Generator Sizing for RVs with Josh the RV Nerd

Haylett Auto & RV of Coldwater Michigan | 800-256-5196

[TravelballDad]

Thank you for the video. Just a couple of things for your viewers, research the exact generator and know your a/c unit. For example, there are other videos where someone can't run diddly on a 3400 watt propane generator, and another one where someone runs a 15K btu with a Firman 3300 watt without any soft start stuff added to the a/c. I think one of the best resources for gen set comparison is Long Long Honeymoon, where they seem to be able to run their 13.5K btu a/c and other appliances pretty well with the 3, 000 watt category.

Something to keep in mind with the dual 2000 watt generators, is you will be doing routine maintenance on two generators instead of one. So if you are like me and you'd rather go to the dentist than perform yearly lawn mower engine maintenance, then maybe two generators will take the "recreation" out of Recreational Vehicle.

[rayhester]

Josh, once again You've made a complicated subject like generators so easy to understand. Thanks

[michaelbracewell]

Great video. One thing to mention is a inverter generator is much more quite than a regular generator and a little more money but worth it

[billpahl]

We have a 36' toy hauler with two 15btu AC units and a built in 5500 Onan. We live in Arizona and even summer dry camping will work comfortably with both ac/units. However, the Generator eats lots of gas. For winter dry camping when we don't need A/C, we have three work arounds so as not to use the "big" Onan. First is a roof mounted 160 Solar unit to keep our two 6volt golf cart batteries topped off if we have sun. Second is a 3000 watt inverter which will allow a for some late night TV and early morning coffee from battery power, with no generator use. Finally we have a small, 1250 watt WEN Generator. While the Yamaha and Honda generators are great, they are expensive. The little 1250 watt WEN is small, light, quiet and sips gas. It will run a coffee pot or our tv and keep our batteries topped off. Best of all they are about $300 and ours has worked flawlessly for about 400 hours so far.

[JordanRakoske]

Great video as always Josh A few points to add. In some states (like NY) our state camp grounds have generator hours which typically are 9-11am 4-7pm. So if you plan on doing lots of state camping in this case running the AC in the summer becomes a challenge so keep that in mind as well when buying a generator. We have a small 2200 unit to keep everything topped off but with limited hours cooling may be challenging if you have a big unit depending on your campground. So point here is before buying one is figure out what type of camping you will be doing. I know people that only go to full hookups, I also know people like myself that do all state camping no hookups and then there are folks that go on land and camp with no restrictions. Just a few things to keep in mind so you don't end up spending lots of money on something you can only use at specific times. Depending on the type of camping spending the money on a battery bank or extra batteries with a solar panel might be better. Really depends on the user. Just wanted to share some thoughts on stuff I know I didn't think about when buying mine. Happy camping

[williamrizzo]

I have a Champion 3500 watt dual-fuel inverter generator running a 15000 BTU Dometic air conditioner with a hard start installed and it works great.

[georei]

I use the harbor freight 3200 running, 4000 peak to run my air conditioner, tv, charger for phones, and tablet and it does just fine. I also have a 100' extension cord, 8 gauge wire, with the 30 amp plugs so I can put the generator in an area that absorbs the sound.

[JeffinTD]

Excellent video. RE: AC and portable generators I’d add if your gen has econo-throttle feature that allows the engine to throttle back when there is no load, turn that off when running the AC. It takes the engine up to a second to rev up when a load is detected, and ac compressors do not like voltage droop.

Also if your gen struggles with the AC, make sure the fridge is on LP mode and not auto, and temporarily shut off the breaker for the RV’s converter/charger. Turn it back on later when it cools off to charge the batteries if needed.

The converter can pull a couple hundred watts depending on battery state.

