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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 736
  
Location: Western WA | I am going to be generator shopping soon and would like some input on what others use and what they like and don't like. I was told to add up the wattage needed (or was it volts) by all the appliances I wanted to run at once to determine what size generator I need. I have a pretty standard LQ trailer and I want to run A/C the microwave, and be able to charge my laptop and cell phone batteries. The fridge can run off gas and the lights off battery. What size generator do others with similar setups use? Any recommendations? I hear the Honda generators are very quiet. Any thoughts as to fuel type and fuel tank size? |
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Regular
Posts: 50
| Not an expert by any means but this was what I was told. To run the a/c you will need at least a 3500 gen. I was also told that even with that, it would not be a good idea to run the micro and a/c or the hair blow dryer and a/c. ( lif you were using the micro you should turn off a/c). I was also told that gas was the least expensive, that propane was high and a deisel generator was way high! I ended up buying a trailer w/ a 4000 or 4500 ( brain bubble, can't remember!!) onan. I LOVE IT!!!! Push a button and you have a/c!!!! SWEET!! |
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Regular
Posts: 93
Location: Southern Indiana | fellow reiner here..........show in Rookie classes............u need a honda 3000 inverter generator. It is the quietest on the market. The generator has an ECO switch--stands for economy mode--- While running on eco, the generator will produce the electricity which it is asked for therefore it does not have high and low switch. I used mine yesterday in the back of truck to drive around farm repairing fence boards to use power saw to cut boards!!! One of the neat features is the electric start but it also has pull start in case battery has run down. While the generator is on high mode, you can still stand talk sleep right beside it without any distraction. I always turn off the air to use the microwave. Our salesman told us that the honda is the only generator that produces steady ac current that is safe for computers. that is why it is called an inverter generator. The five gallon gas tank will last a good 15-20 hours with the air running....... |
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 Expert
Posts: 2453
Location: Northern Utah | Any of the invertor generators will produce clean power that your electronics can use. Most 13,500 btu A/C units use 1800 watts. Check your unit to see if it's difference. That's usually the peak wattage to start up. They will use less to just stay running. That said, if you have a A/C and a 1200 Watt Microwave, you are at the max for a 3000 watt generator. The bigger the generator, the more money and the more they will weigh. I bought a Yamaha ef2400 i. It's an invertor technology. 2400 watts. it weighs 72 lbs vs 138 for the Honda 3000. So I can pick it up by myself and put it in the truck or move it away from the trailer. If you are mounting it to the trailer and leaving it there, who cares what it weighs. If you use it other than your trailer, the 1/2 the weight makes a big difference. I rarely use A/C, But if I do, I shut the A/C off while I run the microwave. It only takes 30-60 seconds to warm up dinner, There are numerous folks here using the Chinese built generators. They speak well of them. They considerable cheaper than the Honda-Yamaha products. Look at your budget, How you will use the unit (permanent mount or moveable) and how much power you reallyu need at any given moment. And then choose. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
Location: south of Cowtown, TEXAS | Exactly as Painted said above. Mine is the Kipor 3500ti. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 335
Location: Decatur, Texas | The Kipor 3500 is not as quiet as the Honda EU3000. I heard one running compared to my Honda, and mine was quite a bit less noisy. The Kipor is rated at 62-65 decibels to the Honda 49-58 decibels at idle/full load. So it depends on how good of a neighbor you want to be at the campground. Kipor is however, a lot quieter than the bargain basement traditional designed generators that so many horsepeople still use. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 274
Location: MO in woods | PROUD owner of HONDA.Sister owns Kipor an we can hear it and us can orther close campers too.When ours HONDA runs ya have to be next to it to hear it.Would HIGHLY recommend HONDA is well worth little more money. |
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Expert
Posts: 3802
Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | For what it's worth, I run a Yamaha EF3000iseb. Does a good job for us the year round. Search this forum and you will find alot of info on portable generators. Go to http://www.rv.net/forums then search under the "tech issues" section, you could read for hours.
