Picking up this week

[Going]

Hello,

 

I am picking up my Oliver this week, Thursday the 10th and will be stopping in Asheville on the way back but not hooking up to shore power.  I purchased the Legacy Elite II with almost all the options including the power inverter and the new soft start for the AC unit.  I want to go ahead and buy a generator to take and use on my stop in Asheville so I can have AC.  It is my understanding that you now only need 2000 watts to start the AC with the soft start installed.  I believe it was 3000 before.  So I am looking at the Honda 2000 but one has the 30 amp plug and the other 2, 20 amps.  My question is first am I correct in that I only need 2000 amps to start and second which Honda do I need?  I will throw another question in there about the Yamaha 2400 amp.  Someone else on the forum said that is a good choice in general.  Since the soft start only became popular and offered by Oliver after the 2017 rally, there is not much info on this matter.  Any help is greatly appreciated.

[STEVEnBETTY]

We have hull# 219, I installed the soft start myself and the 2ooo watt, 20 amp Honda runs the ac just fine. My thinking was I didn't need the 30 amp companion generator be cause I don't need to pair it with another one.

[John E Davies]

I have the Yamaha 2400 and it is bulkier but significantly more capable than the Honda 2000.

 

20A: most RV adapters are 15A to 30A, so if you are plugging one into a 20A generator outlet you are technically overloading both the cable and the socket at the other end. My Yamaha has no trouble providing 19 amps through one socket, but it would be wise to use an "extra heavy" extension cord. Mine is a 25 ft 10AWG cable and it shows no signs of distress whatsoever. I do not plan on regularly exceeding 15 amps. I wanted to eliminate the factory supplied heavy and expensive 30A shore power cord when running the gennie, and this works well. And if someone steals my cord it will be cheaper to replace.

 

30A: if you plan to use it exclusively for the RV, that is a better choice since the amp capacity of the cable and plug is not exceeded.

 

I haven't owned a Honda 2000 but decided on the Yamaha for its much higher surge capacity, and I already had a Honda 1000, and just wanted a change.... I have the smaller Air Command air conditioner with no soft start, and there are no issues with the Yamaha running it. Just be sure to flip off the breakers for all the other 120 vac equipment so you are not overloading the generator. And start the generator and let it run a minute before applying any load.

 

If you have the surge suppressor you need to have the dummy plug to insert into the generator or it will not connect, unless you turn the SS off. There are a number of recent posts about this. Make SURE you get a generator plug at delivery!

 

You should test your generator to be sure it works well with the Oliver before you leave Hohenwald. That way there will be no unpleasant surprises when you camp without shore power....

 

Either generator should do the job. Good luck and enjoy your new Ollie.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

[Going]

Thanks for the info.  To STEVEnBETTY.  That is what I was thinking as well.  I don't know how many watts the AC pulls after start up but it is my understanding you can run the whole trailer with the 20A and would not exceed the capacity.  But if I get the Honda 2000 with 30A and the shore line from the trailer is a 30A I would never exceed the capacity either but would have more if ever needed.  Am I thinking correctly here?  John thanks for your reply as well and other comments .  My plan was to use the shore line which I assume is at at least 20A to connect to the generator.  Thanks for the reminder to get the generator plug at the factory.  I have that down on my list already from talking to the factory but good reminder.  I am a little confused by your comments about the cable and overloading it if it is 20A or 30A.  I did get the surge suppressor so I will check the other post out.  I definately want to check the generator out out before I leave TN, which is why I posted.  Need to buy the generator before we leave Wed to head out.

[Spike]

I am glad that this topic has been generated.

 

We brought our new Oliver ll (#222) home this past June with the solar option and inverter. I now wish that we had some way to run the A/C when boondocking. It looks as though we could find an RV mechanic in our area to install the (soft/quick) start doohickey and then purchase a generator. Never having owned or operated a generator (or RV, for that matter), I wonder what type and what brand might be best for us.

