Recommendations for generator - it doesn't have one!

[Wyochief]

 I have a Minnie Winnie that I bought in great condition everything works in it, and I really had to put very little work into it other than new batteries new tires that sort of thing. And when I put the new batteries in I put a large deep cycle marine battery in the RV compartment. And then if the back of the RV there is a compartment for a generator. The previous owner,  he's actually the son of the original owner, stated that there was never a generator actually in there as far as he can remember.
I do plan on doing some camping were I'm going to need a generator, and I am living in it part time at the moment but soon to be full-time. My question is what kind of generator should I be looking at? And I'm not necessarily concerned with the brand as much as I am the specific output of the generator and what would be a normal or reasonable output? Also I'm assuming that just a straight generator would be fine, as I believe it has a inverter already? And the reason I say that is because with it running on the marine battery, where that attaches I believe that's an inverter that's in there.
When it comes to electrical and electricity, wiring and things of that nature oh, I was one who would always hire a professional to do it. So my knowledge is pretty Limited in that department.
So any help suggestions advice is most welcome. Thanks in advance

[Oz]

What size you need depends on how much draw you will have.  The typical RV sizes are 3.0, 3.5 wnd 4.0.

There should be existing wiring in the box even if it wasn't ordered originally without a generator.

[Eyez Open]

While I am not a fan of Chinese mfg at all the below genset is hard to pass on. One can actually get a pair of them to run in parallel and it works. My neighbor has them, above and beyond that they harbor freight that is has a 20% off sale. That is where it gets to good to pass on.

3500 Watt Super Quiet Inverter Generator

https://www.harborfreight.com/3500-watt-super-quiet-inverter-generator-56720.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiNDk0MTE0OTUiLCJza3UiOiI1NjcyMCIsImlzIjoiNzk5Ljk5In0%3D&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12233891969&campaignid=12233891969&utm_content=128910997566&adsetid=128910997566&product=56720&store=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_4-SBhCgARIsAAlegrU4hYxt8p79vNQ3GIdp8wByrDZ0qisaSDTP8Q18BeM2tgW_PpvKaSQaAntREALw_wcB

Running in parallel, there you have 50 amp your service

https://youtu.be/vXA-vPpXRpI

[Wyochief]

Yeah that's a good price for that size, I guess were I'm getting confused and not really sure is a straight generator is half of that price, as opposed to that one which has the built-in inverter. Should I guess I'm just kind of getting confused. Because the generators I've looked at have the ability for me to just plug in from the RV. Show I guess I'm confused on the whole inverter portion of it. I mean I understand what the inverter does because I've had one in a vehicle from before so I could run certain Electronics. Yeah I guess I'm just completely confused.

I guess the highest drawing appliances I have in the RV is the furnace which I rarely used as I have a small space heater that heats it fine. But I do have the furnace I guess if it gets bitter cold. I also have the refrigerator that runs off of it oh, and then the roof AC that does work. So yeah I guess I'm just not sure of exactly what I need.

[eXodus]

Depends on how much money do you have to play with and how often do you go camping.

Solar + Lithium Batteries is getting great options for people which use the RV more frequently and value silence.
https://www.mobile-solarpower.com/

I've decided since I'm using the RV more then 60 days in a year - and I live in a Sunny Climate - that Solar is the way to go.

Gasoline generators need maintenance, oil changes etc.  They look cheaper on first impression, but after a few years the expensive Gasoline and parts add up.
Solar is more expensive upfront, but that's it.  Cry once, be done.

[Wyochief]

Well I'm not actually going to be using it for camping per se, I'm going to be living in it full time by the end of the summer. And I actually plan on doing most of my living in the RV, at RV site or somewhere that I can plug in. I honestly don't plan on boondocking dry camping whatever you call it where I don't have access to a plug-in that often. To be honest it would probably be 60 days a year or less that I would need a generator. And I guess that's where I'm confused about what exactly I need. I am very confused when it comes to electricity and such. I realized AC is what I have in my house excetera and DC is what my vehicle is but beyond that yeah I'm a little sketchy to put it mildly.

[Wyochief]

I guess the best way to sum it up is if somebody can explain it to me and just assume you're talking to an idiot i?? :)rotflmao because yeah when it comes to the whole electricity thing I am not good. Now as a retired paramedic, if it's the human body I can do it but yeah machines have not been my forte.

I'm planning on being down in the Tucson area for most of the winter but I have a site there that I can plug into. During the summer I'll be up in Wyoming where I currently live and again I should be parked most of the time where I can plug in. But I would say 60 days or show a year I'll need a generator or something because I'm not going to be where I can plug in. So I don't know if that helps or if I'm just a hopeless idiot i??

