deecheff
Member
Hi! We just purchased a 2021 Forest River R-Pod 192. We want to buy a generator for it and wanted to know if a 3500 watt will run the whole camper.
Generator
- Thread starter deecheff
- Start date
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Seon
Well-known member
Yes
DonTom
Well-known member
deecheff
Member
So would you suggest a bigger wattage?
Domo
Well-known member
Read the rating plate on your appliances - each will tell you how many watts it requires- just add them up and give a 10% margin (slop)... You may want to have your A/C, a fridge of some sort (perhaps propane, however the controls will be 12 V), a TV, charger for your phone, lights (LED I'd guess), coffee maker, microwave, etc. etc.
deecheff
Member
Ok Thank you
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Your Rpod probably has a 30A shore power system, i.e. 3600 watts max. So yes, a 3500 watt genset would handle just about everything it could demand. We could debate the finer points of electrical loading, but a simple YES covers it nicely.
skydivemark
Well-known member
Just be sure the gen has one plug/outlet that can provide the full 3000/3500 watts. A lot of portable generators are not capable of putting out their full capacity through one single outlet.
Great Horned Owl
Well-known member
Besides the wattage rating, look at the weight rating. You will probably be unable to lift anything greater than a 3000 watt generator. DW and I have great difficulty getting our 3000 watt generator into and out of the truck bed. It is specified at 131 lbs., without fuel
You might be better off with two 2000 watt generators that can be connected together to run in parallel. They should be easy to handle, at around 50 lbs., each.
Joel
You might be better off with two 2000 watt generators that can be connected together to run in parallel. They should be easy to handle, at around 50 lbs., each.
Joel
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
That's a key point! Many gensets that size only produce 3500 watts as 240v power, and you can't use that. If the genset is 240v, then it probably has one or two 120v, 15A or 20A outlets, so your 120v RV is limited to that (1800-2400 watts). Look for a generator that has a 30A/120v outlet on the front.
Also make sure the watt rating is for continuous use rather than peak load only. Generally speaking, the peak power is available only for 5-10 minutes, though some may be as long as 30 minutes.
DonTom
Well-known member
Only if you need it, which is unlikely and then the entire system would have to handle more current, such as a 50 amp instead of your 30 amp.
I am one of the few who could use more, but very rarely need it. I too have a 3,600 watt genny (4KW max).
I can use all I can get when boondocked away from towns. No way can I use my generator to charge my electric motorcycle at 6KW! I cannot even charge it at 3KW if the house battery is being charged at the same time, so I have the genny ONLY charge the motorcycle and have the rest of the RV not on the genny as I charge it.
Fortunately, these days, it's rare that I need to use the genny to charge it. I discovered even Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument has electricity at one place I can use at 1.3KW, which is better than using the genny even if I can use the genny at 3 KW.
BTW, I added that location to Plugshare. That is my bike in the photo. I discovered it while walking around the park. I had no idea OPCNM had 120 VAC available that I could use. I discovered it last Dec as I was walking around the RV Park.
I like to go there every Nov-Dec and stay for a couple of weeks. My favorite desert area in the USA. No hookups of any type, so I am boondocked for that two weeks.
Everything needed at a central location in the park to dump and get water.
-Don- Reno, NV
Seon
Well-known member
Two 2000w or 2200w parallel will do the job and much easier to load/unload. Another advantage is that most of the time you'll only need to run one if you're not running the AC.
I sold my Honda EU3000is generator for those two reason including the weight factor and where to carry it being I don't have a truck.
I sold my Honda EU3000is generator for those two reason including the weight factor and where to carry it being I don't have a truck.
Gizmo100
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2018
- Posts
- 3,065
I have the predator 3500 for our RV and it handles everything just fine. It also has a 120 Volt 30 Amp outlet for RV use.
I have never tried to run"Everything" at the same time but under normal use I've never tripped the overload breaker in 4 years of use.
I have never tried to run"Everything" at the same time but under normal use I've never tripped the overload breaker in 4 years of use.
Flyingdownthetrail
Active member
I am currently running a Cummins 4500. I am thinking about doing this as well. Lifting one 40 pound generator at a time versus lifting one 150 pound generator.
wndopdlr
Well-known member
If you are planning on travelling west, just be aware that elevation will diminish the output of your generator. I have a Predator 3500 and it was incapable of running just the AC above 7000'. Soft start on the AC solved the problem.
