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TurnerFam · 05-07-2020, 01:05 AM

BUT....

from a practical 'financial' comparison, and using the assumption that you DO have an onboard generator, that you have ALREADY PURCHASED as part of the RV, you are then purchasing ANOTHER generator, let's say at $500, and ALSO then purchasing the 'special a/c starting capacitor' for another $200, you are now $700 in the 'hole', versus just using the BRAND NEW onboard generator, which DOES have the capacity to 'correctly' power your a/c unit WITHOUT any additional cost or device to purchase.

With that in mind, $700 is worth maybe 350 gallons of gas, if a $2 per gallon is used.
The 350 gallons of gas, if used at a rate of 1/4 gallon per hour(not 1/2 gal per hour because that is at the MAX output rate of the generator, which is not required to simply run an air conditioner, since as you stated, that's ALL you would be powering), you could then extrapolate that out to 1,400 HOURS of onboard generator run.

1,400 HOURS of your generator 'running', and 'just for a/c usage' for this comparison, since that's all you'll be using any additional separate 'generator' for, is a LONG, LONG amount of 'camping' time to be anywhere CLOSE to comparing to the dollar purchase of the aforementioned items.
1,400 hours equates to 175 DAYS OF CAMPING if you used this method for 8 HOURS straight per day!

175 Days of 'camping', for most anyone using their camper for weekends, or vacation during the summer, etc., makes for probably several YEARS of general usage, as every day is NOT a day where the air conditioner will be needed, especially during the temperate months during Spring and Fall, and certainly not during the winter, or during any storage.

I get that 'fuel' usage might be a first thought for some, but since the onboard generator is already there, ready to be used, is already very capable of powering everything onboard, and at the same time, and is easy to start, is easy to store, is easy to carry, is easy to fuel, carrying a smaller generator, then.... well, you get the idea.

Yes, if money is not object, then go for it.