Generator question

[lhurwitz]

Hello. We just bought a 2013 Forest River ultralight 21 foot camper. I have a question about generators. We do a fair amount of dry camping and need to purchase a generator to run our air conditioner and maybe a few appliances. . We are looking at the Honda 3000i and I want to make sure it's big enough to start and run our 13,500 BTU air conditioner
I think we should be fine to start and run the air conditioner and run the fridge and but I just wanted to get advice from more seasoned campers.
Thanks

[markb5900]

Not looking at the actual electrical requirements, make sure any generator you purchase has the National Forest Service approved muffler on it if you are going to be dry camping in the park system.

[SeaDog]

Welcome to the forum its a great place to get your questions answered. Many of us run two smaller generations that can be paralleled for heave loads like AC and then run single for battery charge or TV and such with a big fuel and noise savings not to mention the weight, my Yamaha's weigh 49 lbs they are 2000 watts each so four total when in parallel

[fonzie]

Yes Honda 3000 is big enough for what you mention above.

[raforan]

i just bought a champion 75531i 3100watt. does the job perfectly. amazon just had an amazing deal on it for 540 i believe and cabellas had it for 800 and i have seen it as high as 1k they are still around 800 on amazon. hell of a deal. works great.

[aceinspp]

You can get a Boliy 3600Sie for around $1100 Continuous 3000 watts with free shipping and will run your AC just fine and is as quiet as a Honda at half the price. Later RJD

[Alleyantique]

I have a 3000is. It is a very good generator with a 30 amp output. It meets the 50 state carb requirement and has a forestry service certified spark arrester. The downside is it is heavy. If I were to purchase new, I would get 2 2000 watt and parallel them just because they are easier to handle.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by markb5900

Not looking at the actual electrical requirements, make sure any generator you purchase has the National Forest Service approved muffler on it if you are going to be dry camping in the park system.

That's a pretty much standard thing anymore.
Unless it's a Harbor Freight one.

[cbvp]

IMHO go with the twin 2000's.


Since getting mine I rarely take the EU6500is along.




C.B.

[Pillboxmc]

Not to hijack your question, but, I think I was misiformed by the honda shop. They told me that the 2000 in parallel was not enough! Was he trying to up sale me? My TT IS THE NEW ROCKWOOD 2606ws, 13500 ac. My goal was when dry camping, to run the ac and tv, and hopefully the refridge.
Help for a newby please, and thanks for the help.

[Mountndream]

you should run your fridge on propane while boondocking.

You should be able to easily run your AC with 2 2000w generators in parallel

I ran my 15000k like that for 3 straight day of +100 days last year.

Welcome to the forum!!!

[Pillboxmc]

Thanks,
This tt thing is new to us, totally different than a class c with everything.
I want to thank you again for the help.

[cbvp]

Originally Posted by Pillboxmc

They told me that the 2000 in parallel was not enough!

Another salesman NOT knowing what he's talking about!!!!!!

Specifications

Honda 3000is 120V-3000W max (25A) //////2800W rated (23.3A)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Honda 2000i 120V-2000W max (16.7A)/////1600W rated 13.3A)

Paralleled together two 2000's give you more power than the 3000is.


2-2000's paralleled 120V -4000W max (33.4A)//////3200W rated (26.6A)


If you don't believe the above call Honda yourself 1-770-497-6400



C.B.

[HONDAMAN174]

We use two Honda 2000 to power ac. Usually just take one though as we rarely boondock and need ac.

[325BH]

Originally Posted by Pillboxmc

Not to hijack your question, but, I think I was misiformed by the honda shop. They told me that the 2000 in parallel was not enough! Was he trying to up sale me? My TT IS THE NEW ROCKWOOD 2606ws, 13500 ac. My goal was when dry camping, to run the ac and tv, and hopefully the refridge.

Help for a newby please, and thanks for the help.

I have two Honda EU2000i (one standard; one companion) generators and can run one air conditioner with ease. If managed correctly, I can run two air conditioners. (Can't allow them to start at the same time... which means starting them separately and not allowing them to stop-- normally just do this to cool things down then just run one thereafter.)

Twin 2000s will run one air conditioner and quite a few other things at the same time. You have to manage what you run, but is very doable.

I prefer the twin 2000 over a 3000 because:
They cost the same
Has 1000 more watts
Where others say twice the maintenance, I say redundancy (if one fails you have a backup... although half the watts when running just one).
Lighter to carry singularly
Smaller singularly which means easier to pack

[SeaDog]

Before you buy take a look at some of the other 2000s out there I have the Yamaha's and really like them only 49 lbs easy to tote

[luvdesert]

Originally Posted by Pillboxmc

Not to hijack your question, but, I think I was misiformed by the honda shop. They told me that the 2000 in parallel was not enough! Was he trying to up sale me? My TT IS THE NEW ROCKWOOD 2606ws, 13500 ac. My goal was when dry camping, to run the ac and tv, and hopefully the refridge.
Help for a newby please, and thanks for the help.

I mainly do dry camping as well. You shouldn't worry about the fridge, run that off propane. 2 Honda 2000 do the job just fine for the a.c. When you don't use the A.C. just run 1 for tv's etc.

[timfromma]

I run my ac just fine on a single 3100W Champion generator.

[DKRITTER]

You're going to get a lot of opinions on this like most everything on the internet.

To answer your question directly the Honda 3000 will work fine, it's a top tier unit.


My opinion; we do not boondock a great deal so I bought the much less expensive Champion 3100 and it has been flawless in about 5 years of camping. I you shop around they are about 1/3 the price of the Honda.

In hindsight I wish I had bought 2 2000w gens and hooked them together when we needed the ac.

If I had it to do all over I'd buy 2 Champion 2000w Inverter gens with the connector kit.

[larryo]

Last year I purchased a comparable Yamaha. It's great but I wish had bought 2-2000's. 150lbs is getting heavy for this old fart!