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Topic ClosedWhat size generator do we need?
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Joined: 23 Nov 2012
Location: N. Colorado
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Posts: 1797 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: What size generator do we need?
    Posted: 25 Apr 2014 at 8:08am
Originally posted by hogone

i'm pretty sure i read this ?/answer somewhere.  what is the safest/proper way to hook the pod to a generator?  start the generator then plug in?  plug in then start the gen?  just want to make sure.  hogone


Just my random thoughts, but I would make sure the load switch on the generator is OFF. Then it doesn't make much difference whether you plug in first or wait until the gen is running. The important thing is don't try to start the gen with the load connected. 
Charlie
Northern Colorado
OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD
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Joined: 19 Nov 2009
Location: Oshawa, Ontario
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Posts: 767 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Apr 2014 at 8:22am
Originally posted by hogone

i'm pretty sure i read this ?/answer somewhere.  what is the safest/proper way to hook the pod to a generator?  start the generator then plug in?  plug in then start the gen?  just want to make sure.  hogone

Always start the generator, let it warm up for a minute or two to a nice, comfortable idle and then plug in your trailer.  When it comes time to shut down, turn off the air conditioner and unplug (or turn off) any appliances that are actively using a significant amount of power, and then unplug the trailer from the generator.  Give the generator a minute or two to settle/idle and then you can hit the generator's off/kill switch.

The idea is to never do anything abrupt.  Let the generator warm up and idle down.  Equally, don't expose your electrical equipment to unnecessary surges/brownouts.  For example: make sure that the air conditioner is turned off when you plug-in the r-pod, and make sure that its turned off before you unplug the r-pod.  Small power drains, like the microwave or television being plugged-in but turned-off, are fine.  I do suggest unplugging laptops or expensive electronics while connecting/disconnecting your trailer from any power supply.
Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Location: MD
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Posts: 9062 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Apr 2014 at 2:26pm
Originally posted by Budward

...BTW I pick up my 179 tomorrow, I hope my 2kW Kipor invertor generator will run the AC, I have no idea why FR felt a unit as small as an r-pod needed a 13,500 BTU AC, seems a 9,000 would probably do the job or certainly the 11,000....


I have a long-time thread around here discussing smaller options.  The best solution I had found to-date was the Coleman Polar Cub, but recently read about the Coleman Mach 8 which is 2 inches shorter.  Both are 9200 btus, which I feel is exactly where it should be for the pods.  The big A/Cs are oversized for the pod's area so they don't dehumidify like they should (since they don't run long enough).  The Mach 8 should solve both problems - dehumidification and the ability to run from a smaller genset.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Budward View Drop Down
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Joined: 21 Apr 2014
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Posts: 438 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Apr 2014 at 5:42pm
I agree 13.5 AC is too big and second your statement that short cycling doesn't dehumidify well. 
A 13.5 cools my toy hauler with probably triple the volume just fine even in SC heat and humidity, not uncommon for both to be at 100 in the summer.  That RV has a built in Onan 4.0 genset.
I've longed for someone to build a slimline generator that would fit mostly under the floor or even on the roof if quiet enough....if packaged properly it would be no larger than the AC.
In a perfect world we'd have a quiet genset that was no louder than the AC so no one would even know it was running!  That might get around those pesky restrictions in most dry campgrounds...
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009
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Posts: 9062 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Apr 2014 at 10:08pm
This is the thread I mentioned above:  www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1433
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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