Asking the collective wisdom of this site about RV generators

[zzvyb6]

For camping look at an inverter gen from Honda. Expensive but very quiet. Your camping neighbors won稚 lynch you. I wouldn稚 use any 3600 rpm unit for camping...way too noisy. My friends RV gen is super quiet..... but then again the RV cost 800,000 bucks.

This gets my vote. I have an EU6500IS Honda, electric start, meets your size requirements, but it's a little too heavy for 1 person to manage without a ramp to get it into a truck. It has a meter to show how many kVA you are drawing. I have never needed the full throttle switch position. Very quiet. I run it on 100% gasoline without ethanol as a precaution. I got this one because I want it to run the second I need electric power, not after screwing around with it for a few hours in the dark. It brings its reputation with you.

 

[jaxs]

I've been running two smaller gennys in tandem. If one stall's I still have emergency power. Easier to handle and load. Less inital cost for equal quality and watts plus less fuel when one can supply enough power. Can't just hokum up and go,require's a coupling device. Check out Honda,they pioneered it. I have a couple of solar panels charging house batteries and can charge tow vehicle if desired. To conserve fuel and wear on gennys,I rely heavy on house batteries for lights. If you or a friend have a little knowledge on relays and switching,you can build (possibly buy) a set up where a genny with only enough power to run ac automaticly turn's ac off when seleted appliance(s) is turned on. If you choose to do that,install a time delay ($10 item) on ac to prevent short cycling compressor. One additional unsolicited,but most important advice is to install a volt meter on ANY RV regardless where and how it might be used. The primary reason why so many rv ac units go bad is low voltage in parks. I lost count of times I hooked up to find or later noticed 90,100 or even 80 volts. I have a two pole,double throw,nc/no relay that requires minium 110 volts to remain in operational position. If and when no contact closes,it's wired to a buzzer. I immediately unplug and demand they fix it,let me fix it or I leave.

 

[Racenut]

I have a Yamaha 3KW unit that has served me well for years and runs everything I need on the RV, can even run AC and microwave at the same time. I don't have remote start on it, but it's available. However, it's a beast to load and unload in the truck, something like 160 pounds. If I had it to do over again, I'd run two 2KW units with tandem for the time I needed to run AC. Most of the time, one 2KW unit would do all I need. But, you're going to be hard pressed to find 2KW units with remote start. I'm a fair weather camper so not such a big deal to me.

 

[Jaylegger]

Honda EU's are pretty much the standard kit for performance and quietness. Quite sure I read recently some guy was shot at a campground due to his Champion esque noise maker. Propane / Natural Gas Conversion Kits and remote starts are available. Yamaha's are similar.

 

[Industrial Toys]

If the jury was presented a screaming 3600 rpm, generator in the courtroom, the man would surely be acquitted.

 

[Rebeldad1]

Check to see if the Honda EU3000I will work.
They have a EU3000I yahoo forum you can goto

 

[Jaylegger]

If the jury was presented a screaming 3600 rpm, generator in the courtroom, the man would surely be acquitted.

..LOL

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

OP,

Are you sure a 3500 watt will run what you need? My 3500 ran my AC and anything else I wanted (with the exception of furnace and space heater together, but why would you want to run your AC, furnace AND space heater at same time) when I first tried it. I'm thinking, "Great. Got this covered". Fast forward a few years, and now it won't run my AC any longer. Even with everything else off. I don't know if my AC unit got less efficient, or if my gen set just got tired? I'm thinking next gen set will be 6500 watts or more.

 

[kf4uda]

My wife and I have been watching this couple on YouTube. They did a review on the Champion duel fuel generator.


REVIEW: Champion DUAL FUEL Propane / Gasoline Generator - YouTube

 

[jaydee325]

A Westinghouse iGen4500F has the watts you specify on gasoline, it is a little short on propane however. Has all of your other specifications covered.

Electric Generators Direct dot com is a good website to do research on.

We recently downsized our RV from a 36 fifth wheel boxcar to a 27 Airstream bumper pull. Our reason for the change is simply the fifth wheel was too big and too high to do any back County boon docking and leaving
the seclusion of our farm for a typical crowded RV park simply was not our idea of a relaxing vacation.

I知 looking for a portable generator that will produce 3500 watts to run the AC, propane fueled, remote start capability, RV plug ready, and small enough to live in the back of my F350 with the roll up box cover closed and locked when the generator is not on use. Hopefully, there is a machine that fits the bill.
Yes, there are dozens of RV sites out there, and most Q&A threads lead me to wonder if those folks can find the commode flush valve let alone offer up credible advice on generated power.
The collective TBN wisdom is hard to beat....

B. John