sjones
waxahachie,texas
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Joined: 10/07/2000
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I have a 24 foot 5th wheel and would like to know what it will take to run the following:13,500a/c,13 inch color tv,3 lights. I figure if I want to use the coffee pot or microwave I can turn off the a/c for the time it takes to use them. thanks. sj
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Fab
Reynolds Indiana
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Joined: 08/06/2002
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Volts X amps = what you will need. A 110 outlet times your a/c that uses 10 amps (for ease of math porposes only)(read the tag on the unit) is 1100 watts. You will need more than that for the start-up of the compressor that might need up to 15 amps to get going. Add all the appliances up using the lables for amperage and that is ballpark for what you will need.
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L.D.
Greenwood, Louisiana
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Joined: 01/28/2002
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Simple enough to figure out.
Buy the largest generator you can and it will likely power most everything you need. I have a 5500 watt and it powers everything in my 34 foot Holiday Rambler. Granted, it is not quiet until it is placed well away from the trailer.
There are those that swear a small Honda generator will power all you need, cure hemroids and do so while being so quiet that it cannot be heard running. Yet, those I know with the smaller ones do not have the power they need. One of my brother in law's has a 4000 watt Honda and he powers all inside a 27 foot Layton. His is not quiet either.
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Yeti Shaman
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
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Joined: 11/05/2001
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First you must size it then buy it !
http://www.dom.com/products/generators/order.jsp
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JDS549
SPEARMAN, TEXAS
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Joined: 06/01/2002
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do a search here and see many opinions on generators and size. you may opt for inverters
after the study. enjoy
JERRY FROM TEXAS
I "NEED" A FREIGHTLINER
1999 F250, DIESEL,AUTO, 3.73, 265'S
2000 27 CARDINAL
BIG DOG AND (MEAN LITTLE DOG)
(ALL OUTGOING VIRUS CHECKED)
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whiteeye42
Rock Springs Wyoming
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Joined: 07/09/2002
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i have an onan 5000 and it powers everything i have but one thing you have to remember is that for every 1000 feet above sea level after the fist 1000 feet you loose 4% if the rated power per 1000 foot that is right out of the onan owners manual
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PullToy
USA
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Joined: 09/24/2001
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sjones: One way is to check the paperwork on the AC or read the tag on it to find out what the running watts (fan + compressor) are. If amps are listed instead of watts, multiply by 120 and you have watts. Now double that for starting power. All ACs take a lot of power when the compressor part starts up. This only lasts a second or so, but the generator still has to be able to provide it. Some ACs are really hard to start and take triple the running power. If you get a generator large enough to start the AC reliably, the TV won't be anything. They are a couple hundred watts at the most. One thing you forgot is that the converter in your RV is on all the time providing charging to the batteries and 12 volt DC for lights, fans, pumps etc. If the batts are fully charged, the converter will draw very little power. If you have been boondocking and the batteries need charging, you may need another 500+ watts in the calculation for the converter.
If you are going to use the math method, be sure to include the power loss the generator will show as you go up in altitude. If you camp at something other than sea level, derate the generator 5% per thousand feet in altitude. Figure the power at the highest elevation you ever expect to camp at.
OR:
You can buy a 4,000 + watt generator and know that you will have enough power to fire up the AC pretty much no matter what model it is or how high the altitude is.
People can and do run with smaller generators than 4KW. But you either have to do the math very carefully, or just take your chances. There are a LOT of variables. Some folks have gambled on smaller generators and it turned out OK. Others have not been so lucky once they left their driveways and went up in altitude. Yas pay your money and yas take your chances... :-).
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DaveP
Hudson, NH
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Joined: 01/16/2002
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My rig has a 15000 BTU A/C and the dealer said do not ever turn the A/C on unless the rig is plugged into a 30 amp AC power source. He said the same thing about my previous rig that had a 13000 BTU A/C. In generator terms that is a 3600 watt unit. Both of my rigs had (have) a Onan 4000 watt generator that worked very well. I can even make coffee while the A/C is on.
Me, my wife and two very spoiled dogs(mini doxies).
2005 Rialta 22QD (favorite toy) 
No toads 
Just nice people here to have fun.
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Kevin Bishop
Naperville, IL, USA
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A 4 kW (kVA) generator or greater is the "proper" size to power up a 13,500 Btu/hr air-conditioner and have a little extra power for other stuff. I have a fleet of generators and air-conditioners for RVs, and the 4 kVA size is the right match to reliably start the 13,500 Btu/hr air-conditioner all the time. The smaller gensets can normally start the air-conditioner, but the 4 kVA gensets can start the air-conditioner all the time. My experience has shown me to be skeptical of claims that a 2.8 or 3 kVA genset can always start an air-conditioner.
At my previous job I made the controls and governors for gensets, and I had to test the gensets to verify that they worked OK under all conditions. The gensets are not really meant to be loaded over 70% of their capacity for a long amount of time for good life expectancy. The exhausted cooling air gets too hot for comfort, the standpipes in the exhaust port get eaten away due to high exhaust temperatures, The exhaust valves start to tulip, and the heat soak destroys electronic parts. That is an additional reason to have a little extra capacity for the genset.
Believe it or not, but some genset manufacturers publish specs that their generators cannot meet. I know, because I put them on load banks and found out what their real limits were. Some manufacturers are more honest than others.
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RV Guy
Lipan, TX.
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Joined: 01/02/2002
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Well I'm not an "expert" like many responding to this post, but I can tell you from experience that my Honda EU3000is powered my 13,500 btu AC, 20 inch TV, sat. receiver, 110 volt light, and several 12 volt lights simultaneously in 90 degree heat over an entire weekend stopping only to refuel. And it did it in the Econo mode.
When you purchase quality, you get quality results.
Jim
2008 Silverado 3500 D/A CC Dually
2007 Mobile Suites Deluxe - 36SB3
Reese 20K Hitch
Kipor KGE6000Ti generator
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