Diesel v. Propane Generator??? (View/Navion 24v)

[al1florida]

Originally Posted by Old Navy

I've read that Onan has finally come out with a quiet inverter RV generator (QG 2800i) but have not seen one in the wild. Hopefully RV manufacturers will make them standard. Unfortunately, it will take a decade or more before they outnumber the old jackhammers that some folks run late into the night while you try to enjoy your campfire, the stars and some quiet peace. Yeah, I know I'm grumpy. Last trip, I had to walk over to another campsite and ask the guy to shut his off.

Looking online at the specs for the Onan 2800 and the Honda 3000 the Honda is somewhat quieter. Both around the same price @ $2500.

[al1florida]

Originally Posted by johnh123

When you use the generator to power home appliances, are you just running long extension cords? Or is there a way to tap directly into home power?

If you are asking about using your RV generator to power a house. To connect the RV generator directly to the house requires a transfer switch at the house connection to keep from feeding the electricity out to the power lines.

So typically to power things like a fridge or freezer in a house you would run an electric cord to the appliance.

We did just that last week in San Antonio when we were w/o electric for about 60 hours. We ran a cord in and ran the fridge for a while to cool it down, then plugged in the gas furnace in the house to heat up the house, then connected to the TV for the evening.

[Old Navy]

Originally Posted by al1florida

Looking online at the specs for the Onan 2800 and the Honda 3000 the Honda is somewhat quieter. Both around the same price @ $2500.

His test was measured, but the Onan had the advantage of being in an enclosed compartment vs the Honda being outside. Measurements INSIDE his coach might favor the Honda. Onan touts the new vibration dampeners as 89% "better" at full load, so hopefully they help with the inside noise/feel.

[sajohnson]

Originally Posted by johnh123

When you use the generator to power home appliances, are you just running long extension cords? Or is there a way to tap directly into home power?

As with any generator, you could use a transfer switch -- both utility power and generator power are connected as inputs and the user selects one or the other as the output.

Of course the generator will only be able to run a handful of loads, so sometimes a "critical loads" sub-panel is installed. That's what we do here at home with our UPS system (2 inverters and 16 GC batteries).

Another option is to just use the existing main panel and turn off all of the large loads, leaving just the breakers for what you want the generator to run turned on.

(There is a method called backfeeding that does not use a transfer switch, but it is illegal in many places due to the potential danger to linemen if the main breaker is inadvertently left on. It's best to use a switch).

That said, for infrequent use, most people just run extension cords. Of course, the shorter the run the better, and ideally #10 gauge (or at a minimum #12) cords are used to minimize voltage drop and maximize available power.