2009 EX-PORT 17C - A/C question with generator.

[GoldMiner]

Hello again everyone.

Our 17C has served us well so far this season. I have a quick question about the A/C though.

We purchased a Yamaha 2400ishc generator to run things and charge the battery. Works great and is pretty quiet to boot.

Anyway, when we are running the A/C in heat of 85 to 95F on the generator it works fine. Will go almost all day with no issues. The generator does have some issues starting the A/C at first - the fan will slow until the compressor kicks on and the yamaha has had a chance to ramp up the engine RPMs to compensate for the change.


Anyway, when late evening rolls around and the temps seem to start to DROP to around 75 to 80 or LOWER the A/C compressor seems to be cycling occasionally. It will run for about 30 minutes to an hour and the turn off...The fan stays on until the compressor kicks back on and then it slows until the compressor has "powered" back up and it runs fine for a while. The following day when temps are up again outside things seem to work without these cycling issues.

I have not seen this behavior at home on 15amps or at a camp ground with 30 amps but I think the compressor still could be cycling I just don't notice it because there is more power available and the fan does not slow when it comes back on.


Is it normal to have an RV A/C cycle like that when the temperatures outside get lower? I figured that we would run into these kinds of issues when the heat was to high for the A/C to keep up.


Thanks!

[Camping Couple]

Hey goldminer,

From what you are describing, it just sounds like the AC is satisfying and cycling on the thermostat. We have a 197 and are camping this week in it and our AC is doing the same thing. We are in the 90s this week.

On another note, how do you like the 17 export? We had one and upgraded last year to the 197. The wife was getting uncomfortable with the tents. Worried the may leak.

Mark

[mjlaupp]

GoldMiner,

To get the best/longest life out of your generator and A/C you should do two things:

1) Do not run the generator with the Eco mode switch in the on position. The generator should be running at or near full speed at all times when running the A/C.

2) Purchase and install a Hard Start Capacitor Kit on the A/C. This will help the compressor start in lower voltage situations such as you are describing.

Running like you are currently doing will eventually let the magic blue smoke out of either the generator or the A/C. It's rather expensive to have the smoke reinstalled.

[GoldMiner]

Thanks for the replys.

Mike - Actually the Yamaha does not have an eco setting. It just adjusts it's idle as needed. I am worried about it causing some issues down the road with either the generator or the A/C. Fortunately for us we don't use it all that often and I may just not run it in the evenings any more if it becomes a persistent issue. During one day last month I ran the thing most of the day and it didn't cycle once so again, it seems to be just an evening when it's cooler out kinda thing. If need be I may have to sell the 2400 and get perhaps something a little larger or two of something a little smaller....

I installed a hard start cap already on the A/C because the generator would not start the compressor without it.

Mark - For what we use the 17C for we really like it. Its at our base camp where we do our gold mining. My son and I have enjoyed using it over the tent we had been using for the past several years. I would add that the tent ends have not been an issue so far. I wish we had a bit more storage b ut nothing we can't manage on our long weekend trips.

The A/C really does a good job of cooling things down in the late afternoon and evenings and that is a welcome relief to sweating it out in a tent after a long hard day of dredging. Having a hot shower is also a great to have in the evenings after playing in the mud all day long.

The end of this week there will be four of us in the camper for 3 nights and then my son and I all of next week so the whole setup will be getting a significant work out for sure.