Edited by retento 2007-06-25 11:42 AM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 662
Location: Vanzant, Missouri | My rig isn't self contained. So I bought the Honda 3000. I love it.I run my fridge, hot water heater and ac without a problem. I do turn the AC off when I run the microwave. I set it near the trailer wheels and never hear it. Runs all day on a tank of fuel. Only draw back about it is it does weigh 147lbs. So I have some one help me unload it from the truck. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 736
Location: Western WA | Spent some time on the RV.net forum and there are lots of Honda and Yamaha fans there too. Ended up ordering an Onan P3200ie from Costco, it will be here in about 3 weeks. A close second was the Honda 3000 from Camping World, but we could order the Onan from Costco online and it will be shipped to my door where Camping World requires you to come to a store to buy one, and my nearest Camping World is quite a ways away. We have an Onan propane powered backup generator hard wired in at home for backup power when the electricity goes out, and we have been very happy with it and the service Onan provides when we have had minor issues, so going with the Onan was an easy choice. I am headed to a show at the end of August where I am on a waiting list for an RV spot with hookups so it may make its debut there. Will report back after I've had a chance to try it out. |
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Member
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Location: wisconsin | as much as i wanted a honda generator i just couldn't afford it. i purchased a coleman 3500, and while it is very loud and heavy, i am happy with what it can do. i ran the a/c and microwave at the same time and it handled the load with no problem. instead of just turning the a/c on high at the start, i turned the unit to fan and then up to the a/c. [so there was no huge surge] the a/c ran for about 6 hours before i had to fill up the generator with gas. while mine is a portable generator and i keep it in the tack area, i have to unload it and run it outside the tack area. it is as i stated heavy and i couldn't come up with a ramp for it to load and unload. so i found a door taken from the inside of our home, it turned out to make a nice ramp and i can roll the generator in and out with little problems. i then keep the door in one of the stalls when i travel. good luck. rodeo rudy |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 736
Location: Western WA | I was planning on keeping it in the rear tack compartment and just using it there with the door open for ventilation. Is there some reason I would have to actually get it out to use it? I have a mid-tack so my rear tack just stores things like muck buckets feed tubs, etc. that are in use at a show. I'm not worried about leaving the door open. |
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Expert
Posts: 1205
Location: Arkansas | Ours is a quiet Onan is factory permanently installed in the rear tack. It has an exhaust pipe that goes down through the floor, then goes across the trailer to exit at the right rear corner. There is also a rectangular hole in the floor under the generator for the non-exhaust cooling air to exit. In the door there is a screened (so bugs can't come in) louvered vent inside and out to freely allow cooling air to enter to cycle through the generator to exit the bottom. On the inside of the door where that louvered vent is, there is a velcro-able plastic cover that stays on there til the generator is used, to keep dust from rolling in on gravel roads. The louvered vents and inside cover we added so that in inclement weather we did not have to have the window open on the rear tack in order for the generator to get plenty of air. It also has a 20 gal tank built in so it runs a long time between fuelings. (We use it hunting as well) Hope this helps. |
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Member
Posts: 23
Location: Clewiston, Florida | I would love to afford an Onan, but since thats off the list, I went to one of those Cummings tool sales, picked up a 3500 for like $350. The guy let me take it home and try it out on the trailer to make sure it would handle all i was running. If not said to bring it back and go for a larger 5000 unit. But it works great, awesome on gas, very quiet. Runs my air, TV/DVD...micro...lights..fridge. No problems, but yes, a hair dryer pulls a lot of wattage..sooooooo if using the dryer, i turn off the air for a bit. But, most places we can hook up to power, so not such a big deal. |
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.jpg) Expert
Posts: 2828
Location: Southern New Mexico | $350? How loud is it? For that price I would have gotten the 5000 watt unit. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 544
Location: Claxton, Ga. | Originally written by headhunter on 2007-07-13 3:23 PM
I was planning on keeping it in the rear tack compartment and just using it there with the door open for ventilation. Is there some reason I would have to actually get it out to use it? I have a mid-tack so my rear tack just stores things like muck buckets feed tubs, etc. that are in use at a show. I'm not worried about leaving the door open. I would put it outside. You don't want carbon monoxide posioning. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 736
