inverter generator for gulfstream 198bh

[edekgb]

I just bought a new amerilite bunk house and it has a Fridgidair 8000 btu air conditioner. Can I get opinions and advice on buying an inverter generator to get this ac compressor up and running.

[edekgb]

Thank you gulfcoast - I am still considering champion however the champion is rated at 1600 watts running and 2000 watts max. Westinghouse WH2400i is 2100watts and 2400watts max. That might be the difference in high elevation for me

[Gulfcoast]

NOTICE: Cabela's has the Champion inverter (2000) on sale for only $499 if you act before the sale ends.

[edekgb]

I guess they're are no fans of Westinghouse - at least non that have weighed in wither good or bad.

[edekgb]

I have not done research here on this site about champion generators. I have read reviews on Costco and amazon. The things that have stuck out is that they are loud and heavy. Im trying to go the alternate route of loud and heavy for a small trailer.

[bikendan]

edekgb wrote:
I won't the most for my money and don't want to over buy (and over lift, and over annoyed by loudness). Ive got it down to Champion, Homelite, and Westinghouse in my spending dollar range. Experiences with Homelite? Westinghouse?

not sure why you're even considering Homelite or Westinghouse!
both have few fans or owners and no customer support.
while Champion has tons of satisfied customers, with stellar customer support.
and especially positive rep in the RV community. they've been the only company that's been able to make inroads against Honda and Yamaha.
now Yellow is suggested, along with Red and Blue.

have you even done a search here on Champion generators? there are literally thousands of posts on them.

[JiminDenver]

The ones I make the panels weigh 40-50 pounds. That wont matter if you mount it. All in all somewhere between 4-500 range the way I do it but there are options.

You are right, the sun doesn't always shine, in fact here it only seems to shine until mid day. That said I haven't used a generator since I set out my first 230w set up three seasons ago. We had all of the power we could use for running the furnace, fans, TV, DVD, LED lights and it didn't even keep the battery from going into float by 9 am. The rest of the day the solar runs the trailer by it self and could have easily supported limited use of a larger inverter.

So if you use say 50 amp hours a day, you need to have 150 amp hours of usable battery to go for three days without charging. The solar will produce a minimal amount to stretch your battery but eventually you will need a alternate means of charging. without a generator with us, our alternate is a pair of jumper cables and the truck but we only go for a week or two at a time right now. I don't worry because with our solar and bank a week in overcast weather is no sweat as long as we don't run the air conditioner.

[edekgb]

What if the suns not out?

[edekgb]

Well that's cool - how heavy is it? How much does it cost?

[JiminDenver]

Well heck if that's all you want to do, I can help you spend even less on a simple solar system that cover those needs forever silently.

[edekgb]

Can I start with a Honda or Yamaha 1000 now thru the fall and spring and find that I don't go out away from shore power a lot and rough it very often in the heat of summer. Use the small high end one to charge my battery, run my lights, run my heater fan, and not my ac and microwave? And then if I find that im liking this and going out often in the summer then parallel a 2000 Honda or Yamaha to it's 1000 that I already would own?

[SoundGuy]

edekgb wrote:
Ive got it down to Champion, Homelite, and Westinghouse in my spending dollar range.

One significant advantage to investing in a Yamaha or Honda genset is parts and service availability by simply heading to your nearest Yamaha / Honda motorsport or powersport dealer. If you're convinced a Blue or Red is just too costly for you then about your only other choice should be Yellow as you should at least be able to get the darned thing some help should it ever be needed ... with anything else I wouldn't be so sure. 😉

[bikendan]

Don't be fooled by the Westinghouse name.
The name was sold to companies in China, to make products to sell in the U.S., since it's a familiar name.
Nearly all the reviews I've seen about them are negative.
And where do you think you can get warranty work done?

[edekgb]

JiminDenver wrote:
Have never heard of the lake but I'll add it to the list of places to check out. We are usually up near Jefferson and exploring our way down to 11 mile.

I would call the manufacturer and ask if they make the high altitude jets before you buy. Rejetting will have the generator running more efficient but it wont make up for the elevation completely. Unfortunately getting any parts for the lower end generators can be a issue so check that out too.

You can also call then and ask them straight up, this is the elevation I will be at, the A/C I will be using and we want to use YOUR generator. Will it do it? I also asked at rental shops where you could ask if 2000w will cut it from any manufacture.

Now if you do get it and it is almost there. Make sure the converter is off and maybe get a start capacitor for the A/C.

Last thing is it is the end of the season and the deals are to be had on craigslist. You could end up with a much nicer generator with little use if you watch.

I have emailed Westinghouse and asked them out right (good advice). Will let you know what they say.

I may try Craigslist but im a little worried about buying a generator used.

[edekgb]

I so agree - " the only thing worse than over spending is buying twice" that's a good one. This is starting to remind me of my saltwater aquariums and how many years it took to get it right.

[JiminDenver]

There are reviews of the 2000w unit on Amazon and the only thing I found of interest was one that said it will not run over 7000 ft. You might want to check that out considering the elevation you will be at.