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Old 09-13-2021, 03:11 PM   #1
WYrv
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Generator Options

So years ago I got this generator for really cheap. It is loud and heavy, but handle what we need on our 2020 Outback 290 Bunk House.

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/cabe...rt-by-champion

So I am exploring options. One thing I really like about the unit is the fuel capacity. It has allowed us to be an entire weekend off power without needing a refill.

I hate the weight and the noise.

I also do not want to spend $2000 on a new set up.

What other options might I explore?
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Old 09-13-2021, 03:30 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WYrv View Post
So years ago I got this generator for really cheap. It is loud and heavy, but handle what we need on our 2020 Outback 290 Bunk House.

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/cabe...rt-by-champion

So I am exploring options. One thing I really like about the unit is the fuel capacity. It has allowed us to be an entire weekend off power without needing a refill.

I hate the weight and the noise.

I also do not want to spend $2000 on a new set up.

What other options might I explore?
I’d get two 2000 watt inverter gens…either predator, champion,wen And get a parallel kit…much lighter ..gives you redundancy if one generator fails..( able to power essentials) and in the colder months when you don’t need air cond you can use just one generator…much much quieter…your neighbors will be thankful…
If you would rather have just one generator..the brands mentioned have something closer to 3500 watts inverter..( I have a predator 3500). But much heavier
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Old 09-13-2021, 03:55 PM   #3
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I paid a little extra for a two year no questions asked replacement warranty …I’ve been happy so far with the 3500…don’t know how or if I could ever get replacement parts but knock on wood I won’t have to
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Old 09-13-2021, 05:03 PM   #4
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Probably comparable to what you already have, the Cummings Onan P4500i (Inverter generator). Not cheap, and weighs in at 100 pounds dry. But runs quiet, 3.4 gallon fuel tank can run on minimun load for 18 hours or so. It has parallel capability with a second generator to produce 50 amp, and runs everything on a 30 amp trailer, as it actually spits out about 35-37 amps. But, not cheap. Did I say, not cheap.
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Old 09-13-2021, 05:28 PM   #5
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“What other options might I explore?”

Solar! Sounds like you boondock, so solar would be great for you. There’s NOTHING I have that can’t run on 12V (except the AC, microwave or wife’s hair dryer) or alternative power source. For the 2 items that need 110v (barely use the microwave) I have a Champion dual fuel 3400/3060 inverter genny. Hot drinks? Use the stove. Wife’s curling iron? Butane cartridge curler. Watch TV? Not much, but if we do I send it from the phone to a 12V tv via a cable. I finally upgraded to 2 golf cart batteries. It’s plenty for us. Your mileage may vary.
If you do get a different genny, don’t be too concerned about run times. Just Google “(your brand) fuel extender”. There’s lots of items to buy to connect an external gas tank to the genny.
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Old 09-13-2021, 06:17 PM   #6
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I have the Predator 3500 and I think it is the bee's knees.

Though truth be told I have yet to camp with it, or even in my toy hauler at all...

So I guess my opinion isn't worth much here. Maybe I just wanted to brag about my Predator 3500?

I have run the AC with it for a few hours to make sure it works. The generator runs the AC with no issues, but when you throw in the microwave it will overload and shut off in short order.

The generator is super quiet though. It should be awesome for camping if I ever get to do any of that.
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Old 09-14-2021, 04:05 PM   #7
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We run a Generac GP 3000i. Standing next to it running I can hear a Honda 2000i running on a neighboring site. It was $749 at home Depot and a 10% coupon and free shipping dropped it to $675 (no tax in my state). We have used it several times this season and love it. At one place in the U.P. a 5er next to us was using the same exact unit and they loved it as much as us.

Weight is 60 lbs.
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Old 09-14-2021, 07:39 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by NH_Bulldog View Post
We run a Generac GP 3000i. Standing next to it running I can hear a Honda 2000i running on a neighboring site. It was $749 at home Depot and a 10% coupon and free shipping dropped it to $675 (no tax in my state). We have used it several times this season and love it. At one place in the U.P. a 5er next to us was using the same exact unit and they loved it as much as us.

Weight is 60 lbs.
What size AC are you running with it?
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Old 09-15-2021, 03:45 AM   #9
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I am running a 13.5k AC unit that is unmodified. Over labor day another family member had an issue with power at their site so we ran their RV with a 15k AC with a Soft Start off our Generac with no issues until they got shore power restored.
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Old 09-15-2021, 11:14 AM   #10
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I run (ran - as I just traded it in) a 13.k AC modified with a softstart installed...the generator is a 2500 Champion Dual Fuel and I've run it both with propane and gasoline to test out the system. Granted when the AC is running I make sure that my battery has fully charged and never use the microwave (control this via the breakers).
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Old 09-15-2021, 05:45 PM   #11
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It seems to me for the cost of several of the soft start kits out there, I could buy a bit bigger generator.

Thanks for the mention of the Generac. I'll have to look into it.
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Old 09-16-2021, 02:35 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by Balvar24 View Post
It seems to me for the cost of several of the soft start kits out there, I could buy a bit bigger generator.

Thanks for the mention of the Generac. I'll have to look into it.

Somewhat true, but there are downsides to larger generators. When we bought ours we were limited first by availability/quick delivery and really needed it to run the elec for a night or two. But the other things that came into play with the 3500 inverter/enclosed (available) were - noise level (some brands/avail went from the 50's to 60s in decibels), runtime on one tank - many are 5-6 hours vs 10+ for smaller, weight - under 50# to over 100#.



