how big of a generator is needed

[sneakygroundbuz]

so the wife and i are going to bite the bullet and get our first travel trailer.

i am curious as to how big of a generator we will need to buy for when we are not hooked up to elec power.

i have searched on the forum,and have found some info about generators.but nothing that really answers the question about how big i would need to run the elec system properly.

the trailer has a 30 amp service.
the fridge is a residential style that we were told does not run off of the propane. so it will need elec power. cant say that we will always be able to plug into electric.so a generator will be required

we would like to be able to also use the a/c,t.v.,coffee maker etc.

i have never owned a generator before so i am curious at to how big of one would be needed to run the electric system of the trailer when not plugged in.

i am leaning towards the Honda brand as i have read lots of great things about them as far a reliability etc.

any insight is greatly appreciated,thanks in advance

[RSD559]

How could I forget in my previous post. Noise ratings. These are all acceptable. If any of them are too noisy for a campground, the rest are too. The larger generators have a lower tone, which isn't as offensive as the smaller ones run in parallel. It's like dogs barking. A couple of little yappers are probably more irritating that one big dog. The big Honda and Yamaha are probably the quietest. The Predator is probably next. And the Champion is probably the loudest. However, having said that, I have owned both the Honda EU3000is and the Champion 3100. Really hard to hear the difference. So if any of these would be acceptable, all would be.

[RSD559]

The question nobody has asked yet is how much you plan to spend. Another is can you lift a 100+ pound generator into the back of your tow vehicle. If that would be a problem, then you need two 2000 generators paralleled. Which is a little more expensive. Just approximates:
Honda EU3000is - 2800 running watts - about $2000 - 144 pounds
Honda EU2000i - 1600 running watts - about $1000 apiece - 51 pounds
Yamaha - Expensive like the Honda
Harbor Freight Predator 3500 - 3000 running Watts - $650 on sale - +-100 pounds
Champion dual gas/propane - 3400/3100 - 3100/2800 running watts - $1100 - 96 pounds
Champion 3100 - 2800 running watts - $800 (got mine for 600) 80 pounds
Champion 2000 - 1700 running watts - $470 apiece - 49 pounds
All of these can be doubled in a parallel setup.
If you're using them a lot and want to pay extra for proven reliability and durability, go for the Honda or Yamaha. I don't use mine enough to justify thousands in investment. The drawback to my generator, Champion 3100, is the small fuel tank. But for about $150, you can set up an external boat tank that overcomes that drawback. I'm installing mine this week. The Champions and the newer Predator have proven to be very reliable and durable, for the time they have been available. Servicing them can be a problem. Whereas the Honda and Yamaha can be serviced at dealerships. Mine came with a broken air box. I had a free replacement in two days. So parts for the Champion aren't a problem. Don't know about parts for the Predator. But I have always done my own work on out of warranty mechanicals.
You'll find on this forum staunch loyalties to brands. Any question about tires, oil, tow vehicles, or generators brings out the worst. So try to read through all of the posturing and belittling to discover what is best for you.

[valhalla360]

More than around 3500w is wasted as the RV can't use the power, since the system isn't designed to handle more anyway.

If the air/con is NOT run, you can get away with a pretty small generator as most of the other electrical appliances don't use a lot of watts. (even the fridge shouldn't draw that much).

If you want to run the air/con, you have an issue. The problem is most units pull 9-12amps while running. In theory a little 2000w Honda will do the job. The problem is starting the compressor draws 2-3 times the wattage for a second or so to get it turning. There are some things you can do to reduce that but 2000w generators (usually rated for 1600w continuous load) will be pushed to their limits.

We have a 2400w generator that will run the air/con with no special adaptation but it's still pushing it a bit on start up (once the air/con is going it's fine). Bumping up to something around 3000w would be better.

[Isaac-1]

As others have said a residential refrigerator is a poor choice for off grid operation, an RV propane/electric refrigerator is MUCH MUCH better for off grid camping.

Having said that a modern residential refrigerator will average less than 250 watts under most operating conditions in moderately warm weather, maybe under 200. The problem is during normal refrigeration operation when the compressor is running it will probably draw about 700-800 watts, and when in defrost mode it will probably draw about 1,200 watts. Now sure defrost will only happen for a few minutes at a time a couple of times per day (varies by model), but your generator must support worst case not average load, so you always need an extra 1200 or so watts available for when the defrost mode kicks on. For practical purposes this puts the bottom end generator option for an RV with a residential refrigerator at about 2000 watts. This would provide enough power to run a few lights, watch TV (modern flat panel TV's only draw 20-30 watts), probably run a mid sized battery charger/converter and still handle that 1200 watt defrost cycle whenever it occurs on the refrigerator.

