I've been scouring the forums to see if anyone knows the minimum start up wattage needed to crank up the 14k BTU Armstrong A/C in my '75 Excella. We're thinking about getting a generator and I'm comparing the pro's/cons about which size to get and if I even want to mess with a generator that can run our A/C.
Mitch, Running amps at 115 volts is about 11.5 amps...however you will need much more than that to get it started, plus run what ever else is plugged in...univolt, microwave etc. The bare minimum you can get a way with is about 3500 watts. There are two setups that I can recommend from personal experience...one is the dual Honda IU2000 setup the other is the Yamaha EF30iseb it has some type of boost system on it. FWIW the price are very close to the same for the dual Honda vs the Yamaha system. My personal preference is the dual Honda system, when you don't need the A/C you just drag one of them along, also by having two of them you reduce the chances of Murphy's Law striking... Aaron
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....so many Airstreams....so little time...
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Why are we in this basket...and where are we going
Aaron---Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question. I've been tossing around the idea of either purchasing the Honda or Yamaha. It now becomes a decision based upon carrying these 'puppies' since the 3000 watt Yamaha weighs nearly 150 lbs.
Mitch -- The world famous Windcrest??? (or at least it was when I was visiting from Bryan to my grandmother's house on Sunset in the early 60's) You'll have to get your Excella out of the neighborhood soon or you'll not move it until after the New Year.
Folks, Windcrest was a new San Antonio development where the neighbors competed hugely for the most lit and decorated house come Christmas. It's been a couple years since I had to divert around the rubberneckers waiting in line to drive thru the neighborhood!
Minnesota? My dad was Air Force and I started professional school before he moved back to Randolph for the last time. My mom was an S.A. native. I was born at the Nix and graduated from Jefferson in '67 (all kids from Kelly AFB went to Jeff back then).
Good to see you claiming a little local color!
__________________ . BobStream
...You really don't know someone 'til you've had recess with them. ...Alex Ziton, age 8
For an induction motor typically used in an air conditioning unit you can expect to draw about 2.5 times the steady state draw. So if your normal draw is about 10 amps, expect 25 anps surge for the first second or so leveling out to the steady state draw. This number goes UP as voltage goes down.
My personal preference is the dual Honda system, when you don't need the A/C you just drag one of them along, also by having two of them you reduce the chances of Murphy's Law striking... Aaron
Also, the two 2000's weigh about 120 pounds, and you can carry one in each hand, to keep things balanced. You also would then have 4000 watts total, instead of 3500. The down side is you will need to maintain two engines.
Thank you to everyone for the insight you've provided on the generators. I purchased my first Honda EU2000 today and will experiment with using it with the AS. I can always add the 2nd unit next spring as we prepare for our trip to the Grand Canyon.
As for Bob's observation about the decorations in Windcrest during Christmas, he wasn't kidding. Each year I probably spend about $100-$200 to 'catch-up' with the neighbors . After living here for 5 years, we've finally caught up and now the neighbors are smiling when I break out all of the boxes.
Anyway, there is an open invitation for good fun and AS chat if any of the group happens through our area. See you on the highway.
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. After living here for 5 years, we've finally caught up and now the neighbors are smiling when I break out all of the boxes. 
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