urbanhermit70 said:
Man, this " how to power" a van or RV "sucks.
it can suck but it doesn't have to. There is a learning curve and it isn't as simple as "buy this and all your problems go away" but it doesn't have to be frustrating either. We can help a lot but we may need some basic info on your needs, wants, space, budget, etc. Once you start seeing how the information is applied you will begin to understand pretty quickly.
urbanhermit70 said:
Is Champion gas generator quiet?
Champion 3100-Watt RV Ready Portable Inverter Generator with Wireless Remote Start
Champion 3100-Watt RV Ready Portable Inverter Generator
First, there is no "quiet" generator. There are some that are quieter than others but even the quietest can be considered annoying. The one you posted is quieter but not the quietest. The quietest cost roughly twice as much and at are considered a higher end product. On the other hand, this one has a higher surge ability meaning it can start a heavier load or the same load at altitudes the others can not.
In a RV you have two types of devices. Those using 12 volt power such as the lights, furnace, fans, water pump and possibly control boards if it is new enough. To that can be added various other devices such as TV's, DVD players, computer charging, phone, etc. These devices can either be had to run off of 12 volts or be adapted to.
The other kind of power is the type you plug into at your house or 120Vac. The biggest thing on your RV that takes 120Vac is your air conditioner. This will require a larger generator to run if you are not plugged into shore power. Other smaller devices that could not be converted to 12v can be run off of a smallish inverter that takes 12v power and makes it 120v.
So without knowing your needs intimately, lets talk possibilities. We need to see how much power you need for the 12 volt devices as well as those that you need to plug into a inverter. Generally the 12v devices in my trailer can easily run a day on one mid sized Marine battery, usually a few days. A modest, inexpensive and possibly portable solar system could provide for these needs day to day if the sun shines. SolarBlvd sells a 160w portable for roughly the same cost as the Renogy 100w portable. Depending on your RV the same modest solar system could be mounted up top so you never think about it, the power is just there.
The inverter that takes 12v power and makes 120Vac is sized by the watts needed to run the largest item or combination of items that you want to run. One example is my TV and satellite receiver required 120 watts together and I ran them off of a 150w inverter. Larger items can be run but they require a larger inverter to provide the power, a larger battery to feed that inverter and a larger solar system to replace the power used. My trailer has those larger systems and I can run my microwave and other power hungry devices BUT the size, cost and complexity can be a obstacle to some.
So what to do if you don't want or have room for all pf that gear? That is where your generator come in to play. You size the generator much like a inverter, by what is the largest item you want to run. In your case it will be the roof top air unless you have a wall unit that can take less. A roof top air is generally going to require a generator the size of one like you linked to or two smaller generators hooked together. This you will run to provide 120Vac or shore power as it can be called to run the larger items the inverter will not such as the air conditioner and microwave. The generator can also help charge your battery either while you run other items or just charging alone when the sun does not play nice with the solar.
So your trailer COULD have a system like this.
A battery big enough to cover your day to day low end needs at least one day if not a few.
A modest solar system big enough to replace the power you use day to day.
A modest inverter to run the smaller 120Vac items that you do not want to start the generator for.
A good sized generator to run the big ticket items as well as provide back up charging to the solar system.
Now I have over simplified things because I do not know all of your needs but it is a crude run down of what you could do. On the other end of the spectrum you could run the generator evey day for charging instead of having a solar system or like me you could have a huge solar system, bank of batteries and inverter with a tiny generator as back up.
The possibilities are endless. We just need to find the one that fits your needs/wants/space and budget the best.
