Generator Recommendations

brooks379 wrote:
IMHO 2 Honda ei2000 gens are the way to go. They are light enough you can move them around easy, quiet, hook them together and you have enough power to run the AC. Easy to store away out of sight. Fill them up and they will run all night long. I have had 2 for about 5 or 6 years and they have been 2 of the best little gens I ever could have bought !!

WE PREFER THE YAMAHAS.. HAD BOTH...

mx727 wrote:


Agree. I have the Honda EU7000 and I have a Champion 5500 watt construction generator. That Champion set out side for two years while building a house. Never failed to start. Never had an issue. Ended up selling it to a sub once we had utility hooked up and no longer needed it. People that denigrate Champion have never owned one.

In your opinion, how loud was your Champion construction generator?

I have only one A/C, so I am using a 4000 watt Champion open-frame. However, because I have yet to find a service place that will even look at my Yamaha, I am looking at a dual-fuel Champion 3100/3400 watt model as a replacement.

tdst51 wrote:

GordonThree wrote:

ulvik wrote:
Champion 3100 inverter generator. Read the reviews on here, it has become one of the best on the market and will easily pull your 13,500 btu air-conditioner. We ran our 15,000 btu AC at 7,000 ft and no issues what so ever. Best inverter generator I have ever owned and it was less than half the price of the Honda I had.

I've been reading a lot of good things about this Champion. The wireless remote start seems a good feature too.

I've got twin Yamaha 2k generators, they'll run my 13.5 after I put an aftermarket capacitor on it. Without the cap, starting was hit and miss.

They may be okay, but, I'm sorry, not even in the same class as the Yamahas or Hondas. And you had to put aftermarket capacitor on it? Don't understand that one bit, but whatever. And the Champion just as quiet as the Honda? I don't think so. People may claim that; it's just not true. Maybe within a decibel or two? Maybe, but that is a big difference. Check out You Tube- lots of comparisons.

My Honda EU3000i would not run my single 12,000 btu roof air until I installed the capacitor kit. ON THE ROOF AIR. It does not go on the generator.

I do LOVE my Honda but it will not fit my latest rig. After much research I will likely be installing a Champion 3100

Oh... as for the Champion 4000 watt generator, that sucker is as ear-splittingly loud as people say it is. I can't wait to get my Yamaha generator fixed, assuming it is fixable, so next year I can hold a conversation at a normal volume anywhere near it. The only advantage that it has over my 3000 watt iSE is that the A/C's compressor doesn't play tug o' war with the generator for a brief bit when it comes on.

Hey guys! I know I am a little late to the conversation but hopefully this helps someone out there.

If you require a generator that can run a 13,500 BTU AC unit you will need to look in the 3000W range. An inverter generator such as the Briggs and Stratton 30545 has 3000 surge/starting watts and 2600 rated/running watts and would be able to run a 13,500 BTU AC unit. It also has a display screen which tells you what percentage of the overall output is being consumed.

In addition to power output you should also consider noise emissions. No one wants their campsite to sound like a construction zone. If you are looking for quiet portable power you are in the market for an INVERTER generator (as opposed to a conventional generator). Inverters also produce a "cleaner" power source that is suitable for sensitive electronics such as laptops and smartphones. The inverting process produces a smoother sine wave that will not damage the microprocessors within these electronics.


Many people swear by Honda's and Yamaha's and they are the industry leaders when it comes to inverter generators BUT there are many alternative companies (ie Champion, WEN, Westinghouse) putting forth very competitive products at a lesser price that merit consideration when shopping around for a generator.

I found this website to be extremely helpful when deciding which generator best suits your needs;

quietpowergenerators.com

The "inverters vs generators" page is very insightful and arms you with the knowledge necessary to make an educated purchase. They also have detailed reviews of the latest and best selling inverter generators on the market.

The units that would be capable of powering a 13,500 BTU AC unit are the Briggs and Stratton 30545, the WEN 56310i and the Champion 75537i - all of which are reviewed in detail on the site.

I hope this helps! Happy RVing/camping and all the best,
Dave

Smallest would be the Yamaha 2800is. The Honda 3000i is nice too but bigger, and heavier. Neither are particularly portable. The Honda is considerably quieter.

The Yamaha 2400i would be nice, if it'll run the A/C, you'd have to find someone or some where to try it before you bought. The chart on the Yamaha site says it will not run the A/C.

I've heard the Honda 3000i before, like all day long, if it were me this is the one I'd get.

Just today, I installed a hard start capacitor and my Yamaha 2400 ran my 13.5btu for over an hour, through several cycles and didn't have any problem. It did show the overload light for less than one second right at startup.

I filmed my experience and will be posting on YouTube soon.

Consider also whether the gen will be used (and relied on) at sea level or in the mountains at considerable altitude. I live in Wyoming at 7,000 ft altitude and my gen is derated almost 30% due to the altitude.

Here you go. I filmed my experience yesterday with running my air conditioner.

As you see, my story ends with success. However, if I were buying new again, I would go with a pair of EU2000's so as to not be on the margin.

Yamaha 2400 running air conditioner with hard start capacitor installed.

If I had known about the MicroAir I would have kept the 11K AC on my camper but opted for a 9.2K AC so I could use my Honda 2000i generator. My suggestion is a MicroAir and a Honda 2000i.