Generator Size Question
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Printed Date: 02 May 2024 at 6:07pm
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Topic: Generator Size Question
Posted By: Patriot Dave
Subject: Generator Size Question
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2016 at 9:19am
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Folks
First off let me say I am a newbie to both Rv's and this forum. My wife and I are in the process of selecting the Rpod model we want and I have few questions to ask this group. We will be camping primitive to full utilities available. That said, our new Rpod will have AC, micro wave oven, TV options. When camping primitive and running on batteries only, I am thinking of using a generator during the day to charge batteries and maybe power the outlets for other use such as charging cell phones and powering / charging my lap top. I would not run the AC. Currently Cabelas (i live 14 miles from the Dundee Store) has a Yamaha 2000 on sale at $200.00 off the original $999.00 Will a 2000 watt generator be sufficient enough to power the items I mentioned? My math says it will however, I know there are some here whose experience is better than my math and I would like to hear from you. Thank You for any and all help. Patriot Dave ------------- Dave & Joyce Never Forget, In God We Trust; This Our National Motto. Member; Patriot Guard Riders, Michigan Chapter Retired; So Every Day is Saturday.... Except Sunday |
Replies:
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2016 at 10:12am
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The Yamaha or Honda 2000 generators will run everything on your list except the AC. Both generators are 2000W starting , but 1600W running. Starting and running the AC is problematic with the 2000, depending on outside temperature, altitude, extension cord type/length and other variables. Pod owner experience varies; some successful but some not. Adding a hard start capacitor to the AC helps but is not guaranteed. Experience points to a 2400W generator being required. For charging cell phones, iPads and computers 12V plugs and automobile chargers are preferable. Inexpensive USB chargers will handle the cell phones easily. Many Pod owners add interior 12V sockets for this purpose. If you plan on camping off the grid be sure to upgrade the battery to two 6V GC2 golf cart batteries. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: jstrenn
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2016 at 10:13am
| As long as you run the water heater on propane (not electric) you should have no problems. You just have to make sure you don't have anything drawing too much when you run the microwave. Some people claim that they can run the A/C with a 2000 watt yamaha. That is pushing it, but it may work. |
Posted By: Kickstart
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2016 at 11:40am
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That's a great price for a Yamaha or Honda 2000. They don't often come on sale that cheaply. My Yamaha has been great. It easily ran the A/C when we had our RP 175, but the A/C was a 9000 Polar Cub--which I consider a better fit for a TT of Pod size.
My Yamaha has done flawlessly for me everything that you are asking. We haven't tried using it to run the larger A/C on our Kodiak. Fan boys will push the advantages of their Hondas or Yamahas, but there are few major differences. They are both great units. At that Price, for what you want, blue would look awful good to me. ------------- '10 RP 175-Replaced by 2014 Kodiak 173 QBSL '12 Toyota Tundra '05 Sportster (half a Harley) Retired-We're on Beach Time! |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2016 at 1:35pm
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Welcome. Your goal should be to run from your battery most of the time, including charging your small devices, as Charlie mentioned. Run the generator every 2 days for an hour or so to bring the battery from 50% SOC to 80%, then every 7 days run the genset long enough to bring the battery back to 100%, which will take hours. That will give you the most power per gallon of gas burned, not that the smaller Yamaha and Honda gensets burn that much, but you don't want to listen to run, either. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: Patriot Dave
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2016 at 7:52pm
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Thanks Charlie for the reply.
Not sure if I understand the 6 volt vs 12 volt statement???? Must be something to do with capacity, could you explain? Thanks ------------- Dave & Joyce Never Forget, In God We Trust; This Our National Motto. Member; Patriot Guard Riders, Michigan Chapter Retired; So Every Day is Saturday.... Except Sunday |
Posted By: Patriot Dave
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2016 at 8:07pm
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Thanks for the info.
