Generator Question and recommendations

[Deleted User]

I need a generator for those hours I can use it in the campground if needed for my a/c.  I'm told the 2020 T@Bs with the new Air 8 systems (6000btu, 10 AMP) will easily be handled by the Honda EU2200i generator (which is also supposed to be fairly quiet).  I've read it lasts 3-8 hours Aren't you running to the gas station every day when you need gas to power your a/c or carrying around gallons of gas in your car to keep filling it up?Especially if you are boondocking for several days in hot weather. 

VictoriaP

Since this is all new to you, do note that in a campground, generators are usually limited to certain hours of the day. You won’t be able to use it to run your AC overnight. Not as big a deal when truly boondocking.

Most people just carry gas cans in addition to their generators, often two or more 5 gallon cans so they don’t need to keep running to the gas station daily. There are also propane fueled generators if you prefer to deal with an extra propane tank instead (they’re also a little lower maintenance.)

As for heat, that can be run on propane with only a little battery usage.

webers3

Concur with @VictoriaP on generator restriction during the night, typically all quiet starts at 10pm at many campgrounds,  and if you run your generator during the day you will not be a good neighbor.

51chevy

I was told a 8,000 is to much for a 320. It has to shut off and come back on to often. Oh well. If your considering a Generator take a look at the new Briggs and Stratton's. You can get 2, 2200’s for the price of one Honda. They’ve been making small motors for like a 100 years,  I read the Briggs unlike other Top brands have a Steel drive chain as opposed to a fiber type belt that will eventually be a big $$$ repair. They have a very cool unit that runs both 2200’s if you bought 2 and you would have tons of power for your 8,000 btu AC. Check them out I bought one and it works great. I also have a 1000 Honda which I like just not big enough for the AC. Good luck

GatorEgg

I just bought a new gen for backup in my home.  It's a dual fuel, propane or gas.  I haven't had much time with it to get a proper review.  I'm anxious to see one of the small models come out with this.  I've used the older Honda 2000 on my boat in the Carib for years.  A great little unit, but pricey.  And now there's a lot of competition out there in this size.  So far I too am researching the Briggs and Yamaha.  Harbor freight is selling a new one also.  All of them are half the cost of the Honda.  I think the competition is catching Honda.

ezusmanis

I've got a tab 400 and use the Honda 2200 to run the A/C. Remember that the amount of current needed to start  the A/C is much great than the running current. I use the EasyStart 364 with my generator and I can start the A/C in Eco mode.

Remember that the advertised output of a generator is maximum output (only sustainable for a short period of time) rather than rated output. For instance, the Honda 2200 is rated for a max output of 2200 kVA but a rated (sustained) output of 1800 kVA. Many of the less expensive units have even a lower sustained output.

For running the generator for a long time, I use an extended run fuel tank that connects to the generator. It adds 6 gallons of capacity for $140 from Northern Tool (https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200402013_200402013) with an advertised run time of 72 hours (Eco mode).

[Deleted User]

Extended run fuel tank and Easy start! Great tips! 

Cbusguy

@Missstsomewhere be careful of the advice you take on these forums.     

There are 15 or more different vintages of these campers with many versions of build materials, heaters, and on and on.........so make sure the years models and equipment all line up.     The other thing to consider is that many offering advise may have already completed mods that make their suggestion either work or fail.

Ezus posted he has a cool cat ac unit which is a very different beast than the air8.    The air8 has not been in the field long enough to know if it needs or will accept a soft start.     

Dometic has stated that the soft start voids their warranty on the cool cat.   Many here poo poo this when I post it.....but you should be aware.

The soft start manufacture does offer a warranty you can buy on their website as a result of the dometic move.

There are many brand loyalist on this forum as well.   Nothing wrong with it.   There are cheaper alternatives available.

Harbor freight offers a 2kw generator that is similar in size and performance at less than half the cost.  Then HF has holiday specials and their 30 percent off coupons.

Not to mention there are some dual fuel units that let you use propane instead of gasoline.  Some with remote controls and Bluetooth ECT.

Buying Honda is a solid choice, but there are a lot of others out there with cool features similar performance

[Deleted User]

Great advice!!!

Tundra57

Just something to be wary of. Our tabs are single phase 110v ac input. Generators which have 220v ac output use 220v to calculate the current it will output. So a 3000watt unit with 220v output will only provide 13.5A also for its 110v ac output. The honda 2200w is only 110v so dividing 2200w by 120 gives peak current of 20A. So check the 120v ac current rating before you buy to make sure it is big enough just chosing bigger Watts may not help. The Honda 2200 which only has 110v ac outlets on it which I bought used from a pawn shop, though it had never been run, runs the ac in my tab400 boondock in econo mode, but when the ac compressor kicks on the generator ramps up in speed briefly, then goes back to quiet. So i am happy with the generator.

TNOutback

Home Depot has the Wen 2250 Watt generator for $507, and you can get HD’s 3 year extended warranty on top of the Wen’s 2 year warranty to have cover for 5 years in total, and pay about half the price of the comparable Honda.  Also be sure to look at a generator’s ability to ramp up from Eco mode.  I’ve noticed several models have a pretty low max wattage rating on Eco mode.  Keep that in mind if you are thinking of running the a/c.  Even though starting watts rating may be okay to run your a/c, it might not be possible to run the gen in Eco mode.

