Generator consideration for the Elite II

[Vic and Wanda Shumate]

We should be picking up our 2022 Ollie Elite II the middle of June 2022 (one month out) and was considering when to purchase a generator when needed and which generator to purchase.  Would this Champion Generator be enough power to run the AC, say at a bluegrass festival, should we need AC in the summer months?! Looking at the refurbished generators on this site. Thanks for any help or experience you can share.

 

Thanks, Vic Shumate #1132

 

https://factorypure.com/products/champion-100204-2800w-3100w-inverter-dual-fuel-electric-start-generator-manufacturer-rfb?variant=1218380562457&cmp_id=6444139172&adg_id=75812937574&kwd=&device=c&campaign=6444139172&content=376909439927&keyword=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmuiTBhDoARIsAPiv6L_T1r9Woa-Ux3fKfusmOyn71iByqI0si8m8I9M6DfdJqZ7JdN7XLOcaAistEALw_wcB

[Mike and Carol]

The one at the link would run your AC.  When to get it is hard to say, depends on your travel plans.  Mike

[SeaDawg]

Pretty heavy, at almost 100 pounds.

I'd look at something lighter, personally. 

[Liana]

6 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

Pretty heavy, at almost 100 pounds.

We have the Honda.  I can lift it and move it around myself.  We'd need the companion one to run our AC, but lifting two lighter ones separately is a lot easier than 100 pounds of anything.  Plus the Honda is so so so very quiet.

[Mike and Carol]

I have a Champion 2,000W.  It weighs 38 pounds.  It runs my AC.  Mike

[BeauDog]

2 hours ago, Liana said:

We have the Honda.  I can lift it and move it around myself.  We'd need the companion one to run our AC, but lifting two lighter ones separately is a lot easier than 100 pounds of anything.  Plus the Honda is so so so very quiet.

Liana, does your AC have a soft start feature?   We have a Honda EU2200i and I was hoping it would be capable of running the AC on our Ellite II when we pick it up in late August.  Our air conditioner will have the soft start option.  If the Honda alone won't be capable of running the AC, then I need to start shopping for a Honda companion generator.

[SeaDawg]

@BeauDog do you have the ez start?

[Boonter Jeff]

Josh White from Oliver said that our Honda EU2200 will be able to run the air conditioner with soft start in our Elite II we’ve ordered.  I can actually run the air conditioner in our Casita 17 without soft start using that generator.  At least on low cool.

[BeauDog]

1 hour ago, SeaDawg said:

@BeauDog do you have the ez start?

Yes, our AC will come equipped with the easy start.

[Vic and Wanda Shumate]

Thanks for the input folks, gives me things to consider………I’m an X-Bluebird owner and have decided to downsize my life.  All other motorhome rv’s I’ve had, were equipped with built in generators and inverters, so using a portable generator (when needed) was a consideration I needed to put some thought into.  I really like the features of the Champion, even though I know Hondas to be the best out there!   I was told by my sales person, if I went with the Honda 2200, I would need two with a linking device to run the AC!? I will have the easy start installed during the manufacturing process. The 30 amp plug in, with dual fuel on the champion is a great feature, as mentioned above, the con is the weight at 96 lbs?!  Does anyone know if any quality generator out there including  Champion in the 2200 size offers a 30 amp plug in, so that I would only need one small generator unit? Experience/suggestion with a good set up that has worked for you would possibly be helpful in my considerations! 
 

Thanks in advance for any additional knowledge you would like to share😎

Vic Shumate #1132 

[ScubaRx]

We have had the same Yamaha EF3000ISEB generator sitting on the tongue of two different Oliver’s during the past 14 years. 
It will operate our 13,500 BTU A/C unit flawlessly without an East Start installed. It has a battery start but is not dual fuel. At 150 pounds, it is not light. Remember, using propane as generator fuel, at sea level a 2400 watt generator becomes a 2000 watt generator. At 7000 feet it will only put out about 1450 watts. 

[John E Davies]

You need more than a 2000/2200 watt unit because you probably will be able to run only the AC by itself, no other loads. With a slightly larger one you should be able to run AC and also the converter. It is nice to be able to recharge your battery bank while cooling off the cabin, especially if you get lithiums which don’t charge off the truck (as delivered)!

