Cdnfireman
Active VIP Member
I have the 2000 Honda and I have a northern light camper with the cuby hole that the honda fits perfectly in. I am also a refrigeration Mechanic so A/C is my trade. Your 2000 should run your A/C just fine if a few things go your way #! if your A/C units capacity is 18,000 BTUs or less # 2 you run no other electrical appliances beyoned a light or two. #3 The cord from you RV should plug directly in your Gen set thru a good tight fitting adapter. #4 do not use the econo mode on your gen set (Leave it tacked up steady) #5 On initial start up turn the Thermal stat as warm as it will go then turn the unit on to cool then turn the thermal stat down to the temperature that you want. There by eliminating bringing on the fan and the compressor together.
There is a fan motor and a compressor motor in you A/C unit both have a start current (Lock Rotor Current) 5 to 6 times the run load current so it is important to start them separately hence turning the thermal stat down after the fan is running. If your RV is new the A/C compressor could be a little tight and cause the gen set breaker to trip. It is similar to most moving equipment they tend to break in after a while. Depending on your A/C and the ambient temperature you may not have to observe any or all of the above procedures but they will be a little easier on the Gen Set and the A/C
Even with doing all this a 2000w inverter has a tough time starting the AC load. It's the inrush current of the compressor that causes the unit to trip out. If you're lucky and your AC unit pulls less current on start up then it might work for you. Even the smaller 12K BTU units usually won't start on a 2KW generator, but if you install a bigger start capacitor then it will work, but 15k BTU or larger won't even with the added capacitor. You need more capacity in the genset.
And the Honda 2K companion gensets are illegal in Canada because the way they bond the neutral together in the connection cable is in violation of the Canadian electrical code. They work well, but you've got to go stateside in order to buy them. The dealers up here can't get them or sell them.