I wasn't born in this great country but I'm glad you realize how lucky you are.Not enough Americans appreciate the greatness of this land.Lets preserve it. for future generations.
# 1- THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ACKNOWLEDGING HOW GREAT OUR COUNTRY IS AND HOW MUCH WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL FOR LIVING HERE!!Thanks so much for the ac tips I am starting out solo in January and really can’t lift a 3500 predator into the back of my pickup! I will go with a soft start your brand and a 2200 predator. Thanks so much for information I always know you and Christy know your stuff! Judy
HI JUDY. I AM USING THE 3500 PREDATOR, I PUT A RACK ON THE BACK OF MY TRAILER, SO SIMPLE. POWERS ALL ON REQUEST AND IS VERY, VERY, QUIET EVEN WHEN RUNNING AC. I SECURED WITH A LARGE CABLE. AND IT STAYS THERE COVERED WHEN NOT BEING USED. GOOD LUCK. RON
Sean, thank you for your statement about America. As a retired US Navy Veteran that has traveled to many parts of the world, I can say without hesitation that, yes we are very fortunate to be citizens of this great nation and I never take it for granted. Thoroughly enjoy wit and humor along great advise you and Christy insert into your videos. Keep up the great work.
Sean, Thanks for the comments on our Great Nation. Most people have no idea how good we have it here. If you have never been out of the country is why I say that. We are truly blessed.
On the money about the “soft start.” World’s best RV tech, Andy, installed ours and showed me the power draw before and after installation and it was amazing. Saved us having to buy more than a 2000 W generator. Best $300 we ever spent.
Right on, Sean. Your knowledge of RV A/C and generators is spot on. Long ago, in 1969, when I was 17, I was able to travel in western Europe. For a week I was part of an international choirfest in Freiburg, Germany. Having a working knowledge of German didn't hurt. That was an excellent experience. I treasure that experience to this day.
I installed the Micro-Air Easystart 364 in both of my AC units and bought a Honda EU2200I generator. I can start and run either the 15K or 13.5K unit on this generator. I still recommend at least switching the refrigerator to propane, but it did start and run the 15K with the fridge running because I forgot to switch it over one time. I’ve also run both ACs on 30 amp CG service without issue. Highly recommended upgrade.
Hey Sean, you are the first Airstreamer I have heard share that the AC unit is sufficient on their rig. I totally agree with you. I have a 25' Safari but with fewer windows and my 11K unit will freeze you out. We are so lucky and blessed to live in America.
Sean, thanks, lived in Taiwan; been to Central America, Mexico and Panama; Europe; South Africa, They all have some unique features and interesting people. But whenever I am abroad, I am so thankful for what our country has to offer, in diversity of land, diversity of culture and diversity of people. And thanks for the advice on you videos.
I have a Micro Air on my camper and as you mentioned, I use a 2000 watt generator(Yamaha). I installed it myself. It was very easy to install. The installation instructions were spot on.
My generator has sufficient power to run my AC. The first time I tried was very frustrating as I left the AC power switch on my water heater on. Could not get the AC to run until I remembered to check the water heater switch! Good tips to turn of the converter and other items. Thanks for your thoughts on America!
Thank you for the positive and patriotic message about our country- I think there so much negativity being focused on right now (and if course, some of it is so very valid) but it’s refreshing to hear something positive this Independence Day 💖
So true America has given my family everything we have. This is such a great country, am a so proud to be an American after escaping from Cuba. A lot of young people in America just don’t know what they have!
Thanks Hector for your comment. I agree and wish more young Americans would go experience life in places like Cuba; I know they would return to the States with more appreciation for our blessings. Your story is inspiring and great to hear!
A great America is made up of great people who are willing to spend their lives helping others.. You two fit the bill.. Just turned my relatives up north into subscribers... They're heading west this summer and now have started thier own to do list completely off of your channel...be safe You help more than you probably realize...god bless..
I have the same champion 3100w generator you do and have been able to run the ac with the fridge on and charging a phone, but I like your tips.. We don't plug in phones or anything until the ac is already running. Great tips thanks.
I am happy with my generator but i have never been comfortable with carrying a gas can. And as a relative “newbie” I did not think to consider a dual fuel unit for our coach. One of my many kick myself mistakes that will cost me to correct. Anyway, you folks are always a great source of info for us! We always enjoy your videos and look forward to the next. Thank you so much for the commentary, too. Other than military, I rarely hear anyone mention how blessed they are for being born in the USA.
Kenneth/Debbie Davis Check and see if there is a conversation kit to propane for your unit. I’m quite happy with carrying 5-10 gallons of fuel for the generator (or if we need it to get the truck to a gas station 😲) Stay safe, Bill
BillUtah thanks, Bill. I wrote the mfg and they do not make one so I am beginning the after market search. I’ve considered getting one of those hitch baskets for carrying the gen and fuel but thats just more money spent. 😐
Used our new camper this last week. At 9,000+ ft, we couldn't get our 13.5k BTU A/C to start with the generator at idle. Our remedy was actually to load the generator a bit to get it to increase engine speed (by turning on the coffee maker), then kicked on the AC. Worked great. Generator would trip with nothing but the AC going, but with the coffee maker on first, it handled the surge just fine. The genset just couldn't increase engine speed fast enough for the start.
@@rescueraver I have a Westinghouse igen4500df. Yes, even with the low idle switch off, it speeds up, but still idles lower than at full power. At home (5500ft), it will start the AC fine with the idle control on or off, but at 9,000ft +, it was a struggle. It is worth noting that I do not have a high altitude kit installed, but that isn't going to give more power, but just burn less fuel and provide easier starts.
