Recommended generator specifications?
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Topic: Recommended generator specifications?
Posted By: sdc143
Subject: Recommended generator specifications?
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2013 at 11:31am
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I am looking to purchase a generator to have power deep into the mountains while camping. What specifications should I be looking for to power our new 182G? Willl the "Generac GP 3,250-Watt Gasoline Powered Portable Generator" be a good fit? Thanks so much for the asssitance and recommendations. ------------- R-Podimus Adventures Abound! '14 182G HRE '14 Toyota Sequoia 2 little boys and 2 yr old mutt |
Replies:
Posted By: Sleepless
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2013 at 11:48am
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The size is right but there are a few other considerations. If you plan to stay in campgrounds, it will probably be too loud. If that is not a problem, how will you transport a generator that size? Is it too heavy to move easily when you are ready to set it up? These are but a few of the things to consider. Bob ------------- 2014 R-Pod 178 (OUR POD) 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche |
Posted By: sdc143
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2013 at 12:04pm
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I never considered the noise - are there any recommendations for a generator? I have seen a Honda on a few posts...what should I be looking for with respect to power requirements? I am so new to all of this! ------------- R-Podimus Adventures Abound! '14 182G HRE '14 Toyota Sequoia 2 little boys and 2 yr old mutt |
Posted By: unlblkrubi
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2013 at 12:41pm
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High up in the mountains a Honda 2000 would suffice since you would not need air conditioning. Yamaha also makes a nice small rv geny
------------- Squatchpod 2011 171 2013 Jeep JKUR |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2013 at 12:46pm
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I'll add one more consideration - fuel consumption. This gets tied directly into the noise issue with modern generators, because there are 2 types of generator.
Standard old-school generator - runs at full speed (3600 rpm) all the time, loud, and sucks down gas even if you are just charging a cell phone.
Modern "inverter generator" - the electric is actually produced by an inverter, which allows the engine to idle down to a low speed when there is a light load. This also usually means they don't have to rev up to 3600 rpm at full load. Most also are designed with soundproofing, so for all these reasons they are much quieter even at their highest speed. They also use much less gas especially at lower loads. Honda and Yamaha are the two best manufacturers in this division.
There are many others out there now in the inverter generator market, but none match the red or blue brands in the sound department and most aren't built to last as long (on another forum I read of a Honda that lasted 5000 hours). The benefit of the "off brands" is they are also much cheaper for nearly the same benefits over the shorter term.
If you will never use your A/C or microwave you would get by with a 1000 watt generator w/o a problem. Basically you would just be recharging your pod battery every few days, and running/charging other low-wattage stuff.
If you need to run your microwave or A/C you get into a grayer area. To run both at the same time you would need a 3600 watt generator and even that wouldn't work if both started at the same time (compressor and microwave). If you ensure you only run one or the other, you can get by with a 3000 watt generator and be pretty much guaranteed it will run it no matter where you are. Just turn off the A/C for a few minutes while you heat up food, then turn it back on.
You may be able to get by with a smaller generator, around 2500 watts, to run either/or but this is where it gets even grayer. The higher you are in altitude the less power you get from a gas engine - so less electric can be generated. Also the hotter it is the less power you get from a gas engine - so less electric - plus the double-problem that A/C compressors are harder to start the hotter it is. And some of the pods have 13,500 BTU A/Cs while others have 11,000 BTU A/Cs. The larger A/Cs may not always start when its hot out with only 2500 watts....
Our pod has one of the 11,000 BTU A/Cs, and I have an inverter generator 2400 watt Yamaha. it burns 1.6 gallons in exactly 8 hours while running the A/C, converter, and charging our phones and computers, overnight. So far it has always started the A/C even with temps into the low 90's. If we had the larger A/C I wouldn't feel so confident with the same generator. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: GA_RPOD_178
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2013 at 1:47pm
Excellent explanation Doug. We have the 13.5 a/c. I couldn't lift the Honda 3000 so ended up getting two of the 2000i's. I can load either or both, depending on whether I will need the A/C. You can't go wrong with either the blue or red guys. -------------  [/URL]
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Posted By: Sleepless
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2013 at 2:24pm
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The blue and the red generators are the two time-proven brands of inverters. There are a few new kids on the block that are less expensive but are so new that their long-term durability and longevity are unknown. I am thinking of the Dometic LW3000 and the 2600 watt unit that Ryobi has out. I have the Dometic, but it is too soon for me to comment on how it will hold up. Short term, it has been great. I might add that I am not very fond of Dometic products but I decided to take a gamble on this one. If you don't care to gamble, go with either the red or the blue. Bob ------------- 2014 R-Pod 178 (OUR POD) 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2013 at 2:40pm
I have a 3000 watt generator. I can run the Microwave and AC at the same time. A third high draw item (like say my wifes hard driyer  ) and it will stall the Generator.
