Hard start capacitor

+1 to StephenH. This is a case where you get what you pay for.

You don’t need to spend the $300 for an Easystart if you have a sufficiently large generator, but then there is the weight and cost of that approach. It’s a matter of deciding what you want to do. Pros and cons either way.

Also consider that most campgrounds won’t let you run a generator at night so neither approach fully solves the problem we have in the East of dealing with hot humid summer nights while boondocking.

If the fan isn’t on then an inverter generator like the Honda 2k goes into eco mode (low idle) which makes it even harder to start the compressor because the generator needs to spin up to full rpm. You can of course deselect eco mode but then you’re creating more noise and burning more fuel than needed while the a/c is cycled off. The Easystart solves that problem.

If weight is a key issue for you and you really need your generator to run the a/c then Microair is the way to go. Consider the price to be justified based on value provided rather than based on the labor and materials in the device itself.

Weight is your friend when it comes to a generator’s capability to start the a/c. It’s the rotating mass of the engine that provides the stored energy to get the compressor going. A lightweight generator with a high electrical power rating won’t have the rotating mass required so it’s rating probably just specsmanship on the part of the manufacturer. If you want the lowest weight while still getting reliable starts get an Easystart and a Honda 2.2k or similar rated generator. That combo is going to be very hard to beat.

+1 to StephenH’s recommendation to get or convert a generator to run on propane. You already have propane on board so not carrying gasoline is a weight savings in itself, not to mention the reduction in complexity. I converted my Honda to propane when I bought it and have never run it on anything else since. Much cleaner burning and no gummed up carb.