Thinking about a generator. - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 05-02-2018, 10:36 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Name: Fredrick
Trailer: Escape 21C
Tennessee
Posts: 322
Question Thinking about a generator.

Our new Casita Indy has 120W solar add on, but we're thinking about a Invertor/Gen to add flexibility for boondocking in "warm" climtes. Anybody have experience w the Yamaha powered AiPower 1600W/2000W invertor sold at Costco? We love Costco and their no ? asked return policy and great prices often seal a deal there.
Fred762 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-03-2018, 04:33 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Steve L.'s Avatar
 
Trailer: Casita Spirit Deluxe 2003 16 ft
Posts: 1,899
Registry
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...tor-84209.html


The search function can be your friend.
__________________
Without adult supervision...
Quando omni flunkus, moritati.
Also,
I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess.
Steve L. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-03-2018, 10:48 AM   #3
Junior Member
 
Name: Ralph
Trailer: Scamp
Pennsylvania
Posts: 17
Noise

Borrow a generator and sit with it running on your back patio for several hours. Then ask your neighbors how they feel about it.

I have been in campgrounds where I was surrounded by the racket of generators. They may say they are extra quiet but they aren't.
cookie_c is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-03-2018, 10:58 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
David B.'s Avatar
 
Name: David
Trailer: Former 13’Scamp, now Snoozy
Arizona
Posts: 2,316
Registry
Fredrick, since you are towing with a long bed pick-up truck, I would go with a larger output generator, like a 3500 watt or so. The 1600-2000 watt generator might run the air conditioner, especially if you add a “soft start” circuit device to the air conditioner, but you still will not be able to run a microwave or electric coffee pot at the same time. My Yamaha 2000i generator will run my 8000 btu air conditioner, but the generator is running at max RPM with the increased noise factor. A friend had a Honda 3500 mounted in the bed of his truck, and it just idled quietly under a load that would have caused mine to be at MAX.
Dave & Paula
David B. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-03-2018, 11:19 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Name: Marge
Trailer: Casita
Oregon
Posts: 114
We recently purchased this generator and it's pretty easy to start but I have to admit we haven't tested it's capacity yet. I don't expect to have to run the AC and the microwave at the same time...mostly thinking we'll use it to cool off the camper for a few minutes OR run the microwave, but not both together. Doesn't seem like that much of a problem to turn off the AC for the few minutes the microwave is running.

I called Casita and they said this unit should run the AC fine. But if it doesn't start you can get something called a "hard start capacitor" which "they" say is easy to install into the AC unit.

We looked at larger units and they are a lot more expensive and a lot heavier. This one is about at the limit of my lifting capabilities, so I wouldn't want a bigger unit just to be able to run the AC and the microwave at the same time.

I agree that it's not that quiet, which is another reason we don't plan to use it for long periods of time.

If you use your Costco Visa to purchase the unit it will give an additional, I think, 2 years of warranty.
margeleept is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-03-2018, 11:35 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Name: BARNEY
Trailer: CASITA
Georgia
Posts: 125
Take a look-see at champion inv/gen's
BARNEYCONE is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-03-2018, 07:26 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Name: Dick
Trailer: '15 17' LD Casita and '17 Tahoe LT
Texas
Posts: 321
Fred- I was at Costco today and they have the Yamaha 2000 for $499. I think that is a great price. I love my two Honda 2000s but for that price I would jump on these. One of mine have 2000 hrs. and the other 700 hrs. If I could buy new ones I would buy two of these. A larger one would be nice also but I have found lots of times when just one of these does the job and easier to carry around. I have only heard one Yamaha but thought it was pretty quiet. Just my 2 cents worth.
dmad1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-03-2018, 07:33 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,136
Registry
I don’t think it’s going to run the AC. I think the Atima 3000 at Costco that has a Yamaha engine as well is a better choice
thrifty bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-03-2018, 09:57 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Name: Fredrick
Trailer: Escape 21C
Tennessee
Posts: 322
Cool Westinghouse 2500??s

We also see that WH makes a 250oW unit wh weighs in at <55 lbs. I'm not interested in a gen in the 90lb + weight range anywys...anybody got a WH unit?? Like it or Hate it?
Fred762 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-04-2018, 04:15 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Borrego Dave's Avatar
 
Name: Dave
Trailer: Casita SD17 2006 "Missing Link"
California
Posts: 3,738
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred762 View Post
We also see that WH makes a 250oW unit wh weighs in at <55 lbs. I'm not interested in a gen in the 90lb + weight range anywys...anybody got a WH unit?? Like it or Hate it?
Fred, no idea what BTU your '18 Casita has but my '06 SD has a 9200 A/C BTU unit with no soft start on it. My Honda 2000i has no problem running it. I was surprised that it only ran at half throttle while cooling as the microwave takes it up to pretty much full rpms. As a side note, during a summer desert power outage, 95* at night, we slept in the SD for the A/C. The 2000 ran for 8 1/4 hours on a full tank with inside temp about 68*.
Borrego Dave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-04-2018, 07:24 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,136
Registry
Escape AC is a little bigger at 11,000 BTU. I really like the new 2200 Honda that replaces the 2000 unit. I don’t own it. Decisions decisions! Weight of the Yamaha is 90 pounds PLUS fuel. So figure 100 pounds. Dry weight of the Honda is 46 pounds. Bet that doesn’t include oil. So figure 55 pounds fueled, much easier to handle. I’d love to see a test of it running an AC!!
thrifty bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-04-2018, 09:43 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Name: Steve
Trailer: Scamp 13
California
Posts: 1,890
isnt the air conditioner just as loud as these quiet generators?
stevebaz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-04-2018, 09:57 AM   #13
Member
 
