BajaNomad - Portable Generators for Truck Campers

Portable Generators for Truck Campers

Skeet/Loreto - 8-6-2006 at 11:34 AM

I would appreciate help in finding a Small Portable Generator for my new Lance Lite Camper; It has Refrig-A/C-Lites-Small Micro-Wave.

Any suggestions?
has there been a previous Thread?
thank you
Skeet/Loreto

bajalou - 8-6-2006 at 11:46 AM

Depending on the size of the A/C, a Honda eu2000i is a great unit. Light enough to carry if needed and VERY dependable (in my estimation) as well as quiet in operation. If you don't need much power, the Economy mode gives you about 12 hours running on about a gallon of gas. If your A/c is a large one, this won't run it.

:light:

surfer jim - 8-6-2006 at 12:52 PM

I bought the Honda Bajalou mentioned....about $850 (internet)...quiet...portable....but I don't have a/c or microwave and those are the big power users.....

jerry - 8-6-2006 at 12:59 PM

i personally wouldnt get a 2 kw gen set for a ac unit the ac wont last
check with the maker of the ac find out the starting amperage when the compresser kicks in
then add some for what ever else your going to be running at the same time
because if ya have a gen set ppl are going to use it while the ac is running and that will cause low voltage burning up the ac moter just my opinon

jerry - 8-6-2006 at 01:01 PM

coffee makers, hairdryers,curling irons, microwaves are all big drawers of electricity

turtleandtoad - 8-6-2006 at 02:25 PM

For a better understanding of starting vs running loads, check out Generator Joe. He also give typical loads and how to size your generator. This site is primarily for home or small business systems, but everything applies to a truck camper, just not as big.

Skeet/Loreto - 8-7-2006 at 01:40 AM

Thanks for all the Information:
Just have to figure out the A/C Looks like a Honda EU2000 if my wife has to stay Cool!!!

Always Good Help from the Amigos.
Skeet

burro bob - 8-7-2006 at 08:14 AM

I am also looking at the Honda eu200i. This is a very quiet generator, something like 53 db. This is quieter than human speach.
Also with an optional cable you can hook two of them togeather and run them as one 4000 watt generator.
The i at the end stands for inverter. That means it puts out true sine wave power. This is very important if you will be using any items that have a converter, such as a printer or camera battery charger.
The Hondas also have a two year warrenty, not bad for an electrical appliance.
burro bob

A/C

MrBillM - 8-7-2006 at 08:32 AM

I've mentioned in the past that I use a 2700W Genset (Honda 5.0 engine) to run my bedroom 5000 btu A/C along with any other loads on at the time for a number of years without any problems. The genset will run for 2.5-3.0 hours on a 5/8 gallon fuel tank. The newer units have a larger gas tank (size unknown). It's not as compact or quiet as those "suitcase" gensets, though. Probably an important consideration with a Camper.

BTW, ALL of my electronics, including my (3) HP printers and a multitude of device battery chargers, run just fine on my Trace 2500W "Modified" Sine wave Inverter. For that matter, they will all run on my Statpower 150 Inverters. Over the years, I ran into "one" device battery charger that would not work on those inverters. The cautionary advice I've have seen (Backwoods Solar, etc) regarding printers has described problems with "Laser" printers.

gen set...

pacificobob - 8-7-2006 at 10:54 AM

the honda eu3000 has a huge following. a great machine up to the tasks you describe.....might be to bulky though......i have one on my camper

DonBaja - 8-7-2006 at 12:10 PM

I bought the Honda Eu2000i from this place www.alamia.com they had the best price I found. Free shipping no tax. You have to call them to get prices but it is worth it. Mine was $ 867.00 total.

DonBaja - 8-7-2006 at 12:20 PM

Here is Alamia's number. 1-800-861-0029

Skeet/Loreto - 8-7-2006 at 07:07 PM

thanks all you good Nomads. I decidedo that the Honda eu2000i is what I need..
Headed on a 3 Day Maiden Voage to Springer New Mexico, Taos{Where I at one time hunted jack Rabbits on the Mesa, sold them to the Taos Pubelo Indians for $.50 cents each} but that is another Story in my younger Years.
From Taos up to Chama then to Pagosa Springs and back down through Raton
That also reminds me of a Mexicano{Spanish School Teacher I met while Dancing}I was 17 she was 23! Made love outside the Gym in a Snow Storm.

Those were the Days, but I degress from Inverters so thanks again for all the good Help.
Skeet/Loreto

Not so fast, Skeet!!!!

Hook - 8-13-2006 at 09:56 PM

I also own a Honda 2000i and have a '93 "Lance Lite"; back then, they were called Lance Squires.

I have what WAS the lowest drawing AC unit that Lance put in their units (there may be lower drawing units now). It's an 11000 Duo-Therm Brisk Air that has a compressor draw of 8.5 amps and a fan motor that draws 2.5 amps for a total of 11 amps, not counting the initial surge of the compressor at startup.

