how big of a generator

sedgehammer · 04-05-2015, 02:02 PM

Hi All,

Need some advise on generators. I have a Cougar half ton 31SQBWE and need to know how big of a generator to get. We are headed into the very hot weather and want to do some dry camping....AC will be a must...Thoughts?

Thanks

**chuckster57** · 04-05-2015, 02:21 PM

As a rule 3500 watts is minimum to run A/C. If you plan on running more AC appliances at the same time then you'll need more.

The biggest draw is the A/C start-up.

notanlines · 04-05-2015, 02:51 PM

Sedge, here is a reasonably good site for you to use for reference. It will pretty much fill your bill. And ALWAYS buy more generator than you will need. Just don't get carried away......they do burn a lot of fuel.
http://www.advancedmower.com/honda/g...tage_guide.htm

Festus2 · 04-05-2015, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sedgehammer

Hi All,

Need some advise on generators. I have a Cougar half ton 31SQBWE and need to know how big of a generator to get. We are headed into the very hot weather and want to do some dry camping....AC will be a must...Thoughts?

Thanks

I'd also recommend 3500-4000W as a minimum. By the time you get your A/C up and running, you will need something "leftover" to run other items. If you get a generator having just the bare minimum, you'll not be able to use the microwave, for example.

There are also some other current draws operating in the background such as the converter, the HW heater (on electricity) and the coach lights. These all require amps and eat into the wattage.

Instead of a larger and heavier, single generator, there is always the option of paralleling two smaller, lighter ones. You could, for example, get two 2000W generators and couple them so that you end up with 4000W. Mind you this 4000w is not all available to you. Having two, 2000W might also give you a bit more flexibility.

Check into those units that can be coupled ---- Honda, Yamaha and Champion all have this capability. The first two are the most expensive and with excellent reputations but don't discount the Champion ---- it's specs are almost identical to the other two but costs a lot less.

If you are going to be dry camping, I'd also suggest switching all of your lights to LED's....your batteries will love you for doing this.

Desert185 · 04-05-2015, 04:32 PM

After considering the options, we decided to buy two, 2000W generators and parallel them. If AC isn't needed, then we could run only one twice a day to charge batteries, run the coffee maker, the microwave and the ice maker. This was a much simpler solution than going solar or having one heavy generator that burned a lot of gas and was noisier than just one 2000W gen would be.

We find that using parks with power, etc. was more suited to our style, so just having to carry one 2000W as a backup was a good decision for us. Later this month, we're going to a NV desert ghost town with our ATV that actually has 30A, water and sewer hookups. So, there you go...

spicercars · 04-05-2015, 04:43 PM

Two Honda 2000 generators is the way to go. That's what we did before we bought our raptor. Light weight and easy to move and haul.

michael_h · 04-05-2015, 08:05 PM

before one buys do I advise people do specification comparisons of the brands they may be considering and some they may not.

There's more to generators than price and good reviews. As other I too choose the two Honda 2000 watters

**JRTJH** · 04-05-2015, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michael_h

before one buys do I advise people do specification comparisons of the brands they may be considering and some they may not.

There's more to generators than price and good reviews. As other I too choose the two Honda 2000 watters

I completely agree, if your budget is essentially unlimited and you're looking for the "Rolls Royce" of generators. Honda and/or Yamaha are "tops" in the category. But there is a "segment of campers" who either can't justify $2000 or more for generators or would rather spend that much money on camping rather than sitting home after buying the generators because there's nothing left in the budget to go camping.

So, while there is much more to generators than price and good reviews, sometimes those are the deciding factors. In that situation, Champion and the Costco "Smarter Tools" (which is a Yamaha powered generator) are excellent choices...

Not everyone wants, needs or can afford the investment of a Honda or Yamaha. There are alternatives that will work very well for the growing family or the camper that's just starting out and is on a budget.

Just as not everyone can afford (or needs) an Airstream that costs $150,000, some of us even buy Keystone products that "work well and don't have the "best reputation or the accompanying cost".

