Inverter generator size

cajeff64

Hi, I have a 2014 T@B Q.. I was told an 1800 watt inverter generator would run the entire camper without a problem. This past weekend we went to a campground without electrical hook-ups so I bought a Ryobi 1800W inverter generator. Started it up, burned it in... then plugged in the camper and it tripped the overload switch immediately. I made sure everything was off in the camper and tried again. As soon as I turned on the furnaced it tripped the overload. I tried and tried and it just will not run the furnace. Is it worth buying a higher watt generator or is there something causing too high of a load?

jkjenn

cajeff64 said:

Hi, I have a 2014 T@B Q.. I was told an 1800 watt inverter generator would run the entire camper without a problem. This past weekend we went to a campground without electrical hook-ups so I bought a Ryobi 1800W inverter generator. Started it up, burned it in... then plugged in the camper and it tripped the overload switch immediately. I made sure everything was off in the camper and tried again. As soon as I turned on the furnaced it tripped the overload. I tried and tried and it just will not run the furnace. Is it worth buying a higher watt generator or is there something causing too high of a load?

I think you would want to run the Alde on LP. What were you set at - 1, 2, or 3 lightning bolts?

Nomad

My Honda 2000i runs everything just fine so I'd think yours at 1800 would - I think there are also some running 1000w with no problem. Considering your other post about your battery, something must be goofy somewhere.

cajeff64

I was running the heater on propane...   Im guessing the DC is only needed for the electronic ignition and the blower for the heater. I'm going to have the battery load tested. We bought the 2014 in March of 2015 as a leftover so the battery may not be operating at it's best.

jkjenn

cajeff64 said:

I was running the heater on propane...   Im guessing the DC is only needed for the electronic ignition and the blower for the heater. I'm going to have the battery load tested. We bought the 2014 in March of 2015 as a leftover so the battery may not be operating at it's best.

The dealer installs the battery so age should not be the problem, but it is worth checking.

If you have an Alde, there is no blower, it's radiant heat.

Nomad

Do you have the Alde heater?
Battery should last longer than that unless it was run way too low too many times.

cajeff64

We have a Dual Therm Coolcat Heat Pump......  a manual (traditional) thermostat and a digital thermostat for the fan/AC/Heater/Heat Pump

Nomad

Ok, I have the Alde so can't soeak to what the norm is on the Coolcat - Hopefully some else will pop in with their experience.

cajeff64

PXLated..  ty for your comments and help.  

Ratkity

Just FYI, with everything electrical turned off and the T@bitha plugged into the generator (built-in Progressive surge protection - G/N plug in genny), I turned on a small 1500W AC ceramic heater and that flipped the Honda 2000i's overload. No frig, no heat, no lights were on. There is just enough parasitic load combined with the little heater (on low) to trip the generator's overload. The genny wasn't on ECO mode either. Without the camper plugged in and just running by itself, I plugged the ceramic heater into the genny and it did not trip the overload circuit. Even with the heater up on high. I could hear the genny working hard, but it didn't falter.  Keep in mind that a Honda 2000i series really runs at a sustained 1600W not in ECO mode, but can handle peaks up to 2000W. That's how they are marketing generators now.

Thirteen years ago, I bought a 3550W Briggs and Stratton generator and the wattage was labeled as such. Instructions said it would handle peaks 500-600W higher. In today's market, it would probably be advertised as a 4000W generator. That thing is a behemoth, btw. A friend is borrowing it to run her horses' water trough heaters in her barn (heaters in the barn, not the genny). My verbose point is that your generator is listed at 1800W, but that's probably what it can handle at peak. It might have a sustained run wattage of 1400W or less. 

A heat pump is an AC unit that blows the hot air in and cold air out.  To cool, it reverses the process.  When you set the thermostat, it triggers a reverse valve. I would suspect it needs a way bigger generator (3000W) to keep up with it. Some people could have the 2000W Honda running it ok, but I'm suspecting higher because of the additional circuitry that allows it to both heat and cool.

jkjenn

@Ratkitythat is a terrific explanation. I think one of the big reasons LG started to go with the Alde us to aid off grid camping.