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Old 06-12-2011, 04:53 PM   #21
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Re: Honda EU2000i and Dometic Penguin A/C with SmartStart

Wow!

Makes me want to order air conditioning just to follow your instructions to install the SmartStart

You should contract your services to overseas manufacturers to provide assembly instructions. If you can do SmartStart you can probably do a BBQ!

G
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Old 06-12-2011, 08:37 PM   #22
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Re: Honda EU2000i and Dometic Penguin A/C with SmartStart

As someone who's electrically dyslexic, I am beyond impressed. Winnipeg, huh. When's your next trip south of the border, and how much do you charge?

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Old 06-12-2011, 09:16 PM   #23
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Re: Honda EU2000i and Dometic Penguin A/C with SmartStart

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Originally Posted by Bruce Wray
As someone who's electrically dyslexic, I am beyond impressed. Winnipeg, huh. When's your next trip south of the border, and how much do you charge?

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Isn't that dyslectric?
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Old 06-13-2011, 12:00 AM   #24
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Re: Honda EU2000i and Dometic Penguin A/C with SmartStart

Yup, a shocking condition. I know you'll get a charge out of that bad pun.

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Old 06-13-2011, 12:47 AM   #25
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Re: Honda EU2000i and Dometic Penguin A/C with SmartStart

Hi: All...I'm dyslectric too...but I always have parts leftover as well!!! Alf
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Old 06-22-2011, 01:52 PM   #26
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Re: Honda EU2000i and Dometic Penguin A/C with SmartStart

Honda recommends not running at capacity for more than about a half hour, Doesn't this A/C run at capacity once it's started? Is the smart start just for amp draw for starting? and has no effect with Amp draw once it's running? Do I understand this right, Thanks in advance.
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Old 06-22-2011, 10:03 PM   #27
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Re: Honda EU2000i and Dometic Penguin A/C with SmartStart

Quote:
Originally Posted by gocamp
Honda recommends not running at capacity for more than about a half hour, Doesn't this A/C run at capacity once it's started? Is the smart start just for amp draw for starting? and has no effect with Amp draw once it's running? Do I understand this right, Thanks in advance.
You are correct, the SmartStart is only for starting. Once started, the air conditioner only draws 10 amps with the compressor running and the fan on high speed (the spec sheet says 12.3 amps max but I measured 10 amps in actual operation). The Honda EU2000i is rated at 13.3 amps continuous (1600 watts, 1.6 kVA) so there is capacity to spare. I can't imagine a 11,000 BTU air air conditioner running for more than half an hour in a small trailer, and the cool down time between cycles can only be good for the generator, but it is not necessary. I also checked my manual and I didn't see any warnings about not running at capacity for an extended time although they may have added it for more recent models.
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Old 06-23-2011, 10:26 AM   #28
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Re: Honda EU2000i and Dometic Penguin A/C with SmartStart

Would you happen to know if the converter is also charging the batteries the moment you plug in the generator to the trailer? I wondered if that Amp draw would also be added to the generator total while the A/C is running. I was thinking in terms of boondocking and living in a hot climate, and being cautious since the generator is an expensive piece of equipment. I was wondering if the 10 amps in actual operation was measured from the AC only or the generator plug. Thanks.
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Old 06-23-2011, 04:21 PM   #29
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Re: Honda EU2000i and Dometic Penguin A/C with SmartStart

The 10 amp current reading was for the air conditioner only and was measured just before the shore power enters the breaker panel. The converter charges the batteries as soon as it gets power, so I turned off the circuit breaker to my converter/charger while I was doing the test. I don't know how much current the converter that comes with the trailer draws, and I have already replaced mine with a different one so I can't even go and measure it. I would guess that it is around 6 amps when charging a totally dead battery and then tapering off as the battery gets charged. Since, as you pointed out, the combined load of the converter working at maximum and running the air conditioner would exceed the generator's capacity, it would seem prudent to let the generator charge the battery until it switches from bulk mode to absorption mode before starting the air conditioner.
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Old 07-07-2011, 08:37 PM   #30
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Re: Honda EU2000i and Dometic Penguin A/C with SmartStart