Very timely for our Honda tandem generators. The state park we stayed this weekend lost power on our section. We didn't have our 2 Honda generators with us. Since we were fairly close to home, we drove and got them. They started easily. However, it did not start our air-conditioner. We only have one. Now we think we know why. We had other things plugged in. Thanks so much. We finally cut our trip short as we and our 2 dogs were melting in 90+ degree weather. We will play with it next trip and see if we can't correct our problem. Thanks much.
Life is back to normal here, never really changed ! Bars closed for a few weeks but everything is open now! We only had 7 or 9 cases of COVID-19 in Chiang Rai district and they all got better!
@Review Master it's really impossible to say exactly why at the moment... My sister is a Covid doctor. The virus seems to affect different races/ethnicities in different ways, and obviously the same is true of age to an even larger degree. Every nation & state has a different population mix, some borders are more secure than others (Australia being an island must help), etc. CDC has some interesting breakdowns of hospitalization by age/race. But it's still too soon to draw firm conclusions. www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/investigations-discovery/hospitalization-death-by-age.html
Thanks LOLOHO for the specific tip of shutting off your converter when trying to run an AC on an RV. That one tip Made the difference for us in our 5th wheel. I know I’m three years late on your video (I’ve only been subscribed a couple of years) but I’m grateful you made this video. Keep up the great entertaining and informative content!
dude i deleted 20 videos, because yours finally explains want/need pro con and tips to boot. first time RV newbie only concern is AC hot where i'm going. vid answered all questions in need to make a decision. 22,5 ft class b+.
First, thank you guys for all your great videos, info and entertainment, second, thank you for your wonderful words of wisdom about our great Country, America is the Platinum standard around the world for the best place to live, thrive and be successful!! America will get through this rough spell and be even greater than before! Thank you guys again and hope you had a great 4th of July, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA AND GOD BLESS!!🇺🇸🎇🇺🇸🎆🇺🇸✨
I was getting our trailer (2015 - 17ft Coachman Travel Trailer ) ready for summer camping, which starts next week. Getting the water system ready and reloading supplies from Winter Storage. It was a warm day, and to my surprise, when I turned the AC on, it work without any issues. I was plugged in with just 15 Amp service in our driveway. I'll be hocking up to 30 Amp for our actual vacation. Can't wait to head for the woods. Staying in the Oldest and Largest Provincial Park in Ontario (Algonquin Park). Great history. Less then 2 weeks after we are done, we are moving to live just 50 km from the Park. Can't wait to make regular visit!!
I have watched your video on this subject when you first did it and it is still good to refresh the memory...also, I really appreciate your comments on our great country and I have never been outside the country but have traveled around the 48 states quite a bit and I absolutely agree that this is and will always be a great nation and we have made huge strides in the past several decades and continue to evolve...no matter what there is always room for improvement and we all just need to give each other a chance to be the best we can be...treat each other with respect and kindness and we will all be better for it...
With so much attention to auxiliary electric power (off grid needs) & interest in dry campin', your 'Powering an RV Air-Conditioner with a Generator (inverter) -- Tips & Strategies' episode was really helpful. Even if one doesn't go the route of installing a 'SoftStart' package, it was info many will find very useful. ........... You just keep those episodes coming. They're great.
Sean, your reviews are complete and simply awesome. Is this due to your wife's support and knowledge? :) Seriously, thanks you for all of the great info. GOD BLESS THE USA.
So far, we haven’t used our AC very often since we began RVing about 6 years ago. We did buy a generator up to the task, but haven’t had to use it for AC yet. Good info to tuck away. Thanks Sean!
I have been binge-watching your channel, which has inspired me (and, hopefully my wife) to follow in your footsteps, or, more aptly, your tire tracks en route to really enjoying our country. You guys do a fantastic job in combining the personal element with how-to's. Very enjoyable and watchable. Good editing. I too want to go with an Airstream and will purchase Sean's book to help in that process. My wife and I live in Nashville and appreciate your Southern perspective on things. As new retirees, we are very excited about a new adventure. A question: if you had it to do over, would you still go with a 25' Airstream? We are concerned that this might be too small but don't want a model that is too big for the National Parks. We will be traveling with our Corgi with occasional visits by our daughter. Also, I am 6'5" so interior ceiling height is a concern. Your reminder about how lucky we are to live in the U.S. was very much appreciated. Thanks, Bob
Interesting product. We just got a Honda 3000w but haven't had a chance to hook it up and see how it does with the 15000 btu a.c. The generator advertises a 23.3 amp output so we may need to try it at home before finding out on the road that it will struggle. Good tips on shutting down all the parasitic devices....never thought of that. Thanks for the info!
If you have the same one I do, (EU300is) I can shed a little light. I brought my new camper home to test all the systems. I hooked up my generator and did pretty much everything he said in the video plus I also started the AC fan and let it get up t speed before switching on the AC. It worked. The generator protested a bit at first but was fine after that. Mine is also a 15,000 btu AC.
This is spot on for us. We dry camp for 3 to 4 weeks every year at Oshkosh and your tips on running the AC are an eye opener I had never considered. I up-sized generators to allow us to cool of the camper for sleeping on really hot days and I might not have had to. Thinking of getting my wife out of her sewing room to watch this video as she is in charge of all things inside the camper.
VERY good points! Cheers! Also, how many people (we didn't!!!) even thought of wanting to power our AC off of the grid. Thank goodness we stayed with the Dometic 13,500 BUT A.C. Our Firman 3650/3300 starts all that you said to turn off, also along with soft starting our 13,500 AC. That 3,600 surge boost helps do that. Then, the running 3,300 watts keeps everybody happy!
We have a 3100 Champion gen and have added an axillary 110v connection on the tongue of our Lance 2375. We run gen and AC while traveling the Central Valley of California and our trailer is nice and cold when we stop for lunch or the evening.
