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shawng · 07-11-2011, 12:01 AM

Hey All,
Recently purchased a gutted 31' Sovereign and slowly restoring it to my ideal trailer. I borrowed a Honda generator from a friend hoping it would run lights etc off the grid for me and as soon as I flipped the switch for the AC it overloaded and shut off. Even with nothing but the AC loaded to it, it would overload. Anything I can do to get the AC running aside from buying another generator? Can I somehow make a single gen work?

Also any suggestions for heat to be run just from a gen as well?

ROBERTSUNRUS · 07-11-2011, 12:17 AM

Hi, simply put, you need more generator. I use one Yamaha 2400 and it will run my 11,000 BTU air conditioner. Most popular set up is two Honda 2000's.

batman · 07-11-2011, 01:00 AM

Robert is correct. The Honda 2000i only puts out 20amps the AC draws is 30amps. It will always trip the over load. Options are to buy an other Honda 2000i and tether them with an umbilical cord like I did (see photo). Or there seems to be another RED colored brand (sorry I don't know the name) I saw at a campground in June. They stacked one on top of the other and ran the AC on there 5th wheel. They only seemed a little louder than my Honda's. I happened to see the same brand at Costco the other day for around 700 dollars and some change. A person could buy 2 of those for less than 1 Honda. However Honda's are proven dependable. Best of luck in your search.

Dennis

**DKB_SATX** · 07-11-2011, 06:03 AM

The "other red brand" you've seen st costco is probably honeywell. I don't know anything about the generators or their performance but I've noticed them in the store.

**blmitch5** · 07-11-2011, 06:14 AM

I went with the Yamaha 2400hcis and it runs our 11000 btu ac with no problems. It worked in high altitude as well. I'd stay away from the China ones due to reliability and parts. They may seem attractive but stick with Honda or Yamaha.

**moosetags** · 07-11-2011, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShawnG17

Hey All,
Recently purchased a gutted 31' Sovereign and slowly restoring it to my ideal trailer. I borrowed a Honda generator from a friend hoping it would run lights etc off the grid for me and as soon as I flipped the switch for the AC it overloaded and shut off. Even with nothing but the AC loaded to it, it would overload. Anything I can do to get the AC running aside from buying another generator? Can I somehow make a single gen work?

Also any suggestions for heat to be run just from a gen as well?

You don't mention what size air conditioning unit is in your Airstream. In a 31 footer, it is very likely a 13,500 BTU unit. A single Honda 2000 does not have sufficient amperage output to handle this load. If your A/C unit has the heat pump function, it will not handle this either.

Brian

ZoominC6 · 07-11-2011, 06:43 AM

Hi Shawn, After linking your two Hondas you might find that constantly refilling the small capacity tanks is a pain. Take a look at linking the two generators with a spare tank.
www.hapcoinc.com makes one you may find helpful but there are others as well.
From your Honda dealer, purchase an extra set of gas caps for your generators that you can leave permanently attached to the spare tank thus removing the necessity of hooking the caps up to the gas lines each time. I think you'll find this setup to be very nice and will allow the generators to run for hours and hours if need be without the constant attention to the small capacity built-in tanks on the generators.
Good luck and have fun out there.
P.S. Should you purchase the linkable Honda you'll find there are external tanks available that will hook up two Hondas as well and they are similar to the one pictured on the Hapco website.

Wabbiteer · 07-11-2011, 07:20 AM

First - specifics, make model and year of roof unit? A change to the motor start capacitors with a soft-start kit might be all thats needed.

Don't let compressor and blower fan both attempt to start-up at same time, fan on and running before thermostat calls for compressor run goes a long way to reducing required surge currents.

Phoenix · 07-11-2011, 01:58 PM

FYI - I think this month's Trailer Life magazine rates generators, including the Honda and Yamaha.

Also, if you read the ratings/reviews on the Honeywell model (sold by Costco and others), users report that they are sometimes hard to start and a little noisier.

shawng · 07-11-2011, 07:43 PM

Well, thank you all. Sounds like I need another gen. Bummer.
I appreciate the help. And I will try powering compressor and blower separately.
Thanks!!!

