Just bought a 22' Hi Lo
 

Just bought a 2007 22' Hi Lo. Looking forward to enjoying it. I'll have many questions. My first -- can the air conditioner be run off of a 2000 watt generator?

Welcome to the group!

Hard to say.....but you can check this article and sort it out:

https://www.steadypower.com/pages.php?pageid=133

Welcome, Dave. I may be wrong, but I don't think you'll be able to run the AC off a 2000W generator. The problem is in the starting current, which will exceed the generator's max power rating. Once it has started, a 2000W generator will provide enough power to keep it running.

I think you'll need to use two, 2000W generators to operate the A/C that way.

- Jack

Look at installing solar
Now it wouldn't run the a/c it will help keep your batteries charged up
You'll need 2 2,000 watt generators to run the a/c
I tend to camp where I don't need a/c and just use my ceiling vent fans
I have solar with two group27 deep cycle batteries (had to build a larger battery box to hold the larger batteries on my 2206 towlite)
By switching to LED light bulbs, I can go up to 7 days on battery power(even when I run furnace and water pump)

Welcome! Most of what I have read says you won't be able to run the ac on a 2000 watt generator. I've got one- but I have never tried it for the reasons jack says. I bought a "coupler" device that allows me to link two (champion) generators together and my buddy has one- so that is on my experimentation list for this spring. Some have suggested switching out the capacitor will allow you to do it.....but most of the stuff i have read says it wont work.

enjoy the trailer, though. :) Rick

depends on what your surge wattage is at start up from the ac motor, and then your running wattage, when running constantly. if start up wattage is 2200 or more watts, then no. example if I had an air conditioner, and the surge start up was 1500 watts. I only have a 1300 watt surge generator with 1000 watt continuous output, constantly, when running, then no. 2000 watts wont run a 2000 watt ac unit, not for long wont even start it up.anyways. lol :) also then amperage comes into play with you. you could piggyback a smaller generator to your 2000 watter to boost it, you don't need another whole 2000 watt generator ,you don't need 4000 watts to run yer ac. ?????? get a window ac unit, save yerself money , hassle, and time, and fuel. run it off of generator at half to a 1/4 of what you are now. no ac unit in 2017 should even take 2000 watts to run, or start, unless you got a 50 ft camper.????

you could even try to piggy back from an inverter to it, from solar batteries.!:) give you that extra watt boost you need, its not much you need to boost it to start up. just hook it up a 750 to 1000 watt inverter my old camper I ran 2/ 5 watt cfl's, 2 of them, my tv, my computer desktop, charged my phones and tablet, my outside light, all day and night 24/7 for 4 days, off of 45 watt solar panels, and group 29 100 amphr battery w/20 amphr reserve. battery never fell below 11.4 vdc when there was no sun. that's when charge controller kicked in. really 2/ 2000 watt generators for 1 ac unit? I doubt that seriously, to me.
thanks mike

I've seen youtube vids of guys that modify the starting procedure (using capacitors, delaying fan,etc) of the stock ac. there are also models of ac's that run off lower 2k generators. It's either that or parallel two generators.

right! it can all be modified ,but you don't need 2/ 2000 watt generators. to start 1 2000 watt ac unit.

If it's stock you do.

well if it was mine it would not be stock for long! LMAO! I also still don't believe it. two 2000 watt generators to start 1 2000 watt ac unit, come on? that's insane! :) if left alone, I ran my roof top ac in my 17 foot predator off my solar battery/inverter alone. lol :) it was a 1976 camper. with roof top ac. see 1st pic. also not trying to argue with any one. just disagree with what's being said.

Try it then let us know if it works.

And, I didn't intentionally try to mislead anyone with my saying it would take a second, 2000W generator to handle the starting load. I believe a single, 3000W generator would do the trick too. But, from the question, I was operating under the assumption that he already had a 2000W generator and that a second identical generator would be cheaper, and more useful than a new 3000W unit.

- Jack

oh, I misunderstood jack ,sorry. didn't mean anything by it. also never said you tried to intentionally mislead anyone at all! I haven't ever thought that at all.

also, I said, I just got this it will run rooftop ac no problems. so I don't think you need 2000 watts! I got this one brand new not even out of the box yet. that will peak 4000 and constant 3250.. so why do I need to try and hook up to the 4000 watts to other stuff? I have 110vac window ac, anyways.
lol
:) run it all my friend! :)
thank you!
that guy! :) =nice to meet you! :)
Power to keep things running. Perfect for emergencies,
> > camping and more, with 120-volt and 12-volt outlets.
> > •4000 peak/3250 running watts
> > •7 HP OHV engine
> > •Runs up to 10 hours at 50% load on 20 lbs. of LP
> gas
> > •Automatic fuel shutoff safety valve
> > •Operating noise less than 68dB
> > •Two 120-volt AC outlets
> > •One 12-volt DC outlet
> > •EPA-approved
> > •Includes hose/regulator
> > has battery cables and spark plug wrench
> > •90-day limited warranty

My bad, like Jack I misunderstood. I thought you were trying to run a 2k watt generator to run a stock a.c. Nice to meet you too.

Yes, Mike - that 4000 peak Watt, 3250 continuous Watt rated generator should have no trouble running the roof AC.

- Jack

I said you cant run an AC with 2000 watt generator (that is my peak watts on my Champion-not running watts) but I should have said you can't START one. So, in that case, I would run two in parallel to start it. With a good 3000 watt generator or a bit better my hope would be you could start it with just that.

