I have a 19' 2006 Bambi with all the electrics. Has anyone counted the draw and determined what size generator is required to dry camp? I am going to go with a Yamaha but honestly the 2800 Si is about as heavy as I can lift into the back of my truck. The next size, the 3000 si is too heavy. sarmstrong@allsportinc.com
Thank you!
Stephen
I really like my 3000is. be careful not to go too small. Not sure what AC you have up top but 3000is is about the min for my 13.5BTU AC + other stuff. There are some interesting ways members have mounted their generators in the beds of pick up and other places so you dont have to move it so much. there's a wheel kit available too if you have a ramp of some kind to help get it in the back of the truck. Good luck!
I have two of the Honda 2000's. I use them very often, and they have worked great for me. I use them in tandem when operating the A/C, and I use a single generator at other times. I like their versatility, plus I can handle them. I use a six gallon auxiliary tank for either one or both. It's a really good system that works very well for me. I looked seriously at the Yamahas, but decided to go with the two Honda. I have not regretted my choice.
Brian
__________________ SuEllyn & Brian McCabe WBCCI #3628 --- AIR #14872 2005 25' Safari FB (Lucy) with HAHA 2005 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Olivia) & 2004 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Daisy)
I have a EF 2800I. It is not as quite as the suitecase kind, but runs the 11.5 ac fine. You have to watch what you run with the ac, the wife tried the water heater with the ac, that didn't work at all. Other than that it works well.
I have the Yamaha 3000si. I built myself a lift out of 2 inch. steel tube using a small boat trailer type hand winch. The lift slips into my hitch receiver and allows me to lift my generator into my van. It works quite well. It is a simple frame with a swing arm. I have the 13,500 AC on my 19' and the 3000si works very well without any strain. I would not go to a small capacity.
Frank
If noise while camping is an issue plus power output capacity with no questions asked if it is enough, the Honda 3000 CANNOT be beat.
Just got a 6K Powermatic with a Subaru 12HP for the house. Cost all of $350 so couldnt turn it down. LOUD........as are all of these types of engines.....but, it does put out the power when needed.
Anyway, just my 2 cents as I have been using the Honda now for maybe 800 hours over the last 7 or 8 years with nothing but oil changes. NEVER get complaints from fellow campers except the campground Nazi's who come around at curfew with a smile on their face enforcing what they are "ordered" to do. This kills me sometimes when it's just you alone in the campground with them in their power provided "host" spot...........Good luck.......Dennis
__________________
Dennis & Susan
D&D Farms, Sugar Valley, Ga
Registered Boer goats
It really depends on what you want to power. If A/C is one of them, I would say that the 2800 series would do just fine to power your A/C unit. I would caution you that the microwave and other gear might not work well with the A/C running, but hey, camping is all about priorities right?!
Regardless of brand, I would wholeheartedly suggest an LP conversion generator (one that can run on LP), particularly if you don't have a pickup or a place to transport the unit. I have a Sub and I sure as heck am not going to place a gas tank in my Airstream. I found that the LP units burn cleaner, have ZERO fumes emitting from them when stored and since in most cases you are already hauling between 40 and 60 lbs of LP, you also don't need to haul a separate gas can, which also needs to be stored during transport.
There are hundreds if not thousands of opinions on this subject, none are wrong, most are just preferences on what works for folks. What I've described works for me. I went with a pre-configured Yamaha 1000. I went with the 1000 because I made the decision that because I have the 15k btu A/C unit, I would need 2 units to run together to safely operate my A/C unit. Since I realized that I boondock and enjoyed not having all the bells and whistles from home, I simply got something that could top off my batteries and get me out of a pinch if need be. If I were in the position of a smaller A/C unit, and a smaller Bambi that typically doesn't take much to heat or cool, I might have thought the same size you are looking at and running my A/C. My choice however for the larger RV and A/C unit really made be look hard at the need and put it into perspective. If I fulltimed and boondocked, I might have simply done the 2 units together, but I don't fulltime and doubt I would be able to for at least a decade or so.
__________________
Computers manufactured by companies such as IBM, Compaq and millions of others are by far the most popular with about 70 million machines in use worldwide. Macintosh fans note that cockroaches are far more numerous than humans and that numbers alone do not denote a higher life form. -NY Times 11/91
We have a Yamaha 3000si and very happy with it. This is what I did so I can run it in the bed of the truck closed and locked. There is a fantastic fan in the top of the cap for exhaust.
This is a capital idea! I am going to build mine this weekend and go with the Yamaha 3000 iSE Generator. I cranked one at the dealership and it is whisper quiet.
Thanks for all the great ideas and fast reponses.
Quick Links
LOST IN THE SIXTIES
Linear Mode
