Generator or Inverter Generator.

[Riverbc]

I have a 2012 rpod 171. I have used it for dry camping, for a few days At a time. I’m planning some longer outings this year and thought it would nice to be able to charge my laptop, iPhone, charge the battery and maybe run the a/c on a hot day b4 bed, and maybe reheat food.
I was looking at this inverter generator


Is this what I need or is it overkill? Is an inverter generator what I need, or will a standard gas be good enough.

Thanks

[ependydad]

That 3,300W generator will give you enough to run the A/C and then likely have capacity left over to run something else.

The trick to generator sizing is to figure out what you want to run at one time and size the generator to that.

See if this helps:
Making Your Own Power: The Skinny on Generators | Learn To RV

[Bama Rambler]

You definitely want an inverter model.

The Firman looks good on paper. It weighs ~95lbs and the noise level is rated at 58dBi which is pretty good.

You could possibly get by with something a little smaller, but for that price it's a good buy.

[Riverbc]

Great! Thanks for the replies.

[jimmoore13]

If you're willing to go "off-brand" (not a Honda or Yamaha), you might want to look at the Predator line at Harbor Freight.

Consumer Reports tested these against Hondas and others, and CR recommends them.

Champion is another brand with a good reputation that is relatively inexpensive.

While you might be able to get your AC to run on a 2 KW model, or you might not without modifications to the AC (start assist). Meanwhile, the 3500 watt range is much more robust and will have power to spare.

As for inverter vs. "open frame"...no question that inverter is better:
1) MUCH quieter...good for your peace of mind and relationships with your neighbors.
2) The power is relatively clean...good for your devices.

BUT, UNLIKE AN OPEN FRAME GENERATOR IN THE SAME PRICE RANGE, an inverter does NOT put out 240 Volts...to serve as a true backup generator at home. They will run 120 volt appliances on extension cords, but you can't back-feed your home's panel with an inverter generator. If that matters to you, you have a decision to make... capacity and noise and dirty power vs. less capacity, quieter, clean power and more cost.

As an RV generator, an open frame generator is a horrible choice. You talk about AC to cool down the rig before bed. First, most formal campgrounds have quiet hours, and with an open-frame running any time, you're likely to get a visit from the campground staff. In boondocking situations, your neighbors will expect the same respect for quiet hours. If you fire up an open frame at 10 PM to run the AC for 30 minutes, you might just wake up to vandalism or get an angry visit from a neighbor...most of whom are armed.

[bigred123]

I have the exact one for three years now...it was the minimum needed for my wolf pup with 13,500 ac. works great and use it about 5 times per year...just make sure you keep the battery charger plugged in when in storage because it is electric start......has never let me down....has plenty of power to charge batteries while ac is on

[NJKris]

+1 for inverter generators. They are not crazy expensive anymore. Can't imagine camping with a loud open frame generator, not only because it would irritate others, but because it would irritate ME.

[Beachbourbon]

I agree with everyone on the need for the inverter generator. The firman is a good deal at Costco. I almost bought it, but it was a bit loud for me on the YouTube videos

[rlh1957]

If you want to be a good neighbor get an Inverter Generator. The Pure Sine Wave Inverter Generators are recommended for all electronics as it is "clean" AC power. Some laptops and electronics may balk at the power coming from a regular generator. The regular are noisy but great for power tools, freezer/refrigerators during power outages.

[bikendan]

Yeah, the Firman definitely isnt the quietest of inverter generators.
But Costco had a great deal on them and I was very tempted.

[Philkaty]

following

[Lee Pedrick]

Originally Posted by Riverbc

I have a 2012 rpod 171. I have used it for dry camping, for a few days At a time. I’m planning some longer outings this year and thought it would nice to be able to charge my laptop, iPhone, charge the battery and maybe run the a/c on a hot day b4 bed, and maybe reheat food.
I was looking at this inverter generator
Attachment 199188

Is this what I need or is it overkill? Is an inverter generator what I need, or will a standard gas be good enough.

Thanks

You do NOT want anything smaller than that because of the AC. The inverter part protects your electronics. A standard generator would be much louder than the enclosed inverter Gen. But be mindful,, some of these inverter Gens tend to heat up if they don't get enough fresh air.

[SailorSam20500]

I am guessing that you have a 13.5 AC unit.

Things I've learned based on a lot of reading:


1. A 2000 watt generator MAY be enough to run your AC, though no other high draw items at the same time. A $20 hard start capacitor MAY help.

2. A 2000 watt generator along with adding a MicroAir EZ Start unit to the AC will run a 13.5 AC along with some other low draw stuff. Do a search on Micro Air for more details.

3. A 2000 watt generator will be quieter, lighter and use less fuel than the 3000 watt models.

4. If you go with a 3000 watt model, there are lots of people who like getting models that run on propane. During the summer you won't be burning much propane, so you could use gas from the tank on your trailer.

5. Lots of people us two 2000 watt generators paired. Upside, if not using AC, you only need to run one. Seems all manufacturers have parallel capability. You MUST use two generators from the same manufacturer.

6. Quality of generator seems to be - in descending order:
Honda, Yamaha, Predator (according to Consumer Reports), Champion, the rest of the pack.
As noted, both the Predator and Champion brands have lots of happy users.

