Portable Generator hookup

[margri1]

I have a Jayco X17Z and am a novice trailer camper. We are interested in boondocking but I have a CPAP machine. Since I can't run a generator all night I was wondering how others solved this problem? I have been looking at the Harbor Freight Predator 2000 and also am not sure what I need to charge the battery from the generator.

Thanks for the help,
Mark Griffin

[RogerR]

Your built in charger will work. I don't know if a separate charger would work better but either would take several hours to charge your battery.

Make sure you have enough battery to carry the Cpap load and some other lights, water pump , etc. You might consider adding capacity.

Have you considered a solar array? They have backpack style ones that might do the trick.

To use the genny
start it after fueling, let run for a couple of minutes
plug in trailer with a 30 amp to standard plug converter
Make sure you don't have any loads on the 120 volt RV system.
After that you can add loads to test the generator to see what it will work.

[RMartin]

I use a resmed s9 series cpap. I purchased a resmed converter to run off of 12v battery power. I ran 10ga wire from the trailer battery to a socket (cigarette lighter type) that I mounted in a closet wall by the bed. My cpap uses very little trailer battery each night. The converter says it will run the cpap and humidifier both but it won’t. I use it without the humidifier and suffer no problems for the short time we boondock.
I assume you are looking at a generator in the 2000 watt range. Most come with charge leads but if not they are very reasonable to purchase. Generators of this size normally have charge rates of 10 amps or less. You will most likely get quicker charging by plugging your trailer power cord into the genny, plus it is much easier than hooking cables to the battery. Your trailer has a converter that charges your battery automatically.
If you are looking at generators in the predator price range I would encourage you to look at the AiPower sc2000 sold by Costco (and others).They do go on sale fairly often and you can’t beat the Costco warranty. They use a second tier Yamaha motor and are blue but are not a Yamaha genny. They are a very capable generator in this price range especially when backed by the Costco warranty.
Hope this is helpful and happy camping.

[John from Central Florida]

I use a CPAP with a 12 volt adapter that plugs into one of my camper’s factory-installed 12 volt sockets. When I boondock it’s usually for several days. I have two batteries, and use my Champion generator (which I store in my truck) every day for a few hours to bring the batteries back up.