I have a feeling that the easy start is just a A/C starting cap. And possibly a Contactor all in one and if it is I don’t know if this is a good deal or just a simple deal starting capacitors for air-conditioning units are relatively cheap we’re talking under $25 depending on the size of the unit contactors can be a little more pricey but not much depending on the unit but I think you’re getting here for the $320 bucks convenience no need to size the capacitor size the contactor or source the parts that’s not your thing that can be a pain if that is your thing any wholesale refrigeration supply could probably get you all the parts inexpensively great video keep up the good work
What is the down sides of installing an Easy/Soft Start module? And if you tell me there are none, you'll need to explain why all RV air conditioners aren't made that way at the factory. If it was all pro and no con, there'd be a least one company gaining a competitive advantage by doing it, even if it was a conspiracy by "Big Fridge" to sell more A/C units. Love your channel. My RV life plans start in 2023 when we retire. A lot to learn before then!
When running on generator power if you want to run your entire rig you need to add up the total number of watts of all you electric appliances draw at start up then find a generator that will run at 50 to 80 percent of its capacity. That will ensure that you can run everything and you won’t cause the generator to run hot. My camper is rated at about 4000 watts if everything started at one time so I installed a Honda 6500 watt generator that peeks at 7000 watts. Have no issues running two A/C’s along with the rest of the appliances.
Nice inspirational message and advice, especially for the Ez-Start. 800 watts of solar panels, 3000 watt inverter/starter, 4 lithium-iron batteries for 400 amp/hr if power, and the Champion Dual Fuel inverter generator. I could not start my AC at about 10,000 ft above sea level until in installed the Ez-Start Soft Starter. Now it starts easily, in fact I actually don’t need the generator. Most of the time I never start the gen. During the day, the whole solar system runs the AC without the generator. Thanks for the advice and your inspirational words.
Thank you Sean. Information in this video saved me some money. Now I can reliably run the air conditioner with my Ryobi 2300. I have been following LOLOHO for a couple of years and always find them interesting and informative.
Hmm I think I wrote the first part of this video in a comment sometime back when I was discussing the trouble I had getting my 2800 watt yamaha to start my 13,500 air conditioner because the batteries were low and I discovered my 75 amp converter was trying to fast charge them. Now I had my fridge on gas because I never try and run it on auto unless I have shore power but the batteries will do it all by themselves if they are low, 900-1000 watts is a good estimate if you have 2 or more batteries. But 400-500 watts is a good estimate for a typical RV fridge when it is cooling on electricity. A residential (compressor) style fridge is much more efficient but cannot run on propane. But point of contention: I am not sure the air-fuel mixture changes that much at altitude or if it does it get more rich with a carburetor. However you are correct that power goes down because there is simply less air. Same as a turbo-charger makes more power because there is more air (and thus more fuel can be added) high altitude means less air pressure on the intake manifold so less air so less fuel so less power. But running rich is only really a problem for 2 cycle engines like the dirt bikes of yore. You still get less power though. And efficiency goes down. The fuel that doesn't get burned gets exhausted. More about the fridge. Even running a residential fridge on a generator isn't saving much compared to a propane fridge. Sure, it requires the equivalent of 400 watts propane to run the fridge, but generators are less than 50% efficient so running a 200 watt domestic fridge on a generator gets you to about the same fuel consumption only now you have to do an oil change on the generator and you have put hours on it. Domestic fridges are best for shore power. The "soft start" option is a good one for smaller generators or 15 amp shore power but does not get around the problem of the 75 amp converter trying to charge dead batteries. On 15 amp shore power I have never had a problem starting my a/c, because a 15 amp circuit actually does have a "surge capacity" much like a generator before the fuse blows, will easily go a few seconds at 20 amps so long as things settle down shortly. But "inverter a/c's", which is what I think the soft start partially converts a regular a/c into, are cool because they modify the a/c to run on the power available rather than hard start and stop. So with an inverter a/c, I'm no engineer (well actually I am one but not an electrical engineer) I think what happens is if the inverter senses that the voltage is dropping, it runs the a/c at a lower power to maintain a certain minimum voltage. This means you won't get 13,500 btu out of it but it will still be running as it can. So lets say you forgot to turn the converter off and 1000 watts is going to the batteries, leaving only 1800 watts for the a/c. An inverter a/c will ramp up towards 1800 watts but when it senses the voltage drop because the generator can't make more watts it backs off and holds that power output. That's how I think it works anyway. If I am right about this, it's a brilliant system because a/c units don't typically run all the time, they turn on and off like a furnace. But by regulating the power usage all they do is extend run time to match the power supply at lower btu transfer rates. Really quite brilliant if you as me. And the computer doesn't need to know the amperage coming out of the generator, because as the generator becomes overwhelmed the voltage starts to drop before the fuse clicks out. A computer can calculate this in milliseconds. They really should have this technology on both the a/c and the converter but nobody wants to pay for it. Imagine if just the converter knew that if the voltage drops to 109 volts it should slow down on the battery charging? That's all the tech we would need to solve most of these problems. It's no more complicated than your 75 watt plug in inverter shutting down at 11.2 volts so you still have a hope of starting your car and don't wreck the battery.
Good tip on fridge as I have done that moochdocking but not on generator. I have 15k btu AC and run my champion 3400w on propane with my inverter without problems but not all are so lucky. I don't have a soft start but do have a hard start capacitor. Champion will mail you a free carburetor jet if you call them and tell them you are going somewhere high altitude and provide a serial number. I believe they reccomend rejetting over 3500ft. Of course you would need to change back when you drop back below. I have found it easier to use propane as I have not needed AC over 5000ft and no rejet is needed because as you said the regulator covers the gap.
Thank's so much Ray for this video on generator's. I decided on 2-2000 watt Honda Inverter generators. Portability was the factor. Definitely cost some $. With maintenance they'll outlive me.
