Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 02-14-2017, 02:02 PM   #1
New Camper
 
LongLongTrailer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: TX
Posts: 7
What generator to get?

We are looking to purchase a generator to use when not able to hook up at a camp site...We will be going to a lake house to visit family in June and need a generator to power our RV A/C and other items while there. We have two A/C's and it sounds like unless I get a very large and loud generator we can only run one A/C at a time which is 15,000 btu's. Would the Champion Power Equipment 46596 3500 Watt RV Ready Portable Generator be enough to run the A/C, microwave, some lights TV? I assume we would be using the fridge, water heater and oven/stove off propane when needed if needed since we can use items in the house but would like to have options for when we may be out remote camping without an option to use a house as well. Also is 68db ok for using to not be too loud and bothersome to others? Thanks everyone!
__________________
2017 Zinger Z-1 328SB pulled with 2015 GMC Texas Edition 1500
LongLongTrailer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-14-2017, 03:57 PM   #2
Full Time Camper
 
harley's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Belle River , Ontario
Posts: 1,753
Personally if you have a champion gen ,...stay away from my campsite . There are quieter ones .Look at Honda. Plus there is no reason to use a gen when camping if you have 2 good batteries and solar of some kind. Of course if you need AC to sleep ,but campgrounds have a 10 or 11 oclock quiet time.
__________________


It was a rainy few days at Algonquin Prov park...tarps kept us dry.
Wayne --Belle River (Windsor), Ontario
2013 Sunset Trail Reserve 25RB..(just sold it)
2015 White Chev Silverado 2500HD 4x4 (6.0 l gasser)
2003 Mountain Star 890SBRX Truck Camper
harley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-14-2017, 04:07 PM   #3
Family Vacation Member
 
morphrider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Colorado
Posts: 220
We have the champion 3500. You will probably want a bigger generator for AC use. When we are up at elevation of 9,000 it will not give sufficient power to run AC. I have not tried to use it at 5,000 where I live to see the difference. I emailed champion and they did state that elevation reduces power on generators output, confirming what I had found out.
__________________
2015 Z-218TD (sold)
2001 6.0 2500HD Gasser (sold)
2009 Ram 2500 6.7 QCLB Cummins Power
2019 Grand Design Imagine 2800bh
morphrider is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-14-2017, 04:37 PM   #4
Family Vacation Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: On
Posts: 186
Get a Honda digital 3000 ei
Jeffur is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-14-2017, 06:49 PM   #5
Full Time Camper
 
MartyinSC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SC
Posts: 679
We have a 3500 Watt generator. I don't use it unless we are ALONE! This will be my next one. An inverter is more quiet, and a better, cleaner output which is better for electronics, such as the fridge, converter, television, etc. They do cost more, but it's what I want next! BTW, 3100 watts / 120 volts = 25.8 amps. Plenty for one AC, converter, and maybe a little more.3100W/3400W Dual Fuel Inverter Generator - Champion Power Equipment
__________________
Marty and Martha
2015 Z-1 211RD
2012 Nissan Titan
Dalzell SC
MartyinSC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-14-2017, 07:06 PM   #6
Site Team
 
DavisK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: VA
Posts: 1,715
I have a 3500W Champion that I use at race tracks. It will power my 15,000 BTU A/C, but not the A/C and microwave at the same time. I also have a Honda eu2000i. It won't power the microwave, but it will power the refrigerator, recharge the battery and power a hot plate.
__________________

2013 Silverado 2500HD LTZ CC 6.6L Duramax Diesel
2023 Rockwood 2445WS
Buster, miniature Dachshund
2023: 9 trips, 48 nights in 12 states, 2 provinces, 8120 miles
2022: 3 trips, 18 nights in 4 states, 2352 miles
2019: 7 trips, 43 nights in 6 states, 5336 miles
DavisK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-14-2017, 07:17 PM   #7
Site Team
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: WI.
Posts: 9,153
I splurged on this.

Honda EU2000 & EU2000 Inverter Companion Kit with Parallel Cables



Lloyd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2017, 03:42 AM   #8
Seasonal Camper
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: MA
Posts: 315
Get a champion.
__________________
Retired U.S. Navy Engineer

2020 Ram 2500 Bighorn 6.7 Diesel
2014 Zinger 27RL (Traded)
2022 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS
markandkim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2017, 04:33 AM   #9
Weekend Camper
 
Danny Pyle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Ohio
Posts: 46
I have what Lloyd shows there. It powers our whole Z231 camper, only one is needed if not using air.
Danny Pyle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2017, 04:54 AM   #10
Family Vacation Member
 
TrainSafe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: WI
Posts: 183
Champion makes really good stuff.

