Generator Sizing

I love running my twin 2000I Honda's with the Link kit, on eco mode you can be 10ft away and have a conversation at a normal level. Provides a full 26.6A 120v source. Much quieter running than my fathers 3000w Honda running the same load while we're at the race track.

Good morning,
First, I will apologize for posting this on the 5th wheel forum. I need to look closer before posting. Second, thanks to everyone for the great replies, especially Rusty and smkettner for the specific info I needed. I will be buying 2 2000w inverters and the parallel kit to mate them. Seems like the best alternative.
RichH

2oldman wrote:
bait post

What is a bait post?
RichH

laknox wrote:
Rich, there are generators and there are inverters. A generator runs at full RPM all the time (unless it's one that idles down with no load); an inverter runs at an RPM needed to support the load demanded.

Actually, both are generators. One is a synchronous AC (alternating current) generator that runs at a fixed (synchronous) speed determined by the number of poles in the generator and the desired AC frequency (50Hz or 60Hz). Synchronous speed is calculated as cycles per minute (3000 for 50Hz; 3600 for 60Hz) divided by the number of poles in the generator. For a single pole 60Hz synchronous generator, synchronous speed would be 3600 cycles per minute divided by 1 pole = 3600 RPM.

The other is an inverter generator that inverts DC into PSW AC at a fixed frequency (50Hz or 60Hz), leaving the engine RPM to float with load.

50Hz AC is generally used in many European and Asian countries - North America uses 60Hz AC as a standard.

Rusty

aguablanco wrote:
I have been looking for a generator for our TT for a while now and I have a question I hope I can get some answers to. My trailer will most likely need around 3.5k watts to run everything including AC. My question is, if I buy say 4k watts and run everything at once, the generator will run at full RPM to make that happen. 3600 RPM would be fairly noisy as I am not going to buy the Honda's etc. So, if I were to buy say a 6000-7000 watt generator wouldn't that then run at around half the RPM's and be somewhat quieter? Also a little better gas consumption rate? How far off is my thinking?
Thanks,
RichH

Rich, there are generators and there are inverters. A generator runs at full RPM all the time (unless it's one that idles down with no load); an inverter runs at an RPM needed to support the load demanded. The Yamaha 4k generator runs at a slow 2600 RPM, so makes it more quiet than other standard generators; IIRC, there are several others that are the same way, but they are straight generators, not inverters. Inverters are also a lot more efficient than straight generators.

You might think about 2 3k inverters, paralleled together. Several companies make them.

Lyle

I have an older Honda 3000C, it ran my a/c and a few things on the RV, some of it not all at once. My thinking because it was a bit nosey was maybe a new Honda 300IS would be less nosey (it was) and maybe put out more juice.

Wrong, I was only able to run it about fifteen minutes as it kept going into overload and shut down. Took it to a dealer he said it was running fine, yet it was not doing what my old one was. So, I traded it in on a new Honda 5000IS. Finally got to use it on the way home one night. Plugged it in and it ran twelve hours and ran the a/c, TV, sat. dish and everything else that I had turned on. Love it, yes it's heavier and sits in the back of my truck between the fifth wheel hitch and a tool box chained down. Now have a winch set up to load/unload it. Everything works great.

ol Bombero-JC wrote:

Oasisbob wrote:
Please stay with a quiet quality unit. I maybecamping nesxt to you oneday.

And - note spacing between words!

.

hahahah - Mr. fragmenented incomplete sentences giving editing lessons! :R

Oasisbob wrote:
Please stay with a quiet quality unit. I maybecamping nesxt to you oneday.

Drivel...:R

Maybe you might try to answer his questions...:S

If your hangup is noise - address the issue!

And - note spacing between words!

OP - great GENERATOR info on the *Tech Issues* forum.

Try a search on generator brands, ratings, etc. for more (useful) immediate information.

.

Only an inverter generator is going to slow down to save fuel and noise at part throttle.

pianotuna wrote:
Hi, There are very few 6000 watt inverter generators.

Here's the Honda eu7000is inverter generator rated for 7kW peak, 5.5kW continuous. 60db @ rated load, 52db @ 1/4 throttle. It's fuel injected for excellent fuel efficiency (6.5-18 hours on 5.1 gallons of fuel, depending on load). That's one example.

And I'm not even a Honda user - we run 2 each Yamaha EF2000iS inverter generators in parallel in the bed of the truck to power one of the 5th wheel's A/Cs on the road.

Rusty