Installing a generator and A/C question - RV-Dreams Community Forum

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

Installing a generator and A/C question

Alie and Jims Carrilite · RV-Dreams Family Member

The AC will be a 15000, furnace is 35000. Anyway, If you go where the temps will be in the high 90's and humid, the 2nd AC is needed.

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

the generator can be installed professionally onboard or a portable can be placed on the truck......but due to wiring, fire proofing, and fuel with exaust issue's one should not attempt the installation on the rig....its not a simple process.

putting a portable in the truck would be the cheaper way out and alot less expensive but it comes with its own pains. but it also allows you if your boondocking alot to split the difference and add some solar so you wont have to use the genny all the time...

the A/C would depend on the regions you plan on being in.....I would say if you have 35k BTU your in good shape....if not you can add on later

-- Edited by Lucky Mike on Wednesday 12th of March 2014 04:53:37 PM

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

What kind of place would one get the genny installed? I guess where the sell them? Or would it be an RV repair/service center?

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

RV service center.....I would actually call the mfg. and ask for recommendations.......is the unit your looking at been generator prepped?

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

good question! The answer I got was that there was plenty of room in the basement. I suspect it has not been. If that's indeed the case, does that mean it can't be done, or that it's just $$$$$$$?

I think I may need to go back to Plan A - a trip to FL to coincide when you're there :)

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

if its what you want it can be worked out and installed....but yes there is money involved but to me it wouldnt be a deal breaker.... Generator doesnt need to be a priority....a 3000 Watt portable could take care of problems.....if your boondocking alot like I said earlier....add solar....it will make a big difference on boondocking costs.

but you also have to decide what you want......and narrow it down.....

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Cheryl,

While I can't specifically answer your question, I can provide a bit of perspective. Our trailer was built with generator prep as an option which includes a separate compartment for the generator in the front of the trailer, wiring from the rear of the coach to the generator compartment, a start switch on the inside and I think a transfer switch to allow for automatic switching between the shore power and the generator.

Even though we have the generator prep, we chose to not buy the Onan 5500 generator. What we have as a backup is a Honda EU3000Is generator. While it won't run both ari conditioners, I hope to not need to be in a hot place and need that. If you consider an Onan, look at both the 5500 and the 6500. The 5500 is rated a bit below a full 50 amp generator, while the 6500 is rated just above 50 amp.

Terry

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

I sure do hope it's prepped! It's an Excel, and only 2006 so I can't imagine it wouldn't be. But I should find out soon enough. That will be a deal breaker.

Alie and Jims Carrilite · RV-Dreams Family Member

If you can get the serial number, call the factory and ask if it was pre wired or not. Most dealers order them prewired as part of a package to make life easier on their techs.

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

cherylbrv wrote:
good question! The answer I got was that there was plenty of room in the basement. I suspect it has not been. If that's indeed the case, does that mean it can't be done, or that it's just $$$$$$$?

I think I may need to go back to Plan A - a trip to FL to coincide when you're there :)

It almost always $$$’s. IMO, the answer of “there is plenty of room in the basement” means it is not prepped or they would tell you it is. It would take someone who knows what they are doing about 10 seconds looking in the rig to answer the question of generator prep.

When you find out the cost of a new 5500 watt Onan, which is plenty big for even two air conditioners, it will shock you.

If a built in generator is considered to be a need then I would really look for a trailer with one already installed as the cost of installing a new one, actually the cost of the new generator plus the cost of installation in a used rig, as percentage of the used rig's cost, is going to be relatively high.

waltben · RV-Dreams Family Member

If you want a generator inside your 5er it will be propane fueled and take up some of your allowable cargo weight. They also go through propane very quickly, so you'd have to either have extra tanks with you or be able to refill them easily.

Carrying an inverter gasoline generator means you've a pretty quiet source of power that uses easily available fuel, BUT you can't permanently mount one of them in your 5er without risking carbon monoxide poisoning. We carry one or two Yamaha 2400 generators, either in our truck bed or the basement, set them on the ground and plug in (this also isolates ANY vibrations!). Since one will run the AC just fine (but not a lot else), that's all we usually take unless spending more than one or two days out there. One of the other selection criteria for me was being able to lift and move whatever we got. This one was what worked, although today, this model doesn't allow ganging like our older ones do.

The inverter types are made by several: Honda, Yamaha, Robin/Subaru and several others. Figure out how much power you need, how quiet it must be, and if you want to be able to lift the thing. If you mount it on your truck, you may need an extension cord, but that's a minor expense. For starters, look here: http://www.wisesales.com/generators-1.html , but look around for your best price delivered.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Cheryl,

To add to what I mentioned before and that waltben brought up, most of the inverter gas generators like the Honda and Yamaha will also be able to parallel with another like sized generator. For example, someone buying two Hondas or Yamahas can get a parallel kit that lets two be joined to double the watts and amps for usage. Before we bought our Mobile Suites, we already had a Honda and we have considered that we may yet buy a second one and parallel them. Doing that with the Honda EU3000Is models would get about the same amperage as one Onan 5500 generator.

Terry

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

I will need to determine if this needs to be a tradeoff as well - just how important is it to have one? We don't necessarily plan to do a lot of boondocking, but want the ability to do so if the mood strikes. Definitely will do lots of 1-2 overnights without FHU. I should know more over the weekend (whether it's prewired or not).

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

If you won't be boondocking all that much, I'd go with a separate smaller unit like a Honda or Yamaha. Those will take up less space than an Onan. If we had an Onan, it would take up our whole generator prep compartment. Right now, I've got 8 storage tubs in that compartment, along with a few other items. When we travel, we will carry our Honda in the rear of the F450 with cables used to tie it down to the tie-down attachments in the pickup's bed.

If you don't plan on being in hot places when it is summertime, then the generator works well as a back-up and to be used to recharge the batteries in the RV. Even when we were boondocking in National Forest campgrounds, we only ran the generator about 6 hours per day. That might have not been so important if I didn't feel I HAD to have my coffee. Of course, our boondocking was in the mountains in the late summer (late August).

I would suggest you check out both Honda and Yamaha to see the sizes and capacities that they have. The biggest disadvantage to our Honda EU300Is is its weight, coming in at about 150 lbs with fuel. You might want something like the 2000 size models. Even if you went with two of them to equal a 3000, each would weigh a lot less individually. Then if you wanted two, get the parallel kit. However, even with two, you couldn't run much more than one air conditioner and a few other things.

The one thing with any of the gasoline models is to be sure and have the tools needed to change spark plugs. When we would camp in Colorado, it was at a lot higher altitude than Oklahoma. Thus, the engine would run "rich" on gasoline, leading to fouling of the plugs. We considered an Onan with LPG as the fuel, but for the price, I can buy a heck of a lot of spark plugs, if they are needed.

Terry