Great video on generators. I may need to look more closely at these when I get a truck camper. Well, I have a van now, but looking to possibly move into a truck camper instead and most don't have generators with them.
Glad it was helpful! You might also consider one of the solar lithium power stations. They are great for smaller tasks (not A/C, but running small appliances and so forth).
Great video and thank you for addressing the power requirements of a 15K A/C. I think the soft start is a wise choice and will definitely be on my list of must have's. One question: If you are on generator power, can you switch your refrigerator back to AC and turn your converter back on once your A/C is running? Happy Independence Day!
With ny Easy Start nod to our Coleman-Mach 13.5K BTU AC, our Ryobi 2300 will start & run our AC with no issue. However, our Ryobi 2300 does not have a high altitude kit available and at 6,000' ASL it will surge the generator in attempt to keep a steady inverter output as it is running too lean. Sometimes I can play with the ON/Off/Choke switch to cause it to run more rich for a steady output, but in the end I wish I had the Honda 2200. We had a Honda 2000 in 2008 with the 7000' ASL jets that we sold with out straw bale off-grid house, it ran great as long as I used 89-91 Octane fuel, we miss it, LOL. I wonder what the Onan On-board generators do for compensating for altitude? Our previous Lance truck camper had the Onan 2500 QLP generator and it would produce 1700 watts at 9,200' ASAL but would run smooth and steady & still start our 9,500 BTU Coleman-Mach AC with no issue. I love playing with this technology.
I have a15k heat pump with microstart, I also have 4 battle born batteries /3k inverter, this alone will start and run the heat pump. Granted only for a couple hours, 4 hours if the sun is out. So the generator has turned into a back up battery charging source which I’ve used once.
Wow Thks for the video! Very helpful! Do the easy/soft starts also cut the wattage when the compressor cycles on and off or only the initial startup? Thks again!
You know that turning off the converter on some units will put the entire DC load on the battery. In my trailer the lights, the radio, the trailer control panel, the awning, the fans, the water pump and the refrigerator work on DC. Just a reminder the frig runs on propane, but is controlled by DC.
Maybe just mark your circuit breakers panels with a red & black sharpie of non-essential power hungry circuits. For example: Before starting your AC you would turn off all the red and black breakers. But after the air conditioner turns on you could then turn on the black breakers. Marked red would be your propane/electric refrigerator. Black might be your house battery. As you brought some breakers back online you could hear how hard your generator was working.
Very informative video. I’ve had that Yamaha generator and now have the Champion. The Yamaha was nice and fired my 15k btu ac with no soft start mod. Now I have the Champion but no RV to cool :(
Fantastic video, specific information, editing, tribute to America, new microphone. It only lacked the usual cutaways of Kristy tossing her hair in slow motion. (Always love that.) Is there an inexpensive box to "sync" to generators together?
Our Champion 3100 runs our 15k BTU AC and our 75 watt converter at the same time with no issues for 4 years. Agree it is a good generator but next will have remote start! LOL
RV AC "Easy Start" (What We Have) amzn.to/2ZE0gK3
RV AC "Soft Start" amzn.to/2Z1vP1a
I wasn't born in this great country but I'm glad you realize how lucky you are.Not enough Americans appreciate the greatness of this land.Lets preserve it. for future generations.
Thanks for your tribute to America. 100 percent agree.
Hat's off to the Great America!!
Yours is among the most professional blogs we follow. Excellent teaching techniques, information content, and no wannabe Hollywood syndrome. Thanks!
# 1- THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ACKNOWLEDGING HOW GREAT OUR COUNTRY IS AND HOW MUCH WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL FOR LIVING HERE!!Thanks so much for the ac tips I am starting out solo in January and really can’t lift a 3500 predator into the back of my pickup! I will go with a soft start your brand and a 2200 predator. Thanks so much for information I always know you and Christy know your stuff! Judy
HI JUDY. I AM USING THE 3500 PREDATOR, I PUT A RACK ON THE BACK OF MY TRAILER, SO SIMPLE. POWERS ALL ON REQUEST AND IS VERY, VERY, QUIET EVEN WHEN RUNNING AC. I SECURED WITH A LARGE CABLE. AND IT STAYS THERE COVERED WHEN NOT BEING USED. GOOD LUCK. RON
Sean, thank you for your statement about America. As a retired US Navy Veteran that has traveled to many parts of the world, I can say without hesitation that, yes we are very fortunate to be citizens of this great nation and I never take it for granted. Thoroughly enjoy wit and humor along great advise you and Christy insert into your videos. Keep up the great work.
Thank you for your service Michael! JORGE A. (USAF, Ret.)
Sean, Thanks for the comments on our Great Nation. Most people have no idea how good we have it here. If you have never been out of the country is why I say that. We are truly blessed.
On the money about the “soft start.” World’s best RV tech, Andy, installed ours and showed me the power draw before and after installation and it was amazing. Saved us having to buy more than a 2000 W generator. Best $300 we ever spent.
Right on, Sean. Your knowledge of RV A/C and generators is spot on. Long ago, in 1969, when I was 17, I was able to travel in western Europe. For a week I was part of an international choirfest in Freiburg, Germany. Having a working knowledge of German didn't hurt. That was an excellent experience. I treasure that experience to this day.
I installed the Micro-Air Easystart 364 in both of my AC units and bought a Honda EU2200I generator. I can start and run either the 15K or 13.5K unit on this generator. I still recommend at least switching the refrigerator to propane, but it did start and run the 15K with the fridge running because I forgot to switch it over one time. I’ve also run both ACs on 30 amp CG service without issue. Highly recommended upgrade.
Thanks for the assurance.
Not only another top shelf tech tip, but a moving statement on our great country. God bless
Hey Sean, you are the first Airstreamer I have heard share that the AC unit is sufficient on their rig. I totally agree with you. I have a 25' Safari but with fewer windows and my 11K unit will freeze you out. We are so lucky and blessed to live in America.
Sean, thanks, lived in Taiwan; been to Central America, Mexico and Panama; Europe; South Africa, They all have some unique features and interesting people. But whenever I am abroad, I am so thankful for what our country has to offer, in diversity of land, diversity of culture and diversity of people.
And thanks for the advice on you videos.
I have a Micro Air on my camper and as you mentioned, I use a 2000 watt generator(Yamaha). I installed it myself. It was very easy to install. The installation instructions were spot on.
My generator has sufficient power to run my AC. The first time I tried was very frustrating as I left the AC power switch on my water heater on. Could not get the AC to run until I remembered to check the water heater switch! Good tips to turn of the converter and other items. Thanks for your thoughts on America!
Thank you for the positive and patriotic message about our country- I think there so much negativity being focused on right now (and if course, some of it is so very valid) but it’s refreshing to hear something positive this Independence Day 💖
So true America has given my family everything we have. This is such a great country, am a so proud to be an American after escaping from Cuba. A lot of young people in America just don’t know what they have!
Thanks Hector for your comment. I agree and wish more young Americans would go experience life in places like Cuba; I know they would return to the States with more appreciation for our blessings. Your story is inspiring and great to hear!
Long Long Honeymoon thanks keep up the great work.
Thank you for talking positively about our country, the greatest country in the world! God bless America.
A great America is made up of great people who are willing to spend their lives helping others.. You two fit the bill..
Just turned my relatives up north into subscribers...
They're heading west this summer and now have started thier own to do list completely off of your channel...be safe
You help more than you probably realize...god bless..
You bring great joy speaking so well of this great nation we live in!
I have the same champion 3100w generator you do and have been able to run the ac with the fridge on and charging a phone, but I like your tips.. We don't plug in phones or anything until the ac is already running. Great tips thanks.
With 3100 watts, and not enough for A/C? Something bad wrong.
Sean,
Thanks for the great video and talking about how great our country is. I have been over seas and I know we are very blessed to live here.
I am happy with my generator but i have never been comfortable with carrying a gas can. And as a relative “newbie” I did not think to consider a dual fuel unit for our coach. One of my many kick myself mistakes that will cost me to correct.
Anyway, you folks are always a great source of info for us! We always enjoy your videos and look forward to the next.
Thank you so much for the commentary, too. Other than military, I rarely hear anyone mention how blessed they are for being born in the USA.
Kenneth/Debbie Davis
Check and see if there is a conversation kit to propane for your unit. I’m quite happy with carrying 5-10 gallons of fuel for the generator (or if we need it to get the truck to a gas station 😲)
Stay safe, Bill
BillUtah thanks, Bill. I wrote the mfg and they do not make one so I am beginning the after market search. I’ve considered getting one of those hitch baskets for carrying the gen and fuel but thats just more money spent. 😐
Used our new camper this last week. At 9,000+ ft, we couldn't get our 13.5k BTU A/C to start with the generator at idle. Our remedy was actually to load the generator a bit to get it to increase engine speed (by turning on the coffee maker), then kicked on the AC.
Worked great. Generator would trip with nothing but the AC going, but with the coffee maker on first, it handled the surge just fine.
The genset just couldn't increase engine speed fast enough for the start.
What kind of generator do you have and did you turn off the idle control switch that lets your gen run at full power
@@rescueraver I have a Westinghouse igen4500df. Yes, even with the low idle switch off, it speeds up, but still idles lower than at full power. At home (5500ft), it will start the AC fine with the idle control on or off, but at 9,000ft +, it was a struggle. It is worth noting that I do not have a high altitude kit installed, but that isn't going to give more power, but just burn less fuel and provide easier starts.
@@number6mbw you might want to look into a soft start kit
@@rescueraver I'll probably get one next year. It's going to be a while before I'm back up camping at 9600ft.
Very timely for our Honda tandem generators. The state park we stayed this weekend lost power on our section. We didn't have our 2 Honda generators with us. Since we were fairly close to home, we drove and got them. They started easily. However, it did not start our air-conditioner. We only have one. Now we think we know why. We had other things plugged in. Thanks so much. We finally cut our trip short as we and our 2 dogs were melting in 90+ degree weather. We will play with it next trip and see if we can't correct our problem. Thanks much.
Good Morning from Chiang Rai Thailand!
Happy 4th of July!
Khob Khun Khap! We have been as far north as Chaing Mai. We want to go to Chaing Rai! I hope life is getting back to normal there. Cheers & Happy 4th!
Life is back to normal here, never really changed !
Bars closed for a few weeks but everything is open now!
We only had 7 or 9 cases of COVID-19 in Chiang Rai district and they all got better!
@@scottbieber1731 Ya's are really lucky . It's been very bad over here in Florida , USA
Where in Florida are you Bob?
@Review Master it's really impossible to say exactly why at the moment... My sister is a Covid doctor. The virus seems to affect different races/ethnicities in different ways, and obviously the same is true of age to an even larger degree. Every nation & state has a different population mix, some borders are more secure than others (Australia being an island must help), etc. CDC has some interesting breakdowns of hospitalization by age/race. But it's still too soon to draw firm conclusions. www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/investigations-discovery/hospitalization-death-by-age.html
Thanks LOLOHO for the specific tip of shutting off your converter when trying to run an AC on an RV. That one tip
Made the difference for us in our 5th wheel. I know I’m three years late on your video (I’ve only been subscribed a couple of years) but I’m grateful you made this video. Keep up the great entertaining and informative content!
