15K BTU A/C and Generators
Okay... so I have been to my dealer, I have researched the internet from end-to-end, and I am still unsure of what my generator selection should be. I bought a Firman 3300 from Costco, it was a p...
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Yeah... I'm going to have to be a voice of dissent on this one. Not impressed with the Champion 3100 running our 15k BTU A/C unit.
We got a Champion 3100i (gas, with electric start) a couple years ago. Got a 2018 Cougar 28 RLSWE a few weeks ago, and last weekend we took it out on a trip. First night we set up to dry camp, as our desired location was full.
Set up the generator, plugged in the shore power cable and... blinking red overload light, that wouldn't clear until we unplugged the cable and shut down the generator. Nothing on in the trailer besides maybe the refrig (on auto).
Had to get the generator up and running, choke off and economy mode off, and *then* plug in the cable (still nothing turned on in the trailer) before the generator would accept the 'load'.
Then we tried starting the 15k BTU A/C unit. Trip.
Had to go thru the whole rigamarole of unplugging the generator, starting it, etc. etc. then plugging it back in, then starting the *fan* only on low speed, and after the generator loaded up, *then* moving the controller to 'A/C'.
Once there it seemed to run fine... but it was a whole lot more of a PITA to get there than I had expected from reading this thread (and others). Maybe there is something wrong with our gen set?
FWIW, for the second night we moved over to a site with power & water, and I plugged in the trailer with the EMS protector on the cable. With the A/C running it showed 21 amps @ 117 volts... which by my math works out to ~2450 watts... which seems kinda high.
We got a Champion 3100i (gas, with electric start) a couple years ago. Got a 2018 Cougar 28 RLSWE a few weeks ago, and last weekend we took it out on a trip. First night we set up to dry camp, as our desired location was full.
Set up the generator, plugged in the shore power cable and... blinking red overload light, that wouldn't clear until we unplugged the cable and shut down the generator. Nothing on in the trailer besides maybe the refrig (on auto).
Had to get the generator up and running, choke off and economy mode off, and *then* plug in the cable (still nothing turned on in the trailer) before the generator would accept the 'load'.
Then we tried starting the 15k BTU A/C unit. Trip.
Had to go thru the whole rigamarole of unplugging the generator, starting it, etc. etc. then plugging it back in, then starting the *fan* only on low speed, and after the generator loaded up, *then* moving the controller to 'A/C'.
Once there it seemed to run fine... but it was a whole lot more of a PITA to get there than I had expected from reading this thread (and others). Maybe there is something wrong with our gen set?
FWIW, for the second night we moved over to a site with power & water, and I plugged in the trailer with the EMS protector on the cable. With the A/C running it showed 21 amps @ 117 volts... which by my math works out to ~2450 watts... which seems kinda high.
