Dry Camping Generator for 15000 btu unit

[yablonskil]

I am a new Montana owner & just purchased a 2008 RL3400 with the Artic pkg. My question is what size Generator will safely run this 15000 btu beast. I purchased a Honda 2000i but camping world says that the 2000i & the companion 2000i hooked up in parallel will not start/run this unit. I am not sure I trust that answer. Can anyone help me as I am taking off this Sunday Aug. 1st. Does anyone else have this problem & what size generator do you use?

thanks

len Y

[NCFischers]

Len,
Just what are you trying to run on your generators??

[gitrdun]

I have a Honda 3000 ei and it runs my 15,000 btu just fine. Camping World said it wouldn't but it does even took load amp and voltage read and everything fine.

[Art-n-Marge]

Two Honda 2000s give you the equivalent of 30 amps (actually about 32 amps runtime and 40 amps peak) and this is enough to run a single 15,000 btu A/C. You can probably also microwave at the same time, but I wouldn't try much more than that or for very long. I've even seen a triple parallel cable to run 3 EU2000s to get an equivalent 50 amps of runtime (60 amps peak). But I am not aware if anyone has tried this.

Two Honda 3000s will give you the equivalent of 50 amps and then you can run Two A/Cs and maybe a little bit more.

The only issue might be that you'll need to build a "bonded" cable from the gennys to your rig where the neutral is wired to the ground cable per electrical specs. Hopefully, an expert electrician can explain this better.

[KTManiac]

quote:Originally posted by yablonskil


I am a new Montana owner & just purchased a 2008 RL3400 with the Artic pkg. My question is what size Generator will safely run this 15000 btu beast. I purchased a Honda 2000i but camping world says that the 2000i & the companion 2000i hooked up in parallel will not start/run this unit. I am not sure I trust that answer. Can anyone help me as I am taking off this Sunday Aug. 1st. Does anyone else have this problem & what size generator do you use?

thanks

len Y

That is Bull****, my paralleled Companion and Standard eu2000's start and run the 15k btu AC just fine, and once the AC is up and running I can also run the convection oven as well. Just set the generator's economy switches to off until the AC compressor starts, set the AC on max so the compressor is not starting and stopping all of the time and you can then flip the eco switches to the on position. If you want to run the microwave, flip the genny eco switches back to off while the AC is still running(not cycling on and off though).

If you want to let the AC cycle on and off, leave the eco switches in the off position and be careful using peripheral wattage eaters. For instance, if you want to use the microwave, temporarally switch off the AC.

You've got 4,000 peak watts of power when they are in parallel


Get up on the roof of your 5er and check out the info plate on the AC for the start up amps and convert that to watts to see what you truely need. A typical 15,000 btu rv air conditioner needs about 3,500 start up watts, and 1,500 running watts. You do the math, and tell your salesman that he doesn't know his A** from a hole in the ground!

Have someone watch the genny overload LED's the first few times you run extra things on top of the AC to be certain.

[exav8tr]

quote:Originally posted by yablonskil


I am a new Montana owner & just purchased a 2008 RL3400 with the Artic pkg. My question is what size Generator will safely run this 15000 btu beast. I purchased a Honda 2000i but camping world says that the 2000i & the companion 2000i hooked up in parallel will not start/run this unit. I am not sure I trust that answer. Can anyone help me as I am taking off this Sunday Aug. 1st. Does anyone else have this problem & what size generator do you use?

thanks



len Y

Sounds like someone may be trying to sell you an onboard genny. Very expensive. I think it should be a requirement that all RV salesmen should be prior or current RV owners and the dealership should have an ongoing training program possibly taught by Certified RV Techs. There, I said it!!!! AND I'm sticking to it.....