ChuckS · 04-06-2015, 06:14 AM

I think you will be very pleased with the two Honda 2000 units. I too went back and forth on what to buy for our new Alpine fifth wheel

The parallel 2000s start my AC, run the heat pump, etc. Of course you can only run one AC at a time. Our unit has 2. With one running we can watch TV, run microwave, etc. However. Things like hair dryers and AC at same time is probably too much. You'll learn

Suggestion. Be sure to put either stabil or seafoam in your gas can that you fill your generators with. Keeps fuel fresh and lessons carburetor trouble. Also check oil on each fuel refuel
We've had ours a year now and they run everything we need, very quite , super easy start. Also. They are very light for when I get older. I'm 61 now.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Desert185 · 04-06-2015, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

I completely agree, if your budget is essentially unlimited and you're looking for the "Rolls Royce" of generators. Honda and/or Yamaha are "tops" in the category. But there is a "segment of campers" who either can't justify $2000 or more for generators or would rather spend that much money on camping rather than sitting home after buying the generators because there's nothing left in the budget to go camping.

So, while there is much more to generators than price and good reviews, sometimes those are the deciding factors. In that situation, Champion and the Costco "Smarter Tools" (which is a Yamaha powered generator) are excellent choices...

Not everyone wants, needs or can afford the investment of a Honda or Yamaha. There are alternatives that will work very well for the growing family or the camper that's just starting out and is on a budget.

Just as not everyone can afford (or needs) an Airstream that costs $150,000, some of us even buy Keystone products that "work well and don't have the "best reputation or the accompanying cost".

Right on the money, again.

I just saw Generac 2000's at Costco for $499. I know nothing about them. The Smarter Tools 2000's we bought last year work fine the few times we've used them...and so does my older Honda 1000. All three of them generate. No leather. No heated seats. No pretty trim.

If Rolls, Porsche, Jaguar or BMW made pickups, how many folks would turn their nose up at Fords, Chevys or Dodges? These days, it takes a $Billion to elect a president, which doesn't always result in a good return on investment.

My wood splitter doesn't have a Honda engine. Neither does my chipper, which has been around for 15 years. Still don't have a HF torque wrench, though.

Foibles. Fun vs expense. Discuss...

jsmith948 · 04-06-2015, 08:00 AM

All really great points. I would like to offer a comparison.
When we were first married (48 yrs ago), we couldn't afford to purchase 'the best' not even 'better'. We bought cheap - knowing the item (tools, appliance, furniture, whatever) would need to be replaced later. Then, as we got our feet on the ground, we purchased the 'better' grade of items with the idea that they would "last a lifetime". My DS has, on many occasions, made the comment - "gees, dad, I can't believe you still have that - insert item - you had that when I was a kid." Buying quality tools and products has served us well. Now, as we have gotten a little longer in the tooth, an item doesn't have to last as long to last a 'lifetime'. Kind of like the roofer trying to sell me on a 45 year roof

I think 25 or 30 will probably be long enough.
I still try to buy quality - just not so worried about it being the very top of the line. Just sayin'

**JRTJH** · 04-06-2015, 09:22 AM

Jack and Desert185,

That's the point I was trying to make. Thanks for expanding on it. Not all of us can justify (nor do we need) the very best or the greatest. Heck, most of us are towing a Keystone (heaven forbid). If you ask some people, they're "junk, not worth considering".... But, they serve our purpose just fine and for most all of us, we actually "enjoy our Keystone". Should we advocate that "unless it's an Airstream or a DRV" it can't be worth the investment?

Same goes for tractors: Green and yellow compete with orange and both claim the championship, but my red one moves enough snow that my back didn't hurt all winter. It makes me happy, and I smile when I back it into the pole barn "until next time". Plus, I know that come mowing season, it'll drag my bush hog where I need to go....

As for generators. If you want and can afford a Honda or a Yamaha, buy all means, buy red or blue. But there are other choices available that will serve the purpose and there's no "shame" in owning yellow or the "other red".... For some of us, the choice is to not buy red for whatever reasons. Like you, I honestly can't see myself "pulling a rope on a generator" fifteen years from now. I don't need to pay three times the price for that kind of longevity (my kids have their own generators).

And Jack, like you, we started "meager" at best.... You know, come to think of it, I've still got some of those "make do till we can get better" things that I still use (some of them are 45-50 years old). So, not everything that's "not the best" is doomed for failure LOL

GmaPaTime · 04-06-2015, 11:29 AM

Case in point JRTJH... We bought a coleman gas twin burner stove 41 years ago when we started camping thinking ok, we'll buy this and get a better one later on. Well, that darn thing works just as good as the day we bought it and I'll never get rid of it. It has saved us many of times. It's like part of family...

Steve

Festus2 · 04-06-2015, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sedgehammer

Hi All,

I have a Cougar half ton 31SQBWE and need to know how big of a generator to get. We are headed into the very hot weather and want to do some dry camping....AC will be a must...Thoughts?