------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition 
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Posted By: Thinker
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2013 at 3:11pm
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The Red inverter 2000i (Honda) has a fuel pump and a small outboard motor gas tank will run it all night. The Blue (Yamaha) does not have the fuel pump so what the tank holds is what you get. Not fun to get up at 2:00am to refuel the gen so you can have heat. ------------- Tow Vehicle: 2013 Pathfinder 4WD R-POD Model 171 
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Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2013 at 8:31pm
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I'm working on that problem. Gravity is an asset. But definitely the red gensets are easier to extend the run-time with out-of-the-box solutions. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: GaryMenne
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2013 at 9:11pm
| I'm a new owner of a 2014 177 and have solved my generator/inverter issue. I purchased a Dometic 3000 watt inverter/generator and it would not start my Dometic 13.5 AC unit. I did some research and purchased a Supco SSP6 hard start capacitor and installed it in my AC unit. On the wiring diagram of the AC unit it plugs in where it shows optional ptcr. It took a whole 10 minutes including removal of the AC cover. Two wires connect with spade type connectors that are provided on the AC unit and on the new capacitor. AC started without a problem. It will not start on the Eco mode of the generator but I did switch it to Eco after it was running. As for the Dometic 3000, it costs about 1/3 the price of a Honda or Yamaha it is rated about the same decibels and is lightweight. Oh, by the way it has electric start. |
Posted By: Sleepless
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2013 at 9:51pm
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Good for you!! I bought my Dometic LW3000 a few months ago and I am more than happy with its performance. My A/C is a Coleman 11K unit and it starts flawlessly. I did have to buy a 30 amp RV cord to generator adapter, but it was very inexpensive on eBay. I still can't believe how quickly the unit starts with just a turn of the key. And, since they are Dometics, most RV facilities will take care of warranty issues, if any. Two RV dealers in my immediate area sell them. I was reading an article a few days ago about installing the inverters in rebuilt vintage motor homes. They placed the Dometics in the compartment formerly used by the original generator set, and dealt with the issues of exhaust, remote start and similar issues. Wish I had bookmarked the web site for you. Bob ------------- 2014 R-Pod 178 (OUR POD) 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche |
Posted By: GA_RPOD_178
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2013 at 10:26pm
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It will be interesting to see how the LW 3000 holds up long term. There are only 12 reviews on Amazon that run the gamut, with an overall 3 star rating. Too small a sample, but worth watching. ------------- [/URL]
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Posted By: GA_RPOD_178
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2013 at 11:21am
http://www.amazon.com/Dometic-LW3000-Plus-Portable-Generator/dp/B006M331QO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378480865&sr=8-1&keywords=dometic+lw3000+plus+portable+generator - http://www.amazon.com/Dometic-LW3000-Plus-Portable-Generator/dp/B006M331QO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378480865&sr=8-1&keywords=dometic+lw3000+plus+portable+generator ------------- [/URL]
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Posted By: Sleepless
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2013 at 12:06pm
I am also waiting to see how well mine holds up. I thought it would get a prolonged workout during our hurricane season, but so far no power outages. Before I bought mine, I checked the reviews on all the web sites I could find, including those on Amazon.com. There are several more reviews out there. Admittedly, a few are not favorable. Still, for $450 I got a brand new electric start inverter large enough for my pod's air conditioner and purrs quietly at idle. For me, it was worth a gamble. Bob ------------- 2014 R-Pod 178 (OUR POD) 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche |
Posted By: GA_RPOD_178
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2013 at 12:12pm
Keep us posted. That way we get to play with house money. ------------- [/URL]
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Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2013 at 6:28pm
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I'm not rich, and I'm generally smart enough not to just throw money away, but I've learned over the years that I seldom regret spending more money on better quality stuff. And that's not to say that the Dometic inverter isn't a quality item. There have been times though when I've bought cheap, bought cheap again, and then bought quality and wished I'd been smart enough to skip the first two steps.
You have to be careful, because companies like Honda and Yamaha can take advantage of people with my attitude!
I hope the Dometic turns out to be a winner for you guys. It sounds like it could be a real bargain.
TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |