Generators for Trail Manors

We have a 2004 2720. I think it's one of the best pieces of engineering I have ever seen. Here in the "Florida Flats" I can tow it with a '99 Jeep Cherokee with that Chrysler straight six and a 5 speed manual tranny. (I wouldn't recommend this as a tractor but so far it's doing fine for us)

BUT ... I digress ...

We want to get a bit more independent and are looking for information about what kind of generator a 2720 might need to operate. We want to get one that we can run everything on, even though we may never actually do that. We still want the capacity.

What have you found?

I think when you say you want the capacity to run everything you might just need a pair of the Honda 2000's with the parallel kit. One would probably do it unless you have a microwave or hair dryer that you want to use with the air on. They're not cheap, so you could start with one and add the second later if you found it necessary.

The EU2000 will run my air conditioner on low here at the house (5230 feet, near Denver with high altitude jets), with the eco-throttle off (really bogs down for a bit, otherwise), but I'd not try the microwave at the same time. And at higher altitudes (think thin air), it'd probably take at least the Yamaha 2400 to run the air -- maybe more. As mentioned above, a pair of the EU2000 (or a pair of the 2400s) with the parallel kit should handle even that, but you're looking at just under $2000 (best price I've found) for the EU 2000 pair and the kit, and the Yamaha is higher priced (20+ lbs heavier each, too, as well as more bulk).

Of course at 7,000+ feet in the Rockies, you're not likely to need air very often.

It might help to realize that a single EU2000 (at sea level) is rated to run about 1600 watts continuous (the 2400 goes to about 2000 watts) so add up the power requirements of what you want to run simultaneously to determine what capacity you need.

Note that while you can get more powerful generators more cheaply, they're bulkier, heavier and very noisy, plus the power may not be clean enough for computers and, perhaps, TVs to run without damage. And the noise from the cheaper units is not something you want in the wilderness.

Oh, yes -- a further comment on the "thin air" mentioned above: A non-turbocharged engine loses power with altitude. Even the best of normally aspirated (non-turbo) engines, at 7,000 - 8,000 feet won't get more than about 75% of rated power, and many get even less.

So go to the dealer to look at the units, figure how much storage space you have for a trip, try picking up and moving the various units, and see how it pans out for you.

What do you mean by "you want to run everything"?

If that includes the following electric applicancies, especially all at once, then you will need a really big generator:

hair blower
curling iron
iron
electric skillet
water heater on electric
microwave
air conditioning
every light that you have

If you mean, what size generator do I need so that I can recharge the batteries once a day while being frugal with the use of electric power, then a 1000 watt generator will be enough.

The Honda 2000 will not run my air conditioner.