I have agonized over this problem for months now. Boy, if you could give me some insight on how to resolve this dilemma I would be most appreciative. In your first Encyclopedia you made reference to the use of a high-output DC genset coupled to an inverter for the AC. Our AC load is small and quite manageable. The largest load is hot water and the reverse cycle AC (both about 10 running amps). Intermediate use items are hand tools, microwave, nicad charger, 13 in. TV. So, my selection logic to date goes something along the lines of: Weight: 3.5 kW AC genset is ~280 lbs.; Fischer/Panda DC unit or Balmar Unit 200. This thing is going in a Hans Christian Christina 40. So, space and weight are of a concern. Fuel Consumption: The DC units seem to have a logic control to throttle back the engine depending on the load. I’m not certain if the AC units are loaded up regardless of the AC load on the generator. So, if you are not running at capacity, is your fuel consumption less than full-load?. I’m guessing that the 3.5 kW AC units consume about .3 GPH. Inverter: Regardless of the genset choice, you’ll want one. Unless you want to fire up the genset to heat a sandwich or catch the 6 o’clock news. I’m looking at the Trace 25. It should handle the inductive load of the AC just fine. I am running a house bank of four, 4D AGM batteries. With their low internal resistance they will accept a high rate of replacement charge off a DC unit. So, from your experience in setting up systems, is the 12V genset a good solid technology? Does it do a good job in keeping the house banks up to 13V while running a long term AC load? Any trade-off from one to another that should sway me? Given the above usage criteria, what do you think? Do you cover this subject in more detail in the Encyclopedia second edition? All the best and thanks in advance for your time, Kevin McGreevy