paper weight or very expensive repair bill.
I'd suggest first looking for a really well insulated camper that comes with at least two fantastic fans coupled with some large batteries (I have two AGM deep cycle that sit saddlebag style in my truck bed up front to balance the weight). Even after three days of not moving they still are 75% charged usually. Go without the onboard generator and just use it to store a Honda or Yamaha that is strong enough to power your AC when you need to do so. Get by as much as you can with the fantastic fans but for the nights you can't, setup the generator a few feet away from the truck and enjoy a good night's sleep. Though you have to carry another type of fuel, it is everywhere diesel can be had and fairly compact for the amount of run-time you will get out of a couple of gallons.
