You can already run our existing air conditioners on a little Honda 2K, and you need roughly that size gen to run the microwave anyway. So I don't see much benefit in being able to go to an even smaller generator. The fuel savings from a higher efficiency air conditioner running on a generator would probably not be enough benefit to convince folks to spend about 2k$ or so more for.
Mabru's posted efficiency numbers are very achievable. Theirs work out to an EER of 16.4 (COP of 4.8). In comparison, the Fujitsu 9000 BTU mini split (I happen to be looking at getting a couple of those for home use) specs show an EER of 18 (COP of 5.3). As we've discussed in another thread, heat pumps/air conditioners have advanced rapidly in the past few years. The good ones all use inverter technology with variable speed compressors and fans, which has resulted in a dramatic efficiency improvement.
Mabru uses that technology in their unit. They are well known in the cruising yacht world for their marine units, which have a very demanding customer base. This product looks like their first entry into the RV world.
I'm not trying to sell anyone on them BTW, and I don't personally know that their product works as advertised, just saying their claims aren't outlandish. If I was building a boondocking rig right now I'd certainly consider installing one.
As for using a 12V unit vs a 120V one in a generator run use case, that woudnt require a large battery bank. The generator would maintain the house battery via the existing converter.
But to me the real benefit is to be able to have ac with the generator off. Every state and national park I've been to recently has mandatory quiet hours when generator running is not allowed. In sections of some campgrounds generators are banned entirely. Not much is more annoying to tent campers than having to listen to someone's generator running all night while they're trying to sleep. I've been doing some tent camping lately and I won't stay in a campground where they allow nightime generator use.
If your objective was to get through campground quiet hours while staying cool (rather than full solar off grid a/c operation) then the estimate I posted earlier would go down a lot. You wouldn't need solar at all and a battery about half the size would do. You would probably need to add a higher capacity or a second converter though so you could use more of your generator capacity when you are recharging, but those are pretty cheap compared to batteries and solar. Or you could add a high capacity circuit and charge from the tow vehicle alternator, and maybe dispense with the generator entirely.
I don't see a product like this taking the broader RV market by storm either, the benefits are there but are pretty obscure for most folks. Maybe if someone packaged the a/c with a larger battery and sold it as nightime a/c system for quiet hour operation? But that's still really only going to appeal to a pretty small niche market. You probably have to have experienced sweating through some hot nights without being able to run your generator to appreciate the benefits.
------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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