Portable Generator Solutions

[MisterCipher]

I have a 19' Rockwood Eco Pro. I'd like to get a generator for camping off the grid. I want to run the A/C so solar is out as a solution. I'm looking at portable generators as a solution but I don't see any with a 30Amp outlet (even with 1800 watt output). Am I right to conclude that a portable generator is not a solution to run the A/C? The larger generators that do have 30Amp outlet are just too big for me.

Am I reading this right? Or am I missing something?

-Lou

[Samsonsworld]

Maybe it depends on where you go. I stayed at a RV park (full hookups) this weekend that was bumped right next to a city park (no hookups). A guy ran an open contractor style generator the whole time about a 100 yards from me. Inside, I couldn't hear it over my a/c's. Even when outdoors, I didn't find it loud enough to be annoying. With the hum of a/c's, boats passing by, people blasting music, talking loudly, kids playing, etc...I don't know what peace and quiet they could possibly interrupt.

[TomG2]

MisterCipher wrote:
Otherwise, I'll just do without.

Good idea. If you ever get bored, simply include generator in your topic title for a guaranteed eighty predictable responses from the same dozen people on the subject.

[Lantley]

TomG2 wrote:

Lantley wrote:
You guys are not making a case for no genset. Your just pointing out why I prefer a built in genset vs. portable.
No gas cans, nothing to set up..ever, nothing to carry or haul.
Just push button convenience.

Where would you have the OP install a built in genset like yours? In his SUV or travel trailer? Cost?

My prior rig was a TT that I pulled with a SUV. I had a custom genset platform fabricated and welded to the rear of the TT. It was very similar to my current setup except I did have to carry a gas can.
Cost was in the $3.5 K range when all was said and done.

[Atlee]

Each person needs to determine their needs, and equip accordingly.

It's obvious the type of camping you do does not require the generators and gas that I do. Which is fine. That's why we have lots of choices. And why trailers run the gauntlet from small pop ups to 35-40 foot fifth wheels.

And my long post was not designed to denigrate any other's opinion. It was supposed to recenter a answer specificly for the OP's original question. I just wanted to give the OP an answer to his question about 30A outlets on portable generators, and give him background on why I chose the generators I did, and why I have generators.

It certainly was not to keep the peeing contest on why or why not a person should carry generators and extra gas, alive. That wasn't the OP's original question.

SoundGuy wrote:

Atlee wrote:
My experience is with Honda's.

Next, I needed to get a second 2k generator to run the AC on my TT. Since I already had one Honda, I got a second Honda to twin with the first one.

I also got a 7 gal extended run tank so I have a pretty long run time. Depending on whether I need AC or not, I can almost get through the weekend with only the extended run tank. However, I also carry 3 2.5 gal and 1 2 gal gas cans.

Just an observation that highlights one of many reasons I personally found having a genset more trouble than it was worth. Based on the above information it would seem you carry a considerable amount of gas in order to keep your gensets running for the duration you anticipate ...

7 gals in an extended run tank
9.5 gals in portable gas cans

Total 16.5 US gals or ~ 62.5 litres. :E

If each tank on each of EU2000i genset was also filled that would add an additional .95 gals x 2 = 1.9 gals or 7 litres.

Total 18.4 US gals or nearly 70 litres.

In comparison, my Silverado's gas tank only holds 26 US gals or ~ 98 litres.

Wow, that's a LOT of gas to be dragging around just for running a genset. :E

To the OP ... are you really prepared to drag around quantities of gas like this in your SUV just so you can run A/C in your camper for extended periods of time? :@

[MisterCipher]

These are all good points to consider. At this point in my life I don't think I'd need to run the generator more than a couple of days. Obviously I'd prefer hookups but I know from time to time I'll be boondocking and want the option to run a generator. I just need to figure out if I have the space. Otherwise, I'll just do without.

It may be more trouble than it is worth but I'll probably take the plunge. Worst case there might be a craigslist ad to sell it in the future.