A roof top RV air conditioner draws about 1,200 watts while running, but has an initial start up surge, depending on the generator you will need a 2,400 watt or larger generator to handle the air conditioner startup surge, a 3,000 would be better.

A small microwave oven over consumes 900 watts of electricity when running, a coffee pot consumes about 1,200 when running, etc.

[pianotuna]

Does the unit come with solar panels?

I'd choose the 3400 watt remote electric start Champion inverter/generator.

Continuous load for a 30 amp circuit is 80%. At 120 volts that means 2880 watts. So the VA of the 3400 watt is a nice match for that figure.

[old_guy]

get out ou pen and paper and adding machine. put down all the wattage you plan on using in the TT. all at once too. then add about 50% more , that will be the minimum you will want to buy

[TomG2]

sneakygroundbuzzard wrote:

the trailer has a 30 amp service.

As noted above, 30 amps equals about 3500 watts. Pretty hard to see how you can push much more than that through the main breakers, so a huge generator won't do you much good.

I would consider using a good cooler instead of trying to power a residential refrigerator for occasional boondocking.

[Lwiddis]

“BOTH run if needed. I purchased two Champion 2800/3100 units”

Please park far away from me.

[jim1521]

A couple of questions to consider:

1. How often will you actually use it?
2. WHERE would you be typically using it (climate-wise)? For example, here in FL, you'll use it every time you don't have shore power. You'll be running the A/C full time down here, or in other hot locations.
3. How much weight can you carry in your truck? Generators generally weigh about 50-80 lbs or so.

We don't really boondock much at all, but we will most likely begin doing so in a year or so. Hurricane Irma taught me a valuable lesson: Plan for the unexpected.

My trailer has two A/C units, so I want to make sure they can BOTH run if needed. I purchased two Champion 2800/3100 units, and I have a 50A parallel capability.



This allows me to run both A/Cs if I need to or a combination of one A/C and plenty of other stuff. The combined weight of the two generators is 170 lbs (85 lbs each) so I can lift them into the back of my truck (or put them in my trailer when traveling).

[Lantley]

If you plan to most camp at camp grounds that provide electricity. You will be OK with rez fridge.
However if you plan to camp off the grid regularly you will want to get an inverter and a few additional batteries to install an off grid circuit for your fridge.
A genset only is not the ideal solution for a rez fridge.
The rez fridge is not a deal breaker but you need to be aware of it strengths and limitations if you plan to camp off the grid

[Lwiddis]

This “I’m a new RVer (or want to be an RVer) and I gotta get a generator to run AC, coffee maker, tv, fridge etc.” attitude is troubling to me. “Hurricane Irma taught me a valuable lesson:“ Keep learning.

[GordonThree]

Fridge doesn't need power 24/7 if you minimize opening the doors

[time2roll]

Don't get residential fridge if you plan to camp off grid much. Most end up with twice+ the battery and 500+ watts solar to minimize generator run time. You can probably do a quick overnight some place with OEM set up but actual camping will need the generator running near continuous.

Certainly you don't need a generator to get started camping. Hop around to a few campgrounds with electric power and see where you want to go with this. Or seek out a common 2-way fridge that runs on electric and propane. Pace yourself. Get the generator for a trip when you actually need it.

[Gdetrailer]

1320Fastback wrote:
Plan on at least 4,000 watts for a residential fridge and AC.

A/C perhaps, fridge not so much

A/C is the big draw at 13.5A-15A, fridge 1.2A-6.5A depending on size and features.

The OPs rig has a 30A 120V shore cord, that is 3,600W, not 4,000W.

OP most likely could get away with 3,000W inverter gen for lower noise levels or two 2,000W Honda inverter gens paired or a open frame Chinese 3,500W import gen for low cost at a higher noise level.

The big thing is the OP WILL need to load manage, no way will they be able to run coffee maker AND A/C plus charge batteries.

So, they will need to figure out how to manage high wattage load priorities.

The 120V residential fridge issue can be easily managed by adding some solar panels (200W-400W) and making sure they have at least one pair of 6V GC batteries although two pairs might be closer to ideal..

For example, I run a residential fridge and have no problem running it for 24 hrs and I am able to run a furnace overnight and a few hrs of lighting before charging off of only one pair of 6V GC2 batteries. For the record, I do not have any solar.

[Lwiddis]

“how big of a generator we will need to buy for when we are not hooked up to elec power.“
“a/c,t.v.,coffee maker etc.”

You can do all that at a motel...or a private RV campground plugged in. If you boondock with a big noisy generator please camp away from me. Consider solar. TV off batteries and solar is doable...I do. Coffee can be made on the stove...heck over a campfire. Residential fridge is not my choice for camping...in a forest, in the desert, on the beach.