My Honda runs this by itself if I am running it near sea level and in temps that dont exceed 85 degrees. But any combination of elevation above, say, 3000 feet or air temps much above 85 and IT WILL NOT RUN THE AC UNIT. Elevation and elevated air temps rob gensets of power; sometimes as much as 20%. I have even tried it by shutting off the house circuit breaker (separate from the AC breaker) so that even the nominal AC/DC charger was not running. Still no go.

To overcome this, the options are the much heavier (134 lbs!) Honda 3000 or Yamaha makes relatively quiet units at 2400w and 2800w that are not nearly as heavy as the Honda 3000.

Or, another option is running TWO Honda 2000s together using a "bridging" cable they sell that effectively gives you about 3500 watts, continuous. Based on the area you are traveling to, you can decide to bring one or both.

You must find out what the draw of your AC unit is to determine which of these are best for you. It is not SPECIFICALLY listed in most Lance literature I have seen. Remove the INSIDE grill on the AC unit itself and look for a label that shows what the compressor and the fan draw. IT IS LIKELY YOU HAVE A 13,500 BTU UNIT.

If the Yamaha EF-2800i unit will power it, I'd go that route. It is less than half the weight of the HOnda 3000 and much cheaper although it is a bit noisier.

[Edited on 8-14-2006 by Hook]

Skeet/Loreto - 8-14-2006 at 03:59 AM

Thanks Hook!!!!
I have been swayed by the Yahama, forgot about the the elevation/Heat Factor. Your information has helped me with my final Decision! Much Obliged!
The unit will be used around the Texas Panhandle{Ele-3500 Ft}, Mountains of Colorado, Hill C
Skeetountry of Texas.

Roberto - 8-14-2006 at 07:26 AM

Hook, do you have a hard-start kit on your A/C? I'm wondering if the problem is with the initial compressor load, since the unit genset is rated at 2000W max (16.6 amps) and 1600W continuous (13.3A). I'm thinking it may be close, but it MAY run your unit with a hard-start kit. Without one, forget it.

Not sure, Roberto.

Hook - 8-14-2006 at 04:30 PM

My unit (which, BTW, was not original on the 93 model, it was installed by a Lance dealer around 2000) has a rotary switch that goes through 3 fan settings w/o the compressor running and 3 true A/C settings with different fan speeds.

I am not familiar with the term "hard start kit". How could I tell?

Like I said, it runs fine at sea level in moderate temps. I havent taken it to the SOC in summer as I only bought it used about a year ago. A hot, sea level test would be interesting. Maybe I should drive to Borrego Springs?? :light:

But it failed in Vegas last week in 105 degrees at whatever elevation Vegas is at (~2000 feet ?) and also failed in the Sierras in 85 degree heat at ~ 7500 feet.

I really almost never use the AC as the Fantantic Vent is about all we need at night. during the day, we are under the awning and in the water.

Roberto - 8-14-2006 at 05:48 PM

Most units will NOT have a hard-start kit. Basically, it consists of a very large capacitor to absorb the surge that occurs when the compressor starts up, or for that matter, whenever a sudden additional demand for current occurs. They make a huge difference, and I know that many people run units similar to yours with a Honda 2000 once these are installed. Typically, they cost less than $30 and take less than 30 minutes to install.

If you are interested, you will need to model of your unit, call the manufacturer, and they will give you the part # of the kit. Proceed from there.

Hook - 8-15-2006 at 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Roberto
Most units will NOT have a hard-start kit. Basically, it consists of a very large capacitor to absorb the surge that occurs when the compressor starts up, or for that matter, whenever a sudden additional demand for current occurs. They make a huge difference, and I know that many people run units similar to yours with a Honda 2000 once these are installed. Typically, they cost less than $30 and take less than 30 minutes to install.

If you are interested, you will need to model of your unit, call the manufacturer, and they will give you the part # of the kit. Proceed from there.

Great info, Roberto. You may have saved me a complete generator upgrade. I will research.

So, the capacitor continues to hold a charge even after the AC is shut off? Does it rely on the house battery to maintain this or is the capacitor charged when house current is initially applied before the A/C unit is turned on?

comitan - 8-15-2006 at 10:29 AM

http://www.kickstartoem.com/

Hook - 8-15-2006 at 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by comitan
http://www.kickstartoem.com/

That link is not working for me, unless their site is just down right now. Are you sure of the URL?

Nevermind.....it is now, for some reason.

[Edited on 8-15-2006 by Hook]

comitan - 8-15-2006 at 12:37 PM

Just tried it, OK.

Roberto - 8-16-2006 at 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hook
So, the capacitor continues to hold a charge even after the AC is shut off? Does it rely on the house battery to maintain this or is the capacitor charged when house current is initially applied before the A/C unit is turned on?

1. The capacitor is initially, and almost instantly, charged once current (alternating) is available. So, if it's been unplugged for a long time, run the fan only for 30 seconds.

2. The capacitor retains the current as long as current remains available, and for SOME amount of time afterwards (ONE of the reasons for those high voltage present warning signs on some appliances).

3. They are sized appropriately in order to store sufficent current for a compressor start up for your unit.

JZ - 8-16-2006 at 09:57 AM

Can these things be used safely on a boat.

