What Generator for trailer AC

[Vegas 250 F]

We have a new 16 x 7 trailer and I want to mount a roof AC unit to keep us cool out here in the Las Vegas heat. What generator should I be considering. Noise and dependability are major concerns, but so is price. Can anyone make a recommendation from experience? I am looking at the Carrier 13,500 AC / heat units. I do not know how much power I need and what features I should get on the generator. Home Depot has a 5000 watt unit for $499 and I also see 3500 watt units on the web for $1500 . . . I am totally confused. Any help here will be greatly appreciated!

 

[MX-727]

Are you or have you looked at the RV roof mount units?

 

[Vegas 250 F]

The CArrier AC unit I am looking at is a roof mount unit. I plan on mounting the generator on the tongue of the trailer.

 

[jeb]

That's a tough one. I went through that a couple of years ago with gensets. The cheaper ones are all too noisy to use anywhere near other campers. To get into the quiet ones, the price at least doubles or more. The one we were leaning towards was a Honda 3kw EUI model, if I remember correctly. Very quiet and Honda reliable. We ended up going a different direction and the Class C RV we got has an 4kw Onan built in generator that is also very quiet. Even with the quiet ones, you won't make any friends by leaving them running all night in a camp area.

 

[Rooster]

Noise is the biggest factor on these things. I have used my construction style generator for running stuff when camping, but I have to run a 100 foot drop cord te get it far enough away to hear myself think. :|

 

[Highbeam]

I have a good shed experiment for you. Attach one of those huge geo metro type mufflers with the tiny inlet and outlet to the generator exhaust in place of or in addition to the sotck muffler. I've always wondered if you could quiet the briggs style motors down with a big ol' muffler. True it will be larger than the stock one but I see a direct realtionship bewtween cost and quietness on generators and since I'm a cheapskate.... You could even test out the theory on a lawn mower engine with a junkyard muffler.

 

[oldguy]

We have the Generac 4000EX (home depot has them for about $700). It supplies the power we need for our toybox air while being resonable sound level. No matter how quiet I guess I wouldn't run any kind overnight unless we were away from the crowd.

 

[MX-727]

My brother has several stories of people waking up in the campground the next morning and wondering why their generator won't run anymore. If you leave one running too late, my understanding is that it will essentially be a boat anchor by morning. :(

 

[Jasle]

Originally posted by oldguy
We have the Generac 4000EX (home depot has them for about $700). It supplies the power we need for our toybox air while being resonable sound level. No matter how quiet I guess I wouldn't run any kind overnight unless we were away from the crowd.

No offence but come visit here in August...You'll run it all night! Pretty much everyone runs them all night while camping out at the track. While probably not proper for campground ettiquite its mandatory when its still above 100ºF at 1:00 in the moring.
Just put the generator on the other side of the tow vehicle away from your sleeping quarters kinda like this. [] [] x with the left brakets being the trailer, the middle being the tow vehicle and the x being generator.
I have seen some really funky homemade mufflers and the do seem to help a bit.
Jason