Rumline's Avatar
 
Name: Mike
Trailer: Oliver
Colorado
Posts: 30
For me the weight would be the #1 constraint. Sure a Honda 3000i might be quieter than a 2000i running the same loads, but I cannot easily lift a Honda 3000i (130 lbs dry) whereas a 2000i is a piece of cake. Even if you have a pickup truck, is it going to live in the back there 100% of the time?

Not to mention cost. 3000W inverter generators are $1200-2500. 2000W can be had for $500.
Rumline is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-04-2018, 10:28 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
Name: Jann
Trailer: Casita
Colorado
Posts: 1,307
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred762 View Post
Our new Casita Indy has 120W solar add on, but we're thinking about a Invertor/Gen to add flexibility for boondocking in "warm" climtes. Anybody have experience w the Yamaha powered AiPower 1600W/2000W invertor sold at Costco? We love Costco and their no ? asked return policy and great prices often seal a deal there.
Remember the saying. You get what you pay for. Cheap price means cheap quality sometimes. We have a 2000 Honda and it is very quiet and does not disturb others. Some generators do not have any way to repair them. We almost made the mistake of buying one of those kind. We have had no problem with it.
Jann Todd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-04-2018, 11:02 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
Bruce H's Avatar
 
Trailer: Sold Bigfoot. Shopping for Arctic Fox 22G
Missouri
Posts: 701
Pull your trailer to Costco, purchase the generator and try it right then and there on the parking lot. If it won't start the air conditioner (or just won't start), return it immediately. You will need to take a small amount of gasoline and possibly some engine oil because some new generators are shipped without oil in the crankcase.
Bruce H is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-04-2018, 11:17 AM   #16
Raz
Senior Member
 
Raz's Avatar
 
Trailer: Trillium 2010
Posts: 5,185
Quote:
Originally Posted by stevebaz View Post
isnt the air conditioner just as loud as these quiet generators?
Perhaps not. I've seen lots of limits on generator use but never a limit on air conditioner use.
Raz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-04-2018, 03:34 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
sokhapkin's Avatar
 
Name: Sergey
Trailer: 2014 Scamp 16 layout 4, 2018 Winnebago Revel 4x4
SW Florida
Posts: 850
Quote:
Originally Posted by stevebaz View Post
isnt the air conditioner just as loud as these quiet generators?
No. The AC is much more louder.
__________________
Sergey
sokhapkin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-04-2018, 04:40 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,136
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce H View Post
Pull your trailer to Costco, purchase the generator and try it right then and there on the parking lot. If it won't start the air conditioner (or just won't start), return it immediately. You will need to take a small amount of gasoline and possibly some engine oil because some new generators are shipped without oil in the crankcase.
Or you just buy it, take it home and test it. Smaller one is half the weight and less than half the cost!
thrifty bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-04-2018, 07:18 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
North Carolina
Posts: 5,155
Quote:
Originally Posted by stevebaz View Post
isnt the air conditioner just as loud as these quiet generators?

Quote:
Originally Posted by sokhapkin View Post
No. The AC is much more louder.
To my ears, my roof A/C is fairly quiet on the outside. About the same as a good generator, maybe even a little quieter.

Inside is a different matter. It is loud inside the camper, about as loud as a 747 taking off...

(at least from a distance).
gordon2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 04:26 PM   #20
Junior Member
 
Posts: 4
Quote:
Originally Posted by thrifty bill View Post
Escape AC is a little bigger at 11,000 BTU. I really like the new 2200 Honda that replaces the 2000 unit. I don’t own it. Decisions decisions! Weight of the Yamaha is 90 pounds PLUS fuel. So figure 100 pounds. Dry weight of the Honda is 46 pounds. Bet that doesn’t include oil. So figure 55 pounds fueled, much easier to handle. I’d love to see a test of it running an AC!!


I've been procastinating about getting a honda generator mainly because i always have hookups and have been thinking that they are due to revise their generator line a i guess it paid off. Not only is it a little bigger but they also make a rv model in the 2200 with a 30 amp plug.
Flatlander Tom is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
generator


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Thinking, and thinking and ... dmpyron Hi, I am.... 15 03-25-2018 09:17 AM
Thinking of a sway bar this year Chris Z Towing, Hitching, Axles and Running Gear 11 12-30-2005 06:43 PM
What on earth was I thinking? Legacy Posts Modifications, Alterations and Updates 11 08-21-2003 08:29 AM
Thinking of taking the plunge with a Scamp... Legacy Posts Care and Feeding of Molded Fiberglass Trailers 0 08-04-2003 03:55 PM

» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:56 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.