mark waller

The Honda Eu2000i's are great generators. Since one will charge your batteries, etc but will not run the a/c I have 2 of the generators and link them together. We dry camp and every so often we need the a/c and this works great. The wiring harness is available in store or online.

smokeywren

The two good things about the EU2000i are weight and noise. One is so light that an old man can lift it up and store it in the "basement" of a TT. And it's so quiet that you can run it right next to another camper without the neighbor complaining.


The third good thing about the EU2000i is that you can tie two of them together wtih a Honda parallel cord to have 3,600 watts of clean continuous power. If one of the two is the "companion" model, then you have a 30-amp outlet for the camper wire to plug into.


3,600 watts won't run everything at once, but it will start and run one 13,500 AC along with lights and a few low-draw items at the same time. They make 4,000 watts peak power for a few seconds, long enough to start the AC compressor, before falling back to 3,600 watts continuous power. Just don't attempt to run a hair dryer, curling iron, coffee pot, toaster and microwave oven at the same time the AC is making cold air.

kevcarr59

Smokeywren, I've got a question along this line and it sounds like you're the one to ask..

I've got an '01 F150 SC and a new 2016 Jayco TT. I also have a Champion 3100W 2800W running capacity inverter, and have seen many people that say they run their AC units with it, but I've also heard you can't, who's right??

In talking with the service writer at the RV shop, he said you'd have to have a second deep-cycle battery hooked up to do it. I understand that concept, just don't remember if it's parallel or series, as to how it's wired.

Second point: If I run a second deep-cycle battery, is the TV charge system going to be able to charge that heavy of a load if they are discharged significantly??

Thanks in advance....

mike243

A 2nd deep cycle battery has nothing to do with the 120v needed for the ac.The only way to see if the generator will run the ac is to try it.No other high watt things could be run while using it for ac though.My camper has a switching switch for 2 battery's and you can select either 1 or both. Charging time is all dependent on size of battery alt output ect. my 02 f150 has a 130amp and may be standard

smokeywren

If you mean an inverter generator such as the Honda 3000i generator, then it depends on the quality of the generator and the power required by your AC. The typical 13.5k BTU RV AC needs about 2,400 watts to start
then almost 2,000 watts to run.


So an inverter generator that can produce over 2,400 watts should be big enough to start and run your AC if nothing else is plugged into electricity at the same time. But if you plug the RV 30-amp cord into the generator, then the battery charger in the RV will be also be drawing a little power unless the RV battery is fully charged. But even then your 2,800 watts of power should be able to start and run the AC.


Just don't plan on running the AC and microwave and coffee pot and hair curler and hair dryer all at the same time. You don't have enough generator for that load.


Your generator produces 2,800 watts of constant power and 3,100 watts of starting power, so it should do the job of starting and running your AC. (The electric motor to power the compressor in your AC requires a lot more electricity to start than to run.) Even when running at full tilt to cool down the RV in 100° summertime heat, the AC shouldn't use more than about 2,000 watts.



I don't see what the RV battery has to do with the power required to run the AC on 120 volts. You're not converting 12-volt battery power to 120 volts to run the AC. Your inverter generator produces 120-volt alternating current (AC) as well as 12-volt direct current (DC)


If you are talking about running the AC off of battery power, you will need more than two huge batteries to convert 12-volt battery power to 120-volt power to run the AC for more than a short time. But if you're talking about running the AC off of the generator power, then there is no need for more than one good RV battery.

Eventually, if you are on a long trip and drive a few hundred miles with the TV's altenator producing max output, and assuming your 12-volt charging wire going to the RV battery is big enough to transmit the watts required to charge the batteries.

But most folks that worry about that are boondockers that use a lot of 12-volt battery power and don't drive many miles between primitive campsites that are without shore power. Those folks need a generator that will produce 12-volt power to quickly charge a discharged battery or two. The Champion 3100i is a cheap generator compared to the Honda 3000i, but it should be plenty to charge the batteries within an hour or so, using the 12-volt outlet on the generator. So if you're boondocking, use the generator's 120-volt outlet to run the AC and the generator's 12-volt outlet to keep the RV batteries charged up.
http://www.championpowerequipment.co...100w-inverter/


The power distribution box in your RV probably includes a 12-volt battery charger that will maintain the charge in the RV battery when you are plugged into shore power. So maybe you won't need to also run a charge wire from the generator's 12-volt outlet to the RV battery(ies). But if you do, the Champion 3100w can do the job.

kevcarr59

Thanks Smokey for the response..

What got this started was talking with the guys at work, he said his friend had a 2000 watt inverter generator but it didn't run the AC, until he piggybacked a second unit. While we were at Camping World I saw a display for the inverter generator, and it showed it would run a 10,000 BTU AC unit. Until then, I was resigned to the fact I wasn't going to be able to use it for the AC when we boondock. The inverter generator model number is the 75531i and what I liked about it was the RV 30 amp plug-in.

http://www.championpowerequipment.co...100w-inverter/

Knowing what the AC draws, I knew we wouldn't be able to run it with other electrics. In fact, I won't have any problems with propane either, since I've got 4 tanks, plus the 2 on the front of the trailer. I'll switch the fridge to propane to lessen the load on the generator.

ColbyL

FYI, i recently picked up my trailer from storage (1 month since putting it there with fully charged fairly new Trojan batteries. Alas they were nearly depleted= I forgot to switch the main DC off. Anyway, when I hooked up my '16 with max tow, it gave a warning "trailer battery not charging". So I guess I moved it home without trailer brakes, I mean in case of breakaway. The truck does power the trailer brakes normally.

kevcarr59

I guess I need to make a phone call Monday to the shop & see if they'll disconnect the battery negative lead, since they said it's going to be there 4 weeks, at least. I hope it's just a wheel seal, and not having to have an axle replaced...

SKBORDERS

12V is less than 25% State of Charge and no one should be charging a battery with the trucks alternator. An alternator is meant to maintain a battery. If the battery is below 75% (12.45V) it should be charged with a battery charger.

Tcam

I don't have power to my seven pin trailer connector
Auxiliary power for charging
The book doesn't list a relay or fuse for this
Dose anyone know about the relay and or fuse for Aux Tow charging ???