Location: Western WA | I would keep it in the rear tack, with the door open. I have a three horse trailer without a pass through to the mid-tack from the horse area. I don't see much of a problem with getting carbon monoxide poisoning. Am I missing something? |
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Expert
Posts: 1205
Location: Arkansas | they are put back there a good deal of the time........have a carbon monoxide detector in the LQ, making sure it is good to go whenever you use the generator...that is how ours came set up.. |
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Member
Posts: 23
Location: Clewiston, Florida | Originally written by Terri on 2007-07-16 1:01 PM
$350? How loud is it? For that price I would have gotten the 5000 watt unit. The 5000 unit was not $350 LOL, it was more like $700...I have a big unit for the house, this is south florida hurricane alley.. This 3500 unit from Cummings, is actually a Honda, painted in Cummings colors with their name on it from what im told. It is very quiet compared to most, and have had it over 2 years now with absolutely no problems what so ever. It's heavy, but not so heavy i cant load and unload it by myself if I have to...and I neverrrrrrrrrrr run it IN the trailer |
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Expert
Posts: 3853
Location: Vermont | Originally written by headhunter on 2007-07-16 2:21 PM
I would keep it in the rear tack, with the door open. I have a three horse trailer without a pass through to the mid-tack from the horse area. I don't see much of a problem with getting carbon monoxide poisoning. Am I missing something? Yes...you can get carbon monoxide poisoning...even with open doors...check out the following NIOSH report....http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/carbon2.html Important CO Poisoning Prevention Tips - Never use a gas range or oven to heat a home.
- Never use a charcoal grill, hibachi, lantern, or portable camping stove inside a home, tent, or camper.
- Never run a generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine inside a basement, garage, or other enclosed structure, even if the doors or windows are open, unless the equipment is professionally installed and vented. Keep vents and flues free of debris, especially if winds are high. Flying debris can block ventilation lines.
- Never run a motor vehicle, generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine outside an open window, door, or vent where exhaust can vent into an enclosed area.
- Never leave the motor running in a vehicle parked in an enclosed or partially enclosed space, such as a garage.
- If conditions are too hot or too cold, seek shelter with friends or at a community shelter.
- If CO poisoning is suspected, consult a health care professional right away.
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/cofacts.asp CO poisons primarily by tightly binding to hemoglobin in the blood (forming carboxyhemoglobin), replacing oxygen, and reducing the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 736
Location: Western WA | I think my concept of running it in the rear tack with the rear door completely open is different than running it completely inside the trailer. With the exhaust pointed out, and the door completely open, I don't see how this is any different than generators with an exhaust pipe that ports to the outside of the trailer. And, there is the rear tack divider, three horse stalls and the mid tack with a sealed bulkhead wall separating the LQ from the generator. Its not like I am proposing running the generator in the mid tack that does share air space with the LQ. And I do have a CO detector in the LQ part of the trailer. I've seen many trailers with a generator permanently mounted in the rear tack. How is this any different? If anything, my setup would have more ventilation since I plan on leaving the rear tack door completely open. |
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Location: Texas | I have a generator built in and have run it for days at a time with no problem. Same setup on last 4 trailers. Exhaust runs under trailer and out the side ahead of wheel well. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 736
Location: Western WA | So my Onan 3200i from Costco got here this week. It doesn't come with a battery, so to fire it up the first time you have to use the pull start, which was actually pretty easy. I got a battery from NAPA today so can just start it by turning the key. Its really very quiet. Plugged the horse trailer into it and fired up the A/C. Just for fun, I heated up a cup of water in the microwave with the A/C running, with my husband outside to monitor the generator, and it seemed to handle it just fine, didn't bog down and I didn't notice anything strange with the microwave. I am excited to get to use it for real for the first time! Sure will be nice going down the road knowing that if I end up without a hookup it won't be a big deal. |
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