Glad it helped! Thanks for letting us know! 🙏
dude i deleted 20 videos, because yours finally explains want/need pro con and tips to boot. first time RV newbie only concern is AC hot where i'm going. vid answered all questions in need to make a decision. 22,5 ft class b+.
I thought you were running the Champion gas unit with remote start. That we run and you convinced me it was the best one. 👍
First, thank you guys for all your great videos, info and entertainment, second, thank you for your wonderful words of wisdom about our great Country, America is the Platinum standard around the world for the best place to live, thrive and be successful!! America will get through this rough spell and be even greater than before! Thank you guys again and hope you had a great 4th of July, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA AND GOD BLESS!!🇺🇸🎇🇺🇸🎆🇺🇸✨
I was getting our trailer (2015 - 17ft Coachman Travel Trailer ) ready for summer camping, which starts next week. Getting the water system ready and reloading supplies from Winter Storage. It was a warm day, and to my surprise, when I turned the AC on, it work without any issues. I was plugged in with just 15 Amp service in our driveway. I'll be hocking up to 30 Amp for our actual vacation. Can't wait to head for the woods. Staying in the Oldest and Largest Provincial Park in Ontario (Algonquin Park). Great history. Less then 2 weeks after we are done, we are moving to live just 50 km from the Park. Can't wait to make regular visit!!
Thanks. One of the best informative RV videos I have ever seen. Have a blessed day.
Thanks so much!
I have watched your video on this subject when you first did it and it is still good to refresh the memory...also, I really appreciate your comments on our great country and I have never been outside the country but have traveled around the 48 states quite a bit and I absolutely agree that this is and will always be a great nation and we have made huge strides in the past several decades and continue to evolve...no matter what there is always room for improvement and we all just need to give each other a chance to be the best we can be...treat each other with respect and kindness and we will all be better for it...
With so much attention to auxiliary electric power (off grid needs) & interest in dry campin', your 'Powering an RV Air-Conditioner with a Generator (inverter) -- Tips & Strategies' episode was really helpful. Even if one doesn't go the route of installing a 'SoftStart' package, it was info many will find very useful. ........... You just keep those episodes coming. They're great.
Thank you! Great to hear positive feedback.... will definitely make more videos like this one. Cheers!
Sean, your reviews are complete and simply awesome. Is this due to your wife's support and knowledge? :) Seriously, thanks you for all of the great info. GOD BLESS THE USA.
Great little generator in a pinch, a bit loud, but functions great
Excellent tips - several I've forgotten! Many thanks 😊
On our trip. Now in Williams Az. Been helping other newbies with RV set up ...just from watching your videos. I’m now a tank dumping “specialist”.
So far, we haven’t used our AC very often since we began RVing about 6 years ago. We did buy a generator up to the task, but haven’t had to use it for AC yet. Good info to tuck away. Thanks Sean!
Your patriotism is inspiring.
Happy 4th, LOLOHO. God Bless America!
Thank you for the shout out for America!
Easy Start is easy to install and the company provides GREAT support. Happy Birthday USA and Wally Byum!!
I'm getting a 30A shore power outlet installed at my house this week. But when camping, I use a Predator 3500 Inverter generator.
Also turn off your electric water heater if so equipped.
We have a 2200 Ryobi generator and a soft start.. the combo runs our air fine!
Air Cond size?
Great topic. Never would think to switch over the refrigerator, inverter and other power using things.
Sean, We installed one in June and it works great with our Honda EU 2000
how many BTUs is your AC?
cdankski I have a 11,000 BTU air conditioning and my Honda 2000 has been working good.
Glad I hung around for the end! Great words for everybody to listen to!
Great video and information! Thank you! God bless America! Hugs to you both!
Thanks, Crystal!
I have been binge-watching your channel, which has inspired me (and, hopefully my wife) to follow in your footsteps, or, more aptly, your tire tracks en route to really enjoying our country. You guys do a fantastic job in combining the personal element with how-to's. Very enjoyable and watchable. Good editing. I too want to go with an Airstream and will purchase Sean's book to help in that process. My wife and I live in Nashville and appreciate your Southern perspective on things. As new retirees, we are very excited about a new adventure.
A question: if you had it to do over, would you still go with a 25' Airstream? We are concerned that this might be too small but don't want a model that is too big for the National Parks. We will be traveling with our Corgi with occasional visits by our daughter. Also, I am 6'5" so interior ceiling height is a concern.
Your reminder about how lucky we are to live in the U.S. was very much appreciated.
Thanks,
Bob
I missed your better half Kristy! Happy 4th of July and God Bless America! loloho
Thanks, Eddie! 🙂
Thanks for the tips. Watched your video while waiting on our generator to ship.
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent video - Seems somebody should build a 6500+ watt Inverter generator and with that you would have no worries.
Interesting product. We just got a Honda 3000w but haven't had a chance to hook it up and see how it does with the 15000 btu a.c. The generator advertises a 23.3 amp output so we may need to try it at home before finding out on the road that it will struggle. Good tips on shutting down all the parasitic devices....never thought of that. Thanks for the info!
If you have the same one I do, (EU300is) I can shed a little light. I brought my new camper home to test all the systems. I hooked up my generator and did pretty much everything he said in the video plus I also started the AC fan and let it get up t speed before switching on the AC. It worked. The generator protested a bit at first but was fine after that. Mine is also a 15,000 btu AC.
@@robertd9850 Thanks! I will have to try that!
Great information! I’d heard OF soft start kits but had no indication of their purpose! Now I know I’ll definitely need one!
This is spot on for us. We dry camp for 3 to 4 weeks every year at Oshkosh and your tips on running the AC are an eye opener I had never considered. I up-sized generators to allow us to cool of the camper for sleeping on really hot days and I might not have had to. Thinking of getting my wife out of her sewing room to watch this video as she is in charge of all things inside the camper.