 

Going online to compare generators, I ran across this WEN, which is listed here on Amazon:

 

https://www.amazon.com/WEN-56200i-Starting-Generator-Compliant/dp/B00SMNLF4M/ref=sm_n_se_dkp_US_pr_sea_0_1?sigts=1502048441023&sig=3a254f2ff9ecd55cebd87fe065fb8b1b99f76426&adId=B00SMNLF4M&creativeASIN=B00SMNLF4M&linkId=910dd6cfb03ff4c8f61c6fb2420124ee&tag=chainjourn-20&linkCode=w42&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chainsawjournal.com%2Fquietest-generator%2F&slotNum=2&imprToken=xtc8k7S07xjMOTIpMJ0HMQ#HLCXComparisonWidget_feature_div

 

It catches my eye for a few reasons:

 

1.     On one site I viewed, it is rated as the quietest 2000w generator. (This seems like a BIG advantage to me.)

 

2.     It is less expensive than the Yamaha and Honda models.

 

3.     It is smaller than both the Yamaha and Honda models (although heavier).

 

4.     It is a Yamaha clone. (One reviewer on Amazon states that the internal parts are virtually identical.)

 

I guess my questions are these. Does anyone know if this WEN will run the A/C with or without the (soft/quick) start doohickey? Does anyone own and operate a WEN to run their A/C in his or her Ollie, and if so, what are the results? Any other considerations/advice?

 

Please excuse me if this in not the best place to pose these questions. (I'm still getting used to this forum thing.)

[STEVEnBETTY]

<p style="text-align: right;">Any 2000 watt generator should start the ac with the "soft start" installed, I prefer the Honda, none of them will power more than just the ac at any given time, the ac draws around 1500 watts by itself. The adapter John is talking about can be installed on the end of the power cord provided by Oliver, it's 15 amp, the weak part of the setup, but it will work. I took an old 30amp rv cord and removed and replaced both plugs with a 30amp locking female and a 20 amp male, works great. You can put an adapter on the trailer, and use a heavy extension cord like John does, but again they're 15 amps, either method will work.</p>

[Cash]

I have to tell ya...having more than 2000 is much better if you want to stay cool and want to use your microwave, watch TV, any other things that will require more power at the same time you are using that AC. After ordering YACHT OLIVER (Hull 242), I was a little disheartened to learn I needed to buy an additional Honda 2000 to pair my existing one. (I now have two Companions.) However, I am now very glad I did. I am a photographer and use my Legacy II for overnight or longer client visits...used it just last night and my wife wanted to go in early. Generators are kinda like other security items (such as firearms)...you hope you never have to use them but, when you need them, it sure is a much nicer feeling to have them. (The one Honda 2000 was fine for starting my AC in our Casita but, after all these years, we now don't have to turn off the AC just to have a meal or do other activities.)

[SeaDawg]

Well, my experience is, camping around Asheville, most of the time, you just need to open the windows, and run the fan

Assuming you get above the city.

Asheville is low elevation.

 

[Geronimo John]

I have owned a Honda EU 2000i generator for years and would run them 14 hours a day all week while on our Lake Powell House Boat two or three weeks a year.  In over ten years it has never failed once.  For my Ollie (May 2018) I will be getting their new EU2200i.  It is 1" longer than the previous and 10% more power.  Sadly it cost almost double the cost of the competition.  But to me, having an absolutely reliable generator is essential.  And having the extra 200 watts gives us options and will not be stressing the generator should we need to do long run A/C use as well.

[John E Davies]

I have owned a Honda EU 2000i generator for years and would run them 14 hours a day all week while on our Lake Powell House Boat two or three weeks a year. In over ten years it has never failed once. For my Ollie (May 2018) I will be getting their new EU2200i. It is 1″ longer than the previous and 10% more power. Sadly it cost almost double the cost of the competition. But to me, having an absolutely reliable generator is essential. And having the extra 200 watts gives us options and will not be stressing the generator should we need to do long run A/C use as well.

 

120V 2200W max. (18.3A), 1800W rated (15A)

 

There is not very much reserve power, 15 amps is not really enough extra to safely run your converter or some other DC loads at the same time as the air conditioner.

 

The Yamaha 2400 will push 19 amps all day long, and surge well over 30 amps. It is a significantly bigger/ heavier unit though. I don't know the running load of your AC, for my Air Command it is 12 amps, so I have lots left over for other circuits. There are always trade-offs in choosing a generator.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

[Mainiac]

Ok, I think I might have been given a generator plug at pickup. I threw it in with my other adapter plugs. I think they all look alike. How do I tell the difference? Something to do with the ground or something? If I find it, I will paint it red...