Running 2 Honda generators

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.

SoundGuy wrote:
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.

Butch50 wrote:
Yes my Reflection has 50 amp service and has 2 A/Cs. One 15,000 BTU and one 13,500 BTU. Most of the time the only one I would want to run is the 13,500. This would be just for an overnight stop when we don't have power and to recharge the batteries.

Well here's another solution. Keep your current EU2000i, sell the Yamaha, use a small portion of the proceeds to buy a Micro-Air Easy Start Soft Starter Kit, install it on your 13,500 BTU A/C, and pocket the rest of the cash you'll have left over to pay for a nice camping vacation. With your smaller A/C so equipped a single EU2000i will easily start and power it with no difficulty at all, you'll only ever have to deal with one 50 lb genset, won't have to fuss with a parallel kit, and you'll have cash back in your pocket to boot. If you later decide you really do need that second EU2000i then you can always add one later. Win - Win. :B

"30 amp twist lock plug style outlet which I hate because the plug vibrates loose and in general makes a marginal connection that gets very warm when running"

I have fashioned so many receptacles for generator sets I could have set some kind of record.

• Buy some liquitite strain-relief bungs to fit a cord that is appropriately sized to fit the generator
• Cut a metal plate to mask the original generator receptacle cutout
• Cut out a hole in the plate for the liquitite fitting
• Pop rivet the plate to the generator
• Select a female socket to match your cord. Be sure the socket is nylon not plastic
• Isolating the socket from the motor vibration works wonders to eliminate yadda-yadda-yadda contact fatigue in the receptacle
• The nylon body of the receptacle is almost vibration scuff proof.

I have 2 Honda 2000 gens in the pre-companion version with an additional, expensive, parallel kit that fastens to one generator. The kit had the 30 amp twist lock plug style outlet which I hate because the plug vibrates loose and in general makes a marginal connection that gets very warm when running. I changed the outlet to a straight blade RV 30 amp, and I do throw a tie wrap around it to be sure that it doesn't vibrate out, but it makes a good solid connection. So, if in the position of the OP I would build my own parallel kit using the Honda parallel cables and an RV 30 amp straight blade plug (lots of how to do on the web.) The regular Honda 2000 is less expensive than the companion. Our set up will run the AC and a microwave at the same time. OP might even be able to run both ACs after giving the converter a short time to get the battery charged up.

I always figured if I had it, I would bypass the EMS if I was using my generator.

Have you been considering putting Yamaha on front hitch?
I do it with my Honda 3000 and with small furniture cart, it is quite easy to disconnect it at campgrounds
Front load also helps with weigh distribution, what is big hassle with Truck Campers.

ktmrfs wrote:

I've run parallel hondas for years, and my experience is it doesn't make any difference which one has the bonding plug. but I also use the ground lug common on both.

I'm just thinking it through, which I realize can be dangerous. Say generator #1 has the bonding plug and generator #2 has the EMS plugged into it, and the parallel cable connectors through random insertion are plugged in so the neutral side of the outlet on generator #1 is connected the hot side of the outlet on generator #2. Neutral side of #1 is connected to frame ground, neutral side of #1 is also connected to hot side of #2, therefore the hot side of #2 is connected to frame ground. If you've in fact been randomly plugging in the parallel connectors and powering an EMS on the generator without the bonding plug, then either the EMS is not detecting a hot-ground short or my thinking is bogus. I'd guess probability favors the EMS being ok.

SoundGuy wrote:

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.

Yes my Reflection has 50 amp service and has 2 A/Cs. One 15,000 BTU and one 13,500 BTU. Most of the time the only one I would want to run is the 13,500. This would be just for an overnight stop when we don't have power and to recharge the batteries. We ordered our rig with dual panes to help out a bit with A/C or heat. I also took put the puny little fan in the bathroom out and added a Maxx Air fan. When we open the windows on each sde of the bedroom the bathroom and kitchen Maxx Air pulls fresh air through the bedroom pretty good. As long as I have air moving around me I can handle pretty hot temps and my wife handles it better than I do. In the evenings we sit on our deck in the summer (it is shaded) and just have our ceiling fan on and I'm fine, this is in 90+ degree weaher in AR with the humidty.

I really don't want to go through the hassle to sell both generators as everybody basically want to steal them from you. The Yamaha has less than an hour on it and has remote electric start it just that it weights over 160#. This is just to much for me to get out of the bed of the truck by myself (at home I have a portable lift to take it out). I want to be able to take the Honda's out of the truck in case I need to go to town without the wife. I would not want her to not be able to run at least one air. Also we have our dog and there might be times we need to leave her in the trailer (now most of the time we would have power hook up for that) but for a short time I might want to run an A/C.

2 Honda 2200 would only give me a little over 3 amps of additional power. That wouldn't be worth the expense to me. My Honda 2000 that I have now only has about 5 hours on it. It has been to Alaska and back but most of the time we just didn't need air so it just took a 11,000 mile ride with us.

Yes my Reflection has 50 amp service and has 2 A/Cs. One 15,000 BTU and one 13,500 BTU. Most of the time the only one I would want to run is the 13,500. This would be just for an overnight stop when we don't have power and to recharge the batteries. We ordered our rig with dual panes to help out a bit with A/C or heat. I also took put the puny little fan in the bathroom out and added a Maxx Air fan. When we open the windows on each sde of the bedroom the bathroom and kitchen Maxx Air pulls fresh air through the bedroom pretty good. As long as I have air moving around me I can handle pretty hot temps and my wife handles it better than I do. In the evenings we sit on our deck in the summer (it is shaded) and just have our ceiling fan on and I'm fine, this is in 90+ degree weaher in AR with the humidty.

I really don't want to go through the hassle to sell both generators as everybody basically want to steal them from you. The Yamaha has less than an hour on it and has remote electric start it just that it weights over 160#. This is just to much for me to get out of the bed of the truck by myself (at home I have a portable lift to take it out). I want to be able to take the Honda's out of the truck in case I need to go to town without the wife. I would not want her to not be able to run at least one air. Also we have our dog and there might be times we need to leave her in the trailer (now most of the time we would have power hook up for that) but for a short time I might want to run an A/C.

2 Honda 2200 would only give me a little over 3 amps of additional power. That wouldn't be worth the expense to me. My Honda 2000 that I have now only has about 5 hours on it. It has been to Alaska and back but most of the time we just didn't need air so it just took a 11,000 mile ride with us.

Thanks for everybodys responses and I'll have to start watching CL list and check with Honda if they might get any in that have been refurbished. The only problem with this is most of them are probably going to be straight 2000 and not the Companion with the 30 amp outlet. I know it is not an RV 30 but I already have the correct plug and used it when I had the Yamaha hooked up to the trailer to see if it would work.

If you read all of this thanks for you taking the time to read it. Sorry to be so long winded but it seems the older I get the more I type.

It is a nice enough day I'm going to see about unloading the front compartment and getting ready for the battery and inverter install.

road-runner wrote:
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've run parallel hondas for years, and my experience is it doesn't make any difference which one has the bonding plug. but I also use the ground lug common on both.

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.

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.