184BH with Side A/C What Size Generator?

[silverta16]

I want to find a generator for my 2012 184BH that has the small window unit type side A/C unit. I know the bigger roof AC's take bigger Generators but how small a Honda will run the little unit?

[RogerR]

You need to check the book on your AC then add any load such as the battery charger built into your camper and any other AC devices, microwave, coffee maker, etc. that you will run at the same time.

Mine is rated 780 watts but may pull a lot more when the compressor starts up so a 2,000 watt unit would work.

Those little Honda gen sets will only run a few hours on one tank but for a short chill down might work ok.

Maybe you can find one to borrow or rent before you buy and try it out.

[silverta16]

My old camper had an old school roof A/C without an easy start of any kind, my father has a Honda 3000 and I could run my A/C and microwave and the Honda would never idle above the eco throttle, not one RPM over the 53 db quiet idle. And it would run 20 hours on a tank. I think a Honda 2000 would power it, but from the youtube video's I watch the little Honda's are cranking pretty loud what I feel is above 1/4 load. I just wondered if a 2000 would run this A/C at the eco throttle 53db and not run wide open. I can deal with refueling I just want a quiet idle. What I want to do is keep it in my truck bed under the bed cover and essentially have something quiet enough to Wal-Mart camp without drawing attention to myself.

[GHen]

On the Honda 2000, ( now they are 2200), you can hook up to an auxiliary fuel tank and will will run all day/ night. Some use an outboard motor type tank with an adapter kit for the gas tank on the generator.

[ttavasc]

A 2000 watt should run the wall mount fine. We use a Champion 2000 for our 8000 btu wall mount though it doesn't like to do so in the "economy" mode until after it's started. Then I can switch it back to "economy" mode. I believe the 8000 btu spikes close to 1400 watts on startup and requires about 700-750 watts thereafter. I think 2013 and earlier models had a 5000 btu wall mount so the startup and running watts will be a bit less though I don't think I'd go any smaller on the generator than the 2000 watts.

[silverta16]

I believe mine is the 5500 BTU it's very small. Works ok but I see why they upgraded. I guess I'll try to rent one and see how it runs however my local rental places don't have the 2200's yet just 2000's. Be nice if the 2200 would run it at the eco throttle idle it would save me $1000 not to mention the weight and size savings in my bed.

On a side note I printed and read the 2200 owners manual and they have added a crude hour meter to the new 2200's. The run light blinks once for 100 hours, twice for 200 hours, and so on.

[silverta16]

I bought the 2200i and have been using it a couple weeks now. Works amazing it will run the side window A/C unit on just the ECO idle. I mounted it in the bed of my truck and it's super quiet and works well. Will run about 5 hours on a tank of gas. Now I think I'm going to convert it to run on propane, Hutch mountains kit runs 33 hours on a single propane cylinder with 1/4 load.