As for a built-in generator, I'm all for that. I rented a Class C with one last year and that was perfect.

[valhalla360]

SoundGuy wrote:

Atlee wrote:
My experience is with Honda's.

Next, I needed to get a second 2k generator to run the AC on my TT. Since I already had one Honda, I got a second Honda to twin with the first one.

I also got a 7 gal extended run tank so I have a pretty long run time. Depending on whether I need AC or not, I can almost get through the weekend with only the extended run tank. However, I also carry 3 2.5 gal and 1 2 gal gas cans.

Just an observation that highlights one of many reasons I personally found having a genset more trouble than it was worth. Based on the above information it would seem you carry a considerable amount of gas in order to keep your gensets running for the duration you anticipate ...

7 gals in an extended run tank
9.5 gals in portable gas cans

Total 16.5 US gals or ~ 62.5 litres. :E

If each tank on each of EU2000i genset was also filled that would add an additional .95 gals x 2 = 1.9 gals or 7 litres.

Total 18.4 US gals or nearly 70 litres.

In comparison, my Silverado's gas tank only holds 26 US gals or ~ 98 litres.

Wow, that's a LOT of gas to be dragging around just for running a genset. :E

To the OP ... are you really prepared to drag around quantities of gas like this in your SUV just so you can run A/C in your camper for extended periods of time? :@

I agree that is a lot of fuel to drag around but not sure if the poster has other uses (ie: if they go out dirt biking, they might need it anyway).

We just have a single 5 gal jug and that typically will last a couple days if running continuously but I don't think we've ever ran that long. As long as you aren't in a really remote area, we usually go out in the truck at some point every couple days, so no biggie to refill the jug.

[TomG2]

Lantley wrote:
You guys are not making a case for no genset. Your just pointing out why I prefer a built in genset vs. portable.
No gas cans, nothing to set up..ever, nothing to carry or haul.
Just push button convenience.

Where would you have the OP install a built in genset like yours? In his SUV or travel trailer? Cost?

[Lantley]

SoundGuy wrote:

Atlee wrote:
My experience is with Honda's.

Next, I needed to get a second 2k generator to run the AC on my TT. Since I already had one Honda, I got a second Honda to twin with the first one.

I also got a 7 gal extended run tank so I have a pretty long run time. Depending on whether I need AC or not, I can almost get through the weekend with only the extended run tank. However, I also carry 3 2.5 gal and 1 2 gal gas cans.

Just an observation that highlights one of many reasons I personally found having a genset more trouble than it was worth. Based on the above information it would seem you carry a considerable amount of gas in order to keep your gensets running for the duration you anticipate ...

7 gals in an extended run tank
9.5 gals in portable gas cans

Total 16.5 US gals or ~ 62.5 litres. :E

If each tank on each of EU2000i genset was also filled that would add an additional .95 gals x 2 = 1.9 gals or 7 litres.

Total 18.4 US gals or nearly 70 litres.

In comparison, my Silverado's gas tank only holds 26 US gals or ~ 98 litres.

Wow, that's a LOT of gas to be dragging around just for running a genset. :E

To the OP ... are you really prepared to drag around quantities of gas like this in your SUV just so you can run A/C in your camper for extended periods of time? :@

You guys are not making a case for no genset. Your just pointing out why I prefer a built in genset vs. portable.
No gas cans, nothing to set up..ever, nothing to carry or haul.
Just push button convenience.

[SoundGuy]

Atlee wrote:
My experience is with Honda's.

Next, I needed to get a second 2k generator to run the AC on my TT. Since I already had one Honda, I got a second Honda to twin with the first one.

I also got a 7 gal extended run tank so I have a pretty long run time. Depending on whether I need AC or not, I can almost get through the weekend with only the extended run tank. However, I also carry 3 2.5 gal and 1 2 gal gas cans.

