Generator suggestions for A/C

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panamawolff

New Member
Joined
May 25, 2012
Posts
4
Location
Mammoth Lakes, CA
What's everyone using for genie power? We have a Honda EU2000i that works great for everything but running the A/C. We do a lot of desert camping so this is import to us. We are considering buying a second EU2000i and piggy backing them together. We are thinking this route because right now the genie fits nicely in the pass through storage underneath and is easy for us to move around. Also those EU are just so darn quiet. However, we have been curious about propane generators. I saw a post where someone had one from Home Depot, however we don't have a truck to stash it in or any other way to carry it. What has anyone else chosen and why?
 
We have one of the honda generators and plan to buy a second to hook them up and run our 30-Amp camper power needs.
We also went with solar - 4 batteries and a solar charger with inverter/charger will run the air for about 45 minutes to cool it off.
 
I have a EU3000 Honda and it works great. The optional wheel kit is a must have item as the unit is kind of heavy for one person. It will run AC and microwave at the same time.
 
I have the Honda EU3000. When camping in the desert, AC is a must and the Honda 3000 will run the AC all night. It's also very quiet. You can hardly tell it's running even when the AC kicks in you can easily hold a conversation standing right next to it. The drawback is that it is heavy at about 130 lbs or so. I'd like to be able to use two 2000's in parallel but I don't think they would run the AC all night and I didn't want to have to be getting up in the middle of the night to refuel.
 
The Yamaha EF2400is will run the generator fine is lighter and less cost than the EU3000. I don't think it will run the AC all night though. If you already have a EU2000i I would probably get another one of those. There are porpane conversion kits available but I have heard that there are problems with the ECO throttle when running on propane. here is a link: http://www.propane-generators.com/eu2000i_kits.htm
 
Thanks! I think we might just get another 2000 and hook them together, since we won't always need the extra genie we can leave one at home for those cooler weather trips. Plus we decided that it would be a good idea to have a second one that can stay at our business during the winter when power outages happen frequently.
 
panamawolff said:
Thanks! I think we might just get another 2000 and hook them together, since we won't always need the extra genie we can leave one at home for those cooler weather trips. Plus we decided that it would be a good idea to have a second one that can stay at our business during the winter when power outages happen frequently.
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That is why I went with the Honda eu2000i and the eu2000i companion with the connector link. And, they are lighter and easier to move around.

I have a plug in box wired at home so they can be used there for backup emergency power, if needed.
 
Generator to run AC

I purchased a 2400 Yamaha for my 210 Funfinder and it would overload. Installed a capacitor into the roof mount and now all is well.
 
we did the 2000 with Companion and extended run tank, a/c use is pretty minimal even though we live in az but you need both when we run a/c but they are highly efficient and easy to carry around. They are also very quiet. Stay away from champions cheap stuff and output is well below what they claim
 
Generator to run AC

I was nervous until the thing took off on its own. With the capacitor in I am less so. The wife would have thrown me and the generator out had it not worked. There was not a starting cap in mine so the Supco was piggy-backed onto the existing one. 20 minutes later Viola!
 
Here's a story I did a few years ago on mine back in 2010. I'm still running the same generator, and it's still going strong.

Vital MX Summer Tour: Powered By Honda

The only thing I've ever had a problem with is that I do a lot of road miles...maybe 14,000 per summer. I've had problems where the pull-starter is either wearing the rope at the grommet near the handle where it feeds in, or the heat in extreme summer temperatures is melting it. Either way, I've had to replace that part a couple times. One easy fix might be to shorten the rope at the handle when you notice wear occurring. (It's about four inches in from the handle.)
 
here's mine set, when running at night we add the extra tank, works great !!!

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img_8640_1_62882e5ab74b29719db44b3c03816a8f.jpg
 
Re: Generator to run AC

Mike Benson said:
I was nervous until the thing took off on its own. With the capacitor in I am less so. The wife would have thrown me and the generator out had it not worked. There was not a starting cap in mine so the Supco was piggy-backed onto the existing one. 20 minutes later Viola!
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Mike, I was considering the same generator and I had read that the Dometic AC's may not have a capacitor. It was suggest to insert a hard start capacitor, is that what you did. Here are a couple of quesions"
1) What part did you get?
2) Where do you access the board/area to insert this?
3) So it works fine now with the capacitor? Can you run anything else when the A/c is on?
4) Are you happy with the noise level. I have always popup camped and I hated when people ran their generators. I don't want to be one of those annoying people
Thanks,
Bruce
PS, I have a new 189FDS I bought last November, just came out of storage and getting ready.
 
