Generator Advice for a MPG183

We've toyed with the idea of getting a quiet generator for our camper but have no clue what size would be best for our 183. I really don't want to go out and get one that's larger than we need. A 3000watt sounds like the smart choice but if a 2000 watt is sufficient I would rather save the money. And the only brand name I am familiar with is Honda. Also thought about making a dual battery setup, is there really that much of a benefit in doing so?
 

PhotoPete

Well-known member
Tony & Debbie, I too went down this road years ago. I have both a 2000 and a 3000. The 3000 will run they ac and other stuff just fine. The problem we found was that many of the places we would camp was too quiet for a generator. We wound up never taking it with us because we could never use it where we camped. Now we simply go to campgrounds that have power.

Here's the real progression. we started by camping in the real rustic places but my wife ultimately decided she liked real showers and flush toilets, so now we camp in campgrounds that offer those amenities.
 

porthole

Retired
A trailer that size it would be hard to justify carrying the weight of the Honda 3K.
I have used both the 2K and 3K.

Some thoughts:
The 2K

  • Is much lighter and easier to carry
  • Will run just about everything, just not at the same time.
  • It will run smaller AC units, but not much else at the same time.
  • It has a small fuel tank
  • It is noisy when under a heavy load.
  • You can get a parallel adapter and run two at the same time to double capacity. But you still have small fuel tanks, plus dealing with two.

The 3K
  • Is quieter then the 2K with no load
  • Is still fairly quiet under a load (and always less then the 2K)
  • Weighs 135 pounds

The Yamaha's are supposed to be similar, but I never tried ay of them.

If you go the cheap route you will most likely be disappointed.
 
Tony & Debbie, I too went down this road years ago. I have both a 2000 and a 3000. The 3000 will run they ac and other stuff just fine. The problem we found was that many of the places we would camp was too quiet for a generator. We wound up never taking it with us because we could never use it where we camped. Now we simply go to campgrounds that have power.

Here's the real progression. we started by camping in the real rustic places but my wife ultimately decided she liked real showers and flush toilets, so now we camp in campgrounds that offer those amenities.

Thanks for the reply,
Maybe I should have gave more information too... We plan on going the regular hookup route when we make plans but thankfully we have the unique opportunity to go on day trips to the beach where there would not normally be hookups. Also living in Florida, I was thinking it would be a good idea just in case we need to take off because of a storm.
Did you go with a Honda? or was it another brand?
 
Porthole,
Thank you very much for the info, very informative. I'm going to have to research more on my power output or at least what demand the camper should have. My AC is small but have no idea what the actual specs are, it was like new when we bought the camper but there was no paperwork for anything on the campers inner workings. I had no idea that the larger would be the more silent.
 

Sumo

Well-known member
I would find a friend with a 2000 watt Yamaha or Honda and see if it will run your AC.
That's going to be the only way you'll know for sure.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Tony, if you want to save some money and still have a Genny capable of running your A/C, check into a Boliy 3600 watt unit. They are very quiet and only weigh 68#. I've had one for several years and have been pleased with it so far. I don't run it often so I keep a bit of Stabil in the fuel tank. It has never failed to start. I run it every couple of months and let it run under a small load for about a 1/2 hour.
 

PhotoPete

Well-known member
Thanks for the reply,
Maybe I should have gave more information too... We plan on going the regular hookup route when we make plans but thankfully we have the unique opportunity to go on day trips to the beach where there would not normally be hookups. Also living in Florida, I was thinking it would be a good idea just in case we need to take off because of a storm.
Did you go with a Honda? or was it another brand?

I went with Honda. They both work very well and i have never had any problems with them.
 

Invizatu

Senior Road Warriors
Porthole,
Thank you very much for the info, very informative. I'm going to have to research more on my power output or at least what demand the camper should have. My AC is small but have no idea what the actual specs are, it was like new when we bought the camper but there was no paperwork for anything on the campers inner workings. I had no idea that the larger would be the more silent.

Tony... If you get up on the roof and remove the cover off your A/C, there should be a plate inside that shows model # / serial # / how many amps it draws.
If it is a 13.5K BTU unit, you can probably get by with a Honda 2000 (they are running 13.3 amps and surge higher). But check the A/C I.D. plate to make sure what you need before you go out and buy a generator. I have the Hondas and love them. My A/C is 15K and needs 14.4 amps, so I run 2 Honda 2000 in parallel when running the A/C and when not, I run one gen. to power everything else and or to charge the battery. Good luck with your decesion, let us know what you end up doing. I would recommend the Honda 2000i Companion, it has a 30 am outlet on it.
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
Porthole,
Thank you very much for the info, very informative. I'm going to have to research more on my power output or at least what demand the camper should have. My AC is small but have no idea what the actual specs are, it was like new when we bought the camper but there was no paperwork for anything on the campers inner workings. I had no idea that the larger would be the more silent.

An easy way to do that is go to Home Depot or similar store and buy a watt meter that displays both watts and amps. Hook it up between your shore power source and trailer power cable (you will need an adapter to do this). Then you can measure the power used by each of your appliance by turning them on and off one at a time. Note that the converter draws power too. These meters are good up to 2000 watts. I also use the Honda Generators.
 
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