Just an observation that highlights one of many reasons I personally found having a genset more trouble than it was worth. Based on the above information it would seem you carry a considerable amount of gas in order to keep your gensets running for the duration you anticipate ...

7 gals in an extended run tank
9.5 gals in portable gas cans

Total 16.5 US gals or ~ 62.5 litres. :E

If each tank on each of EU2000i genset was also filled that would add an additional .95 gals x 2 = 1.9 gals or 7 litres.

Total 18.4 US gals or nearly 70 litres.

In comparison, my Silverado's gas tank only holds 26 US gals or ~ 98 litres.

Wow, that's a LOT of gas to be dragging around just for running a genset. :E

To the OP ... are you really prepared to drag around quantities of gas like this in your SUV just so you can run A/C in your camper for extended periods of time? :@

[SoundGuy]

valhalla360 wrote:
If you don't want to use a generator to show how tough you are more power to you but don't expect everyone else to follow you plan. Certainly not those using their precious vacation time.

TomG2 wrote:
Who said anything about being tough, or trying to tell you how to enjoy the RV lifestyle?

Some of us are lucky enough to camp in less than one hundred degree temperatures. Some of us like to spend most of our time outside our RV's. I do the Winter Texan thing to enjoy milder winters and cooler summers. If you can't, or don't choose to, definitely your choice. Personally, I am not going to sit around a campground with a bunch of "quiet" generators howling night and day. I am not going to be confined inside by heat or cold either. Spend your time and money any way your little heart desires. Enjoy RVing.

valhalla360 wrote:
That was not directed at you.

Sound guy made a post that he happily camps in 100F weather so why should anyone want the hassle of taking a generator along.

Nice try at distorting what I said but no cigar for you. :W No, I did not say anything about me "happily camping in 100F weather" and therefore concluding that everyone else should also. :R I merely said that you're not going to die without A/C while camping for a few days - all sorts of people do it every summer, especially those tent camping & many popup camping, and in fact people have been living through hot weather for thousands of years without A/C and have managed just fine. Nor is this about being "tough" or being a "survivalist", exaggerations to be sure. :R

The OP has said that he expects to dry camp without shore power just a few times each season, the rest of the time he'd have shore power, so IMO it's logical that after all this discussion he would now question whether investing in a genset so he can run A/C those few times each year is even worth it. In his posts he's also asking for what is probably impossible - something small and light weight that he can store in his trailer without smell but which will power his A/C. At the very least he'd need a 2K genset and perhaps by also fitting a Micro-Air Easy Start Soft Starter Kit to his A/C he might make this work, particularly if he chose the new Honda EU2200i. However, might is the operative word because as ambient temperature rises so too will A/C compressor head pressure, just as will any genset's power output decrease as elevation increases, the result being that even this combination may not work for him in all situations he expects to encounter. In that case his only recourse is to go to a much larger genset but that won't meet the criteria he set out in his original post. Bottom line - for such little use I'm saying he may be just as well to forget the whole idea of a genset & all it's attendant drawbacks and just deal with hot weather without A/C those few times each season he may not have shore power available. Apparently this concept is confusing for some but it's hardly rocket science. :S

[Atlee]

I will try to get this back to your original question, concerning generator's with or without 30A outlet.

The following is my experience using generators for many, many years. First let me state why I use generators a lot. I and a bunch of my friends who also have RV's (Class A, Class C, Travel Trailers, and 5th wheels) tailgate for the entire weekend at Va Tech football games. We park in an open field with no hook ups whatsoever. And in Blacksburg, VA in early September it can get very hot and very humid. Also, in November, it can get very cold. So, AC is useful early in the football season, and electric heater is useful late in the season.

My experience is with Honda's. This is not because I like to waste money, nor because I'm snobbish and want the top of the line stuff. It's simply because when I got my first Honda, an EU2000i, there was only a choice between Honda and Yamaha. Champions and the like were not invented when the world began. They came later after the Hondas were created.