Re: Generator to run AC

Mike Benson said:
I was nervous until the thing took off on its own. With the capacitor in I am less so. The wife would have thrown me and the generator out had it not worked. There was not a starting cap in mine so the Supco was piggy-backed onto the existing one. 20 minutes later Viola!
Click to expand...
Mike, I was considering the same generator and I had read that the Dometic AC's may not have a capacitor. It was suggest to insert a hard start capacitor, is that what you did. Here are a couple of quesions"
1) What part did you get?
2) Where do you access the board/area to insert this?
3) So it works fine now with the capacitor? Can you run anything else when the A/c is on?
4) Are you happy with the noise level. I have always popup camped and I hated when people ran their generators. I don't want to be one of those annoying people
Thanks,
Bruce
PS, I have a new 189FDS I bought last November, just came out of storage and getting ready.
 
Generator A/C

Bruce: My 2010 year 13500 Dometic had only one cap for the system. The cap is located in the little box located on the front LH side of the a/c. Remove the cover and connect the terminals on the new cap "piggy back" onto the terminals of the existing cap. Polarity is not important. Put everything back in place and fire it up. I can run both my a/c and the microwave at the same time.
 
The Yamaha 2400ishc rocks

With the help and inspiration of my new friend Mike Benson, I am now the proud owner of the Yamaha 2400ishc generator. I have a 2014 189FDS with 13500 Dometic AC Model #457915. Before I tried the generator I installed the Supco SPP6E start capacitor, about $20 on Amazon and 30-40 minutes of work. Worst part was removing and putting back the screws on the case. In case you do this and uncover 3 leads a brown, white, and red on the existing capacitor, you attach the clips from the Supco capacitor to an empty prong on the red side and white side. Doesn't matter which wire from the Supco capacitor goes where as long as one is on an empty prong on the white and one is on and empty prong on the red. Next step was going to my yamaha dealer and picking up the 2400 and giving it the test run. The dealer let me take it and try it as I told him I wasn't going to buy it unless it ran my A/C unit.. So with hope and trepidation I gave it a whirl and it passed with flying colors. Mike had suggested turning the fan on first, then the compressor, to lower the starting load which I did on my first test run and that worked great. Then I thought I would put it to the test and have the fan and compressor start at the same time, no problem, it handled it with a small grunt and bang, off it went. The only thing that failed was when the compressor was on, fan on high, I tried the microwave, and that tripped a circuit breaker on the trailer, generator was still running, but apparently I overloaded the circuit on the trailer. Turned on lights, water pump, awning, slideout, with the AC running and everything worked great. I am stoked about the results. Not sure why some have made a big deal that this yamaha hasn't got an eco mode switch, because as soon as the compressor stops, it ramps down to the lowest speed even with fan running. When compressor starts, rpm's crank up and off it goes. Sweet. At least for me, this seems to be a great choice. It's 87 here in Fargo today so I'm going back out to give it a go again.
Bruce
 
Generator update

I ran my new generator for 4 hours with the AC on high and everything went great. cycled on and off as expected. I turned everything I could find in camper on when the AC compressor was on. Both roof fans, stove light and fan, all the lights, ran the water pump and everything was good. Made sure that it ran the microwave with the AC off and that was fine. Not sure what else I would need. This thing is great. As far as sound level, when compressor turns on it ramps up to full speed and certainly creates some noise, but I have nothing to compare to since this is my first venture into travel trailer/generator world. At top end it is supposed to be 59 db so I guess I am hearing 59/60 db. When compressor is not on, then of course it is at slowest speed and that seems very quiet. I have done enough testing to think that this is a great generator for me. Hope this helps others thinking about this.
Bruce
 
I have a Honda 3000 and I don't run the AC and microwave at the same time. It just too much of a load. For the short time the microwave is used its not that big a deal to shut the AC off.

The noise ratings from their web page say 53 - 60 db. So 60 is probably the max noise level. Normal speech is around 60 db so that should give you a reference point. Try standing next to it when the AC is running and you likely could easily carry on a conversation without having to yell.

You'd never be able to do that with one of the cheaper open frame generators.
 
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