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2021 GD Reflection 303RLS - Looking for advice on installing a 50amp generator
2021 GD Reflection 303RLS - Looking for advice on installing a 50amp generator
Hello everyone, We do a lot of off road camping and we are looking at adding a 50 amp generator to our 2021 Reflection 303RLS. Has anyone added this to their rig?
Are you wanting to feed your full 50A RV service? If so, that takes a 12,000W generator, which is going to use up a significant part of your trailer payload and will likely cause pin weight issues. And it will be noisy. And expensive. Not sure where you’d fit such a beast.
If you just want a single 50A phase, which is half of what you get with a 50A shore power connection, that is 6000W. Generally RVs are equipped with Onan 5500W generators which is about 45A.
Most 5th wheel owners who use generators use smaller portable generators. 3500W will run an air conditioner and keep the battery charged as long as you use LP for the refrigerator and water heater.
Thank you. I had a Onan 5500 gold marquis in my last 37 foot toy hauler which was quiet and handled everything we needed. Currently have a portable 3500w predator, which works great for one AC and a few other things as needed. Usually run refrigerator and water heater on LP.
We good to Parker, AZ a lot in the summers where it gets 110+ degrees and was thinking about added generator that could handle both AC during this time as well. When the rv park shore power goes out, it is brutal with 1 AC trying to keep rig cold.
Still trying to figure this new rig out and if I should add it at all.
Redondoraptor I would think it would be tricky to install a generator into a 303, I do not think generator prep is an option, so you would need to fabricate exhaust and propane runs yourself, definitely do-able but not an easy task. If you are thinking of one that large in the back of the truck, the would be do-able, but heavier than I would want to manage lol. I carry the Champion 3500w which I run off of propane (which causes a power loss) and can run both AC units off of it as long as they are on low and I put the water heater on gas. Trick is to start one, and wait for it to ramp up before I start the other. Then I set the thermostats low enough that they will not cycle on and off so I do not risk them coming on at the same time. The Victron Multiplus inverter is a huge help here, so if something comes on and overloads me it fills in the gap until things stabilize.
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Neil Citro
2018 Reflection 28BH Pepwave
2019 F350 6.7L Long Bed Crew Cab
I'm going to tag Paul C. to this thread. He installed an Onan generator in the battery compartment of his Reflection 337RLS which is similar in size to the 303. Maybe he can share his experience.
We installed a Onan 5500 in the front compartment of our 2020 303RLS. It will fit but it is tight. You have to make a frame to raise it off the floor and that frame has to be ducted so to speak to keep the cooling and exhausted (warm) air separate. You will also need to build a shroud metal shroud around it for a fire break. I also added a small outside access door to be able to access the jack on the left side for servicing. It is doable and works very well. It is quiet and will run both AC at once. I will attempt to upload some pictures.
U can use a soft start on both of your AC units to alow them to come on when they want too and use a smaller genset. the cost is around 275 each so that is a 600 dollar up grade so u can use a smaller genset. just another option
U can use a soft start on both of your AC units to alow them to come on when they want too and use a smaller genset. the cost is around 275 each so that is a 600 dollar up grade so u can use a smaller genset. just another option
Redondoraptor , Ed Pauly is right on. Today I am going to install 2 Micro-Air soft starts, they are relatively simple to install. On my old TT I could run my dometic 15k unit on my little Honda 2200I with no issues (but I could not run much else AC power wise, but its pwr mgmnt at that point).
ncitro also brings up a great point! The Victron multiplus is a beast! Its amazing what it can do. If you add a Split Phase Selector (SPS), you can even run both sides of the 50A service.Unfortunately, I am on a waiting list to get one!
With both AC's on the Soft Start from Micro-Air, (which are $35 buck off right now), I can run both my 15k and 13.5k A/C units on a 30 amp if needed or two 2200I Honda generators. I highly recommend visiting the AMSolar website for more details on the Victron and SPS.
Hope you don't get lost down the rabbit trail....lol.
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