Proper generator size

[Bustinbeards]

I have a 2019 Bullet 287qbs I was looking at generators what is the quietest and proper size generator I should get?

[JRTJH]

What is the shore power amperage rating for your trailer and what are you trying to power?

If it's a 50 amp trailer, you'll be "hard pressed" to find a gas generator that will provide the 12,000 watts to "equal shore power" but at the same time, if you're just trying to run the converter/charger and maybe the microwave, a 2000 watt inverter generator may be all you need. Add air conditioning and you'd need to double the generator size to run the air on a hot day.

So, what are you trying to operate when on generator power?

[Bustinbeards]

I have 30A. I’d like to be able to run the ac if possible. Mostly just to use plug/ lights and to charge the battery.

[JRTJH]

For a 30 amp trailer, I'd look at a 3200-3400 watt INVERTER generator. There are some "open frame inverters" on the market, but they are not as quiet as a "closed frame inverter".

The "gold standard" is Honda or Yamaha. Plan on well over $1000 for either unless you luck out on a used one on Craigslist or EBay. Champion makes a good 3200 watt "basic inverter generator" as does Harbor Freight, WEN, General Electric and Westinghouse. I'm sure there are lots of others as well.

To me, the key is a "closed frame inverter" about 3200 watts from a company or a retail outlet that can service it if you do have problems. If you look at the HF Predator series, make sure you get the extended "exchange for a new one" warranty. It's definitely worth the money for a 2 year warranty rather than the 90 day warranty that comes standard.

[sourdough]

There are all kinds of "generators" for an RV. As stated, you want an INVERTER generator, not the old open frame generators (read construction). Used to carry one with me (7500 watt) everywhere I went years ago but man, that thing was loud.

Newer ones come in all kinds of sizes and brands from cheap to expensive. Hondas are considered top of the line but there are others. I have opted to use Generac models. During a home power outage recently I needed a generator to keep all the fridges/freezers running. I was going to get a Champion but there were none available within hundreds of miles (3500). Found a Craftsman of all things (I don't buy Craftsman stuff anymore). Since it was the ONLY thing similar to what I wanted/needed I had to do some research. The Craftsman is a Generac gen painted red with the Craftsman logo. I hoped to get the IQ3500 but the one supposedly in stock wasn't. Bought a GP3300i as it was the only one anywhere I could get - VERY surprised and happy.

I have not used the above gen for my RV; ran 3 days keeping my stuff going at the house then cleaned up, covered it and it lives in the shop. I believe it will run my 13.5k A/C if the need arises although I may have to put a soft start in the 13.5 (smaller A/C). It is as quiet or more quiet than a Honda and is comparable is most any way....including price. Just another option.

[BandT]

We were lucky enough to get a Generac IQ3500 last summer. We tested it with our smaller AC 13.5? with no problems at all. Then we tried the 15K? It would run it but not happy. Not light though! Decided it would live in the toy hauler or the back of the pickup. Not moving it around. Really impressed with how quiet it is!

[RickV]

Kinda thread jacking but, maybe some answers might help OP.

I have been thinking about buying a new inverter generator. I have Champion 3500 electric start that I parked at my MIL's house for when we leave for the summer because her power goes out if the wind blows hard. It works great and I have an extended run cap for it and can hook it up to a boat tank if needed. I would like to get one preferably lighter to carry with us when we travel "Just in case" we need it. I am looking at a few different ones and would like to get pros and cons from real world user experiences.
There are 3 that I am looking at:

1. Champion Power Equipment 200951 2500-Watt Portable Inverter Generator, Ultralight
2. Westinghouse Outdoor Power Equipment iGen2200
3. Westinghouse Outdoor Power Equipment iGen4500 (much heavier but way more power)

[Winnie2020]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

For a 30 amp trailer, I'd look at a 3200-3400 watt INVERTER generator. There are some "open frame inverters" on the market, but they are not as quiet as a "closed frame inverter".