Next, I needed to get a second 2k generator to run the AC on my TT. Since I already had one Honda, I got a second Honda to twin with the first one. The second one is called the EU2000i Companion. It's called this because it's wired with a 30A outlet. So, after they are twinned, either one, or the other, or both can be run, and the TT is plugged into the Companion model. There is one caveat though. The 30A outlet on the Companion isn't an RV style 30A, it's a twist lock version. I just bought a twist lock plug, to RV 30A outlet dog bone. Works perfectly.

I also got a 7 gal extended run tank so I have a pretty long run time. Depending on whether I need AC or not, I can almost get through the weekend with only the extended run tank. However, I also carry 3 2.5 gal and 1 2 gal gas cans. They sit in one of those black cement mixing tubs you can get at Lowe's or Home Depot, should there be a spill. Haven't had one yet in 10's of thousands of miles I've traveled with the trailer.

This set up works great. I don't know about the Champion and other Honda clones simply because they didn't exist when I first needed a relatively quiet inverter style generator. If I just now needed generators, I would definitely be looking at the Champion and other clones.

If you want to run your A/C you will need at the minimum a Honda EU3000i or equivalent. The chief drawback to this generator is the weight. I need to get the generator out of the truck to use with my trailer. I can't leave it in the bed of the truck.

The good thing about the Honda EU2000i, and now EU2200i or it's equivalent, is a little extra power, and individually, they are much lighter. I can get them out of the truck bed.

You can use a portable generator to power your A/C. You just need one or a pair that provides enough power, and that has a 30A outlet. The Honda Companion provides a 30A outlet and I'm pretty sure the Champions and other clones do also.

MisterCipher wrote:
I have a 19' Rockwood Eco Pro. I'd like to get a generator for camping off the grid. I want to run the A/C so solar is out as a solution. I'm looking at portable generators as a solution but I don't see any with a 30Amp outlet (even with 1800 watt output). Am I right to conclude that a portable generator is not a solution to run the A/C? The larger generators that do have 30Amp outlet are just too big for me.

Am I reading this right? Or am I missing something?

-Lou

[valhalla360]

TomG2 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

If you don't want to use a generator to show how tough you are more power to you but don't expect everyone else to follow you plan. Certainly not those using their precious vacation time.

Who said anything about being tough, or trying to tell you how to enjoy the RV lifestyle?

Some of us are lucky enough to camp in less than one hundred degree temperatures. Some of us like to spend most of our time outside our RV's. I do the Winter Texan thing to enjoy milder winters and cooler summers. If you can't, or don't choose to, definitely your choice. Personally, I am not going to sit around a campground with a bunch of "quiet" generators howling night and day. I am not going to be confined inside by heat or cold either. Spend your time and money any way your little heart desires. Enjoy RVing.

That was not directed at you.

Sound guy made a post that he happily camps in 100F weather so why should anyone want the hassle of taking a generator along.

[TomG2]

2oldman wrote:
Of course we see a lot of survivalist comments on here about skimping on just about anything, like propane for heat. I guess if that's your lifestyle then that's ok with me.

Does "skimping" mean grilling steaks on a barbecue, taking a hot shower, eating frozen treats from the freezer, watching television, or listening to the evening breeze? NONE of these require a generator. Or skimping.

[SoundGuy]

TomG2 wrote:
Who said anything about being tough, or trying to tell you how to enjoy the RV lifestyle?

2oldman wrote:
SoundGuy. Of course we see a lot of survivalist comments on here about skimping on just about anything, like propane for heat. I guess if that's your lifestyle then that's ok with me.

Not my lifestyle. That's just my point ... life will actually go on just fine while dry camping without a genset, no "survivalist" skills required. :B

[2oldman]

TomG2 wrote:
Who said anything about being tough, or trying to tell you how to enjoy the RV lifestyle?

SoundGuy. Of course we see a lot of survivalist comments on here about skimping on just about anything, like propane for heat. I guess if that's your lifestyle then that's ok with me.