Newbie!

smurf · 07-09-2015, 10:05 PM

Hello everyone, I am not only new to this forum, but a proud owner of our first trailer, A 2014 Rockwood A122BH. Most of my time will be spent in Northern NM and Southern CO. I will not need to run the A/C often, but would like to buy a generator for times when I do. Apparently I need one to run the A/C and or Microwave, even if not at the same time. I would welcome recommendations and would like to be more safe than sorry. If paralleling 2 is recommended, not sure exactly what that means. Please excuse my ignorance and l look forward to building relationships on this forum.
God Bless!

Blackhat6mike · 07-09-2015, 10:45 PM

Unless you have very deep pockets and don't mind spending $1,000 +, you might want to look at the Champion 3500/4000 unit that Tractor Supply sells for around $300. It will run your A/C or microwave and anything else you have onboard. No, it isn't the quietest gen out there, but if you are new to RVing, it will work for your needs. Mine is 3 years old and still cranks the first pull.
If money is no object, but quietness is then by all means look into Yamahas or Hondas. For the life of me I can't understand why anyone would buy two expensive units to run in parallel when one inexpensive gen will do the same job with less maintenance and fuel. To each his own.

Pooneil · 07-10-2015, 05:49 AM

Welcome to the forum, smurf. Be wary of posts in this sub-forum by non A Frame owners. Many do not recognize the differences between most generic type trialers and our specialized A Frames. Our campers have a 10,000 BTU heat pump rather than the 13,500 roof top AC units on most campers. Many users report good quality 2000 watt rated generators will start and run their AC units.

The main performance difference between the Honda or Yamaha gens and Champion or other much cheaper inverter generators is the noise. Generally price=quality. It is of course your choice what noise level you want when camping. The even cheaper contractor type gens will be like camping next to an oversized lawn mower and would rightly raise complaints from neighbors.

kdot · 07-10-2015, 07:09 AM

Welcome to the group. I agree with Tom totally. I don't know why so many non-A frame owner post in this sub-forum. Screen the answers to your questions very carefully or you can get a number of wrong answers to questions you might post. On the other hand, as a relative "newbie" myself, I have found this forum to be very helpful when I've had questions about my A122S.

Kent

Big Vic · 07-10-2015, 08:59 AM

A single Honda eu2000 runs my A128S Cool Cat without problem. The reason I have a second eu2000 to run in parallel is for my Rockwood 2604 which has a 15K A/C that will not run on only one eu2000.

Mike, would you rather need to lift/move two separate 45lb gennies or one 150-200lb genny? Nice to have the options, and have a backup if one goes down.

Happy Vibe · 07-10-2015, 09:15 AM

You can get the cheapest generator out there if you don't care about your neighbors either. The big champion listed is more for job sites than camping.
They are not inverter generators so the voltage coming out of them is not the cleanest, can give you problems with sensitive electronics. You can get 2000 W inverter generators for around $500 it all depends were you camp and how much you can afford.

Pooneil · 07-10-2015, 12:52 PM

Smurf, I don't use a generator. In Texas I either dry camp in a cooler time of the year or just deal with the balmy nights. Amazingly to me, with just fans, I've slept comfortably at the South Texas beach over Labor Day and the Hill Country in June.

kdot · 07-10-2015, 01:25 PM

Smurf, I don't use a generator either. It's $1,000 I don't need to spend. We get along with a battery powered lantern and open the windows. Works for us.

Kdot

**bikendan** · 07-10-2015, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackhat6mike

Unless you have very deep pockets and don't mind spending $1,000 +, you might want to look at the Champion 3500/4000 unit that Tractor Supply sells for around $300. It will run your A/C or microwave and anything else you have onboard. No, it isn't the quietest gen out there, but if you are new to RVing, it will work for your needs. Mine is 3 years old and still cranks the first pull.
If money is no object, but quietness is then by all means look into Yamahas or Hondas. For the life of me I can't understand why anyone would buy two expensive units to run in parallel when one inexpensive gen will do the same job with less maintenance and fuel. To each his own.

It's because your generator is too loud for campgrounds.
If you're boondocking or at motor races, it is perfect for that.

The reason some are willing to buy more expensive units, is they choose to be a better campground neighbor, since inverter generators are way quieter than your open frame contractor type generator.

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