Quote:
Originally Posted by Harold Kroeker
It's been too cold to give it a proper test with the generator. I did plug the trailer into an outlet and recorded a current draw of 10A at max cooling at high fan speed, which only proves that I installed the SmartStart correctly as it says nothing about the starting current. The real test will come on a really hot day when the air conditioner is running for a long time and then cycles. The instructions say to "Allow the SmartStart 5-10 start cycles to optimize itself" and I look forward to watching it learn. I will report back after I have given it a proper test on a hot day with the generator.
We had a nice hot day today so I hooked the generator up to the trailer to see how the SmartStart would perform. I was disappointed to discover that if the generator is in ECO mode, the air conditioner compressor won't start. The generator gives a good grunt and starts to speed up but before it gets up to full power, the air conditioner quits trying to start. After a few minutes the compressor tries to start again but once again fails. The good news is that with ECO mode turned off, the air conditioner starts perfectly every time and the generator doesn't even strain. Once the compressor is started, I can switch the generator to ECO mode and the rpm drops and the air conditioner keeps running until it cycles again. Considering how quickly the air conditioner cools the trailer (I could freeze fish in there), being able to use the ECO mode on the generator would be a real fuel saver and would minimize the generator noise. For now, it is quite useable as it is, but I will continue to pursue the matter.
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Old 07-27-2011, 02:22 PM   #31
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Re: Honda EU2000i and Dometic Penguin A/C with SmartStart

were those wires involved solid or stranded, helps in deciding type of connectors.
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Old 07-31-2011, 08:32 AM   #32
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Re: Honda EU2000i and Dometic Penguin A/C with SmartStart

Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008
were those wires involved solid or stranded, helps in deciding type of connectors.
All of the wires in the air conditioning electrical box and on the SmartStart are stranded.
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Old 06-20-2013, 05:25 PM   #33
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Thanks for your info. I am trailer ignorant, but looking at getting the 19B. Have been trying to decide whether to get the solar or not, but intend to by the Honda2000. Don't intend to do a lot of dry camping, but, who knows once we get into it. Your post was very helpful. Thanks again.
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Old 06-22-2013, 02:39 PM   #34
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I have to agree. I visited Ted at Leighton Lake (he's boon docking) and his neighbors all had Honda 2000i's running - barely noticed them. They didn't need to run their air conditioning units as it wasn't hot - they were using them for charging their boat motors, running their microwaves and of course, their satellite TV's.
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Old 04-12-2015, 09:47 PM   #35
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Dometic SmartStart

I bought this Dometic SmartStart a couple of years ago for installation in our Escape 17 B so that our propane-powered Yamaha Ef2000is generator would run the AC. I didn't get around to installing it that year and in 2014, we decided to order a 19.

So I'm finally cleaning my garage and decided someone else could use this item. eBay is selling them for $165 USED but this one has never been used. The new ones are running between $375-460, depending on whether it's 110 or 220 V. This one is for 110 v.

All the instructions are included. I thought I'd give Escape owners a chance before I offered it on Craigslist or eBay. I'm selling it for $250, plus shipping.

Here's a link to Harold Kroeker's well documented instructions for his installation on his 2011 Escape 19: http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f1...art-799-2.html

I've added photos of the unit plus the instructions included.

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Old 04-13-2015, 08:10 AM   #36
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If you have not taken delivery of your 19 and used the Yamaha EF200IS to start and run your AC, you may want to keep the Dometic SmartStart until you do. The 2000W generators barely start the AC. The AC seems to struggle with the start up and stresses the compressor even with an add on capacitor. Reace recommends turning of all 120V loads during the AC start up..
http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f2...ac-1368-2.html The smart start capacitor that Reace refers to is not the SmartStart single phase single phase soft starter that Klaus is selling.
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Old 04-13-2015, 11:27 AM   #37
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Can anyone explain in simple terms what the smartstart does that the Reace installed capacitor doesn't do? In other words, how is it "better"?
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Old 04-13-2015, 01:23 PM   #38
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IINM, Escape now installs or rather the unit comes with one already installed, check with ETI.
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Old 04-13-2015, 01:26 PM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BCnomad View Post
Can anyone explain in simple terms what the smartstart does that the Reace installed capacitor doesn't do? In other words, how is it "better"?
See post #27 here...
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Old 04-13-2015, 03:43 PM   #40
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Thanks Jim, but that doesn't explain the "how".
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