[Edited on 8-16-2006 by JZ]

Roberto - 8-16-2006 at 05:52 PM

JZ - if you are asking about the hard-start kit, I don't see why not. They don't add anything more inherently dangerous than what's already in an A/C unit.

puravida - 8-17-2006 at 04:56 PM

I read on another forum about a 3500 watt generator made by champion. It's a little louder then the honda, but only half the price ($350-$400).

There's no inverter, so I'm guessing it won't be as friendly to electronics as a honda--but it's a lower cost option if it fits your need.

Bob and Susan - 8-17-2006 at 05:38 PM

it's chineese...you won't be happy

they're junk and no place to fix them later....

[Edited on 8-18-2006 by Bob and Susan]

Roberto - 8-17-2006 at 07:40 PM

A "little" louder? :lol:

The Champion is rated at 68 dB at 7 meters.
The Honda EU2000 is rated at 53-59 dB at 7 meters.
The Honda EU3000 is rated at 49-53 dB at 7 meters.

The Hondas vary their speed depending on load, and that's the reason for the variable rating.

Just for the record, each 3 dB increase equals a DOUBLING of the sound pressure level. At 68 db you would be:

1. run out of your campsite by your neighbors.
2. have to take cover in the RV to have a conversation.

And I'm NOT kidding.

Solution for now.......

Hook - 8-20-2006 at 08:06 PM

......a friend agreed to swap straight across my Honda EU-2000i for his Yammy YG-2800i. The Yammy is 18 lbs heavier at dry weight but has a much larger fuel capacity/run time, so it will also serve as my back-up generator at home; something the Honda 2000 couldnt really do. Not enough amps to run the refer and freezer, the HDTV, (still love CRTs!)the DVR and the computer.

The 2800i is a hybrid of the typical contractor setup with a baffled muffler, so not quite as portable but still doable. Noise level is 60-67 db, so it is louder than the Honda but as the perception of loudness doesnt really follow the empirical measurement, it certainly doesn't "sound" 2-3 times as loud. We ran them side by side on eco-throttle and they seemed close but the Honda was definitely quieter. The "contractor" configuration of the Yammy does leave open some further overall baffling options.

So, I now have 20.8 continuous amps to play with at sea level and 23.3 surge amps.

BTW, the Honda literature stated that the rule of thumb for loss of horsepower at altitude is ~3.5% per 1000 feet of elevation gain. Not sure if that directly correlates to the % loss of amps.

Diver - 8-20-2006 at 09:06 PM

My wife made me buy a generator before Y2K (of course we didn't need it).
We got a Coleman 3500 with a Honda 5.5 HP at Costco for about $500.
When I finally opened the box a few years later, I found that it is rated for 26 amps continuous. It will run all my jobsite tools or the camper with the AC and all the toys running. It will also run for almost 8 hours on a single tank of gas, has a battery charger and is pretty quiet. This was made before they came out with the "E" series but there are a lot of them still out there (Y2K leftovers).
.

[Edited on 8-21-2006 by Diver]

puravida - 8-21-2006 at 08:13 AM

60db is considered the level of normal conversation. I've never heard one, but if you go to rv.net and search "champion", you will see a lot of people like them over there. They also comment that they are pretty quiet. (ie: AC is louder then the gen, or they couldn't hear their neighbors Champion until they went over to their campsite, etc). Didn't see any reports of being chased out of campsites, or anyone complaining. The honda's are definately a better unit, but they are also twice as spendy.

I don't have any experience with them--I've got a yamaha ef1000i (similar to the EU1000 but a few db quieter (47db)). Now that I've got a camper I wish I woulda got a 2000--but it's nice and small for the boat--and runs most things. My camper doesn't have AC--so that's not an issue...yet!

[Edited on 8-21-2006 by puravida]

Hook - 8-22-2006 at 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by puravida
60db is considered the level of normal conversation. I've never heard one, but if you go to rv.net and search "champion", you will see a lot of people like them over there. They also comment that they are pretty quiet. (ie: AC is louder then the gen, or they couldn't hear their neighbors Champion until they went over to their campsite, etc). Didn't see any reports of being chased out of campsites, or anyone complaining. The honda's are definately a better unit, but they are also twice as spendy.

I don't have any experience with them--I've got a yamaha ef1000i (similar to the EU1000 but a few db quieter (47db)). Now that I've got a camper I wish I woulda got a 2000--but it's nice and small for the boat--and runs most things. My camper doesn't have AC--so that's not an issue...yet!

[Edited on 8-21-2006 by puravida]

My Lance just happened to come with an AC unit; I wasnt really looking for one with it. With your popup, I'd just install that vent fan and maybe get a box or oscillating fan that your inverter can run. That works in 90% of all situations unless someone is unusually intolerant to heat. About the only time we use ours is for a 10 minute cool down just before bed on the absolute hottest and most humid nights. Other than that, it's inverted or 12v fans and gettin' nekked.

.....which sometimes means turning up the fans a little more. :biggrin:

Really, in my experience, running cooling devices is all about creating a comfortable sleeping environment at night. We run almost nothing except the Fantastic Vent during the day, just to vent heat. We're outside, anyway.