Awca12a

You have been given great advice here but as a newcomer, you might not fully appreciate what's been said.  The best advice I can give you is to read all the old threads on this topic and you'll start to get an appreciation of the scope of the question you've asked.  I'm going to toss in a few thoughts about what I would do in your shoes having been down this path myself.   Comparing between generators can be like choosing between Hyundai and Ford and there are fans of both brands.   Having owned all of these generators at one point or another,  I now own a Honda 2000 that was converted to propane by Genconnex and if I was buying it again today, I'd get the same thing only in the 2200 version.   Not having to worry about keeping a gasoline can in the vehicle or trailer is worth making the switch but it's even more valuable knowing that I don't have to fill the gasoline tank in the rain at 3AM because the 20# propane tank will keep it going.  This way I carry one type of fuel that can be used for the fridge, heat, hot water and generator.   YMMV

Since you shouldn't take my word for it, here is one way to compare the gasoline competitors:
Harbor Freight has a specific niche in the tool industry but broadly speaking, when I want a tool that will be used long term, I go to Northern Tool and when I need a cheap solution for a project, I go to Harbor Freight.  I bring this up because one of the examples given above was for the HF Predator 2000W generator.  Many people have purchased it and reported great results.   That said, one of the other comments was to pay attention to the running watts as this is what the generator is designed to produce on a consistent basis.  Like any piece of equipment, you want to oversize it when compared to the expected demand because you want to have 25% buffer so the equipment isn't being run full-out all the time.

A quick comparison of the Predator and the Honda 2200 using internet data shows they both weigh the same and have the same number of 20A receptacles.  The Honda has a running wattage of 1800 vs 1600 for the Predator and a db rating (noise level) of 57 as compared to the Predators 65.    The Honda has an RPM of between 4000 and 4500 compared to 4600 for the Predator.   All this boils down to that the Honda runs quieter and has a 12% greater wattage capacity.  On the downside, the Predator has a 1-gallon tank compared to the Honda's 0.95 and since the Honda is 2200w vs Predators 2000w, the Predator will run for 12-hours on a tank of gas compared to the Honda's 8.1 hours.   Lastly, the Honda has a 3-year warranty compared to a 90-day one from HF but the Honda costs $1000 compared to the Predators $500 cost.  

Finally, what we've found over 30,000 travel miles in both our trailers is that we've used our twin Honda 2000's a total of 8 times and of these, only twice did we use them for the AC.  The reality is we are out during the day and by the time we are ready to cook and go to bed, the temps have dropped and we didn't need the AC.    Adding-in the 4 times times we've used the AC with hookups, carrying the generators has been mostly to charge-up the batteries during the shoulder season while boon docking as the heater draws them down during the evening.   In hindsight, correctly sized solar panels/suitcase make the generators superfluous for our needs but we generally don't go further south than the Carolina's.  Again, YYMV.   

In your situation, before you invest in expensive generators, and start carrying around flammable gasoline tanks,  I'd test out just how much I really needed to use the AC's as opposed to how often I think I'd need them.

jcfaber1

We use one Honda 2200 and easy start on eco with our Lance 9K btu.  Works great.  If you want to add propane or NG Hutch Mountain has a kit for not too much.

db_cooper

I picked up the new at the time Westinghouse 2400i, and it appears to be a solid, quiet generator.  We've used it once camping, and now it's mostly reserved for emergency use (which we needed anyway as our power goes out frequently in the winter).

So my advice is to camp first and then get a gen if you really need it. We upgraded batteries and solar not long after getting the Gen and it's been great not hauling it around.

Cbusguy

I bought a pulsar 2200 dual fuel from Amazon 499 delivered.   It will run a 2020 320 and the elwel ac unit with zero issues on propane.

The biggest energy use could be the alde on ac power at 2000 watts. I never would intentional do it.

    My dc amp meter shows the entire trailer load in the 1400 watt range with air conditioner running. Well within the range of the pulsar.

The similar Honda would be $1200-1300 with propane conversion.   And a better deal than the harbor freight,  since it can run on propane

N7SHG_Ham

I borrowed a friend's used older Honda 2000 today to see if it would work on our 2019 400. I can report that it will start and run the Dometic Cool Cat even in eco mode. It does bog a bit when the compressor starts and I may add a MicroAir soft start just to be easier. I also tested the microwave and it runs that too, but actually sounds way more maxed out than the AC (of course I didn't try to simultaneously run both).

This test was to see if I bought a new Honda 2200 would that work? Apparently the answer is yes at around 3000 foot elevation with gasoline. If I purchase one, it will be from Genconnex with the propane conversion, so a little less power and there might be times at higher altitude that it fails, but at this point very happy to discover that the 2k w class of generator appears to be adequate thus saving buying a bigger unit.

Awca12a

Just found this video by Delany who does a live sound and use comparisons Predator  to a Generac. Excellent job of explaining and showing the issues and considerations.  Makes an excellent personal use case for the gas Predator.  

https://youtu.be/Pb6XShcxKeU

Cbusguy

@N7SHG_Ham the key take away should be,   if you are at high altitude you shouldn't need to run the AC and you should be fine.

another thing to note about the pulsar is the noise level.....it is quieter than the 2020 elwel AC unit.   with the generator behind the camper and AC running you cannot hear the generator over the AC unit.     I am not saying it is quiet,  less noisy than the AC unit.

COHiker06

Keep in mind that run time is related to RPMs. In Eco mode my Honda EU2200i will probably run 8 hours but if an AC is pulling continuously in 97+ degree weather plus your other electronics and charging the battery, you're not going to see 8 hours run time. I honestly didn't get that kind of time at Rocky Mountain Nat Park this summer but we were at 8000ft too. That was my first running systems check so I don't have averages to base a decent run time on and I didn't fill the tank (maybe 1/2) this time.