*EDIT*
I guess the only other thing I would say is I'm kind of cheap. I'm also going to be on a fixed-income after August of this year so yeah I'm just trying to figure out what would be best financially and in the long run

[Eyez Open]

Don't be confused first off. The very first thing to do is measure the size of the old generator compartment. Does one of those generators fit? Or does two fit?

Next find a say retired electrician or just a electrician, ask the person if he sees a problem hooking up a new gen to the old existing line's. They should still be there. Get a bid on new installation..It is 8th grade work for a electrician.

Do not let those harbor freight GenSets fool you, I've seen them in operation for three yrs, never missed a beat.

https://www.consumerreports.org/inverter-generators/harbor-freight-predator-62353-vs-honda-eu2000it1a1-recreational-inverter-generator-a4476145493/

The big issue is how much room you have for a genset, and is the original wiring still intact. Buying a genset is simple, they all put out ac voltage. They all burn gas, they all put out a certain amount power..it's just how much you need,,running a air conditioner takes 20 amps by itself, electric heaters are power hogs to..15 amps I believe...I hate the little things




https://www.consumerreports.org/inverter-generators/harbor-freight-predator-62353-vs-honda-eu2000it1a1-recreational-inverter-generator-a4476145493/

Can a Harbor Freight Generator Really Beat a Honda?
In CR's face-off, one of these popular recreational inverter generators costs half as much as the other


Oops I missed or glossed over the below question, read the CR report. The predator has a very well designed inverter.

"Yeah that's a good price for that size, I guess were I'm getting confused and not really sure is a straight generator is half of that price, as opposed to that one which has the built-in inverter."

The inverter generators we've tested from Predator are really refined pieces of equipment, easily meeting power demands and humming along quietly," says Dave Trezza, who oversees CR's generator testing.

In fact, both the Predator 62353 and another model from Harbor Freight, the Predator 3500, rank well enough in CR's ratings for us to recommend.

[Mlw]

If you are going Chinese you have to remember one thing and I really speak out of own experience.

ALL Chinese equipment is build as cheap as possible, and the Chinese really have no shame. As they can build something out of infernal materials, they will! I'm not saying that this is the case with the harbour freights, but it pays of to investigate, read references etc.

Now if there is a western company involved you have a chance they are going to meet the rules and expectations we spoiled westerners are used to, but then you also going to see these appliances are expensive to Chinese standards. The Chinese are however also developing pretty much as the Japanese did in the seventees.

You have to go in it with the attitude "as long as it works, it works". I guess the key is when you have skills to repair things yourself you can find Chines gems, next to my own experiences with Chinese products it is very important that you use it (regularly).


As for your other question you are planning to live full time in your RV and go out camping, the best tip I can give you is to polish up your skills unless you are prepared to pay huge expenses for repairs on the side of the road. Just go to youtube, type in the make and type of your RV and no doubt there will be video's popping up with tips and tricks. It helped me a lot.

As for electricity, It really isn't that difficult. It pretty much is following the line and put + on + and - on -. As you have learned the human anatomy I think you will have no difficulty to learn at least basic electricity as well which pretty much covers the electricity in your RV. you just need to step into it.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

For reference: According to the the 78 Mini-Winne brochure, it could be ordered with an optional 11,000 btu AC and 3000 watt Onan generator (3.0AJ model)

While the Onan RV generators ventilation systems are designed to be installed and run in enclosed compartments, todays portable generators are not. You should set a portable gen outside on the ground away from the rig (ventilation, exhaust, and noise abatement). The standard portable generators are noisy because they are basically designed for job site support.  The newer inverter gen sets are quite because they run at a lower RPM than what a standard portable generator runs (3600 rpm). 

[eXodus]

60 days was my calculation,  that's not a hard and fast rule.  I'm in climate where I would need the generator 12-16 hours a day.

That means - I would be running up to almost 1000 hours a year in usage on the generator   60 days * 16hrs = 960hrs

Most of the cheaper generators have a life expectancy somewhere between 1000-2000 hours.  So I would be burning through a ton of gas on  (500-700 gallons * $4 = $2500) and one generator ($500)  a year.   

So buying a Solar system for $3000 was a no brainer for me.  I get the money back in less then a year with current gas prices, and I don't have to listen to a rattle machine which tries poising me when the wind blows the wrong direction.
I'm off grid with A/C to much so that solar just made sense for me.

But when you are plugged in most of the time - and you time your travel so that you don't need much power for the remainder, you can get by with just small solar charger for your batteries and small Inverter generator to top of.
Solar is easy - watch a few of Will Browse Videos on youtube - he has a beginner series, with all basics