Forum Discussion
wa8yxm
Mar 08, 2017Explorer III
I too would recommend a generator.. Two major reasons.
1; Though Click and Clank the Tappit brothers, before they retired, (Car Talk, PBS RADIO) told me things have changed now and you can safely idle gasoline engines for long periods of time... I DO NOT BELIEVE it.. I was taught that was not a good idea in part due to the same reason they said you should not idle DIESEL engines for longer periods.. The engine never gets up to proper operating temperature and fouls up.... I still see that for non-computer controlled engines by the way.. Like small generators.. "Run for 1/2 hour under 1/2 load or better every month).
So long term idling of your engine, may not be good for the very expensive engine.
Second: Fuel consumption,, what it takes to idle that big engine for an hour can run a small portable generator all day.
So I recommend a small portable generator... Now if cost is a factor....
A Genrac 1000, (Traditional generator fully enclosed) burns fuel at about the same rate as a Honda EU-2000i, it also is about as loud.. Puts out a true 1,000 watts and can run a Progressive Dynamics 9180 with wizard.. The Honda EU-1000i can not run this device with hungry batteries.
If you have the funds. Then Get a good inverter generator. 1,000 watt inverter generators are good for converters up to 60 amp.. (Nothing else on AC) a 2,000 will run the 80 amp plus the fridge, and perhaps some other small stuff.
The savings in fuel alone will pay for the generator over time
Let's say, A 1,000 generator is currently about 300 gallons of Gasoline
If a gallon runs the portable for 8 hours you save 7 hours every 8. so 342 hours, if you run the genny 8 hours a day (reasonable) that is just 43 days to recover the cost of the generator... Less if fuel costs go up as I expect they will.
1; Though Click and Clank the Tappit brothers, before they retired, (Car Talk, PBS RADIO) told me things have changed now and you can safely idle gasoline engines for long periods of time... I DO NOT BELIEVE it.. I was taught that was not a good idea in part due to the same reason they said you should not idle DIESEL engines for longer periods.. The engine never gets up to proper operating temperature and fouls up.... I still see that for non-computer controlled engines by the way.. Like small generators.. "Run for 1/2 hour under 1/2 load or better every month).
So long term idling of your engine, may not be good for the very expensive engine.
Second: Fuel consumption,, what it takes to idle that big engine for an hour can run a small portable generator all day.
So I recommend a small portable generator... Now if cost is a factor....
A Genrac 1000, (Traditional generator fully enclosed) burns fuel at about the same rate as a Honda EU-2000i, it also is about as loud.. Puts out a true 1,000 watts and can run a Progressive Dynamics 9180 with wizard.. The Honda EU-1000i can not run this device with hungry batteries.
If you have the funds. Then Get a good inverter generator. 1,000 watt inverter generators are good for converters up to 60 amp.. (Nothing else on AC) a 2,000 will run the 80 amp plus the fridge, and perhaps some other small stuff.
The savings in fuel alone will pay for the generator over time
Let's say, A 1,000 generator is currently about 300 gallons of Gasoline
If a gallon runs the portable for 8 hours you save 7 hours every 8. so 342 hours, if you run the genny 8 hours a day (reasonable) that is just 43 days to recover the cost of the generator... Less if fuel costs go up as I expect they will.
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