Generator Reccomendation

[Retired2024]

Hello all, my apologies if this has already been discussed. I couldn’t find the thread. We just bought a 2025 GD Reflection 337RLS. I’m wondering what would be a good generator to purchase for my 50 amp 5th wheel to power everything. Thank you for your time and comments.

 

[mkevinmarshsr]

If you want to run everything you will want a 5000 watt or more generator. But if you are comfortable picking and choosing what you need at the time you can go with a 3000 - 3500 watt or 2 2000 watt generators. I use 2 2000 watts because they are easier to move and I can run one if that's all I need at the time or I can run both of I need to use the AC.

 

[txloser]

If you want to run everything you will want a 5000 watt or more generator. But if you are comfortable picking and choosing what you need at the time you can go with a 3000 - 3500 watt or 2 2000 watt generators. I use 2 2000 watts because they are easier to move and I can run one if that's all I need at the time or I can run both of I need to use the AC.

I’d agree with this. I’ve got a Champion 3400 dual fuel. Works great and will run one 15k AC. But, it is a pain in the rear to move in and out of my truck bed. 2 smaller ones would be better in hindsight.

 

[pplourd]

I had two 2500 watt Champion generators (39lbs) running in parallel (using propane). I recently sold those and purchased two of the newer 4000 watt Champion generators (55lbs). I also purchased the SoftStartUp and can now run just about anything we need and the generators are still light enough to not present any problems moving them around.

 

[IBEW Sparky]

Hello all, my apologies if this has already been discussed. I couldn’t find the thread. We just bought a 2025 GD Reflection 337RLS. I’m wondering what would be a good generator to purchase for my 50 amp 5th wheel to power everything. Thank you for your time and comments.

We also have a 337RLS but it's a 2019... and I carry a quiet little Honda EU2000i generator that does just fine for us. I can run everything I need just not all at the same time. I primarily use it for keeping the batteries & cell phones fully charged, watching TV, Keurig coffee maker, and so the boss can plug in her electric curlers & hair dryer each morning.
We run our fridge and water heater on propane when using the generator but that won't be an issue with the 2025 model. The Honda easily handles starting and running my 13K BTU bedroom AC unit (without soft start) if needed. If we need to run other heavy loads the AC gets turned off for 5 minutes or so... never been an issue for us. We boondock at the Daytona 500 each year for 10 or 11 nights and the generation runs on average about 16-17 hrs per day. This past Feb it ran for around 170 hrs total on 16 gallons of mid grade gas. I use a Mueller 6.5 gallon auxiliary marine fuel tank hooked directly to the Honda with quick connect fittings and only add fuel to it every 3 days. I also purchased a 50Amp twistloc replacement cord end an made up a small 15' 20Amp cord so I don't have to deal with the big bulky 50Amp cord.

Kohree 50 AMP RV Power Cord Cover... Amazon.com

Here's our setup...

 

[robmcqueen]

Here is a great generator at a very good price. It has remote start and stop. You might think you don't need that but once you have it you will never own a generator without it. It is very nice to be able to start it without having to go outside.

Amazon.com

 

[Jason-Texas]

I have a westinghouse 4500 watt duel fuel, remote start and it has worked great. It will not run both a/c’s at the same time. It’s a little heavy, 100 pounds, I just leave it in the back of truck and run it on the tailgate.

 

[Zetadog]

I purchased two Honda EU3200I, they have the ability to parallel together. I am waiting for the cord for connecting them together as it's still being tested as these are new. They weigh 62lbs each which I can manage. Tried the 2200 watt unit but it was not enough. I would have bought one large one, but it's to much for me and the wife to handle.

 

[Steven@147]

I think a lot of the inverter generators on the market are good, quiet and dual fuel is really nice, the Westinghouse Onan, Honda, Champion, even the Harbor Freight Predator.

Size depends on what you want to run all at the same time, how you like to camp, setup or power available. Glamping? Boondocking a lot or just in case of emergencies? Just to charge the batteries? Lithium batteries and how long and often you need to run it? Can you run some stuff on propane? Then where are you going to carry it. Do you have to lift it in and out of the truck bed? How much solar do you have and battery bank?

We have a Harbor Freight Predator 3500/3000 4 years old, has worked great the 4 times we needed it in emergencies. We do not have solar. I don't like the fact that it is gas only but that is the only one we could find at the time we bought it.
Fridge and H2O heater can run on propane. It weighs about 65# or so and the Wife and I can lift it in and out of the truck bed if necessary but most of the time it lives in the truck bed. In the heat of the summer it comes out of the truck bed and lives underneath the 5th wheel overhang. It' too hot in the 100* summer months to leave it in the truck bed, gasoline and excessive heat in a covered truck bed is not good. It will run everything in our 5th wheel, but not all at the same time.
We just turn things on and off when we need them and don't overload the genny.

 

[COGrandDes]

Hello all, my apologies if this has already been discussed. I couldn’t find the thread. We just bought a 2025 GD Reflection 337RLS. I’m wondering what would be a good generator to purchase for my 50 amp 5th wheel to power everything. Thank you for your time and comments.

