Approximate Total Wattage 22fb Sport?

[LannyD]

Hello All,

This is my first post and won't be my last. I have been lurking for a couple weeks and browsing the classifieds. I just bought a 2009 Bambi Sport 22FB and am picking it up next week.

I have been doing my best to research generator set ups and through my reading I have not come across a post or a resource elsewhere that lists what the total wattage requirement would be for a particular AS.

I realize that it is highly unlikely that anyone would be utilizing every last appliance and light at the same time, but it would be interesting to know.

The AS I bought has been updated to about 50% LED lights and has a 75w solar panel/charge controller btw.

Again, I am just curious about what each of the factory appliances and lights draw.

Thanks in advance.

L

[idroba]

With no AC, something like a 1000 watt Honda inverter generator would do all you need, however most people like the Honda 2000 inverter unit for a bit more capacity. The 1000 weighs 29 pounds and the 2000 about 42 pounds as I recall.

If you wanted to use a microwave you would need the 2000 at least.

If you want to use an AC unit (the normal 13,500 btuh ones) most go with a Yamaha 2400 (which may still be marginal), two Honda 2000's paralleled, or a Honda 3000.

Total wattage is kind of meaningless unless you do want to run everything at the same time.

[LannyD]

Yes I realize that the total is not that pertinent. I will have to just do it the old fashioned way; counting bulbs and reading appliance specs.

[steverino]

Power consumption at any time will also be affected by the state of charge of the battery, and thus whether the converter is charging the battery. While charging a flat battery, the converter may consume up to 650 to 700 watts or so. But, that would be the upper limit of the generator load, unless additional 110v appliances (like TV, 75 watts) are in use at the same time. Any lights or 12v appliances would not add to that, but simply reduce the current available to charge the battery.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by LannyD

Hello All,

This is my first post and won't be my last. I have been lurking for a couple weeks and browsing the classifieds. I just bought a 2009 Bambi Sport 22FB and am picking it up next week.

I have been doing my best to research generator set ups and through my reading I have not come across a post or a resource elsewhere that lists what the total wattage requirement would be for a particular AS.

I realize that it is highly unlikely that anyone would be utilizing every last appliance and light at the same time, but it would be interesting to know.

The AS I bought has been updated to about 50% LED lights and has a 75w solar panel/charge controller btw.

Again, I am just curious about what each of the factory appliances and lights draw.

Thanks in advance.

L

The trailer systems, permits a maximum of 30 amps AC current draw.

That equals 3600 watts.

Playing it super safe, a generator should bot be loaded to more than 80 percent of it's capacity.

That then brings the generator total output to 4500 watts.

That setup then would allow you to use anything and everything in the same manner as being plugged into city power.

From that, you can subtract whatever your willing to "not use".

Small generators are OK for charging the batteries and using a few lights, but not much else.

Andy

[Hibby]

My wife and I used to own a 2010 Sport 22fb and we decided on the Honda 2000, so that we had the ability to add a Honda 2000 Companion if we ever needed more power. Glad we did, since the upgrade to a 30' FC came only two years later! We now own two Honda units and the parallel connector kit... I have since wired my house to feed generator power from them in the event that we have an outage.

[overlander63]

Besides the air conditioner, the biggest energy hogs are the electric heating element for the fridge (about 300 watts, switch to LP on the generator and it's about 25 watts), microwave (800-1200 watts), and the converter (varies as to load). The light bulbs are 15-21 watts each, unless they are LEDs, in which case they are less than 1 watt each.

[LannyD]

Thanks for all the replies, very informative. I go pick up the Bambi in 4 days! Hopefully the snow we have now is melted and doesn't return til after the pickup!!!

[Phoenix]

LannyD,

It appears that most generators used by members on this forum have the following capacities:

* 1000 Watts -- Mostly used by people who live/travel in cooler climes, and do NOT use the air conditioner, heat pump, or any high-wattage appliances (e.g., electric hair dryer, microwave, coffee maker, toaster oven, electric heater). These are mainly used to run small electronic appliances (television, laptops, cell phones, etc.) and to recharge the trailer batteries.

* 2000 Watts -- Mostly used by people who live/travel in cooler climes and do NOT use the air conditioner or heat pump, but DO use high-wattage appliances.

* 2400 Watts / Two 2000 Watt Generators (connected in parallel) / 3000 Watts -- Mostly used by people who DO use the air conditioner or heat pump, and high-wattage appliances.

Please note that if you plan to stay primarily in campgrounds that have hookups, you may not need a generator at all. However, if you boondock frequently; a generator and/or solar panels may be necessities. (Personally, solar is too expensive; and it's impractical for our 19-foot Bambi because of insufficient bare roof space.)

I suggest that you delay purchasing a generator until you determine which category best matches your electrical needs and camping style. Then, visit a local small-equipment rental store that carries generators (usually Honda and/or Yamaha, which are the most widely-owned brands), and check out features like weight (they are heavy) and size (to determine where you will store the generator when on the road). You may even wish to rent one for a weekend to make sure the electrical output meets your needs.

If and when you decide to buy, use SEARCH on this forum to find the vendors that most people have used. I only recall 3-4 sources mentioned regarding "best prices".

Also, I suggest you consider only inverter-generators designed for RV use, and avoid construction-type models, which are very noisy and do not produce the clean, regulated power needed for electronics and the air conditioner. While RV generators are more expensive, I believe that you get what you pay for; and you are more likely to get longer, more dependable performance from a name-brand generator (e.g., Honda, Yamaha, etc.) than from a discounted model from Harbor Freight, or even Costco.

FYI, we own two Honda EU2000i (standard and companion); because we frequently boondock in the desert southwest where air conditioning is often needed. In the winter, we travel with only one generator; because the air conditioner is not used, and one will power the heating element in the air conditioner, run the microwave and charge our batteries.

Good luck in your search...

Phoenix

[alphamale49]

Total the running watts of each appliance and all the lights. Then add the starting amps of the largest appliance amp hog. That is how many you need to run everything at once. Do this on a rainy day when you have nothing else to do.

[Yachthalo]

With our 22FB we have 200w solar and one gp27 battery, boondock quite a lot, and don't need a generator. Even when we had 100w of solar with our 16ft, found we never needed a generator. We own a Honda 1000 and never take it or have wanted it with us. On the rare occasions when we want power we stay in a campground that has 120v.