VERY good points! Cheers! Also, how many people (we didn't!!!) even thought of wanting to power our AC off of the grid. Thank goodness we stayed with the Dometic 13,500 BUT A.C. Our Firman 3650/3300 starts all that you said to turn off, also along with soft starting our 13,500 AC. That 3,600 surge boost helps do that. Then, the running 3,300 watts keeps everybody happy!
Great A/C tips that answered why I kept tripping the breaker on the house and overheating my generator
Once again you hit it out of the park. Hope you had a amazing 4th.
We have a 3100 Champion gen and have added an axillary 110v connection on the tongue of our Lance 2375. We run gen and AC while traveling the Central Valley of California and our trailer is nice and cold when we stop for lunch or the evening.
I have a feeling that the easy start is just a A/C starting cap. And possibly a Contactor all in one and if it is I don’t know if this is a good deal or just a simple deal starting capacitors for air-conditioning units are relatively cheap we’re talking under $25 depending on the size of the unit contactors can be a little more pricey but not much depending on the unit but I think you’re getting here for the $320 bucks convenience no need to size the capacitor size the contactor or source the parts that’s not your thing that can be a pain if that is your thing any wholesale refrigeration supply could probably get you all the parts inexpensively great video keep up the good work
Thanks for all the information you give us. God bless y’all.
What a great statement. I have served overseas in multiple countries. I have always said the same thing. Great channel.
What is the down sides of installing an Easy/Soft Start module? And if you tell me there are none, you'll need to explain why all RV air conditioners aren't made that way at the factory. If it was all pro and no con, there'd be a least one company gaining a competitive advantage by doing it, even if it was a conspiracy by "Big Fridge" to sell more A/C units.
Love your channel. My RV life plans start in 2023 when we retire. A lot to learn before then!
When running on generator power if you want to run your entire rig you need to add up the total number of watts of all you electric appliances draw at start up then find a generator that will run at 50 to 80 percent of its capacity. That will ensure that you can run everything and you won’t cause the generator to run hot. My camper is rated at about 4000 watts if everything started at one time so I installed a Honda 6500 watt generator that peeks at 7000 watts. Have no issues running two A/C’s along with the rest of the appliances.
Great message
Nice inspirational message and advice, especially for the Ez-Start. 800 watts of solar panels, 3000 watt inverter/starter, 4 lithium-iron batteries for 400 amp/hr if power, and the Champion Dual Fuel inverter generator. I could not start my AC at about 10,000 ft above sea level until in installed the Ez-Start Soft Starter. Now it starts easily, in fact I actually don’t need the generator. Most of the time I never start the gen. During the day, the whole solar system runs the AC without the generator. Thanks for the advice and your inspirational words.
Michael Hesley At 10,000 feet you shouldn’t need an Air conditioner.
Thank you Sean. Information in this video saved me some money. Now I can reliably run the air conditioner with my Ryobi 2300. I have been following LOLOHO for a couple of years and always find them interesting and informative.
How big is your A/C?
@@SiBorg8A I believe it is 13,500 btu
Hmm I think I wrote the first part of this video in a comment sometime back when I was discussing the trouble I had getting my 2800 watt yamaha to start my 13,500 air conditioner because the batteries were low and I discovered my 75 amp converter was trying to fast charge them. Now I had my fridge on gas because I never try and run it on auto unless I have shore power but the batteries will do it all by themselves if they are low, 900-1000 watts is a good estimate if you have 2 or more batteries. But 400-500 watts is a good estimate for a typical RV fridge when it is cooling on electricity. A residential (compressor) style fridge is much more efficient but cannot run on propane.
But point of contention: I am not sure the air-fuel mixture changes that much at altitude or if it does it get more rich with a carburetor. However you are correct that power goes down because there is simply less air. Same as a turbo-charger makes more power because there is more air (and thus more fuel can be added) high altitude means less air pressure on the intake manifold so less air so less fuel so less power. But running rich is only really a problem for 2 cycle engines like the dirt bikes of yore. You still get less power though. And efficiency goes down. The fuel that doesn't get burned gets exhausted.
More about the fridge. Even running a residential fridge on a generator isn't saving much compared to a propane fridge. Sure, it requires the equivalent of 400 watts propane to run the fridge, but generators are less than 50% efficient so running a 200 watt domestic fridge on a generator gets you to about the same fuel consumption only now you have to do an oil change on the generator and you have put hours on it. Domestic fridges are best for shore power.
The "soft start" option is a good one for smaller generators or 15 amp shore power but does not get around the problem of the 75 amp converter trying to charge dead batteries. On 15 amp shore power I have never had a problem starting my a/c, because a 15 amp circuit actually does have a "surge capacity" much like a generator before the fuse blows, will easily go a few seconds at 20 amps so long as things settle down shortly. But "inverter a/c's", which is what I think the soft start partially converts a regular a/c into, are cool because they modify the a/c to run on the power available rather than hard start and stop. So with an inverter a/c, I'm no engineer (well actually I am one but not an electrical engineer) I think what happens is if the inverter senses that the voltage is dropping, it runs the a/c at a lower power to maintain a certain minimum voltage. This means you won't get 13,500 btu out of it but it will still be running as it can. So lets say you forgot to turn the converter off and 1000 watts is going to the batteries, leaving only 1800 watts for the a/c. An inverter a/c will ramp up towards 1800 watts but when it senses the voltage drop because the generator can't make more watts it backs off and holds that power output. That's how I think it works anyway. If I am right about this, it's a brilliant system because a/c units don't typically run all the time, they turn on and off like a furnace. But by regulating the power usage all they do is extend run time to match the power supply at lower btu transfer rates. Really quite brilliant if you as me. And the computer doesn't need to know the amperage coming out of the generator, because as the generator becomes overwhelmed the voltage starts to drop before the fuse clicks out. A computer can calculate this in milliseconds. They really should have this technology on both the a/c and the converter but nobody wants to pay for it. Imagine if just the converter knew that if the voltage drops to 109 volts it should slow down on the battery charging? That's all the tech we would need to solve most of these problems. It's no more complicated than your 75 watt plug in inverter shutting down at 11.2 volts so you still have a hope of starting your car and don't wreck the battery.