The "gold standard" is Honda or Yamaha. Plan on well over $1000 for either unless you luck out on a used one on Craigslist or EBay. Champion makes a good 3200 watt "basic inverter generator" as does Harbor Freight, WEN, General Electric and Westinghouse. I'm sure there are lots of others as well.

To me, the key is a "closed frame inverter" about 3200 watts from a company or a retail outlet that can service it if you do have problems. If you look at the HF Predator series, make sure you get the extended "exchange for a new one" warranty. It's definitely worth the money for a 2 year warranty rather than the 90 day warranty that comes standard.

I was researching this very issue this morning for the same trailer (2021 model) as the OP's trailer. There is only one A/C unit that comes installed from the factory. I stumbled across a DuroMax Inverter generator (XP4500iH) that produces 3,600 running watts on gas and 3,240 on propane. I'd planned on going out to storage today to pull the appliance manuals in order to calculate running watts for the electric appliances but perhaps someone here can answer:

1) With the AC running, does the AC consume 100% of the 30 amps or is there room to run the TV, microwave and a few lights at the same time?

2) It sounds like from multiple sources, that an Inverter is the only way to go. Comments?

[gearhead]

With a 30 amp trailer hooked up the 30 amp pedestal in a campground, in my opinion, you should be able to run about everything. Running the A/C, microwave, toaster, and electric coffee pot might max it out though, but maybe not.
An inverter produces a much cleaner sinewave. Important for electronics.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Winnie2020

I was researching this very issue this morning for the same trailer (2021 model) as the OP's trailer. There is only one A/C unit that comes installed from the factory. I stumbled across a DuroMax Inverter generator (XP4500iH) that produces 3,600 running watts on gas and 3,240 on propane. I'd planned on going out to storage today to pull the appliance manuals in order to calculate running watts for the electric appliances but perhaps someone here can answer:

1) With the AC running, does the AC consume 100% of the 30 amps or is there room to run the TV, microwave and a few lights at the same time?

2) It sounds like from multiple sources, that an Inverter is the only way to go. Comments?

Dometic recommends that a single 13.5 or 15 amp air conditioner be operated with a generator rated for 3500 watts and two air conditioners be operated with a generator rated for 5500 watts. That takes into account starting amperage requirements, other amperage draws within the trailer and voltage drop from the generator to the trailer power system. Until the popularity of inverter generators made them the "most commonly used type" most people had "contractor generators" that were loud, often smelly and burned lots of fuel. They were most often located as far away from the trailer as possible (to reduce noise and heat) so voltage drop was a more significant factor "back then" than now.

When you look at your 3600/3240 watt generator, and analyze the trailer distribution system, you come up with these "numbers":

The Air Conditioner circuit breaker is a 20 amp breaker. 20 amps at 120 volts is 2400 watts. So, the air conditioner will not draw more than 2400 watts of power (except for theoretical power during startup)... In reality, the compressor will draw around 12.5 amps (1500 watts) and the fan motor will draw around 2.5 amps (300 watts). That 1800 "running watts" is significantly variable, depending on the temperature, the "freon charge", compressor temperature and so many variables that it's "impossible to pinpoint an amperage draw for calculating purposes"... in other words, every trailer will be slightly different, but speaking in generalities, around 1800 watts should be a good guess.

With 3240 watts on propane power, that generator will produce a minimum of 840 watts of "surplus power" when the air conditioner is running.

The converter/charger in your trailer is probably a WFCO 55 amp unit. 55 amps at 12 volts is 660 watts.

So, with the air conditioner and the converter/charger operating at "full power" you'll come very close to maxing out that generator when operating on propane. When operating on gas, you'll have a "wee bit of surplus wattage"....

As you can see, "doing the numbers" is the best way to take into account what you need and what you have.... In "real world use" you'll seldom have 20 amps used by the air conditioner and 55 amps used by the converter, so there's a "built in fudge factor" when calculating requirements using the maximum potential....

It's the same "theory" when calculating a tow vehicle or a trailer size: Use the maximum/worst case scenario and you'll always be "on the safe side" of your numbers...

[B-O-B'03]

We are coming into our 7th season with a Champion 3100/2800 watt inverter generator.

