Question about purchasing a generator. - RV-Dreams Community Forum

CrystalDiamond · RV-Dreams Community Member

Question about purchasing a generator.

Bill Adams · RV-Dreams Family Member

Pick one that will suit your power needs. What will you be doing? A little 1000K Honda will keep your lights on and batteries charged. Do you need more power? Do you want to run an A/C unit? Microwave/convection oven? Will this be built into the coach or someone you want to be portable? Add up how much power you think you will use and then get a genset to match.

Workinrvers · RV-Dreams Family Member

There are lots of options out there. Like Bill said you need to figure out just what you want to do with it.
My opinion is to go with a portable unit, they are a less costly option than having an on-booard unit installed (assuming your MH has the capability of an on board gen set).

Most will agree that you need a 3,000 watt generator if you want to run the a/c although I have heard of others using the Yamaha 2400 watt with success.

You can get this amount of power a couple of ways. You can purchase a 3,000 watt portable, they are fairly heavy to move around but you are only buying 1 unit.

Honda makes a 2,000 watt and you can purchase a second "companion" 2,000 watt that hook together for the additional power when needed. These are lighter to handle and you can use just one if all you need is to charge the battery, watch Tv etc.

The other consideration is noise. Seems like the lower the cost, the higher the noise.

I purchased a Boily 3300 watt as cost was a concern for me.

Hope this helps some.

Phil

CrystalDiamond · RV-Dreams Community Member

Thank you both Phil and Bob, I truly appreciate you insight. All I will be running are the light, fridge and a/c. So do you think the 3000 watts one would do?

Thank you in advance. Continued blessing to you both.

Howard · Host

Yes, there are numerous options and the answer, as in many things related to RVs, is "it depends". It depends on how much power you need, how often you will need it, how you intend to transport it, how quiet you want it, how portable it needs to be, your budget, etc.

The Vandura is a "van", so I'm guessing the Air Conditioner is fairly small. You may very well be able to get away with a single 2000-watt generator like the Honda EU2000i. But keep in mind, that even a small, portable generator like that weighs 46 pounds without fuel.

Make sure whatever you get is manageable for you. I'd recommend checking various models out at Sears, Home Depot, Lowe's, Camping World, and hardware stores to be sure you can easily lift it and move it around. You'll also have to consider storage space and where you will transport it and the fuel required for it.

The Honda Website has a Generator Selection Guide as well as a couple of pages to help figure out how much power you need. Even if you don't choose a Honda, those pages are helpful.

Good luck!

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Crystal,

Jo and I have a Honda EU3000IS generator, rated at roughly 3000 watts surge, but closer to 2800 watts for a duty cycle. It is not a small unit since it weighs roughly 150 lbs. It will take up quite a bit of space in a van. I've posted a link below to pictures of our unit. To be sure of what you get, find out the wattage and amp needs of your a/c, fridge, and lights. You want your generator, of whichever size, to be sufficient for your needs.

While others probably have a similar feature, our Honda has an "Eco" switch that when turned on lets the generator run quieter, enough so that one can have normal conversation within about 6 feet of the generator. It will react to a "load" caused by something coming on and accelerate to compensate for the "load" draw.

Depending on where you dry camp, keep in mind that a portable generator for your benefit will be portable enough for thieves as well. I read a post one time that thieves would use dry watercourses (called washes around here) to approach a campsite on their ATV's, steal the generators as people were using them to recharge batteries, and leave unnoticed.

Good luck with the search and the RV lifestyle.

Terry

Terry and Jo's Generator

K & E · RV-Dreams Family Member

Phil:

How is the Boily working out for you? We are considering either that one or the Yamaha 2400, but the Boily is a bit cheaper. How long have you had the Boily, does it seem to be pretty good quality, and can you run your air with it?

Thanks,

Evelyn

Workinrvers · RV-Dreams Family Member

Evelyn,

We have only had the Boily for a couple of months. I am really pleased with it so far. We have not had the chance to really "use" it yet, just tested it out on our systems and yes it does run our air.

The Boily may be slightly louder than the honda but the increase in sound is negligable, maybe only a couple of decibels at most, so hardly perceptible. The case has more plastic than the Honda but the up side to that is that it is lighter, only around 75lbs full of fuel.

The gas tank holds 2 gallons and is less than the Honda's. I did modify mine, using a modification found on this site, to use a boat gas tank so I can have an additional 6 gallons. This will come in handy when doing any extended boondocking, saving me from having to keep refilling the on board fuel tank.

I know the Honda's have a huge following and a proven track record but also come with a hefty price tag (twice the price of the Boily). Only time will tell if we made the right decision but since we only boondock occasionaly we felt this generator would work out fine for us.

Phil

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Something that I failed to mention in my earlier post, but relevant to those considering the purchase of a generator. I've written of it before, but as time goes on, those posts tend to get lost in the mist of the past.

With a gasoline generator, such as the Honda EU3000IS that we have, the biggest issue I have had with it is that when we go from Oklahoma City to the higher elevations of the mountains, the carburators will run richer in fuel because of the lacking of oxygen. Thus, one's spark plugs will foul, requiring either the cleaning of the plugs or replacement.

I learned this the hard way. We tended to run the generator for about 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening each day. After about 3 days, it wouldn't start, requiring us to go purchase the tools necessary to be able to reach the plug and replace it.

I strongly suggest that for those purchasing a generator to be sure and determine where the plug is located and have the tools necessary BEFORE going to higher altitudes. Since the small towns we were near were limited on auto parts places, I had to go to three different stores in two different towns to get what I needed. I would also suggest extra plugs as well, especially if you don't know how to "clean" the plugs.

Terry

PIEERE · RV-Dreams Family Member

smile You can call the manufacturer and ask them if there is a hotter spark plug you can use for higher elevations and colder for lower elevations. Then you can pull the plug after running for an hour or so and if it is burning a medium brown on the ceramic insulator. That will be about what you want, If it stays white or real light tan, it means too lean of fuel and could harm the engine, Costly repair. Pieere

CrystalDiamond · RV-Dreams Community Member

Hello Terry and Jo. Thank you very much for you input and information, and also pictures regarding my search for a generator.

I went to Lowes and looked at a Champion 3200/3000, just to learn the lingo and talk with someone there.

I asked lots of question and I do understand I must know what I want to run, the amps and etc. it is a job, but I will not purchase anything until I fully understand what I am doing.

Blessing to you and thanks again.

Crystal.