I have been extremely pleased with the Yamaha 2400 I have used for five seasons. It puts out more than the rated power and in my mind is better engineered and built than a Honda. It is discontinued, you would need to research the “current model” ( generator pun).

https://www.yamahagenerators.com/Yamaha-EF2400iSHC-p/ef2400ishc.htm

Make sure you pick a unit with a manual fuel shutoff valve so you can run the carb dry each time.

At 75 pounds it is manageable, you don’t need wheels. I run mine in the truck usually and I use a little hydraulic lift work table to store it at home, I roll the cart to the truck, jack it up level and push the gennie into place… this is frequently on sale.

https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-hydraulic-table-cart-61405.html

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Steph and Dud B]

You don't absolutely need a 30A connection/3000W generator unless you plan to run everything on generator the same way you would on shore power (microwave and AC at the same time, for instance). A 2200W generator should be enough to charge your batteries and run an air conditioner with the soft-start feature, but you may have to pick and choose when you want to run the microwave, hairdryer, InstaPot or other high-draw appliances with the AC on. The advantages of the smaller generators are less weight, less noise, less fuel consumption, and lower cost. OTOH, the larger generators will let you use your Ollie as if you're plugged into shore power. If you do decide on a smaller generator, you may need a "dog bone" adapter to convert your 30A RV plug to whatever's on the smaller generator (often a standard 15A household plug). If it's a Honda you may need a neutral-ground bonding plug, too, to make your surge suppressor system happy.

I do love my little Honda...

[ScubaRx]

54 minutes ago, Steph and Dud B said:

...If it's a Honda you may need a neutral-ground bonding plug, too, to make your surge suppressor system happy...

Virtually all generators will require the neutral-ground bonding plug.

[Liana]

16 hours ago, BeauDog said:

does your AC have a soft start feature?

It does.  I've never tried to run the AC off of the Honda, seems that I should be able to.  To others' points above, we just don't use our trailer as if it was plugged into a 30a shore power outlet.  eg, I've only used the microwave once, we were plugged into shore power.  I've only used the AC to load our trailer in Phoenix in the summer then we get the heck outta dodge so we don't need it any more.  I get that some folx camping needs at festivals and such might need that, so everything is according to your own needs/camping style.

 

3 hours ago, ScubaRx said:

If it's a Honda you may need a neutral-ground bonding plug

you absolutely need a neutral ground plug.  SUPER simple to make your own, I'm electrically incompetent and made mine. 😄

[Chukarhunter]

A 2200 watt generator should run your air conditioner but with minimal to no headroom to charge your batteries as John pointed out.  Assuming your LE II will have the inverter/charger and lithium batteries, even a 3,000 watt generator will likely NOT run the air conditioner as delivered, depending on how the inverter/charger comes configured when the LE II is delivered from the factory.  The reason is the charger section of the inverter is probably set to a charge rate of 100 amps or higher.  This means that the batteries will be charging at a 100 amp rate off the generator, which will require about 1,600 watts of continuous generator power not counting the air conditioner.  If the inverter/charger is set to a 150 amps charge rate, it will require over 2,300 watts of continuous generator power just for charging the batteries.  In both cases, a 3,000 watt generator would be unable to run the air conditioner and simultaneously charge the batteries without overloading. 

However, there is an easy adjustment that will allow you to run the air conditioner with either the 2,200 watt or 3000 watt generator.  The inverter/charger allows the user to customize the charging current from zero to maximum in 5 amp increments.  It only takes a minute to change the setting.  If using a 2,200 watt generator, set the charging current to zero (i.e., turn the charger off) and start the air conditioner.  If the air conditioner runs fine, you can turn the charger back on and gradually increase the charging rate from zero until the generator starts laboring or shuts off.  Then you know how much is too much and set the charge rate accordingly.  It may be only 10 amps. 

If you have a 3000 watt generator, you can do the same thing.  Begin with the charger turned off and start the air conditioner, then increment the charging rate until the generator complains.  You will probably be able to simultaneously run the air conditioner and charge the batteries at close to a 100 amp rate at the same time with a 3,000 watt generator.

The best news is that the solar panels will continue to charge the batteries even if the inverter/charger charging rate is set to zero. 