It will start and run the Dometic 15K AC unit as well as run the mini-fridge in the outdoor kitchen, the converter to keep the batteries charged and the fridge inside the camper (absorption style).

I am really happy with it and used it last winter during the "stormagedon we had here in TX. It basically ran for 4 days straight, refueling it every 6 hours.

It has never failed to start by the second pull and it generally starts on the first.

At almost 68 years of age, 5'6" and 165 pounds, I can load it in the bed of the truck by myself.

For a plain-Jane version, it does everything I need.

-Brian

[NH_Bulldog]

There are a lot of factors to take into consideration, and I would encourage you to take everything said here by myself and others and determine what fits your particular needs and situation.

I have a single 13.5k Dometic air conditioner and my shore power cord is 30a. We bought a Generac GP3000i inverter generator. Fairly light at about 55 lbs and It is so quiet I can hear my brother’s Honda 2000 one campsite over, even standing next to my camper. It has a 30a twist-lock plug and I can run my AC through it’s normal cycles without issue. We used the generator quite a bit during our 50+ nights of camping this year and we are VERY happy with our experience. As a disclaimer, we only ran the AC sporadically on any given day. Mostly we used the generator to top off the batteries and to power my office-away-from-the-office for a few hours a day during our various trips when there was no shore power connection.

However, just for the sake of longevity of the AC unit and the generator, I picked up a MicroAir EasyStart soft starter for the AC unit to install this spring when we pull the camper out of storage and that should mean the 3000i will remain more than adequate for all our needs (at least until we squirrel away enough acorns for our next camper 1-2 years down the road).

[dutchmensport]

I searched for a proper generator for 3 years, looking for the right one to power my 50 amp Fifth wheel. We had another generator that sounded like a lawn mower. It did pretty good, but it had no wheels and hard to move around. We used it at home for power outages. But we wanted something more adaptable for the camper, and the wife insisted everything in the camper work, or we get nothing at all.

So the search. Like I said, it took about 3 years but one day I stumbled into the Cummings Onan P4500i inverter generator. A little self research, a couple calls to my local RV dealership/repair shop, a visit to the same shop, discussions with the service guys, the people working in parts, and the general consensus was the P4500i.

We ended up buying 2 of them so we could power the full 50 amps.

I ran several stress tests on each one independently and combined together, ... 30 amp solo and 50 amp paired. And both worked great.

On one generator only (30 amp), absolutely everything in my camper ran perfectly fine. Of course, only 1 air conditioner ran. When flipping on the second AC unit, the generator turned off the trailer. It has it's own breaker in it to shut down power to the trailer if it exceeds the amps. And the generator continues to run. When that happens, I had to flip the reset button and power was restored back to the camper.

So, the exact same thing happens when hooked up to 30 amp shore power. If I try to run both AC's together, the breaker at the shore power source pops.

So, absolutely everything responded and worked exactly like being connected to 30 amp shore power with this generator. It ran both (but not at the same time), the 15,000 btu AC and the 13.5 AC. It ran the residential refrigerator, electric fire place, electric on the water heater, blow dryers, everything.

The Onan generators are not cheap. But they ARE good. Ours has run flawless for over a year now. There are those who say Champion has the same identical unit, just a different cover color, a different label, and a cheaper price. I don't know about that. All I know is, every review, every person I talked to, and from my own experience now, this generator has severed the purpose for which it was intended, and served that purpose very, very well for me.

Plus, these generators ARE very quiet. Both of mine can be running side-by-side and I can be standing directly over the top of them, and carry on a normal conversation without having to or raise my voice.