After reading the comments here, I have checked the internet and learned the Honda may just be a touch more powerful. Also learned the Yamaha has a few more goodies such as fuel gauge and fuel line shut off valve. Qualified and certified service techs and their locations also seem to be important. I have a few more Honda service dealers near by however, there is a couple Yamaha dealers not that far away. One of the Yamaha dealers I have some good experience with regarding service on a motorcycle. ------------- Dave & Joyce Never Forget, In God We Trust; This Our National Motto. Member; Patriot Guard Riders, Michigan Chapter Retired; So Every Day is Saturday.... Except Sunday |
Posted By: Patriot Dave
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2016 at 8:09pm
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Yes Sir, thank You ------------- Dave & Joyce Never Forget, In God We Trust; This Our National Motto. Member; Patriot Guard Riders, Michigan Chapter Retired; So Every Day is Saturday.... Except Sunday |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2016 at 8:19pm
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6V vs. 12V: What I understad: The group 24 12 Volt battery provided is usually a hybrid starting/deep cycle battery. It operates at 12 Volts, but should not be deep discharged below 50% regularly, or it will shorten the life of it. It is hard to find a true 12 Volt deep cycle battery. Capacity can be increased by changing out to a group 27 battery or wiring 2-12 Volt batteries together in Parallel (Positive to Positive and Negative to Negative). -------P N-------- | | P N 6 Volt batteries can be found as deep cycle batteries (AKA Golf Cart Batteries). Two of them can be wired in Series (Positive on one battery to Negative on the other battery with the trailer's positive and negative cables connected to the other terminals as appropriate. ------------P N-----------P N-------------- This provides 12 Volts. Since the batteries are about the same size or larger than the 12 volt batteries, there is a larger total capacity. Since they are true deep cycle batteries, they are more able to tolerate deep discharge. Starting batteries provide a lot of current very quickly. Deep cycle batteries do not provide the quick burst of current, but they can provide a steady current at low draw for long periods. This web site can provide more information: http://www.trojanbattery.com/Tech-Support/FAQ/BatterySelection.aspx - http://www.trojanbattery.com/Tech-Support/FAQ/BatterySelection.aspx Hope this helps. ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2016 at 10:01pm
Yes, it's about capacity. The amount of energy you can store in a battery, or you can retrieve from the battery when out camping, is related to the battery's Ampere-Hour (AH) rating. The more the merrier. A typical 12 volt Group 24 battery supplied with a camper by dealers is shown highlighted on the first line of this chart:  Column 7 on the first line shows you can draw 5 Amps for 16.4 hours from this battery before it is completely discharged. Five Amps is a typical camper load. However, for maximum battery life you should only discharge a battery 50% so this becomes 8.2 hours. The last line on the chart shows a Group GC2 golf cart battery from the same manufacturer. Column 7 shows the same 5 Amp load can be supplied for 54.5 hours from this battery for complete discharge. Again applying the 50% limit this battery will run your camper for 27.25 hours, 3.3 times the original battery. However, since this battery is only 6 volts you need two wired in series to get the 12V needed for the camper. Each GC2 is about the same size as the original Gp24, but there is ample room on the Pod tongue for them. The factory converter will charge and maintain the two GC2s properly when you're plugged in and they will last many times longer when you're out in the woods. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: shroomer
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2016 at 10:33pm
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Patriot Dave wrote: Qualified and certified service techs and their locations also seem to be important. I have a few more Honda service dealers near by however, there is a couple Yamaha dealers not that far away. One of the Yamaha dealers I have some good experience with regarding service on a motorcycle. Make sure that your Honda dealer fixes Honda generators. My local authorized Honda repair shop wasn't authorized to fix generators, only other power equipment. Don't know if this is usual or what, but it was my experience. Be careful - don't assume. ------------- Larry and Debbie w/Rosie the mutt. Old: '13 177, '06 Silverado V6 New: '15 Whitehawk 20MRB '14 Silverado V8 |
Posted By: Patriot Dave
Date Posted: 08 Feb 2016 at 5:38am
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Also what is S.O.C. .......... Standard Operational Capacity? ------------- Dave & Joyce Never Forget, In God We Trust; This Our National Motto. Member; Patriot Guard Riders, Michigan Chapter Retired; So Every Day is Saturday.... Except Sunday |
Posted By: Patriot Dave
Date Posted: 08 Feb 2016 at 6:00am
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I will probably pick up Blue today.
Thank you for your comments. ------------- Dave & Joyce Never Forget, In God We Trust; This Our National Motto. Member; Patriot Guard Riders, Michigan Chapter Retired; So Every Day is Saturday.... Except Sunday |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 08 Feb 2016 at 8:27am
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SOC is State of Charge, the percentage of full charge in the battery.
