Two 2300 watt generators in parallel - not powering coach!??

[54Fun]

I just bought (2) new 2300 watt Ryobi inverter generators. Then bought a simple parallel inverter kit from Harbor Freight to combine them to double the power, and give me a 30amp outlet. My travel trailer is a new 36' 50 amp with 2 AC units (a 15K ducted, and a 13.5 in the bunkhouse). So I hook everything up, fire up the generators, plug in the coach (50 amp cord, dog-boned to a 30 amp). I made sure the AC units were off. The fridge is residential, so that would draw also. I kicked on the main AC unit (15K) on low....generators spiked, AC started up for a couple of minutes...but generators were almost full load, seemed out of sync, then overloaded. Tried again, same thing. disconnected everything, fired them up solo, and they smoked a bit on startup. Really bummed...thought this would be PLENTY for what I'm doing. I've essentially got 4600 starting watts, and 3600 running watts. Whats going on here? Any feedback is appreciated!

[BFlinn181]

Your 50 amp RV service is two legs of 50 amps on each one, for a total of 100 amps. So, it would seem that each generator could be used to power one leg of the power and you'd be good to go. EXCEPT that the two legs of 50 amps are 180º out of phase from each other. This explains why the neutral wire can be the same size as either of the two hot legs, at no time does the neutral wire ever see more than 50 amps because they are out of phase.

To further muddy things up, you're using a 30 amp > 50 amp dogleg, which takes the one hot lead of the 30 amp service and splits it into the two 50 amp hot legs of your RV. At a maximum of 30 amps, distributed to both legs of your RV breaker box, you'd never exceed 50 amps at the neutral even though the two hots would be in phase with each other since they come from the single hot of the 30 amp service.

Reading the manual for the HF parallel inverter and viewing some YouTube videos, I still don't understand how it would help with 50 amp RV service. No mention in the manual about matching phases of the two generators, but that must be what it does. It wires two like inverter generators and has two 30 amp plugs on the panel. How do you wire it to a single 30 >50 amp dogleg?

I'd be very afraid for your electronics in the RV with this setup.

[aether_one]

Why didn't you get the Ryobi parallel kit? The HF kit is only good for 3200 watts.
Between the AC, Refrig, Converter and other AC loads you were overloading the generators. You didn't have the water heater on electric also did you?

[twinboat]

The Ryobi 2300 generators are 1800 watt units. The 2300 watt is only a surge rating.

15 amps is 1800 watts at 120 volts, so one generator won't run your 15000 but AC unit in hot weather.

Now, combined, your down to 3600 watts or 30 amp service. That's if the Harbor Freight parallel kit is compatible with the Ryobi generators. From the sounds of your test, it's not.

You could try the Ryobi parallel kit and see if that helps.

Unless you switch off everything else in the RV, including the battery's converter/charger and fridge, your going to have a difficult time running 2 AC units. That's why RVs with 2 AC units are wired for 50 amp service.

[Searching_Ut]

Are you sure the HF parallel kit is compatible with your generators? As has been mentioned it is often difficult to know just how much power you’re using if you don’t have a monitoring system. My 80 watt progressive dc converter draws around 1600 watts for a short period of time when the batteries are low. The water heater only slightly less and even my RV refrigerator draws close to 600 watts on electric. The 18cf polarmax units are power hogs. You’ll also have other parasitic loads such as the tv’s microwave, possibly satellite receiver etc. all of which tend to have some parasitic draw. Do you have any way to measure your actual power draw?

[54Fun]

Originally Posted by tfryman

Why didn't you get the Ryobi parallel kit? The HF kit is only good for 3200 watts.
Between the AC, Refrig, Converter and other AC loads you were overloading the generators. You didn't have the water heater on electric also did you?

Ryobi kit hasn't been available. I've read several things where people were using the HF kit (seems very well made) and having no issues. That rating is per generator (I called HF - they said that kit is made to support up to (2) 3500 watt gens). So I'm not 100% sure it ISNT the kit...but who knows. Other minor note is the Ryobi parallel ports are non-polarized, versus the kit has polarity. I think thats all meaningless since that circuitry is in the generator, right?

