GENERATOR to run your A/C

[trx680]

I posted this here because I'd imagine the pop-up campers would have the smallest A/Cs.

What size generator is required to run your small A/C ?

[PAThwacker]

pup gizmos doing the justice. Full sun boondocking in PA State
Forest.
Keeping cool with screens opened and fantastic fan spinning.

[PAThwacker]

SoundGuy wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:

trx680 wrote:
I posted this here because I'd imagine the pop-up campers would have the smallest A/Cs.

What size generator is required to run your small A/C ?

The most common size roof mount A/C, regardless of what type of rig it's mounted on, is 13,500 BTU. No longer though does one need a 3000+ watt genset to power one of these units - invest in the new Honda EU2200i inverter genset, equip the A/C with a Micro-Air Easy Start Soft Starter Kit and you'll be able to successfully start & run any typical 13.5K BTU A/C even when the temps exceed 100F and elevation is well above 5000'. Many are now doing this successfully, there's no need to rely on outdated information from those who aren't up to date on the latest technology. :R

If you really want A/C to be effective in any trailer with tenting the key is to retain as much of that cold air inside the camper where it belongs. You can do that by making Reflectix window inserts which will significantly reduce heat load the A/C has to deal with.

Number one purchase is popup gizmos that cover the bunk ends. Even with a 13500 on full blast the bunkends are 90's in direct sun. Cover them, have the awning face south and park under a tree.

[SoundGuy]

SoundGuy wrote:

trx680 wrote:
I posted this here because I'd imagine the pop-up campers would have the smallest A/Cs.

What size generator is required to run your small A/C ?

The most common size roof mount A/C, regardless of what type of rig it's mounted on, is 13,500 BTU. No longer though does one need a 3000+ watt genset to power one of these units - invest in the new Honda EU2200i inverter genset, equip the A/C with a Micro-Air Easy Start Soft Starter Kit and you'll be able to successfully start & run any typical 13.5K BTU A/C even when the temps exceed 100F and elevation is well above 5000'. Many are now doing this successfully, there's no need to rely on outdated information from those who aren't up to date on the latest technology. :R

If you really want A/C to be effective in any trailer with tenting the key is to retain as much of that cold air inside the camper where it belongs. You can do that by making Reflectix window inserts which will significantly reduce heat load the A/C has to deal with.

[SoundGuy]

duplicate post :M

[valhalla360]

No guarantee a popup will have a smaller air/con...it's a smaller volume but worse insulation...probably more important, units bought in bulk likely would see no cost savings to the manufacturer by going lower BTU.

We have a Yamaha 2400 that will run out 15k BTU air/con but it's marginal. If it was a smaller 5-9k BTU, a 2000w unit (typically 1600w continuous rating) might do the trick.

Really you need to find the specs on the unit you are looking at both running and startup load. If it's the startup load that's the problem they have capacitor systems that help reduce it.

[tatest]

Depends on the size of the A/C. 9000 BTU or less might run on a 2KW genset with good surge capabilities, 15,000 BTU might need as much as 4KW. In between is in between, and that's where it gets quite iffy, starting loads of the A/C vs surge capacity of the genset. Most RV air conditioners up to 15,000 BTU are rated to run on a 20-amp circuit (e.g. 2400 watt generator nominally) but draw huge extra power to start the compressors. Many generators handle this load with a brief drop in speed, as un-used rotational energy gets converted to electrical energy for less than a second or two. Not all generator designs are capable of doing this, so look at "surge" ratings on the generator.

Every A/C manufacturer recommends a generator size for each of their models in the owner's manual or installation manual, and sometimes in the sales brochure. Typically it is a lot more generator than the buyer would like to pay for. Coleman wants 4KW to run my A/C, and the generator feel the load every time the compressor starts.

[2edgesword]

I start/ran a 13.5K generator with a Yamaha 2400ISHC generator. You could probably start/run a smaller 10K unit with a good 2,000 watt generator.

[PAThwacker]

Need 2 2000 watt units for ac. Or get a fantastic fan l, popup gizmos, park under a tree aka common sense.

[lap527]

We have a 9200btu AC in our TC and our 2000 genny runs it fine.

[theoldwizard1]

If the A/C unit is below 13,500 BTU, a 2000W generator should be adequate, but you might need a "soft start" kit for the A/C.

[guidry]

One of my Honda’s 2000 runs my TC AC

[ppine]

Plan on 3000 watts or more.

[lostbytes]

https://www.steadypower.com/pages.php?pageid=133
Ok. Starting wattage is about 3000.
Running watts usually half. When calculating, you usually wants about 500 more watts on starting ac. So, 3500 running and 4000 peak power generator would work. If ac is older then, you should have an hard start capacitor added to AC capacitor as an piggyback to help it on starting wattage. It usually helps in surging generator too. The compressors normally have 2 windings in them. The starting winding helps the running winding till it reaches right spped. Then, start winding disengage and then running winding only uses half wattage. (Just to give you an idea on how and why the wattages difference on ac).

[phillyg]

I was able to run a 12k AC with a 3100 Honda, but it wouldn't run a 15k. If your AC is smaller, perhaps around 9k, I'd recommend a 2000 Honda or similar to start with. A 2000 is easy to store and carry around. If it's not enough, you could add a second one.