Hey folks. I am looking to purchase a generator for my 30 amp travel trailer. What would be the correct size to get? It is a 27 ft bumper pull. I want it to run the A/C, fridge and perhaps a microwave. Would a 3500 W do the trick? Also, what is a reliable brand? Looking at Honda. Thanks y'all!

I had a trailer about that size. I bought the two Hondas you put in tandem. 'Still have the Hondas. In a weather emergency, it's nice to be able to loan one to family and keep one for yourself.

Used a 3500 watt to power our similar sized trailer and it did fine. Honda is great, there are many brands to pick from that will work for far less money than honda, but they are not a honda. If noise is important to you your going to spend more if noise isnt a big deal the options are endless and cheaper.

Great info guys!

Honda would be my first choice and what I run.

Something to think about is portability. I use two Honda EU2k in parallel for that reason. A lot easier to move and store.

Can also get an aux tank for them for super long run times

You probably have a 30 amp demand for your TT, not that you’ll need a full 30 often. On supply, 1000 watts gets you about 8 amps, so 3500 gets you to about 28 amp. The dual Honda 2200 watt units, when in parallel, are my choice for generators. They weigh 47# each, so handling them is not too tough.

The other thing you need to know is that most RV parks have a noise limit. The Honda units are quiet. Yamaha, Generac, Westinghouse and others offer similar small quiet units.

I’ve been eyeballing this model for a while. Weighs 100# which is all I’d want to pick up, and is duel fuel. Run it off of RV propane tank, and fuel doesn’t go bad.
https://www.amazon.com/Champion-Pow...5YC5/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Ought to work just fine. And much cheaper than 2 Honda’s. But, 100 pounds vs 47# each for the Honda units. I’m not the strong stud I once was.

I've run a 30 amp trailer off a 3500 w champion numerous times. One thing you will have to watch is if the A/C is running, you can't run the microwave or a hair dryer at the same time without tripping a breaker. I learned about something today that would be a major help in this area. It's called a "soft start circuit" that is wired into your a/c system and prevents the a/c from demanding nearly 10 times the amperage to start than it takes to run and would prevent you from tripping the breaker. It also helps with longevity of the a/c compressor by gradually spinning it up to full speed instead of slamming it on. With that in the system, you shouldn't have any trouble with the 3500 w. BTW, if you are buying a new rv, many of the new a/c systems already have the soft start built in.

I was running the 2 small Honda inverter units but switched last year to the Honda 3500 inverter after adding the soft start capacitor mentioned above. Best upgrade I have done out at camp. Love the ease of turning a key to start the 3500, great economy in “eco” mode.
I got tired of yanking on the pull cords with a tired old shoulder.
I also use 10ga Romex and have the generator box about 90 feet away.

I like the idea of LP for the generator. For about the last 4 years I have been running a champion gas powered 2000 watt generator at the cabin in OK. All I run is a 5500 btu AC. It has been flawless so far.

That Soft start for RV use is something I’ll have added to our TT. Worth the money for sure.

+100 Those things just work.

I've got extensive experience with the honda inverter types. The 3000 IU from Honda are excellent. Also unbelievably quiet which is an added plus when your own enjoying the outdoors.
Just make sure you use stabil in your fuel and try and fill the tank with just the amount of fuel you'll need. The carbs on these guys can be a pain to get to if you need to rebuild.

Since this thread is alive again: I will add that slapping on a new carb is faster, easier and fairly inexpensive on most small gasoline engine equipment, including Honda.

Marc

I personally run and would recommend 2x Eu2000 or 2200

Easier to carry, plus less fuel in winter when just running heater and lights. You can run off one gen.

Yep, new carb is about 60$ and takes 5 mins to install on the Honda.

I have a Honda 3000 Cyclo converter that is great. I also have a smaller Yamaha 2000 watt inverter I use to run my cabin.

I would highly recommend Honda or Yamaha generators. I learned my lesson with my first generator which was a Briggs and Stratton.

I’ve got a Predator 3500 inverter Generator from Harbor Freight that I use with my 32 ft 30 Amp Rv. I was apprehensive about it and had purchased a Dual Fuel generator (initially wanting to run off propane. Well that dual fuel generator was a POS, it was loud didn’t wanna start second time I tried running it and was not efficient running off propane. I cautiously bought the Predator and have been pleasantly surprised. It has yet to let me down, I’ve had it for just over 2 yrs and used it exclusively to run electricity and RV at the lease. I think I have about 175 hrs on it, has electric start and pull cord, I truly am glad I bought it. It’s quiet and I run ethanol free gasoline in it always starts on first or second attempt every time.

Hutch Mountain has a nice upgrade to the Honda 2000s. It lets you turn the generator off with a switch OR run them out of gas for storage. Simple install, unplug the existing plug behind the current on/off and plug the new switch into existing harness. It takes less than 10 mins and works like a charm. They are also the company that has the Easy Start Capacitors for A/Cs.