Thank you so much. Great vid. Very interesting. Love your channel.
Good tip on fridge as I have done that moochdocking but not on generator. I have 15k btu AC and run my champion 3400w on propane with my inverter without problems but not all are so lucky. I don't have a soft start but do have a hard start capacitor.
Champion will mail you a free carburetor jet if you call them and tell them you are going somewhere high altitude and provide a serial number. I believe they reccomend rejetting over 3500ft. Of course you would need to change back when you drop back below. I have found it easier to use propane as I have not needed AC over 5000ft and no rejet is needed because as you said the regulator covers the gap.
Thank's so much Ray for this video on generator's. I decided on 2-2000 watt Honda Inverter generators. Portability was the factor. Definitely cost some $. With maintenance they'll outlive me.
Glad I could help. You can't go wrong with Honda. --Ray
Indeed Sean, indeed. I am privileged to have been allowed to immigrate to this great country. God bless America!
Thanks Jorge, we're happy you are here!
Thanks, Sean, for the tips and tribute.
Great video on generators. I may need to look more closely at these when I get a truck camper. Well, I have a van now, but looking to possibly move into a truck camper instead and most don't have generators with them.
Glad it was helpful! You might also consider one of the solar lithium power stations. They are great for smaller tasks (not A/C, but running small appliances and so forth).
Long Long Honeymoon thanks for that. I will. I don’t like running the AC anyways. Lol
Thanks Sean, Tons of great info. Never thought about switching the fridgr to propane. This is why I subscribe...Safe travels
Well said Sean. Happy 4th!
Great video and thank you for addressing the power requirements of a 15K A/C. I think the soft start is a wise choice and will definitely be on my list of must have's. One question: If you are on generator power, can you switch your refrigerator back to AC and turn your converter back on once your A/C is running? Happy Independence Day!
we usually don't just because our A/C will start and stop sporadically to maintain the constant temp we have set on our thermostat.
@@kristymichael I thought so, but have no actual experience yet. Many thx!
Great topic! I've been looking for more detailed information on running a 13,500 BTU on a Briggs 3000 W inverter generator. Good stuff, thank you.
Well said! I just started following you guys and have found your info very helpful. Keep up the solid work!
Grrat info.....Ti n Tina..xx
Well put thoughts on our country!!!
Great advice as always!
With ny Easy Start nod to our Coleman-Mach 13.5K BTU AC, our Ryobi 2300 will start & run our AC with no issue. However, our Ryobi 2300 does not have a high altitude kit available and at 6,000' ASL it will surge the generator in attempt to keep a steady inverter output as it is running too lean. Sometimes I can play with the ON/Off/Choke switch to cause it to run more rich for a steady output, but in the end I wish I had the Honda 2200. We had a Honda 2000 in 2008 with the 7000' ASL jets that we sold with out straw bale off-grid house, it ran great as long as I used 89-91 Octane fuel, we miss it, LOL. I wonder what the Onan On-board generators do for compensating for altitude? Our previous Lance truck camper had the Onan 2500 QLP generator and it would produce 1700 watts at 9,200' ASAL but would run smooth and steady & still start our 9,500 BTU Coleman-Mach AC with no issue. I love playing with this technology.
Sean, I have the same trailer (2018) with a 15K BTU AC. Our AC struggles when it's hot and sunny.
I have a15k heat pump with microstart, I also have 4 battle born batteries /3k inverter, this alone will start and run the heat pump. Granted only for a couple hours, 4 hours if the sun is out. So the generator has turned into a back up battery charging source which I’ve used once.
Wow Thks for the video! Very helpful! Do the easy/soft starts also cut the wattage when the compressor cycles on and off or only the initial startup? Thks again!
You know that turning off the converter on some units will put the entire DC load on the battery. In my trailer the lights, the radio, the trailer control panel, the awning, the fans, the water pump and the refrigerator work on DC. Just a reminder the frig runs on propane, but is controlled by DC.
God Bless America 🇺🇸 🙏
Nice Mic Voice ~ Over . . . YOU ~ ROCK ! !
Maybe just mark your circuit breakers panels with a red & black sharpie of non-essential power hungry circuits.
For example: Before starting your AC you would turn off all the red and black breakers. But after the air conditioner turns on you could then turn on the black breakers.
Marked red would be your propane/electric refrigerator. Black might be your house battery.
As you brought some breakers back online you could hear how hard your generator was working.
Awesome information.
Excellent message. Thank you.
Very informative video. I’ve had that Yamaha generator and now have the Champion. The Yamaha was nice and fired my 15k btu ac with no soft start mod. Now I have the Champion but no RV to cool :(
Glad you liked the video. Now you just need to add an RV to your generator! :)
When you boondock, how long do you typically run your generator/ac in a day? Do you run it overnight?
Thank you for posting this video..
You're welcome! Hope it helps!
Fantastic video, specific information, editing, tribute to America, new microphone. It only lacked the usual cutaways of Kristy tossing her hair in slow motion. (Always love that.)
Is there an inexpensive box to "sync" to generators together?
Glad you enjoyed it!
God Bless America!
Our Champion 3100 runs our 15k BTU AC and our 75 watt converter at the same time with no issues for 4 years. Agree it is a good generator but next will have remote start! LOL