Here's a link to the web site. Search it out. Once you read everything about this generator, I think you'll have the "gold standard" to compare with everything else "out there." But remember .... this one IS NOT the cheapest by a long shot. But, I firmly believe it is the best for it's size and what it does.

https://www.cummins.com/generators/o...able-generator

[dooby]

I have a Bullet 290BHS with a 15K BTU GE A/C, 30 amp service. I use a Firman W03081 inverter generator. I can lift it into the back of my truck by myself which was an important consideration in my case. It easily runs the A/C, lights etc, and charges the battery. I run the water heater and fridge on propane and turn the A/C off is we run a toaster or hair dryer. No problems and you can't beat the price. I paid $550 CAD on sale at Costco.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by dooby

I have a Bullet 290BHS with a 15K BTU GE A/C, 30 amp service. I use a Firman W03081 inverter generator. I can lift it into the back of my truck by myself which was an important consideration in my case. It easily runs the A/C, lights etc, and charges the battery. I run the water heater and fridge on propane and turn the A/C off is we run a toaster or hair dryer. No problems and you can't beat the price. I paid $550 CAD on sale at Costco.

For any person that can actually lift their generator there is a forum rule that you must disclose your age, height and weight. At my age, bringing in the Chewy order 40' bags of puppy food is excruciating.

[dooby]

58, 5' 6.875" and just about 15 pound above movie star weight.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by dooby

58, 5' 6.875" and just about 15 pound above movie star weight.

I figured you were a youngster!

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

For any person that can actually lift their generator there is a forum rule that you must disclose your age, height and weight. At my age, bringing in the Chewy order 40' bags of puppy food is excruciating.

Yep, bringing in that bag of food can be painful but that specialized Royal Canin food at $4-$5 lb/can REALLY is excruciating..... Pay for it.....pain; bring it in....pain. Guess I'd do it for her if I had to crawl to do it though....

[WJQ]

I have not read all of the threads but will offer my thoughts. First, where I camp in the western US, AC is rarely needed so none of my options considered that requirement. Most of my camping is in National Forest sites where there is no shore power but there are FISH!

I have owned two trailers and two different size motorhomes between the times I owned the trailers. In my opinion, the weight of the generator is one of the most important things and too many KW will result in too many pounds.

Another item to consider if you do not have to run an air conditioner is better batteries. The lithium-ion batteries offered at Costco for about $700 will get you lots of power (Ahr) for several days of use for general use for lights, TV, fans, etc., with no generator. I don't have these batteries yet for my camp trailer but I do for my trolling motor. My one trolling motor battery can provide power for 4 days of fishing at about 6 hours per day and still have some Ahrs left over. My guess is that for my trailer, I could probably go a full week without charging. (no 1500 Watt hair dryer or space heater).

So, what do I now have? Two 6 volt lead-acid batteries with 232 Ahr capacity. But recalling that lead-acid batteries should not be discharged below 50% or substantially reduced life will result. I have a 280 Watt solar panel. In good weather, this will work forever to keep my batteries charged, power for lights and TV for many hours a day if I desire. However, if it gets cloudy for several days or really cold, I have a Honda 2200 as my backup. I have a 2000 Watt inverter that I use for my 120V AC power needs. I thought the inverter would operate my 1350 Watt microwave for reheating food. Not so! It turns out that microwaves have a peak power demand of 3 to 4 times the nameplate and the inverter, rated for 4000-watts peak, shuts itself down when I tried to run the microwave! I have bought a new, smaller microwave to install next spring and hopefully, that will run off of my 200 W inverter. I tested it once and it was fine but not tested for any sustained use. So, during most of the camping season, I take my Honda generator and a couple of gallons of gas and seldom use it. However, it will run the old microwave just fine and my wife's hairdryer if needed. It will also be there if the weather turns bad.

So, another item to consider besides lifting the generator is the added load on your vehicle. If you put it into the back of your tow vehicle, it adds weight to the rear axle. If you have lots of load capacity margin, get anything you can lift. Otherwise, be careful.


So, lots of things to consider but to me, weight is still one of the main things as I do not have a bad back and certainly do not want one either.

[precab]

Originally Posted by Bustinbeards

I have a 2019 Bullet 287qbs I was looking at generators what is the quietest and proper size generator I should get?

Is a new truck an option to solve this? Ford Trucks now come with a 30amp built in Generators that runs 32-80 hours on the truck gas tank depending on the usage. $750 option if you order their hybrid version. Real Game changer since most of us are tired of lugging gen sets around.