------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 08 Feb 2016 at 5:09pm
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I went with orange. That is, a Generac IX2000, which is rated 2,000 Watts with 2,200 surge Watts. I can't test it right now because our RP-179 is at the dealer for service. However, I am confident that it will be adequate. It was purchased at Costco for $499.00 plus tax. http://www.generac.com/all-products/generators/portable-generators/ix-series/ix2000?lang=en-US - http://www.generac.com/all-products/generators/portable-generators/ix-series/ix2000?lang=en-US ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: Patriot Dave
Date Posted: 08 Feb 2016 at 8:01pm
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Okay
Thanks ------------- Dave & Joyce Never Forget, In God We Trust; This Our National Motto. Member; Patriot Guard Riders, Michigan Chapter Retired; So Every Day is Saturday.... Except Sunday |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2016 at 11:48am
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I have a Ryobi 1800/2200W generator that I've been using for field charging of lithium polymer batteries for my RC helicopter hobby for the last few years. It only cost me $450 back then.
I just purchased a 179, mainly for taking to RC helicopter events. Almost all my camping will be dry. During summers down here in Texas, AC is a necessity, even at night, so I will be adding a second Ryobi generator ($549 this time) and a parallel kit ($100), which allows the combined power of the two generators to be used. I'm also adding an extended run fuel system so I don't have to worry about the fuel running out overnight. |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2016 at 1:51pm
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One thing the Generac iX2000 lacks is the ability to hook up another generator in parallel. For that, one would have to go with the iQ2000, but that would have run $300 more plus another $799 (current Amazon and Northern Tool price) for a second one plus the cost of the paralleling kit. I didn't see the Ryobi, but just looked at it and saw that Home Depot has it for $599. $549 looks to be a good price.
------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: Patriot Dave
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2016 at 8:07pm
p ------------- Dave & Joyce Never Forget, In God We Trust; This Our National Motto. Member; Patriot Guard Riders, Michigan Chapter Retired; So Every Day is Saturday.... Except Sunday |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 12:33pm
An update: I used the parallel generator setup two weekends ago and it worked great. It had no problem at all with the air conditioner while running in auto throttle mode. The only tricky part was clamping off the generators' tank vent lines to allow the gas to siphon from the external tank. I misread the pictorial instructions, opened the wrong panel on each generator, and clamped off the wrong line. 
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Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 9:00pm
Well, it sounds like you had a learning experience.  ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: GlibGuy
Date Posted: 05 Apr 2016 at 7:47am
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I notice that "Cabela's" has a Champion 4000 Watt Weekender Generator on sale. It's relatively inexpensive to begin with and they have it on sale for $299. It's a little louder (68 db) and somewhat heavier (114 lbs or so) than the expensive models but a LOT less money. Comes with a cover and a wheel kit. So is there a Podder out there that has one of these or has any information about their performance? ------------- MICK |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 05 Apr 2016 at 7:54am
IMO, way too loud for a CG, way too heavy for a trip, and way overkill for an RPOD. But the price is good. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: dacolson
Date Posted: 05 Apr 2016 at 12:21pm
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Even though it's heavy, I traded in my Honda 2000 for the 3000. We do want to use the AC on generator power and the 2000 wasn't enough. And instead of carrying two around to run in parallel, I voted for the simplicity of running a single EU3000iS. Plenty of power, SUPER quiet, long run-time (20 hours on 3.5gal tank) ... and Techntrek pointed out it's too heavy to steal! You'll be hard pressed to find a quieter unit. ------------- Dave - 2016 Silverado 2500HD LML - 2010 RP172T 
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Posted By: Keith-N-Dar
Date Posted: 05 Apr 2016 at 2:11pm
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I have a 4000 Watt Champion generator that cost about the same as the one you mention. It is quieter than many generators seen (heard) in campgrounds and runs everything on the pod without problems. It pushes up my ramps onto the bed of my truck where it stays while we are camping. I can buy a bunch of them for the price of a Honda that you still can't run during quiet time in the campground.
------------- Keith-N-Dar Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers) 2011 R-Pod 177 2010 Ford F-150 |
Posted By: dacolson
Date Posted: 05 Apr 2016 at 3:38pm
show-off  ------------- Dave - 2016 Silverado 2500HD LML - 2010 RP172T
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Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 05 Apr 2016 at 4:22pm
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Parallel isn't that bad, especially if you get an external fuel system. That way, you still only have one gas tank to worry about. As I'm getting ready to travel, I set the generators inside the 'Pod door with a cover over them so that the smell doesn't leach into everything. Thus far, it hasn't.