We have a Yamaha 6300iSE generator and love it---BUT it's heavy and I just leave it in the back of my truck for the season and then remove in the fall. I added a remote start and love the way it powers everything in our 50A Reflection. I also added soft starts to both of my AC units and that helps the surges when the units start. Just remember---generators are subject to deration for altitude and for propane vs gasoline. Make sure you get one (or two) large enough to use anywhere you are camping. We use ours in CO mountains although I have to say---now that we have a big solar bank and lithium batteries the use of the generator is more for emergencies than normal camping.

 

[Gronk1]

I have both a Yamaha 2000 & a Onan 4500. The Yamaha I take camping when we have shore power for just in case. I add the Onan when we boondock.
Have a deer hoist to load the heavy sucker into the truck.
The small one runs the freezer in the detached garage, the big one the house when the power goes.

 

[IBEW Sparky]

I think a lot of the inverter generations on the market are good, quiet and dual fuel is really nice, the Westinghouse Onan, Honda, Champion, even the Harbor Freight Predator.

Size depends on what you want to run all at the same time, how you like to camp, setup or power available. Glamping? Boondocking a lot or just in case of emergencies? Just to charge the batteries? Lithium batteries and how long and often you need to run it? Can you run some stuff on propane? Then where are you going to carry it. Do you have to lift it in and out of the truck bed? How much solar do you have and battery bank?

We have a Harbor Freight Predator 3500/3000 4 years old, has worked great the 4 times we needed it in emergencies. We do not have solar. I don't like the fact that it is gas only but that is the only one we could find at the time we bought it.
Fridge and H2O heater can run on propane. It weighs about 65# or so and the Wife and I can lift it in and out of the truck bed if necessary but most of the time it lives in the truck bed. In the heat of the summer it comes out of the truck bed and lives underneath the 5th wheel overhang. It' too hot in the 100* summer months to leave it in the truck bed, gasoline and excessive heat in a covered truck bed is not good. It will run everything in our 5th wheel, but not all at the same time.
We just turn things on and off when we need them and don't overload the genny.

I know plenty of people use the harbor freight predator generators and are satisfied with them.
I'll share my experience with a HF predator as "food for thought". During a power outage I purchased a new HF inverter generator that was big enough to take care of all the important items in my house. It ran fine for the first 10-12 hours then my lights started fluctuating up and down almost as if the generator was running out of fuel. I went out to the garage to refuel it and realized it was still half full so I shut off the breaker on it feeding the 30A/240V receptacle and unplugged my cord. I grabbed my Fluke meter and took voltage readings.... I was only getting 70VAC so I shut it all down. Later in the day after the generator cooled down I started it up again to check it out and this time I had extremely high voltages around 285VAC phase to phase... turns out the voltage regulator took a crap after just 1 night.
I got a hard time from HF trying to get a full refund and had damages to both my home and my TT.
Two TVs in the house were toast along with the electronics in my gas oven. Both the sump pump in the basement and my dehumidifier no longer worked. My RV was plugged in so I could keep the batteries charged and use the propane water heater for showers. The damages to the RV were limited to the refrigerator control board and the converter...both were shot and needed replacement.
Never again will I own or use a HF generator.

 

[Steven@147]

I know plenty of people use the harbor freight predator generators and are satisfied with them.
I'll share my experience with a HF predator as "food for thought". During a power outage I purchased a new HF inverter generator that was big enough to take care of all the important items in my house. It ran fine for the 10-12 hours then my lights started fluctuating up and down almost as if the generator was running out of fuel. I went out to the garage to refuel it and realized it was still half full so I shut off the breaker on it feeding the 30A/240V receptacle and unplugged my cord. I grabbed my Fluke meter and took voltage readings.... I was only getting 70VAC so I shut it all down. Later in the day after the generator cooled down I started it up again to check it out and this time I had extremely high voltages around 285VAC phase to phase... turns out the voltage regulator took a crap after just 1 night.
I got a hard time from HF trying to get a full refund and had damages to both my home and my TT.
Two TVs in the house were toast along with the electronics in my gas oven. Both the sump pump in the basement and my dehumidifier no longer worked. My RV was plugged in so I could keep the batteries charged and use the propane water heater for showers. The damages to the RV were limited to the refrigerator control board and the converter...both were shot and needed replacement.
Never again will I own or use a HF generator.

Boy it really sucks when you have something like that happen. I understand your negative review, Ours has worked great and if it should have a problem the progressive industries power monitor wont let the power into the RV.
I wanted the cummins onan but they were not available when we bought.

 

[Butcher]

Everything has the potential of breaking, but why is it HF electrical stuff seem to break more often? Oh yeah, it's because it's twice as cheap as a good one. How are they able to sell it that cheap. Oh yeah, cheap parts.

Good stuff breaks too, seem that it's just less often.

I certainly would be livid if I had all that stuff burned up over a generator.

 

[Dutchman2]

We purchased the Cummins P4500I (gas version). After several storms here in Houston we have @ 125 hrs. of run time. Super quite and run time is excellent and never missed a beat. Have run both A/C units on the RV at the house only. I think it still had capacity left to run the refer/TV. Nothing more. The only two negatives to mention are the oil change drain location is tough to get to and in order to drain the carburetor you must remove the side panel. Quality of the unit was as expected from Cummins. The one major reason for us to purchase this inverter was the size and weight. It is light enough to put in the back of the truck and fits under the BAKFlip MX4 hard bed cover.

Dutchman2