TBRich · 07-11-2011, 07:56 PM

Well think of it this way, if you end up getting two 2000s you'll have enough power to do anything you want to do! We just bought our second 2000 this past spring and feel it was the best route to take. This way when we don't need the AC (for winter camping) we only need to take one generator.

CanoeStream · 07-11-2011, 08:21 PM

Up north here, most campgrounds & camping are within season or with enough shade that I haven't had to count on AC in the summer. I've been in Alaska with a buddy who had a Honda eu3000. It was a beast HEAVY but could readily handle AC. In a different situation I would think about operating one of these running it in the back bed of my truck with the tailgate & truck cap open. I own a single eu2000i (most useful to keep the home fridge/freezer running during a 24 hour storm power out a week ago).

With a pickup TV & any truck cap/tonneau cover I would probably consider the 3000i if I had to. It's WAY too big to routinely unload down to ground level Or I'd seriously think about making the adaptation to run 2 eu2000is on propane.

Pay attention to a single Yamaha (higher amperage genset) recommendation earlier. If I recall Silvertwinkie's posts, a Yamaha can actually be had factory-optioned for propane.

AC compressors require about 23-24 amps at startup. Member Chuck has found a way around providing a full 30 amps -- http://www.airforums.com/forums/f37/...tml#post648436

BAB BMRZ · 07-12-2011, 12:17 AM

You might check out the Honda 3000 Handi. Has wheels and handle, like a piece of luggage. Weighs 78 lbs. We've had ours for almost 2 years now. Runs everything in our 28 just fine.

Lyle & Margie

Gringo · 07-12-2011, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAB BMRZ

You might check out the Honda 3000 Handi. Has wheels and handle, like a piece of luggage. Weighs 78 lbs. We've had ours for almost 2 years now. Runs everything in our 28 just fine.

Lyle & Margie

I have been thinking about one of these. I don't mind the 80 lbs. I lift that and more every day. I see in their description that it will run "most 13,500 btu ac's. We have a 2011 27FB and I am pretty sure the ac is 15,000 btu. Do you know which ac unit your Honda 3000 is running okay in your 28 International?

I like the idea of a single generator to handle it all, when I think about the storage requirements. Basically, the two 2000's linked together take up more room than a single 3000. We don't have a home or garage in the US to store the generator in between visits, so it would have to be inside the trailer for months at a time. Also, it would have to live in the trailer when we are camping and not using it, such as when we are locking up the trailer and driving off to a restaurant, or to visit some attraction, or go grocery shopping. To me the logistics of packing up two generators and assorted cables is more hassle than rolling one up the stairs. I can't see leaving generators unattended in the back of pickup trucks.

Bob Thompson · 07-12-2011, 07:15 AM

Here's a curiosity. My Honda 2000i won't run the Airstream A/C, but last year I air conditioned my garage with a 10,000 btu Goldstar. The Honda runs the Goldstar just fine. I was checking to see what the possibilities would be if we had a hurricane and the power was out for a week or two, and sure enough the Honda and Goldstar would keep the garage cool enough to live in here in steamy Corpus Christi until the power was restored.

BAB BMRZ · 07-12-2011, 02:05 PM

Gringo:

We have a 13.5K in our AS. Other Handi owners, have posted here that they have used theirs with 15K's without a problem.

We used to transport the Handi under the table in the AS, this proved to be a pain when traveling (always in the way). We now carry it in the TV (Yukon), It has a fuel shutoff, so no smell.

Lyle & Margie

Scott J-24 · 07-12-2011, 02:21 PM

We have a 27' FB Ocean Breeze with the 15,000 BTU AC and our Honda 3000 Handi has no problem running it (but we have not been in 95deg plus heat yet).

shawng · 07-14-2011, 12:33 PM

Does the 3000i run as quiet as the 2000?

Scott J-24 · 07-14-2011, 07:54 PM

You need to check the specs for the exact difference, but the 3000i Handi is just a little bit louder.

Scott J-24 · 07-22-2011, 08:49 AM

When we were at CW last weekend one of the floor employees was telling another customer that running a 15K BTU AC with the 3000i Handi was bad for the generator. Has anyone heard this before? When I told him that we have used our Handi to run the AC, he said we were going to ruin it and we should buy two of the 2000i generators and get the parallel kit. Sounded like a sales pitch to me, but.... Any comments on this?