inverter generator for gulfstream 198bh

edekgb wrote:
I have not done research here on this site about champion generators. I have read reviews on Costco and amazon. The things that have stuck out is that they are loud and heavy. Im trying to go the alternate route of loud and heavy for a small trailer.

Loud and heavy describes my 3500/4000 open frame although there are some inverter generators nearly as loud and a few louder. In any event I wouldn't want to be parked next to one running or even a Honda 3000 for that matter.

The Champion 3100i is the same noise level as the Honda Handi. The Champion is the same as a Honda 2000 on eco mode and a bit louder at full load.

I may poke fun at the red and blue crowd for the all or nothing approach but you have to admit the Honda and Yamaha earned their stripes and have good product if you can afford it.

I don't think that many people make the 1,000 vs. 2,000 watt choice based on the price difference. It's the size and/or weight that's the main decision point.

edekgb wrote:
Can I start with a Honda or Yamaha 1000 now thru the fall and spring and find that I don't go out away from shore power a lot and rough it very often in the heat of summer. Use the small high end one to charge my battery, run my lights, run my heater fan, and not my ac and microwave? And then if I find that im liking this and going out often in the summer then parallel a 2000 Honda or Yamaha to it's 1000 that I already would own?

The price difference between the 1000 and 2000 Watt units is only $200.

How much sense does it make to spend $800 now, and another $1000 later, for a total of $1800, when you can spend $1000 now and be set for a good long time?

You can parallel a 1000 and a 2000 together, but it is not recommended or supported by any of the generator manufacturers.

Camping generators are something you want to "cheap out" on.

The ratings on some of these cheap generators have only a passing bearing on how much power they can actually supply on an extended basis.

I think I would get one of the Ryobi generators from Home Depot before a Westinghouse or Homelite, based on the reviews I've seen. I don't know that the Ryobi is necessarily any better, but at least repair parts etc. should be more or less available, and there's a store to bring it back to and gripe and hopefully get an exchange if it doesn't work right fresh out of the box.

A used Honda or Yamaha would be superior to a new one of any of these, IMHO.

Thank you gulfcoast - I am still considering champion however the champion is rated at 1600 watts running and 2000 watts max. Westinghouse WH2400i is 2100watts and 2400watts max. That might be the difference in high elevation for me

NOTICE: Cabela's has the Champion inverter (2000) on sale for only $499 if you act before the sale ends.

I guess they're are no fans of Westinghouse - at least non that have weighed in wither good or bad.

I have not done research here on this site about champion generators. I have read reviews on Costco and amazon. The things that have stuck out is that they are loud and heavy. Im trying to go the alternate route of loud and heavy for a small trailer.

edekgb wrote:
I won't the most for my money and don't want to over buy (and over lift, and over annoyed by loudness). Ive got it down to Champion, Homelite, and Westinghouse in my spending dollar range. Experiences with Homelite? Westinghouse?

not sure why you're even considering Homelite or Westinghouse!
both have few fans or owners and no customer support.
while Champion has tons of satisfied customers, with stellar customer support.
and especially positive rep in the RV community. they've been the only company that's been able to make inroads against Honda and Yamaha.
now Yellow is suggested, along with Red and Blue.

have you even done a search here on Champion generators? there are literally thousands of posts on them.

The ones I make the panels weigh 40-50 pounds. That wont matter if you mount it. All in all somewhere between 4-500 range the way I do it but there are options.

You are right, the sun doesn't always shine, in fact here it only seems to shine until mid day. That said I haven't used a generator since I set out my first 230w set up three seasons ago. We had all of the power we could use for running the furnace, fans, TV, DVD, LED lights and it didn't even keep the battery from going into float by 9 am. The rest of the day the solar runs the trailer by it self and could have easily supported limited use of a larger inverter.

So if you use say 50 amp hours a day, you need to have 150 amp hours of usable battery to go for three days without charging. The solar will produce a minimal amount to stretch your battery but eventually you will need a alternate means of charging. without a generator with us, our alternate is a pair of jumper cables and the truck but we only go for a week or two at a time right now. I don't worry because with our solar and bank a week in overcast weather is no sweat as long as we don't run the air conditioner.