Too big

[jpbuch9309]

Is there such thing as having too big of a generator? yes I know about all the portability problems but I like the "better safe than sorry" way. And I want to power my whole TT frig A/C (2) not not worry about anything.

[Roy_Lynne]

Instead of a huge gas slurping generator why not spend the money on solar panels and another couple of batteries. Make way more sense to me.

[Gjac]

The answer is it depends on your requirements. I dry camp 99 percent of the time but rarely use my 5.5kw genset. Having more KW than you require uses more fuel , that is why a lot of folks use these smaller gensets. If you watch a lot of tv or have a lot of electronic devices when you dry camp then a small genset is nice to have. If you travel in the south in summer a large one is req to run 2 AC's. If you stay up north or in high elevations it is not required . In 11 years I only needed the AC's once while traveling in 100 degree weather.

[Atlee]

Get a Companion Honda EU2000i to go with your current 2000i. I did. Had a EU2000i for many years. When I went to a TT, needed more power. Bought a Companion Honda EU2000i plus an extended run 6.5 gallon fuel tank.

You'll have plenty of power then, assuming you don't need 50 amp service.

eichacsj wrote:
I don't think so, you can always use it on your home (if you have one) for back up. I sure wish I had more than my 2000i. It is bare min, does the job but I wish I had more.

[wa8yxm]

jpbuch9309 wrote:
Is there such thing as having too big of a generator? yes I know about all the portability problems but I like the "better safe than sorry" way. And I want to power my whole TT frig A/C (2) not not worry about anything.

The answers are Yes, Yes, Yes and No..

First 30 amps is 3600 watts tops, So any generator more than 40,000 watts is a waste of money (too big) and too heavy Less you go with a pair of 2000 watt inverter generators in parallel.. (Why do you want 4,000 watts for a 3,600 watt max trailer.. Well it seems they rate Generators on PEAK output, not sustained)

50 amp RV's are 12000 watt, However mY rv has only a 5500 watt ONAN on it. which provides all my needs.

NOw: The too bigs:
More watts than you can eat is simply a waste of money.. Unless you consider somethign I'll type later this post.
It is also heaver and physically larger and thus harder to store and transport.
It also eats more fuel
and in theory if it's way way too big, voltage regulation may suffer

These are the "YES" answers

But the NO is unless it is way too big (like 10 or more times what you need) a larger generator will work just fine, in fact cooler.. But you should aim to keep the generator close to the trailer needs for another reason too.

Run the generator at least 1/2 hour under at least 1/2 load evry month. A 100,000 watt generator will never hit half load on a 30 amp RV.. NEVER.. My 5500 can. (I dang near got to do the monthly run last week).

The something else:
If you are buying a portable Generator (or even a motor home) and own a Sticks and Bricks, consider what I did.. I had an electrician install a proper Generator Transfer Panel in my basement next to the new, upgraded SQuare D breaker box (The original was a PushMatic and I really don't lke those) with a proper INLET on the back of the house.

I came home from Chruch one day, Frosty the air-blonw inflatable snowman was sleeping on the job... Sure enough Power fail.. So down to the basement and get the big extension cord... Up stairs and plug OUTLET onto INLET and twist... Then uncoil the cord as I walk to the RV,, Plug into the RV (matching outlet I added) put Gen-turi on Generator and press buttons.. Hear the ClUNK (transfer switch) and back to basement.. CLICK and LIghts
Click and Freezer, Refrigerator, power to televisions and computers etc. power to Microwave, More lights, in fact all the lights in the house save one (Hall light we almost never used).. back upstairs and turn ON the hall light... Continue on ONAN power till hall light comes on (indicating mains power is back) Back down to the basement and clck everything back to MAINS.. Out to motor home and shut off ONAN.. Leave connected.

Really happened.

So if buying a portable.. Consider installing the transfer panel and buying enough for hte hosue.. NOTE: I used about 3400 watts per the on panel meters at the peak.

DO install the transfer switch DO NOT BACKFEED, ever.

[eichacsj]

I don't think so, you can always use it on your home (if you have one) for back up. I sure wish I had more than my 2000i. It is bare min, does the job but I wish I had more.

[Grit_dog]

smkettner wrote:

jpbuch9309 wrote:
Is there such thing as having too big of a generator?

No

4kW for 30a plug and 12kW for 50a is about max you can utilize.
If you get 20 kW there is no harm.

Except then you'd have to tow your generator instead of your camper......

[coolbreeze01]

I have a built-in 4K gen and enough gasoline to run it as needed.

[time2roll]

jpbuch9309 wrote:
Is there such thing as having too big of a generator?

No

4kW for 30a plug and 12kW for 50a is about max you can utilize.
If you get 20 kW there is no harm.

[tatest]

Only in the sense that it is more than you can carry, or that you are paying for more than you need.

3.6 KW to 4 KW is enough to give you generator power equivalent to a 30 amp 120V hookup (but you have to be sure that the genset has that connection, as many non-RV generators in that size instead have a pair of 15 amp or 20 amp outputs).

If the full load possible on a 50 amp plug-in is 12 KW, but very few RVs with 50 amp service actually have that much load, and genset sizes are more typically 5.5 KW to 8 KW.

If you have 30 amp service, buying more than 4 KW is usually paying for something you can't fully use.

[DrewE]

bikendan wrote:
usually big means LOUD!

if you'll be in a campground, get the biggest inverter generator you can. many feel a pair of inverter generators paralleled, is the way to go. 4000w or more and they're lighter to carry.

As with smaller generators, big inverter generators are much quieter than big non-inverter generators. Big inverter generators are not so common, of course.

The Honda EU7000is is no louder than their other inverter generators (and quieter at the same load since it's just loafing along when they're maxed out) and apparently more fuel efficient. It is big and heavy and expensive.

[Veebyes]

Over 1500 nights traveling dry camping here & there for one reason or another & only on maybe a couple of occasions has it been so hot that 2 gennys combined would have been nice to have to run the A/C.

[DutchmenSport]

As far a generators go, the beefier the better. If you can plug into a construction job site style generator, or a home style full house generator, there's no reason why you couldn't.

As stated above, you're only limited by what you can afford. Nothing wrong with beefier (and noisier).

[bikendan]

usually big means LOUD!

if you'll be in a campground, get the biggest inverter generator you can. many feel a pair of inverter generators paralleled, is the way to go. 4000w or more and they're lighter to carry.

[tenbear]

The electrical power supplied by a large generator is the same as supplied by a small one, only more of it. The only problems with a larger genny are size, weight, fuel consumption and cost. If that is what you want and can live with the problems, go for it.