[54Fun]

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

Your 50 amp RV service is two legs of 50 amps on each one, for a total of 100 amps. So, it would seem that each generator could be used to power one leg of the power and you'd be good to go. EXCEPT that the two legs of 50 amps are 180º out of phase from each other. This explains why the neutral wire can be the same size as either of the two hot legs, at no time does the neutral wire ever see more than 50 amps because they are out of phase.

To further muddy things up, you're using a 30 amp > 50 amp dogleg, which takes the one hot lead of the 30 amp service and splits it into the two 50 amp hot legs of your RV. At a maximum of 30 amps, distributed to both legs of your RV breaker box, you'd never exceed 50 amps at the neutral even though the two hots would be in phase with each other since they come from the single hot of the 30 amp service.

Reading the manual for the HF parallel inverter and viewing some YouTube videos, I still don't understand how it would help with 50 amp RV service. No mention in the manual about matching phases of the two generators, but that must be what it does. It wires two like inverter generators and has two 30 amp plugs on the panel. How do you wire it to a single 30 >50 amp dogleg?

I'd be very afraid for your electronics in the RV with this setup.

Man - I don't know what to say. Thanks for the reply. I thought that its would be the equivalent of providing 30amp shore power, which Ive done at several campgrounds. Those 2 gens in parallel (to my knowledge) act as a single larger generator. More confused....

[54Fun]

Originally Posted by twinboat

The Ryobi 2300 generators are 1800 watt units. The 2300 watt is only a surge rating.

15 amps is 1800 watts at 120 volts, so one generator won't run your 15000 but AC unit in hot weather.

Now, combined, your down to 3600 watts or 30 amp service. That's if the Harbor Freight parallel kit is compatible with the Ryobi generators. From the sounds of your test, it's not.

You could try the Ryobi parallel kit and see if that helps.

Unless you switch off everything else in the RV, including the battery's converter/charger and fridge, your going to have a difficult time running 2 AC units. That's why RVs with 2 AC units are wired for 50 amp service.

I'm going to have to try some further tests, and try to get my hands on the Ryobi kit

[LETMGROW]

Before you ruin your entire electrical system why not cal Ryobi and ask them?
Lynn

[54Fun]

Originally Posted by Searching_Ut

Are you sure the HF parallel kit is compatible with your generators? As has been mentioned it is often difficult to know just how much power you’re using if you don’t have a monitoring system. My 80 watt progressive dc converter draws around 1600 watts for a short period of time when the batteries are low. The water heater only slightly less and even my RV refrigerator draws close to 600 watts on electric. The 18cf polarmax units are power hogs. You’ll also have other parasitic loads such as the tv’s microwave, possibly satellite receiver etc. all of which tend to have some parasitic draw. Do you have any way to measure your actual power draw?

I really don't have any way to measure. I did order another kit (in lieu of the fact that the Ryobi kit is not available) This one. I'll try it. Just worried about hurting the gens. The wiring seems pretty straight forward...but...

[54Fun]

Originally Posted by LETMGROW

Before you ruin your entire electrical system why not cal Ryobi and ask them?
Lynn

Yes, agreed. Calling them tomorrow

[aether_one]

Originally Posted by 54Fun

Ryobi kit hasn't been available. I've read several things where people were using the HF kit (seems very well made) and having no issues. That rating is per generator (I called HF - they said that kit is made to support up to (2) 3500 watt gens). So I'm not 100% sure it ISNT the kit...but who knows. Other minor note is the Ryobi parallel ports are non-polarized, versus the kit has polarity. I think thats all meaningless since that circuitry is in the generator, right?

Who at HF told you that? The cashier? The specs clearly state a maximum draw of 30 Amps, 3200 running watts, 4000 surge watts.

[54Fun]

Originally Posted by tfryman

Who at HF told you that? The cashier? The specs clearly state a maximum draw of 30 Amps, 3200 running watts, 4000 surge watts.

Funny. I called Predator Generator (HF) product support group with the same concern. I was told this unit is built to support up to 2 of their Predator 3500 generators, and if you look in the owners manual on their 3500, it also has parallel kit plug, and the manual states (at the bottom of page 5) only use an approved Predator RV Parallel Inverter Kit (there is only 1). That being said - where would the limitation for that be? In the wiring? Because that's all it is.

[aether_one]

Well the manual clearly states the OUTPUT specification, not the input specifications: