Choosing the Right RV Generator - Product Guide

[@tinatyson8026]

*100% best **Generater.Systems** I have used. A test for hurricane prep here in Louisiana: three AC units, 5000, 5000 & 8000, 3 fridges, 2 device power setups, 4 flat screens....AND I had 40% of the power meter to spare.*

[@campingworld]

Hey Tina, Ian Baker here. You'll be able to run just about everything in an RV except for the A/C. At 3,000 watts, you'll have a hard time starting the A/C compressor. I hope that helps! -Ian Baker

[@mgysgtk8835]

Great presentation. In the Marine Corps we did “watt math”. I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count how many power failures we had because a Senior Officer turned on his coffee pot. Warming plate for a coffee pot no problem. Brewing when the drip pot is brewing, high wattage. Iknew every morning there would be power failures.

[@campingworld]

Great point! From our experience, one of the biggest issues new RVers have is understanding the electrical limitations of their unit. We're working on some new content about how to use a digital multimeter (and why RVers need one). But in the meantime, anyone interested in exploring this topic further might find use in this article: blog.campingworld.com/rv-basics/troubleshooting-electrical-system/

[@Doc.Holiday]

Good info. I would like to add… Unless an RV is running air conditioning a generator is not required. Solar panels with an optional inverter will provide all other power requirements. IF you need Air Conditioning then do your neighbors a favor and go somewhere totally off by yourself so that you do not disturb the quiet enjoyment of nature sought by others. If you supplement your batteries with additional amp hours equivalent to the weight of a generator and fuel then you will have ample power even to run a AC “coffee maker” with an inverter. Again, the only reason in this day and age to have AC generator power in an RV is to power air conditioning. People who do not want their natural quiet enjoyment interrupted are not “generator snobs”. They just want to enjoy nature and not listen to a gasoline generator. Generator runners need ask themselves if they are not the snobs

[@bobmarsh7550]

Answered all my questions. Great job. Thanks!

[@georgiahoneybees]

At 3:51, why did you say the rv battery doesn't charge while going down the road? Yes it does. My travel trailer battery does. Many motorhomes are wired so that the engine's alternator charges both your vehicle (chassis) battery and your RV (house) batteries when you're driving down the road.

[@campingworld]

Hi there! You are correct. RV deep cycle batteries should charge while going down the road via a charge line built into the 7 way plug on towables and a battery connection system in a motorized RV. We apologize for the error here and appreciate you pointing it out! - Tucker Ballister

[@aliceinchainz3003]

old post but most is common sense so we live full time in a 2008 american tradition diesel pusher so we bought 4 generators . 1 to power the beast the other 3 for all of our cell phones laptops gaming consoles , cameras and drones we are boon dockers we needed a 4500w generator its dual fuel so we chose the WEN 4500w wich runs the entire coach we have the onboard onan but we didnt want to waste fuel runing it 24/7 airzona heat is crazy we use the onboard propane it last a solid month before a refill is needed. for our electronics we use the solar generators with the solar panels it keeps the phones laptops and gaming consols goin 24/7 so we got it all covered we have an additional 3000w portable gen still in the box just incase , we havent had to open it yet so far. thank god. so in total we have 4 generators 2 are solar wich is a must cuz if all else fails the sun can make a diff between life and death.

[@nelsonperez8619]

Yes I live in Florida I've been calling Camping World and nobody have that champion 3500 dual fuel

[@JourneymanVan]

What about diesel generators for small class c rv

[@ClP-t6r]

Great presentation that answered most of my questions. In my situation the plan is to connect a wen 2250 (1800 continuous) watt to the 35 amp input on my Aliner. I have done the watt calcs and I'm good except for two items. Will I experience too much voltage loss using the builtin 25 or 30 foot power cord to connect the generator to the converter and with all appliance turned off except propane and CO sensors and fridge controller board how long might it take to charge my deep cell from say 12.3 volts to full charge? It is an Interstate group 24MDC with RC of 140 and CA of 190. Thank you.

[@Mike-01234]

Harbor Freight Predator 3500 half the price of a honda. Mounted mine to the bumper on my travel trailer routed the exhaust with a steel flex tubing. I installed a CO alarm inside my RV works great sleep all night with it running.

[@campingworld]

Sounds like you are a handy cat to have around! Great set up, thanks for sharing! - Chris Young

[@williamfuller2389]

Seen alot of them used out in the field. Nearly the sound suppression of those higher priced units but so much cheaper. No direct knowledge of their Customer Service, though.

[@Mike-01234]

@@williamfuller2389 If you run them hard they do fail. Get the extended warranty I know some who use them in the summer hot desert run them 24/7 for AC. They replace them 3-4 times a year doing that. HF doesn't seem to care as long as you have that warranty. Obviously exceeding the duty cycle. I live in Phoenix but we don't use the RV down here in the summer. Sometimes someone stays in it on the side of our house I just use grid power.

[@williamfuller2389]

@@Mike-01234 I'm not too surprised. On a side note, after installing a Micro Air "Easy Start" on both my trailers, I can run my AC off my Honda 2000. One AC is 13.5K, the other 15K. I did have the Charge Controller turned off and no other power draws but it did run them. I was at about 3000' elevation, losing about 11% of generator power and it was 90°+ that day. A Honda 2000 with 1600 running watts!

[@BlackhawkPilot]

Electronics today are normally 100-250 vac and 45-75 hertz inputs and are very stable with dirty power. Most campsites that I have visited do not allow open-frame generators due to noise. The worst non-feature of small generators is no hard point for locking the generator down. I have yet to meet anyone who can testify that a surge protector protected them from a surge or that a surge caused them damage because they have never seen a real surge. Before WWII surges were a problem, after all the rural electrification initiatives and power system upgrades surges are almost non existent or already moderated by the grid like when your lights go out and then come back on. I have hundreds of micro processor in my home; every LED light, appliances large & small, electronics, etc. In the last 40 years in two homes I have never had a damaging surge despite many power outages.

[@georgecook1374]

one thing not covered that I wonder about... what if your RV has to AC units?

[@salvatoregiovanni8967]

*two

[@romaldothomas8653]

Great video thanks for sharing

[@campingworld]

Thanks for watching!

[@edrodrigues3333]

Most 30 amp RV’s can be run with one 2200w generator. You just can’t run all appliances at the same time. I have a easy start on my air-conditioner and have no problem running it. I only use mine to run air-conditioning or microwave.

[@campingworld]

Great point about the importance of load management when using a smaller portable generator!

[@mslove9191]

Will any of these generators will be able to operate fireplace in the Coleman 17 R?

[@campingworld]

Hi There! Here are a couple resources to help you select the properly sized generator for your RV: blog.campingworld.com/gear-and-accessories/how-to-choose-a-generator-for-your-rv/ blog.campingworld.com/gear-and-accessories/best-30-amp-rv-generator/ You can also head into one of our retail locations and our staff there can assist you in picking out a generator that meets your needs. Hope that helps!

[@frankbrowning4160]

Coleman 1200RK. What inverter generator would you recommend?

[@campingworld]

Thanks for the comment!! It really depends on what you are going to be doing, how long you are going to be off grid, what you need to power etc. BUT just in general i'm going to give you my good/better/best..in my opinion, which means the best bet is to go to your local Camping World and explain your needs to a specialist BUT here we go - (I'll also put links at the bottom) The champion 2500 dual fuel is a great option at a lower price point, gives you the option of both fuel types, it's 39lbs and with the 1.05 gal tank it will run over 11 hours on 25% draw. Next up the Cummins P4500i (it's a little overkill and 98lbs BUT) has a 3.4 gal tank and will run 18 hours at 25% load. My best option (in my opinion) is the Honda 3200i with co-minder which shuts down if carbon monoxide reaches unsafe levels, it's less than 60lbs has a 3.2 gal tank and will run 8 hours on 25% load (a little less than champion but has more features). So that's my top 3 in a nutshell and, as you can see, I tried to give you 3 different options. I hope that helps and I look forward to hearing about the off road adventures! - Chris Young honda www.campingworld.com/honda-eu3200i-49-state-inverter-generator-with-co-minder-132207.html cummins www.campingworld.com/cummins-onan-p4500i-inverter-portable-generator-118307.html champion www.campingworld.com/champion-2500-watt-portable-dual-fuel-inverter-generator-123244.html

[@frankbrowning4160]

@@campingworld thanks. No local camping world. Traveled 2.5 hours to get to dealer we purchased unit from.

[@runfromdoctors]

Chris what do I need to power a fridge freezer in my car to keep my dog’s food from spoiling

[@campingworld]

Hi There! This will depend on the size of the fridge/freezer and its energy ratings. Our article on generator sizing might be helpful: blog.campingworld.com/gear-and-accessories/how-to-choose-a-generator-for-your-rv/ Let us know if you have any follow up questions!

[@rexp6296]

Can you run a portable generator in the prepped compartment with door closed or open on a 5th wheel or does it need to be outside on the ground?

[@campingworld]

Hi Rex! Tucker Ballister here. The best practice is to put your generator on the ground at least 25 feet away from your RV (and others). Check out this video on operating a portable generator: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pV6lkmaZdrenq6c I'd also recommend reading our article on portable generator safety tips: blog.campingworld.com/at-the-campsite/tips-tricks/portable-generator-safety-tips/ Feel free to reach out with any follow-up questions.

[@rexp6296]

@@campingworld is that mainly for the exhaust on the portable since the wired in generator would have exhaust routed to the outside??

[@nelsonperez8619]

I wish you would have mentioned some prices

[@SmokenTokeTV]

should of put links in the bio

[@campingworld]

Hi There! This accompanying article on the blog might be helpful, as it includes links to some of our best-selling portable RV generators: blog.campingworld.com/gear-and-accessories/how-to-choose-a-generator-for-your-rv/ Hope that helps! - Tucker Ballister

[@LindatheOldBird]

not to mention us Crafters... we need our sewing machines #CampingWorld #MarcusLemonis

[@lushhclub819]

the large units really ought to have small cat tracks and ramp to crawl it back up into the camper

[@campingworld]

Now THERE is a great idea! Some of the big ones can be tough to work with due to weight.

[@idealyoulose]

Buy a Milwaukee top off, and you can rapidly charge all of your devices and have a 75w outlet. I work construction, so I already have like 15 batteries, but you can get two 6 ah batteries and a topoff for 300 bucks at Home depot, they are great!

[@ryanmcgraw7398]

Westinghouse suitcase 3000

[@williamfuller2389]

That Onan is a Westinghouse clone and that Coleman looks familiar, Generac or Wen possibly? Why does nobody bring up the effects on altitude with all gas engines, including generators? There is a 3.5% loss of power for every 1000' above sea-level. Camping at 7000' will mesnnonly getting about 75% of performance from any generator. If they plan on camping at those elevations, go larger on your generator size.

[@campingworld]

Great point!

[@drillsergeant623]

Decibels not Decibells. You’re welcome.

[@salvatoregiovanni8967]

Either pronunciation is correct. Merriam Webster, Oxford English Dictionary, et. al. all say so.

[@drillsergeant623]

@@salvatoregiovanni8967 Like /\/ l g e r & /\/ l g g e r, right?