Personally I use an RV to go ATVing, trip to the coast, and other activities and I’m gone during the day. If it’s 112f out in the desert, I’d be up in the high mountains or at the coast where it’s cooler. Even if I go where there is a power hookup, I don’t want to have to sit in the RV hiding from the heat

[AngelTorres-sezf]

Very good video, I have a Firman 3300. It has 3000 running watts and when starting up our 13k btu a/c the idle does max out and then settles. You are so right in that aspect and a e-z start for my a/c would be helpfull. I can run a/c and refrigerator on electric but wouldn't try no other appliances. Love the video and thank you for sharing. Happy camping😊

[chuckmckee]

You make this so simple, the same with the vid on batteries! And I’m an electrician ! Thank you!

[jhm]

Awesome video. The wife and went with a pair of 2000w inverter Champion generators. We went that way because we had the 4000w open frame/construction generator and it was loud and very heavy. We also came across some Campground do not allow those type because of the noise pollution they put out.

[rl]

You should also mention that people should not use construction generators at campsite. People get them because they are cheap and have high wattage, but they are super loud and ruin the camping experience for everyone in the area. Some campsites and parks also ban these generators and have certain noise standards as to what models are allowed.

[richardkoch]

Josh, how about a little instructional vid on generators and how to use them in wet lousy weather for travel trailers and fifth wheels.

[raymondreynolds]

Hello, thank you for the great video and great information. My situation is a little bit different as I own a much older "canned ham" style camper which currently has a 5000btu window A/C unit in it. I would like to upgrade to a 8000btu as the 5000btu can struggle to keep the small camper cool if we're in direct sunlight. I was looking at some of the smaller generators because I don't feel like I need a huge amount of power. My camper is 14ft and pretty much just runs lights, 2 mini fridges and of course the A/C. I'm a single parent and am working with a budget so I need something economical and price friendly. I have used my dads 5500 watt generator to go boondocking, but as you said it's more trouble loading it in and out and storing it than it's worth. I to also usually run some string light around the outside of the camper at night when the A/C isn't having to work as hard. Would for example the ryobi 1800 watt running 2300watt start up inverter generator work for my needs, or should I save a little more and jump up to a 3400watt inverter generator? Any information from anyone would be of great help. Besides the afore - mentioned electronics we sometimes use a small 24"tv and blu-ray player, and phone chargers. Most of our time is spent outdoors fishing or that sort of thing. Also I wanted to mention I don't have any pumps for water or anything like that. None of that stuff is hooked up in my camper, it's very primitive.

[machfive]

Great video and also also a great comment by Mr. Greg Hall.

[shotgun]

More Sound Advice. Thank you for your honestly, 30 AMP isn't really 30 AMP. We were work Camping in Yellowstone when an heavy April snow storm took down the AC power. The neighbors furnace failed them, so our 30 amp generator powered his electric heater and our entire 5th wheel equipped with a small electric heater. All was well until my wife started the Micro Wave. (mid-summer one of the stores lost power for 2 days and our little generator saved all of the ice cream in their 120acV freezer. We were rewarded with Drumsticks)

[nathanbrodeur]

Josh one thing if people are using a generator to power there camper is not start the ac at 70 degrees start it at 85 degrees then gradually go colder just like fans even the hot water tank start the water temp at a lower temp then gradually raise it cause some generators don't have a ground fault circuit interrupter or a voltage regulator and causing the generator circuit breaker to fail prematurely and cause a fire

[williamfuller]

A couple of points I didn't hear you mention. First, a 2000w generator likely only provides 1600 "running" watts. Second, for every 1000' of elevation, you lose 3.5% of potential output. Lastly, another hidden big draw is your Charge Convertor that charges your house batteries when connected to shore power or a generator. Also, getting a Micro-Air "Easy Start" allows you to run 13, 500 and even 15k BTU AC units with simply one Honda 2000 at around 3, 000' elevation. I installed them on both my trailers and ran my AC for about 30 minutes with no problem. I did turn off my Charge Controller, however.

[mikeelder]

Thank you for your video. Your insights into RVs help me to take more direct courses into maintenance and getting the most out of my RV. Just finished watching the video about RV refrigerators.
I have a Sportsman dual fuel generator 7500 (LP and gas). I know it's a hoss of a generator, but I believe it to be user friendly and will power anything I need it for.

[The..Minute-Man]

From Aussie great info .... well presented .. and not music to talk over ... liked