I currently have a Yamaha 3000iseb and a Honda 2000i. I decided I didn't want to mess with the heavy Yamaha so am looking at a Honda 2000i Companion. My RV has a EMS and when I hooked up the Yamaha and tried to run it and it was a no go. The EMS wouldn't allow power to the trailer. Then I found out that the inverter generators do not have the ground and neutral bonded. So I found on line how to make a bonded plug and did this and it worked fine then.So after all that, if I have 2 2000i hooked together do I have to have a bonded plug in both generators or just one to make theEMS allow power?Also does anyone know where I can get a good price on a 2000 Companion?Thanks

Just one bonded plug will do it.And it's not just inv gens, they're all that way.

ScottG wrote:Just one bonded plug will do it.And it's not just inv gens, they're all that way.If by "they're all that way" you're saying that all inverter gensets have floating neutral outputs as does the Honda EU2000i that's not true at all. Generally speaking, portable inverter gensets intended for temporary use such as with RVs do have a floating neutral output which plays fine with RVs, individual appliances, small tools, etc but if an EMS is plugged into the genset's output it will interprete that floating neutral as an open ground and refuse to pass power to the RV. The solution is to use a bonding plug on the genset's output so neutral is bonded directly to ground, in which case the EMS will be perfectly happy. If 2 gensets are paralled together only one bonding plug is required. Alternately, just remove the EMS from the circuit and plug the trailer directly into the trailer's floating neutral output. Honda's EU2000i would be an example of this.OTOH, gensets designed for the trades and intended to be normally used on construction sites must meet OSHA requirements that require the neutral be bonded directly to the genset's ground via the chassis. Honda's EB2000i would be an example - still an inverter genset, actually the same genset as the EU2000i except for how the output is wired. From Honda's own EB2000i webpage -"GFCI ProtectionThe EB2000i has full GFCI protection.OSHA, LA-ETL, CARB, EPA Phase III and USDA CompliantThe EB2000i was designed to meet OSHA requirements, making it ideal for worksite applications."Honda EB2000i Output Panel

As others have said, just one bonding plug needed. I suggest you use it on the same generator that the EMS is plugged into. Since the paralleling cables are not keyed, I'm thinking you would have a 50% probability of a hot-ground bond if the bonding plug was used with the generator that the EMS is not plugged into.Taking the risk of adding to ScottG's comment, the absence or presence of a bonded output is not based on whether the generator uses conventional or inverter technology. It's based on a combination of the output power and target market of the generator.

I see Honda 2000i generators listed on craigslist often.... both new and used.Another source is a honda authorized repair shop (Most around me are motorcycle, boat or lawnmower dealer/repair shops). You'll often find rebuilt or demo units for sale.

Butch50 wrote:I currently have a Yamaha 3000iseb and a Honda 2000i. I decided I didn't want to mess with the heavy Yamaha so am looking at a Honda 2000i Companion.Your Grand Design 303RLS is one heck of a big rig :E, is even available with dual A/Cs and can be wired with 50 amp service, none of which you've detailed in your post. Nonetheless, since you apparently don't want to deal with the weight of a larger genset like your 3K Yamaha you might consider selling both it and your EU2000i and using the proceeds to buy a pair of Honda's new EU2200i which will be even more capable of powering your rig than a pair of EU2000i paralleled gensets.

Running 2 Honda generators | Good Sam Community

43 Replies

road-runner
Explorer III
Jan 25, 2018
As others have said, just one bonding plug needed. I suggest you use it on the same generator that the EMS is plugged into. Since the paralleling cables are not keyed, I'm thinking you would have a 50% probability of a hot-ground bond if the bonding plug was used with the generator that the EMS is not plugged into.

Taking the risk of adding to ScottG's comment, the absence or presence of a bonded output is not based on whether the generator uses conventional or inverter technology. It's based on a combination of the output power and target market of the generator.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Jan 25, 2018
ScottG wrote:
Just one bonded plug will do it.
And it's not just inv gens, they're all that way.

If by "they're all that way" you're saying that all inverter gensets have floating neutral outputs as does the Honda EU2000i that's not true at all. Generally speaking, portable inverter gensets intended for temporary use such as with RVs do have a floating neutral output which plays fine with RVs, individual appliances, small tools, etc but if an EMS is plugged into the genset's output it will interprete that floating neutral as an open ground and refuse to pass power to the RV. The solution is to use a bonding plug on the genset's output so neutral is bonded directly to ground, in which case the EMS will be perfectly happy. If 2 gensets are paralled together only one bonding plug is required. Alternately, just remove the EMS from the circuit and plug the trailer directly into the trailer's floating neutral output. Honda's EU2000i would be an example of this.

OTOH, gensets designed for the trades and intended to be normally used on construction sites must meet OSHA requirements that require the neutral be bonded directly to the genset's ground via the chassis. Honda's EB2000i would be an example - still an inverter genset, actually the same genset as the EU2000i except for how the output is wired. From Honda's own EB2000i webpage -

"GFCI Protection

The EB2000i has full GFCI protection.
OSHA, LA-ETL, CARB, EPA Phase III and USDA Compliant

The EB2000i was designed to meet OSHA requirements, making it ideal for worksite applications."

Honda EB2000i Output Panel
ScottG
Nomad
Jan 24, 2018
Just one bonded plug will do it.
And it's not just inv gens, they're all that way.

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Running 2 Honda generators

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