Dual Honda 2000's Run Time

Our Honda's in parallel cycle up and down in Eco, depending on the load. When off Eco, they run flat out and are very NOISY, even for Honda's. What we are really trying to avoid is draining all three tanks. Taking the generator covers off is a HUGE hassle, and requires the 5th wheel be off the truck in order to lift the cases off. We often
boondock for the night when were moving, not disconnecting. Running out of fuel then would be dammed inconvenient. It is difficult enough refilling the aux tank when connected. Which raises a question. If I refill the aux tank with the generator tanks empty, what do I have to do to get the generator(s) to restart. I read in other RV.Net posts of people installing outboard motor (bulbs) primers to restart the Honda's. Is this what it takes? I am also considering carrying a 5 gallon fuel can to refuel. This will require a funnel with a hose. ugh.

The 4.3 hours per gallon is, I feel, a "generous" estimate. I would be delighted with 30 hours of run time. In a weeks time with the single gen running we still had the gallon in the gen plus a couple in the aux tank. I never tracked the actual hours we ran, although it was no more than necessary to keep the rig batteries fully charged.

I will also comment, when one ran out of fuel, with the AC on, it "stopped" the 2nd generator which still had fuel. Both had to be restarted.
Thanks for all the help
Bill

Let's put it this way:

The BEST you can expect from a running EU2000 is 9.6 hours from a gallon of gas. Source
Running two gens at once consumes twice the fuel, so best case will be 4.3 hours per gallon.

I have the Yamaha instead of Honda, and when they're parallel they run full bore. The 13,500 AC will not start on eco. My 5 gallon Evinrude tank drains fast running both generators, last dry camp I achieved about 12 hours before the tank was nearly empty... I stopped before it started sucking air. EDIT: I should add, when I'm running my generators, they are working hard - running the 125 amp charger on my inverter, as well as the AC unit and dehumidifier.

It's kind of sad how inefficient these little generators are - the 6 horse power motor produces 4.4 kW of energy at peak output, but mechanical and electronic losses from converting that twist into A/C power yields only 1.6 kW of peak electrical output (discounting surge)... 1.6 / 4.4 is only 36% efficient - just sad.

Hi Everyone
I guess I wasn't clear enough in my original post. I have connected BOTH generators to a 6 gallon auxiliary tank. What will our run time be now? The tanks and generators both set in the bed of the truck underneath the front of the 5th wheel. This reduces access (security) but keeps them somewhat out of the sun.
Thanks
Bill

Assuming power draw remains the same, I THINK that running two gens on eco will consume as much fuel as running just one in normal mode. Or possibly even more, since there's some loss of efficiency during the conversion of gasoline to ac power, and you now have to deal with that loss across two units instead of just one.

Worth considering an extended run tank for both generators.

My single EU2000i running at half power in ECO mode will go for about 6-7 hours... Running full load for an air conditoner is not going to be good...

Roy Ken

I'm guessing the fuel tanks on the Hondas are about 3/4 of a gallon. You ran for 3 hours on 1 1/2 gallons of gas. So you'll get about 15 hours if my math is correct.

6 gallons divided by 1 1/2 gallons = 4
4 X 3 hours = 12 hours + 3 hours for the generator tanks = 15 hours. Or only 12 hours if you only use the 6 gallons.