Cost estimate and recommendations for generator

[a64pilot]

I've seen that thread about the Dometic soft start, they are around $500 I think, and even once started, your still pulling near max output of the Honda, pulling 11 amps or more out of a device capable of 13, is working it real hard, and it sounds like it too.
It can be done, obviously, some people are, just I don't think it's a good, long term solution, two Honda's though are running relaxed as the load is halved of course, but twice as heavy and take up twice as much room.
I installed a 5K AC in the front stateroom, with the idea that one Honda could easily run it and charge batteries, and we could close the door and sleep in comfort on a hot, buggy night and wake up with full batteries.
Myself I would have liked to have had a Northern Lights, but size, weight and cost were against me, but the Nexgen is OK, something in between Honda's and a Northern Lights.
There is something to be said for a generator that all you have to do is push a button and it can run the whole boat.

But it's not for everyone, I went down the generator route after figuring out I needed something to charge batteries, that no matter how big a Solar array I had, it wouldn't get my batteries to 100%, and I may as well make water and that leads me to an AC watermaker, so plan is make water, charge batteries and do a couple loads of wash twice a week or as needed.

So it works out that 1 Honda is 1K 2 of course is 2K
A small built in Diesel is 7 K and a Northern Lights is 16 K
Some big differences there.


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