Friend wants to run her RV air cond (13 or 15?) at times this summer and not with a recoil start cord. Seems to want remote start too. She knows little about the topic--I am not much better. So asking here in case somebody knows right off about the starter options, before I dig into it (lazy!). I assume she needs about a 3000w gen based on how we needed our Honda EU3000i for the 5er a/c we had.Looking at the Champion 3100, I see locally they come with a recoil start and at a decent price. However, I see on the US sites they come with a wireless remote start for the same gen. I see there are "wireless start kits" you can get in the States for any brand (?) portable gen that has the "port" in its control panel for plugging the kit into. Does the kit use the gen's electric start battery or its own?I don't know if the Champion 3100 with recoil start has that port, or which gens do, and what the deal is with the US version of the 3100.Can anybody post a general idea of how the wireless remote starter works compared with electric start, and how you can tell from the specs if a gen has the required "port" for a wireless start kit?Also--Our Honda 3000 with electric start had the battery in it die the first year so it was all pull cord start for the next 15 years. If she did get say a Champion 3100 with electric/wireless start (if available "up here"), is there a trick to keeping its battery charged if she doesn't use the gen very often?https://www.championpowerequipment.com/product/100262-3500-watt-wireless-start-inverter/https://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-install-a-generator-remote-start-kit

Some of the remote start kit sites offer the generator for sale also. I have a Honda 3000 and my battery also died quickly. I plan to hook a 2 watt solar maintainer to it to keep the battery charged.

Hi BFL13,I installed a Pinella unit on the Yamaha.Yamaha does make a remote start--but it doesn't control the choke--the Pinealla unit does.https://www.pinellaspowerproducts.com/It works well BUT for the remote to work, the key must be turned on. That discharges the generator starter battery.I added one of the 13.5 volt relays that you sourced on another thread. So now, my solar charges the generator battery too. I deliberately used thin wire as I don't want a lot of amps going to the generator.I'm using an SiO2 battery in the generator now.I wish when my generator developed wings, that I had simply gone to the Champion 3400 with remote electric start.

That series of Champion models is getting a little long in the tooth.They have a new series that will probably eventually supersede it.It has a battery shutoff switch to disable the remote receiver when the unit is in storage - otherwise, the receiver would eventually discharge the battery.

Westinghouse also has one. i-genLike the champs and others, it's a chinese knockoff of honda or Yamaha equipment.

BFL13 wrote:Also--Our Honda 3000 with electric start had the battery in it die the first year so it was all pull cord start for the next 15 years. If she did get say a Champion 3100 with electric/wireless start (if available "up here"), is there a trick to keeping its battery charged if she doesn't use the gen very often?Same as any other battery. Maintain/charge it. Not a trick, just normal preventative maintenance.

Portable Gen Wireless Start Questions | Good Sam Community

Grit_dog
Navigator
Feb 18, 2022
Unless your friend is not in a normal typical RVing scenario, I'm not certain how someone who is "wanting" remote electric start (either due to their physical limitations or propensity to not leave the camper) would handle/ transport/move a 3-4kw generator without great effort.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Feb 18, 2022
BFL13 wrote:

Also--Our Honda 3000 with electric start had the battery in it die the first year so it was all pull cord start for the next 15 years. If she did get say a Champion 3100 with electric/wireless start (if available "up here"), is there a trick to keeping its battery charged if she doesn't use the gen very often?

Same as any other battery. Maintain/charge it. Not a trick, just normal preventative maintenance.
wanderingaimles
Explorer
Feb 18, 2022
Westinghouse also has one. i-gen
Like the champs and others, it's a chinese knockoff of honda or Yamaha equipment.
Skibane
Explorer II
Feb 18, 2022
That series of Champion models is getting a little long in the tooth.

They have a new series that will probably eventually supersede it.

It has a battery shutoff switch to disable the remote receiver when the unit is in storage - otherwise, the receiver would eventually discharge the battery.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Feb 18, 2022
Hi BFL13,

I installed a Pinella unit on the Yamaha.

Yamaha does make a remote start--but it doesn't control the choke--the Pinealla unit does.

https://www.pinellaspowerproducts.com/

It works well BUT for the remote to work, the key must be turned on. That discharges the generator starter battery.

I added one of the 13.5 volt relays that you sourced on another thread. So now, my solar charges the generator battery too. I deliberately used thin wire as I don't want a lot of amps going to the generator.

I'm using an SiO2 battery in the generator now.

I wish when my generator developed wings, that I had simply gone to the Champion 3400 with remote electric start.
bgum
Explorer
Feb 18, 2022
Some of the remote start kit sites offer the generator for sale also. I have a Honda 3000 and my battery also died quickly. I plan to hook a 2 watt solar maintainer to it to keep the battery charged.

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