My personal preference would lean toward the smaller, lighter, quieter 2,200 watt generator, turning off the charger section in the inverter temporarily, and relying on the solar panels to charge the batteries when I am running the air conditioner.

Others please correct anything I got wrong here.  Thanks.

[Steph and Dud B]

7 minutes ago, Chukarhunter said:

Assuming your LE II will have the inverter/charger and lithium batteries, even a 3,000 watt generator will likely NOT run the air conditioner as delivered

Good point! The lithiums draw a lot of charging power. Xantrex setting #28 will cap the total amount of amps the converter will pull for charging while still feeding the other 120v items in the trailer. Set it to 15 to prevent overloading a 2200W generator. (Remember to set it back to 25 - factory setting - when you go back to shore power.)

[garby]

I have successfully been able to run the AC (without easy start) using my Champion 2500 Dual Fuel generator on propane. It weighs about 40 lbs and is pretty easy to transport in the bed of the truck.

[Vic and Wanda Shumate]

Looks like I got a lot to think about depending on my needs! You folks are awesome! THANK YOU! Now on to the hunt!

 

Vic Shumate #1132

Auburndale, Fl 33823

2022 Ram LImited 4x4

 

[Coach and JoJo]

We have the Honda EU 2200i Companion. It is specifically built for campers with a 30amp plug. WORKS GREAT! weight about 55 lbs.   I converted our to Propane with Hutch Mountain conversion kit.

 

[Nick and Linda Stratigakis]

Purchased last week a 2500 w Champion dual fuel generator . It runs our AC ( with soft start ) with no issues. I am only using it propane right now.

Manual says 1X25 # propane cylinder will last for 30 hours, doubt it will do this under load. I will find out more in the next 45 days when we travel in Central and West Texas

[Piney Woods Ranch]

Hi all, first real post but had the first need to seek some informed opinions.

We have a 2022 LEII hull #1029 and (supposedly) have the soft start option on our A/C. (I say supposedly because I imagine it's inside the A/C unit and I haven't opened it up.) I thought our Honda EU2200i would run it pretty handily, but the surge suppressor shuts down every time I try. My wild guess would be that the low-voltage protection is kicking in because everything shuts down and resets after a few seconds. I can run a 12,000 BTU Marine A/C with some effort, but that doesn't even have a soft start option.

Reading the above comments makes me think it might be the neutral grounding plug. Would that cause the surge suppressor to cut power?

I can't tell what the error code is because when it shuts down and restarts, it shows the "E 09" code - which I think is because it takes a few seconds to reinitiate the data link.

Is a neutral grounding plug exactly what it sounds like - the neutral and ground prong are jumpered together at the plug?

 

Any advice? 

[mossemi]

Are you using a neutral ground plug?  If not, you need one.  The YouTube link is to a very knowledgeable source of RV electricity.

https://youtu.be/M-bTLdMjuqU

Mossey

 

[Hokieman]

1 hour ago, Piney Woods Ranch said:

Is a neutral grounding plug exactly what it sounds like - the neutral and ground prong are jumpered together at the plug?

Yes, this is correct.   The way I read your post, I cannot tell if you are asking if you need a neutral ground plug.   As mossemi advised above, the answer is yes.   If you have a neutral ground plug,  but it is malfunctioning, it can be easily checked with a simple circuit tester.   I have an older Honda EU2000, and I have no trouble running the same AC you have, with the Micro-Air Easy-Start.    I cannot run it in Eco mode.  Your EU2200 should have no problem.   If all your equipment is functioning, it could be as simple as too many loads as mentioned in previous posts.   Some things to check if you have not already…Inverter Off, Charger Off, Refrigerator on propane or Off,  Suburban hot water heater (if equipped) AC switch OFF.   To test, just turn off all AC breakers except the AC.

 To confirm your trailer indeed has the Easy-Start option you paid for,  turn off the AC when connected to shore power, then turn it back on.   The AC fan will start up, but warm air will come out.   There is a 3 to 5 minute delay before the compressor kicks in.  This is a built in system safety feature of the Easy-Start.  

[topgun2]

5 hours ago, Piney Woods Ranch said:

We have a 2022 LEII hull #1029 and (supposedly) have the soft start option on our A/C. (I say supposedly because I imagine it's inside the A/C unit and I haven't opened it up.)

Oh ye of little faith.