Generator question

[Racer17m]

I am wondering how big of a generator one needs for a conversion motorcoach. The one we are looking at does not have one and we are trying to figure out what it would require. There is no pop out, I guess it would basically be powering water pump, AC, lights, fridge, Etc.

if someone could give me some insight that would be great. Im also wondering about gas vs. diesel generators, the truck is diesel (are most diesel generators tapped into the fuel from the truck?

 

[DrFun]

Hi Racer17m,

Tough question to provide a definitive answer...

Some folks use a small, 5.5 kW unit (Onan Quiet Diesel), others opt for a monster 10 kW or larger unit (PowerTech). Check out both of these web sites for some sizing tips.

More thoughts:
1. The lights and water pump will probably be 12v DC and, therefore, run off the batteries and not require a generator.

2. I opted for a solar-charged system with a large battery bank and an invertor. I do not have (and haven't needed) a generator.

 

[Smile]

Alan, do you run an air-conditioner and do you run it off batteries and an inverter?

I asked this question in another forum and the consensus was running an A/C from a battery/inverter system was not feasible.

 

[DrFun]

Originally posted by Smile:
Alan, do you run an air-conditioner and do you run it off batteries and an inverter?

I asked this question in another forum and the consensus was running an A/C from a battery/inverter system was not feasible.

Yes, I do. It works great!
Disclaimers:
- We only have one, 13.5k BTU A/C unit on the roof.
- We have a *big* battery pack; 980 Amp hrs.
- We don't camp in the desert in the summer

so our A/C needs may be less than yours.
- We primarily dry camp and are very concious of power requirements.
- We have 250W of solar panels to help recharge the batteries.
- We don't stay in one place very long and the 200 Amp truck alternator is tied into the coach batteries so they're charging whenever we're on the move.
- We have a 2.5 kW, Xantrex inverter so we might have problems if we wanted to run the A/C, microwave, toaster, and hair dryer (for my wife's hair, I don't have any) at the same time but I've never tried to do this.