7. Unless your generator was designed with a fuel pump, you probably cannot use an external gas tank for extended run times. I know Honda's have a pump, Champion does not (though an aftermarket supplier is available), no idea on others. If you are small engine savvy, you may be able to add one to other brands.

[Photo Lab]

Originally Posted by rlh1957

If you want to be a good neighbor get an Inverter Generator. The Pure Sine Wave Inverter Generators are recommended for all electronics as it is "clean" AC power. Some laptops and electronics may balk at the power coming from a regular generator. The regular are noisy but great for power tools, freezer/refrigerators during power outages.

The highly touted "pure sine wave" generators are very much over rated for RV use. Think of what you power from it: TV, computer, printer, phone chargers and so on. All of these have one thing in common; they all really operate on DC power, typically 12 volts to possibly 24 volts for laptop chargers. All of the newer devices, except some laser printers have a power adapter known as a "Switch mode regulator" All of these that I have seen contain an oscillator which converts the raw AC power input to high frequency AC. Some people with younger ears can actually hear the oscillator running. This oscillator typically drives a toroid transformer, which drops the voltage to the required output, filters it, and here you go. Why is it done this way? First, to conserve weight and copper, second, to reduce the parasitic current draw to almost nothing. So, there you have a perhaps over simplified version of how power for these devices is actually used.

For my money, a good brushless generator with a good engine and muffling system cannot be beat for the purpose.

Before I retired, the company I worked for for many years, manufactured portable generators. One of my tasks was to design and built an on line test system for them, as well as a system for life test of not only our products as well. None of the generator heads on the inverter types were made outside China. Part of the test procedure consisted of operating at full load for 30 minutes, then switching to half load, then back to full load. For a time, we ran the test 24 hours a day, 'till we had 50 hours on the unit, or 'till failure. It turned out that the very best small generator heads were made by two companies, both Italian. We found the best for our purposes to be Sincro, and MeccAlte.

The biggest problem with inverter pack gen sets was overheating, and the 2 stroke engine that most of the manufacturers of that type used. The plus side of two stroke is that it is easier to muffle, and is low in cost. The down side is failure to add oil to the fuel mix. I believe that most of them now have oil injection pumps however.

[Photo Lab]

I nearly forgot...if you use a four pole generator, it operates at 1,800 PRM (assuming 60 Hz) and the more typical 2 pole models require 3,600 PRM for the same results. Runs quieter at 1,800 and engine life improves drastically. Our best engines were Honda or Robin (Subaru) for the smaller ones, and Briggs and Stratton Vanguard V-Twins for the bigger ones.

[dbledan]

Get the inverter for your sanity and you can use it more places. The size you picked should be good for what you are asking to run.

I use a 3400W champion but run it on propane which makes it a 3150w peak power generator and it will run my 15k btu ac, converter, and TV as well as phone and laptop chargers at once in eco. It kicks up for the compressor and ramps back down quickly. I run the fridge and water heater on propane and turn off the AC to microwave things.

My AC already had the $12 hard start capacitor. No $350 easy start was required but was next on the list after a delayed start circuit on the compressor.

Happy camping!

[BriaBeck]

Originally Posted by Photo Lab

The biggest problem with inverter pack gen sets was overheating, and the 2 stroke engine that most of the manufacturers of that type used. The plus side of two stroke is that it is easier to muffle, and is low in cost. The down side is failure to add oil to the fuel mix. I believe that most of them now have oil injection pumps however.

Which inverter generators use a 2 stroke engine?


Only 2 stroke genny's I've ever seen are the little 700-800 watt "suitcase" units at HF and Rural King/Farm Fleet etc. They are definitely NOT inverter generators.

[aeblank]

Meccaulte.... interesting.
We looked at those where I used to work.
smartpower.com....
Hydraulically driven generators. Not applicable for RVs, really, but they were cool.

[Maxwell D Pratt]

I bought a HF 3500 inverter last year for Dry camping and all around use. The weight is 133 lbs. a little more than I want to pick up. But also got a small lift for PU that fits in bed under cover . Love both. At the age of 77 don’t do much lifting . Also have a 6500 / 5500 electric start that I use at home. It is open frame. Also have HF solar panels on top of camper they keep battery’s up and ready to go.

[5picker]

IF you are going to camp near others (and use your generator) get an inverter type generator. They are much more neighbor friendly than an open frame 'contractor style' generator. Inverter generators do have a few drawbacks (compared to open frame types) in things like small gas tanks and somewhat lower power output unless you spend HUGE dollars.

If you plan to camp in the boonies with no one around for miles, then any generator will do.

I often hear you MUST use an inverter style generator so you have pure sine wave voltage to 'protect' your sensitive electronics. There are few electronic devices today that do not already have 'protection' built into them in the form of their power supply. These devices are all using DC voltage and the power supply, whether it be a wall wart, inline brick or internal, all handle the AC voltage from ANY generator just fine when converting that voltage to DC.

Everyone has an OPINION on which generator is 'best.'
Ultimately the decision is yours so educate yourself and pick the unit that best suits YOU and YOUR needs/budget.