Does anyone know if the Champion Inverter generators will run in the Canadian Rockies and Alaska? Will be there this summer and will need ti use a generator at times.Thanks

They will run, but with slightly less power. We do camp at 5000' and did not notice performance loss. Than when I took my boat to Lake Tahoe at 7000' I had to replace the propeller with one having lower pitch, or the engine would not push the boat in hydroplaning.Inverter generators do have extra engine power to speed up when needed, so I don't think you are going to have any problems unless you go higher than 10k

You can expect a Champion generator, or any other economy priced gas powered generator to operate under similar principles as a naturally aspirated piston airplane engine. The standard lapse rate applies which says that for every 1000 feet above sea level you are, expect to lose about 3.5% of your rated power. Additionally, for about every 10 degrees F above standard temperature at the elevation that you are (59 degrees F is standard temperature @ sea level) expect to lose approximately another 2% rated power. These are rules of thumb, not absolute statements. They are designed to be conservative so that pilots don't kill themselves, their passengers, and/or innocent bystanders when taking off at higher elevation airports at higher than standard temperatures.For example: If you are camped at 7000 feet elevation and 78 degrees F outside, expect to lose:3.5% x 7 = 24.5% rated performance because of the higher elevationadditionally: because it is 78 degrees F outside you can expect to lose another:2% x 4 = 8% more performance because of the higher than normal standard temperature Expect a total of 24.5% + 8% = 32.5% loss in power. (approximately)According to the standard lapse rate it should be 38 degrees F at 7000 feet (you lose 3 degrees F per 1000 feet rise in elevation above sea level)Some more expensive generators are intentionally over powered to minimize generator losses at higher elevations. They are overpowered (but throttled back) at sea level so they retain a higher % of their rated performance as elevations increase. Generally, you get what you pay for!Chum lee

You might be able to buy high altitude jets for your generator, depending on brand, which will help. Onans are nice, because they have a dial that can be turned to adjust the air/fuel ratio to compensate for less oxygen at higher elevations.

Conversely they run great at the Salton Sea!

I saw several reviews of the Champion generators now on sale at Costco, commenting that the 2.8KW generator ran a 13,500 BTU air conditioner just fine at lower elevations, but struggled at 5000 feet or higher. So you need something bigger than 2.8KW.

Generators used in high altitudes | Good Sam Community

road-runner
Explorer III
Mar 17, 2016
Jetting just trims the fuel to match the lower volume of available air at higher altitude. It will not gain you any power unless it is running so rich it will not run well. In that case, jetting will only get you to the point that Chum Lee mentions above.
I think anybody who flies a gasoline powered airplane will disagree with this statement. The rich mixture engine runs smoothly at high altitudes, and has a very noticeable power increase when the mixture is leaned out. As would be expected, fuel consumption also goes down.
rving4us
Explorer
Mar 17, 2016
Thanks everyone, I have a 3500/4000 champion,but it is a little loud. What every I decide it will not be used much Just will be staying in a couple rv parks with no power and I use a CPAP machine. Don't think the batteries will last running it.
Thanks again.
CJW8
Explorer
Mar 17, 2016
road-runner wrote:
Jetting just trims the fuel to match the lower volume of available air at higher altitude. It will not gain you any power unless it is running so rich it will not run well. In that case, jetting will only get you to the point that Chum Lee mentions above.
I think anybody who flies a gasoline powered airplane will disagree with this statement. The rich mixture engine runs smoothly at high altitudes, and has a very noticeable power increase when the mixture is leaned out. As would be expected, fuel consumption also goes down.

I am a licensed pilot and have worked on small engines all my life. When a pilot leans the mixture as he gains altitude, he only gains a small but noticeable amount of power because he is getting the mixture right for the altitude. That power will still be less than he would have at a lower altitude with the proper mixture.
loggenrock
Explorer
Mar 17, 2016
OK, the Rockies I can understand... A LOT of where we visited in AK is at sea level, so no issue there...! ST
JiminDenver
Explorer II
Mar 17, 2016
I am a RC pilot and if I were to take one of my planes tuned at 5000 ft and try to fly it at 10,000 ft, it wouldn't run worth a dang. The adjustment isn't much, the advantage is huge. You would be surprised how much more power you have to hang on the front to get the same as you would at sea level.

Also running a generator rich will foul the plug and clog the spark arrestor faster. Champions high altitude jet is only good for 3000 ft unless they changed something.

I live high altitude, I camp twice that. Been there, done that. ;)
Chum_lee
Explorer
Mar 17, 2016
All good points above. I am a licensed pilot too and have worked on many different engines with carburetors and/or fuel injection for years. We are a little off topic, but the purpose for running an engine rich at high power settings (like on take off in an airplane or at maximum load in a generator) is to reduce cylinder head, exhaust valve, and exhaust gas temperatures. It also cools the intake charge when the excess fuel evaporates (but does not burn because of lack of oxygen) reducing the possibility for detonation. It can eventually foul spark plugs, build combustion chamber deposits, and, dilute the engine oil with fuel if done too often and for too long. It also slightly slows the flame speed in the combustion chamber.

To be clear to the originals posters question, yes, you could tune most generators to operate at altitude, but, don't expect them to perform at the specifications the manufacturers publish for operation at sea level and standard conditions. (29.92 inches Hg, 59 degrees F, and low humidity)

Chum lee
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Mar 17, 2016
Well... I drove my 32' Bounder with old carburated engine over 12,000' without any modification.
Sure on curvy mountain roads I did not use full power.
They were no boat engine modifications available at Lake Tahoe neither.
road-runner
Explorer III
Mar 17, 2016
CJW8 wrote:

I am a licensed pilot and have worked on small engines all my life. When a pilot leans the mixture as he gains altitude, he only gains a small but noticeable amount of power because he is getting the mixture right for the altitude. That power will still be less than he would have at a lower altitude with the proper mixture.
I didn't mean to say that one could get MSL power at altitude by leaning the mixture. I do feel like the amount of power gained with leaning the mixture is more than small. Taking off from Denver in a loaded 172 with the mixture full rich will leave you sweating bullets as the runway end approaches and you're still on the ground.
joshuajim
Explorer II
Mar 17, 2016
Licensed pilot here too. Leaning the powerplant at altitude DOES NOT increase power, it reduces power loss due to incorrest stoichiometric ratio.
SkiSmuggs
Explorer
Mar 17, 2016
rving4us wrote:
Thanks everyone, I have a 3500/4000 champion,but it is a little loud. What every I decide it will not be used much Just will be staying in a couple rv parks with no power and I use a CPAP machine. Don't think the batteries will last running it.
Thanks again.

Most CPAPs run at 12V with the power brick converting from 110v. I ordered 12v cables for both my CPAPs and they use very little battery during the night running direct from a 12v outlet instead of having the overhead of an inverter. Installed a 12 receptacle on my head board using the reading light wires.
Also, there are high altitude jets for the Yamaha M80 engine.