Forum Discussion
Boy_Racer
Jul 07, 2010Explorer
Max49 wrote:We're having pretty much the same problem with our Champion C46540, actually. I called Champion customer service last Friday, and honestly the guy on the other end couldn't have sounded like he cared less about my generator issue. In short order he rather suggested I take it to an "authorized repair center" near my home, and when I go there this morning at 7:00 A.M, they told me "we only work on small engines, not generators". Great.
Hi guys, Sorry to change the subject but I think this is my best place to get help or advice for my problem.
I have the Champion 46515 RV ready 3500 W. I bought it specifically to save some hrs on the installed 5500 Onan. It seems like it runs great but it either just can't start the AC or sometimes it will but struggles.
I thought it would run one AC easily. I live in Colorado, and most of my camping trips are in the mountains, so I now realize that I'm losing power at 8 or 9000' elevation.
My questions are;
1- Would raising the RPM a little help? I have a Sendec hour meter/ tachometer on it.
2- Does any one have a link where I can buy a Hard Start assist like a Supco SPP6 or any known model that works well?
3- Possibly the most difficult question, Does any one know how/ or where to hook it up to a Carrier 13500 Air V AC with the remote control control pad?
I really appreciate your help. I really don't even need my little Champion if it can't run my AC
We've had this generator for 3.5 years now and it's worked great. Until this year. Previously, on three different TTs the generator has run the roof air great. Now we've got a 2010 Outback with a 13.5k Coleman Mach III, and the Champion won't run it. A 4000W surge rating at 29+ amps, and it won't start the A/C?!? Really?
The engine runs fine, the governor varies the RPMs as usual, it starts first pull every time. But as my wife and I would test it with variable loads, the harder the load, the more it will struggle and shake and eventually stall from the strain.
From the e-mail I sent to Champion Tech support on Wednesday morning June 30 (which no one answered, so I went ahead and follow-up called them Friday afternoon):
"...Last night we tested it with some assorted loads:
it ran a box fan fine, it ran a hair dryer on both low and high
without any problem. It struggled to run a vacuum cleaner, but the
RPMs did eventually settle out after about 5-10 seconds and it ran OK.
It will not run a Craftsman portable 6 HP 33 gallon air compressor at
all.
"The generator would not run the vacuum and hair dryer together,
either. The whole thing would shake like a paint mixer and the engine
RPMS were erratic, just like when the air compressor was hooked up.
"With no load, on 120V setting, the generator was producing a pretty
steady 13.9 - 14.2 amps. The fan as a test load had a negligible
effect on the amperage read out; the hair dryer test would drop the
amps to around 13 even; and the vacuum would drop it to about mid-10s
to low-11s. The vacuum and hair dryer together would pull the amps
down to mid- to high-8s, but again, the shaking and erratic RPMs meant
the unit was not functioning properly."
Shouldn't the 30A plug be producing nearly 30A, not 1/2 that? And why can't a 4000W surge/3500W service rated generator run a vacuum and a hair dryer at the same time? If it can't run those two, how can I expect it to run our TT's A/C and fridge at the same time?
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