There are two factors you need to consider when sizing a genny for your camper. Running amps/watts is one and that is easy- just add up the loads (a/c, fridge, lights, etc)

The other factor is startup. Motor loads like your a/c need lots more power to start than they do to run. In some cases they might draw nearly 2x as much during startup, but only for a couple seconds. The Champion you are looking at has a dual rating such as 3500/5000. That second number is the starting load that it can handle. This gives it the ability to handle the draw of the a/c. Unfortunately the quiet inverter genny technologies have no ability to handle startup loads over the normal rating. This is a limitation of the technology. You need to purchase a unit rated for the total startup current.

I have two Champion inverters and they struggle to start my 13,500 but a/c when hooked in parallel.
__________________
Ted

2013 Sunset Trail 31BH
TrainSafe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2017, 04:15 PM   #11
Site Team
 
DavisK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: VA
Posts: 1,715
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lloyd View Post
I splurged on this.

Honda EU2000 & EU2000 Inverter Companion Kit with Parallel Cables



I'm thinking about buying another Honda and parallel cable because the Champion is too heavy for me to lift up to my pickup bed by myself. Now that I am retiring in a week, I hope to do some more camping by myself, and I can handle the Hondas.
__________________

2013 Silverado 2500HD LTZ CC 6.6L Duramax Diesel
2023 Rockwood 2445WS
Buster, miniature Dachshund
2023: 9 trips, 48 nights in 12 states, 2 provinces, 8120 miles
2022: 3 trips, 18 nights in 4 states, 2352 miles
2019: 7 trips, 43 nights in 6 states, 5336 miles
DavisK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-17-2017, 12:18 PM   #12
New Camper
 
LongLongTrailer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: TX
Posts: 7
Thanks everyone for the input and suggestions! Sounds like we need to do some saving up for the inverter generators by Honda as I hear great things about them. We may have to start with the champion at first to get us to our June trip which will be HOT in Texas and must have A/C!
__________________
2017 Zinger Z-1 328SB pulled with 2015 GMC Texas Edition 1500
LongLongTrailer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-18-2017, 04:49 PM   #13
Full Time Camper
 
Papa-T's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: N.C. Mountains
Posts: 2,409
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lloyd View Post
I splurged on this.

Honda EU2000 & EU2000 Inverter Companion Kit with Parallel Cables



I purchased this same setup many years ago. When hooked together with the Parallel cables and if I'm just wanting to charge the batteries or run lights you can start either generator and it will do the job. You don't have to start the one the campers plugged into. I use this method when dry camping to take turn running each one. Of course if running the air conditioner you have to run both at the same time. I also did make me a N-G Bond plug with advice from this forum, so I can use the surge protector when running the generator.
__________________
*2016 CAF25SE Cruiser Aire 5er. *2020 Chevrolet 2500 HD Custom
*Ted & Tricia (Mimi - Teacup Poodle/ Sailor - Maltipoo)

*I have tried to live my life so that my family would love me and my friends would respect me. The others can do whatever the Hell they please!” —John Wayne
Papa-T is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2017, 01:24 PM   #14
Weekend Camper
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Texas
Posts: 95
The champion 4k/3500 running is fine for my 30 amp rv. Can't run microwave at same time, but not big deal for us. For $300, can't beat it. Not as quiet as honda, but not bad, Sure, i'd love to have 2 2k hondas, but $1k each ? No thanx
__________________
Greg and Criss
Pflugerville, Tx
2016 F-250 Powerstroke
2011 27' RLX
gregtx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2017, 02:36 PM   #15
Site Team
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: WI.
Posts: 9,153
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavisK View Post
I'm thinking about buying another Honda and parallel cable because the Champion is too heavy for me to lift up to my pickup bed by myself. Now that I am retiring in a week, I hope to do some more camping by myself, and I can handle the Hondas.

You will be happy with the pair of Honda's. They sit there and purr, don't hardly hear the pair running in the camper.
Sure, they cost more then some other brands, but you will have them for a life time if properly maintained.
After a person spends HOW many thousands of dollars on a camper, then the thousands of dollars for a tow vehicle, a couple thousand for two nice quiet Honda's starts to seem pretty minimal.
Lloyd is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Crossroads RV or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:04 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
×