Uncle Dave
2013 3500
Last edited:
Generator question
- Thread starter Delta164
- Start date
ehallspqr
Member
Except he already has the 13,500BTU roof AC so he's stuck with that. I agree with your line of thinking though. Personally I'd go with an efficient AC/DC fridge like an Engel or ARB and a Honda 3K generator. The diesel sounds nice but 400lbs just for the gen-set, then add the enclosure weight? That's allot of added weight for a Sprinter not to mention the cost of the diesel generator. But different requirements require different solutions and that's why no two builds I've seen on the Sprinter forum are ever the same.
The EU3000 is $1900 & 160 lbs. You could mount that off your hitch in a tray. A nice 80-Qt efficient DC fridge is $1400-1600. Add a solar setup and another battery for around $2000. The price would be about the same and he'd have solar. When not using the roof AC the solar would run everything else in his rig.
We are planning to use our generator for short periods. Running the microwave and our small AC when stopped for a few hours etc. Our solar takes care of everything else in the van and the costs is "zero". After the costs of the system that is.
And again there's the reality of how much is he really going to be able to run the A/C? (and we'd know if the OP didn't just disappear from the thread 
) As mentioned earlier long generator runtimes are often prohibited, or undesirable for other reasons (there's no stealth camping with a generator running all day or night.) There's no sense in installing a heavy, expensive generator when the actual running hours per month don't justify it. Unless there is a need for a lot of continuous A/C there are many better options, such as the one outlined above.
) As mentioned earlier long generator runtimes are often prohibited, or undesirable for other reasons (there's no stealth camping with a generator running all day or night.) There's no sense in installing a heavy, expensive generator when the actual running hours per month don't justify it. Unless there is a need for a lot of continuous A/C there are many better options, such as the one outlined above.
Uncle Dave
2013 3500
Seems he did kind of vanish. We all have questions for him.And again there's the reality of how much is he really going to be able to run the A/C? (and we'd know if the OP didn't just disappear from the thread
He said he added up his loads and needed a 6500 and the thread pulled him all the way back to a lone honda 2K and solar. Not quite realistic if he actually added his loads up.
He specifically mention that his friend told him even 2 wouldn't be enough from their experience with them starting 2 compressor based devices simultaneously.
I agree on Engel- love that product have one in my RV storage on a slide out.
I think the OP need to give us some clearer info on his other loads and use so we can be helpful.
My experience is that lots of people who haven't used an RV before completely overestimate the dash AC's ability to cool the whole unit on a 90+ degree day and underestimate their load and or end up using the van in a different way they intended.
Now that you really can't idle the new diesels anymore the option to sit a few hours and sleep with the dash AC running is gone.
UD