Rick

Thanks for the generator thoughts. I have completely abandoned that idea. What follows is a post I made on the furnace sub forum:

We are on our shakedown cruise on our new, to us, 2008 22' Hi Lo. We are at Nehalem Bay State Park in Oregon and it has rained for three days. Having a problem with the furnace. Initially it fired up and ran through several cycles successfully. On the morning of our second day it wouldn't ignite and run. I noticed the flashing red light fault indicator. After accessing several web sites I learned that one flash followed by a 3 second pause, followed by another flash (which is what our furnace was doing) meant there was a air flow constriction or possibly a problem with the upper level sensor switch. I also noticed the manual reset switch on the furnace unit. I reset the switch and the furnace fired up and ran successfully through several cycles when it failed to ignite again. We have repeated that pattern several times. We also purchased an electric space heater which is working fine. Now, my questions. First, any ideas about why the furnace is behaving the way it does? Finally, am I doing any damage to the furnace by using the reset switch to restart the furnace?

Actually the shake down is gong well. We love the trailer. It tows well with our Ford Expedition. The trailer is dry and stuff, except for the furnace, works well. We own a couple of boats and are used to fixing things. I do worry about the lifting system, since that seems difficult to fix and can be a tripender. We are going to enjoy this!

The lifting system is actually very trouble-free, if you apply the recommended maintenance. Keeping the guide bar clean and lubricated and inspecting and lubricating the cables are the main things.

- Jack

I have a 2001 22 ft towlite and the lift system is one of the last things I worry about. It is pretty straight forward and, I agree, if you take care of it it will likely take care of you. If something goes wrong it seems to be a pretty straight forward trouble-shooting scenario and enough folks have fixed them that I cant believe yu run into something that isn't covered on a past thread. Enjoy it.

Rick

Something kind of bad happened
 

We enjoyed our three day shake down cruise in the rain at Nehalam Bay State Park. We learned the trailer is dry and we have some work to do to determine why the furnace works sporadically. All was good until a kind of downer thing happened as we were lowering the trailer to its towing configuration. Since the trailer is new to us we were being very careful to follow all of the rules and advice we had learned through reading and watching videos. We were paying close attention to make sure the trailer was level during the lowering. Very shortly after I pushed the button to lower the trailer, we heard a loud pop. We quickly raised the trailer and noticed the rigid panel between the galley and head on the sink side had buckled. Subsequent attempts to make the panel descend into its slot were unsuccessful. Since the buckled panel had a new "hinge" we were able to remove it from its slot and lower the trailer. When we arrived home we raised the trailer and probed the slot with a yardstick to determine if something had fallen into the slot to obstruct the lowering of the panel. The yardstick encountered a few bumps but nothing that seemed out of place. We are left with the conclusion that, regardless of how cautious we had been with the leveling, the panel became bound up as is descended into the slot and the binding created the buckled panel.

Questions: Has this happened to others? Does binding due to a leveling issue and subsequent buckling make sense as an explanation for what happened? If so, how close is the leveling tolerance? We ask because it is hard for us to think we could have been any more level than we were. Is there another explanation for what happened? Finally, what is the best source for a replacement panel?

Stuff happens! We are looking forward to many enjoyable days with our Hi Lo.

Dave:

Sorry about your problem, I know you hated to have that happen! In my experience, the trailer doesn't have to be perfectly level to lower properly. I would suspect some binding....somehow, but am sure you examined the broken panel for anything that might have caught on the frame (especially the sides of the panel).

You might get a replacement from J&R Repair Home - JR REPAIR
but I would think you can make one for less than the cost of shipping.

You'll get everything sorted out soon!

Yow! Sounds like you were the victim of a bad design. From what you posted, I can't see how you could have been more careful.

My 17' trailer does not have the rigid panel you speak of. It uses a heavy fabric panel between the ceiling and the edge of the sink counter. It is permanently fastened at both the top and bottom and it simply folds when the top is lowered.

At the entry point to the toilet area, there is a swinging lower door attached to the lower half and then there is a sliding curtain (again, fairly heavy cloth) that closes the upper half to afford privacy. We've never found this setup to be wanting, even with grandchildren aboard.

Possibly, you could modify your trailer to have something similar? I could post pictures if you are having trouble visualizing my setup.

- Jack

I, also, have the fabric and not the rigid panel on my 22'. I get people wanting the rigid panel as it gives the illusion of a "real wall" between bathroom and the rest of the trailer but it was something they started to add in later years. Mine has a heavy fabric but in years before mine they used what always looked to me like those old wood slat shades that rolled up---somehow I always thought of Hemingway and Florida when I would see them. Anyway- I've always wanted some and have thought of finding some and replacing the fabric but my wife is not as enamored as I am. At any rate, yes, try to get another one or make your own or switch back to the fabric style which doesn't have the "sliding into a slot" issue. I wonder if the bottom wall could have shifted just a bit for any number of reasons ( including the stabalizer jacks or other leveling issues) and that caused the issue. You might want to attach (tape?) a yard stick there temporarily and try raising and lowering to see if you notice vertical alignment issues. usually when mine doesn't lower its because I have left something out on a counter top or have left the wardrobe lid up. :)

Edit: Here is a link for a post showing a similar issues: https://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f31/interior-wall-3741/

Rick