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travis_cp

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Mar 26, 2006
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How many watts do I need to have to hook up a 1994 Jayco J-series pop up camper to a generator?
 
I have a 120v power cord if that helps.  I also need to now what converter I need.  Thaks in advance.
 
How many watts.. Depends,  What do you have in the rig.. TV not many, Microwave, more, Air Conditioner, LOTS on a pop up,  Most generator user manuals come with some examples,  Add 'em up and that's what you need

The following URL, is a download link,  It is a PDF of an owenr's manual for a Xantrex Prosine 2.0 inverter/charger
(Which by the way is not a bad choice if you want one of those)

http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/238/docserve.asp

Take a look at it, there is a chart that lists common power loads
 
What type of power connector do you have?  Regular household type or the round 3 connector type?  That would be a 30 amp.  The Honda Eu2000i is likely your best bet.  Would handle most all needs.  The A/C wouldn't be more than a 13,500 and I have friends that can power it with the 2000.  I have a 13500 and have a 2500 watt gen and it has power to spare.

 
I have a 3 prong 110v cable that looks like dryer cord that comes out of the camper.  Then I also have a converter that plugs into a regular household outlet.  I will be powering indoor lights for a 1994 jayco j series 1207, a/c unit, maybe a t.v., maybe a microwave.  I'm not sure how much watts the a/c unit takes.
 
The Honda eu2000i would be a great choice.  2Kw, and it is quiet as they come.  Camping World sells them at just under $1,000.  You can look on eBay and find dealers, best I found was high 800's.  Often the difference is some give free shipping.  Oh, these were new.  Used can be found in the 700 to 800 range, but they tend to get snapped up quickly. 

Weighs about 47 pounds. 

There are less expensive gens with more power, but bigger, heavier and way noisier!

 
travis_cp said:
I have a 3 prong 110v cable that looks like dryer cord that comes out of the camper.  Then I also have a converter that plugs into a regular household outlet.  I will be powering indoor lights for a 1994 jayco j series 1207, a/c unit, maybe a t.v., maybe a microwave.  I'm not sure how much watts the a/c unit takes.

Sounds like a 30 amp RV plug, either the Honda 2000 or 3000 will work, (the 3000 will kick out right close to a full 30 amps) I've found that normally you do not max out the plug though so the 2000 will work well

In the world of portable generators.. Hondas are the nicest.. There are a couple of other makes that are real close, using much the same technology, but Honda takes the prize

One side note.... Do not be surprised to hear the engine on a honda (if you can hear it that is) change speed as it works... The engine speed has nothing to do with the output frequency as it does on many much heaver  and noiser generators
 
2000 watts is the minimum if you expect to run the a/c. Won't handle the a/c and microwave at the same time, though.

Rv a/c units come in a couple of sizes but the most typicle is 13,500 btu which draws 11-13 amps when the compressor is engaged. Thats about 1500 watts, in round numbers.  The problem with an a/c is that each time the compressor engages there is a huge surge in the power draw and it might momentarily exceed the genset's capacity. Probably not if the a/c is in good working order, though.

Microwaves are also huge power hogs. A small 600W (output) microwave draws about 1000-1200 watts input. Fortunately they don't run long.

Your pop-up may have one of the smaller a/c units or one of the energy efficient models, either of which would reduce the a/c power need by about 20-25%.  Find out the make and model of your a/c and the specs can be found on the internet.
 

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