The biggest thing though with softstart is I can run everything (edit to qualify....I can run the AC when HW is on propane and can not use microwave/coffee pot/etc) when it is parked at my house on a 15A circuit.
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Old 09-16-2021, 04:26 AM   #13
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Somewhat true, but there are downsides to larger generators. When we bought ours we were limited first by availability/quick delivery and really needed it to run the elec for a night or two. But the other things that came into play with the 3500 inverter/enclosed (available) were - noise level (some brands/avail went from the 50's to 60s in decibels), runtime on one tank - many are 5-6 hours vs 10+ for smaller, weight - under 50# to over 100#.



The biggest thing though with softstart is I can run everything when it is parked at my house on a 15A circuit.
Eveything on 15 amps? I think you need to quantify that statement. While you may get away with running a 13.5k BTU a/c, there is no way you will have the a/c, converter charging a low battery, water heater on electric, fridge on electric simultaneously on 15 amps. The math just doesn’t add up. I'd hate for someone to think that they could spend 3 to 5 hundred bucks and think that they can "run everything" on their 15 amp outlet.
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Old 09-16-2021, 04:47 AM   #14
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Eveything on 15 amps? I think you need to quantify that statement. While you may get away with running a 13.5k BTU a/c, there is no way you will have the a/c, converter charging a low battery, water heater on electric, fridge on electric simultaneously on 15 amps. The math just doesn’t add up. I'd hate for someone to think that they could spend 3 to 5 hundred bucks and think that they can "run everything" on their 15 amp outlet.

Just qualified it, thank you. I do run the AC and converter together. I do let the battery converter run alone for a while as I found the initial amp draw of that to be high and reduce from 6 to 4 if the battery is 'trickle charging' vs 'quick charge' - I'm not sure why do you know?



The basic rule is AC mutually exclusive of HW and microwave. Another qualification which has been discussed in here is you can't do this on "standard" extension cords if there is any distance to the trailer location.
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Old 09-16-2021, 05:54 AM   #15
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I ran my 15k BTUH Air conditioner and refrigerator on my 20A circuit at home, when we first got the trailer for a few minutes just to measure amp draw.

Instead of one big generator, I keep coming back to twinning a couple of smaller ones. They look to be quieter and I would think easier to move around.
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Old 09-19-2021, 07:35 AM   #16
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We bought a Champion 3400 which is great from running the AC and the microwave on our TT. Its a bit heavy and one of us might end up in the hospital at our age. I'm thinking of picking up a 2200 Champion dual fuel for our homemade log cabin truck camper. That 3400 fits in a cargo carrier and to me its too heavy to have in my cargo carrier and going over rough dirt roads. We are also making our own solar system with a 100 ah lithium battery and three 100 watt panels in which I would use for both vehicles. Will have too see if the battery can handle a coffee pot in the morning and three washes and spins on my wife's tiny washing machine. She won't leave home without it and I'm not going to spend a half day in some laundry mat being all grumpy like.
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Old 09-19-2021, 09:29 AM   #17
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Here's another vote for the Predator 3500. My Cougar has the 2" receiver on the back so I added a cargo tray and carry the generator there. I loop a cable thru the handles and around the hitch and bumper to lock it up. I added a big wheel kit so the inner wheels hang over the forward edge of the tray. I put two pieces of 4x4 with a 2x4 on top of that for the generator to sit on. A pair of ratchet cargo straps holds everything in place. Plenty of power to run the entire trailer unless I need to run the AC and the microwave at the same time, then I have to turn one off for a few minutes. Weighs about 100 lbs and as my grandson said when we first unboxed, set it up and started it, it's "stupid quiet." I've had it sitting under the slide out with the exhaust pointed away from the trailer and could barely hear it sitting right on top of it. The only issue I've had was the factory battery died after the first year even with me running it for 15-20 minutes once a month. I swapped the battery with one from Napa auto parts and its going on its 2nd year now with no issues. I will say the break in procedures in the owners manual were practically non-existent. I followed these: https://generatorgrid.com/blog/break-in/
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Old 09-19-2021, 05:00 PM   #18
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I agree with Rick, GO SOLAR! You may not be able to enjoy all the comforts of home. But then again you are boondocking. I get tired of listening to neighboring generators run all day.
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Old 09-23-2021, 03:49 AM   #19
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I’d get two 2000 watt inverter gens…either predator, champion,wen And get a parallel kit…much lighter ..gives you redundancy if one generator fails..( able to power essentials) and in the colder months when you don’t need air cond you can use just one generator…much much quieter…your neighbors will be thankful…
If you would rather have just one generator..the brands mentioned have something closer to 3500 watts inverter..( I have a predator 3500). But much heavier
I agree with this and is exactly what we did. 3 years ago we purchased 2 x Champion 2000w inverters and the parallel kit. The inverters are relatively quiet (not as quiet as Honda's but 1/3 the price). Any time I'm off grid I bring both and a 5 gallon fuel can. 75% of the time I only need to run 1 which makes the full capacity very long. Only need to run both if we are using the AC, electric heater, or using the microwave. Also relatively easy to transport at 40-50Lb rather than 100+. Only thing it can't do is run both of my AC's but that is fine when we are off grid
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