The same company where I got my external fuel system also makes them for single generators. |
Posted By: dacolson
Date Posted: 05 Apr 2016 at 4:43pm
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I know. I really vacillated on the decision. 2 x EU2000iS are the same price as 1 x EU3000iS and deliver up to 1000 watts more (4000 watts total) than the single EU3000iS (3000 watts total). AND if you only need 1 for a trip, the 2000 is SOOO much lighter/lighter and easier to live with than the 3000. Right or wrong, my thought process was: 1. a singe gen is easier to deal with than 2 2. 2 gens, even quiet ones, will probably be at least a little louder than 1 3. 2 gens will use more fuel and will need an external fuel source to match the EU3000iS 4. 3000 watts is more than enough for my applications As to other models/brands - I chose Honda because I have had great luck with all my Honda equipment and trust the brand. They also have the lowest published dB levels. I'm willing to pay the diff. And whether or not I have to turn it off during quiet times, I still want to be as quiet as possible in respect of my neighbors. ------------- Dave - 2016 Silverado 2500HD LML - 2010 RP172T
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Posted By: AKRPod
Date Posted: 02 May 2016 at 12:49pm
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Greetings,
Just purchased a 2016 R178 and ordered (I live in Alaska and could not find one locally) a Generac IX 2000. Will I need a 30 amp to 15 amp converter to us it with my RPOD? Thanks for your help. |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 02 May 2016 at 2:07pm
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Short answer: Yes, you will need an adapter. Longer answer: The Generac iX2000 only has a 20 ampere AC outlet (plus 12V outlet, but that is a separate matter). You can find adapters for your Rpod power cord that look like a puck with 15/20 ampere male plug on one side and 30 ampere female socket on the other side. Mine is yellow, purchased at my local Wal-Mart. It is relatively inexpensive. ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: AKRPod
Date Posted: 02 May 2016 at 3:05pm
| Thanks for your reply. It was very helpful! |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 03 May 2016 at 8:38pm
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Don't get the puck style, get the dog-bone style! Many, many failures of the puck types due to overheating. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 03 May 2016 at 9:23pm
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Ditto!!
------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 03 May 2016 at 11:14pm
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I really thought Leo was more a [hockey] puck guy than dog-bone. Guess you just never know on the internets. fred ------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 04 May 2016 at 11:26am
That makes little sense. Shorter conductor runs mean less resistance and, therefore, less power loss due to heat. The only explanation would be if manufacturers are grossly undersizing the conductors in the pucks. |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 04 May 2016 at 12:15pm
Makes perfect sense. In this case it's all about contact resistance, not conductor length. Poor, cheap contacts cause heating that leads to melting. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 04 May 2016 at 12:20pm
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I would think that if I were trying to run at the maximum load, it would be a problem. Running the battery charger, refrigerator, fan, and other low-power-draw items should not be an issue. Running the AC in addition to the above would be a scenario where I could expect problems.
------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 04 May 2016 at 12:55pm
You're essentially correct. Low wattage loads, no problem; A/C a definite no-no. The problem is intermediate loads. How 'bout running a 1500W heater for an unexpected overnight freeze; or a quick run of the electric WH to clean up the rig for next weekend? Why not just have a good adapter on hand and trash the cheap junque? No worries. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 04 May 2016 at 1:18pm
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A Camco puck, which is CSA certified, should hold up to the load of a 1500W heater. If it was rated for 15A, it should be okay up to that limit. Now, if it is put in an environment where there is moisture, causing corrosion, that would be a different situation. The one I have seems to be holding up well. The connectors seem to be pretty heavy-duty. I would not vouch that all pucks are well-made, but the one I have seems to be okay.
------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 04 May 2016 at 9:36pm
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The problem is heat dissipation. The pucks are nothing but a big wad of plastic that holds the heat in, so you run that 1500 watt heater and it overheats. Eventually the contacts shift, you get arcing, and it fails. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they all have undersized conductors, as cheap as they are. That would amplify the problem. The dog-bone style adapters give you a lot more exposed surface area so they can dissipate the heat, and have properly-sized conductors so there is less heat to begin with. For the few extra bucks they cost they are worth it. I just browsed Walmart and found a hockey puck for $6 and dog-bone for $19. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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