Thanks

Sometimes, we tend to get a little side-tracked with our replies.

Be patient - eventually you might get some further information about the size of the generator........

GmaPaTime · 04-06-2015, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Festus2

Sometimes, we tend to get a little side-tracked with our replies.

Be patient - eventually you might get some further information about the size of the generator........

Your right Festus.....

I use (2) 2000w Champions, works great for us....

notanlines · 04-06-2015, 02:30 PM

Not to be harsh, but there was already great information. You can't just jump to the end and get the good stuff. Most people don't read what's in between.

**JRTJH** · 04-06-2015, 03:21 PM

^^ Yup, what he said. Like Oreo's, the good stuff is in the middle.

We have a Honda 2500 generator, it's LOUD (68dB) !!! We have a Champion 4000/3500 watt generator that will run anything and almost everything in the Cougar at the same time, it's not quiet as loud (64 dB), and works well in the summer with the windows closed (using A/C). And we have a Champion 2000 watt inverter (only one so far), that's not any louder (53 dB) than the Honda 2000 (53 dB). We use it during the spring and fall when we dry camp and need to charge batteries, but don't need to run the A/C. I suppose we're "generator poor" with all these models, but I failed to mention the 14K LP generator beside the house.... Yup, when you live in the woods and the wind blows, sometimes it can be days before the electric company gets to your power lines, so.....

All told, if you're looking for something to run "most stuff plus the A/C" look at around 3100-3500 watts, if you're wanting to charge batteries and watch TV but don't need the A/C, 1600-1700 watts is sufficient. Next, the amount of noise is probably the next consideration. Follow that with efficiency, cost, reliability, ease of maintenance, replacement parts availability, and whatever else is on your list....

But, as for size, with A/C: 3500 watts, without A/C: 1600 watts is enough.

Desert185 · 04-06-2015, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GmaPaTime

Case in point JRTJH... We bought a coleman gas twin burner stove 41 years ago when we started camping thinking ok, we'll buy this and get a better one later on. Well, that darn thing works just as good as the day we bought it and I'll never get rid of it. It has saved us many of times. It's like part of family...

Steve

I still have my Coleman, white gas, two-burner stove from when I was a Boy Scout during the fifties. Converted it to propane bottle a few decades back. Still works great.

2 Smarter Tools 2000W (w/parallel capability for AC) and a Honda 1000W.

B-O-B'03 · 04-09-2015, 09:19 PM

I purchased a Champion 3100 watt inverter at Costco, for our new 22RBPR and have run it long enough to test it out and get it to the 5 hour first oil change.

It is not overly loud and I have it running right now while I check things out in the camper for our first trip, next weekend.

I have had things running out there, for almost a week, on batteries and propane, trying to get a feel for consumption. I started the generator up tonight and plugged it in... the fridge switched over to AC and the converter ramped up charging the batteries... no problem, went in and turned on the AC... no problem. I did not turn on the microwave at the same time, but I think, for the style of camping we are going to be doing, this generator will be perfect and it was $699 + tax, shipped to my house.

YMMV.

-Brian

jje1960 · 04-10-2015, 10:40 AM

We have been using our Boliy every year since purchase, plenty of hours on the unit, plenty of oil changes. We actually only had a couple of short-falls to address while looking for a new unit. The Boliy at 74Ibs will continue to travel with us in the back of the TV. We will continue to use the unit while stopping in route, runs everything including the 15k aircon. In order to use with the airconditioner (15k or 13.5 in bedroom) the Boliy unit must be in standard mode, econ will not kick-up fast enough to start compressor..... This is the main 'rub'. I spent most of the Winter researching inverter generators and found one that meets our sweet-spot. We purchased the Powerhouse PH4000Ri/e. Ordered from Cabela's for total of $1674.00. It's EFI, so no more worry about kicking up fast enough (it does not even have the econ switch) amazing runtime at 1/4 load (18hrs), remote start. I really thought we were giving something up and it would be a 'bit' loud.... Nope, testing outside the garage with load and without it's a pleasant surprise. Full specs are here, we will wheel this in the garage of our toyhauler, it comes in at 160Ibs. http://www.powerhouse-products.com/p...uct/ph4000rie/. We spend a full week every year at Bristol for the race, the generator runs pretty much 24/7 and makes the week very comfortable!

You may also like: