genny conundrum

[obie311]

Like most 5'ers, my Arctic Fox has a factory genny compartment underneath the front overhang. For a variety of reasons, I don't want a permanently installed generator.

I'm waffling between a single Honda EU3000is or two EU2200's or their Yamaha equivalents. I know many people swear by other brands but I've owned several motorcycles and respect the design and reliability of both manufacturers enough to pay the premium for their product.

If I go with the heavier 3000 generators, has anyone come up with a good solution for getting them out of the front bay and into service a slight distance from the trailer? Something like a small ramp or something? I had even thought of carrying the genny in the truck bed but that's a tall lift with a 74 y/o back and a ~140# weight.

The dual EU2200's are only (?) about 50# a piece so I could like manage that.

Your thoughts and Real World experiences are welcome.

[ReneeG]

laknox wrote:

ReneeG wrote:
We too did not want to get the generator built in the front storage. Right not we only have one Honda eu2000 which we hardly ever use, but keep it in the front bay just in case. We thought of getting another eu2000 because our model of eu2000 is not compatible with an eu2200 so we'd have to buy two eu2200 and parallel along with the extended fuel tank. We checked into the HANDI 3000iH which would run our AC and is only 78 lbs, but with the supply chain problems, it's hard to find one, if ever.

Nice thing about Champion gennys, is that you can mix and match quite a number of different models to parallel them. There's at least 2 different 3k models that I can parallel my current 2k to.

Lyle

Thanks for the info. I'll have to google the dcb of the Champions.

[laknox]

ReneeG wrote:
We too did not want to get the generator built in the front storage. Right not we only have one Honda eu2000 which we hardly ever use, but keep it in the front bay just in case. We thought of getting another eu2000 because our model of eu2000 is not compatible with an eu2200 so we'd have to buy two eu2200 and parallel along with the extended fuel tank. We checked into the HANDI 3000iH which would run our AC and is only 78 lbs, but with the supply chain problems, it's hard to find one, if ever.

Nice thing about Champion gennys, is that you can mix and match quite a number of different models to parallel them. There's at least 2 different 3k models that I can parallel my current 2k to.

Lyle

[laknox]

obie311 wrote:
Like most 5'ers, my Arctic Fox has a factory genny compartment underneath the front overhang. For a variety of reasons, I don't want a permanently installed generator.

I'm waffling between a single Honda EU3000is or two EU2200's or their Yamaha equivalents. I know many people swear by other brands but I've owned several motorcycles and respect the design and reliability of both manufacturers enough to pay the premium for their product.

If I go with the heavier 3000 generators, has anyone come up with a good solution for getting them out of the front bay and into service a slight distance from the trailer? Something like a small ramp or something? I had even thought of carrying the genny in the truck bed but that's a tall lift with a 74 y/o back and a ~140# weight.

The dual EU2200's are only (?) about 50# a piece so I could like manage that.

Your thoughts and Real World experiences are welcome.

How do you camp? CG's most of the time with occasional boondocking / dry camping? Do you need A/C when boondocking / dry camping? If you really need A/C, adding a soft start to it, and using a 3k genny, you can have the best of both worlds. Inverter gens only run at the speed needed for the demand, so little demand, and they'll never go over idle. Fuel burn is minimal. Run times without refueling with a 3k can be double, or more, over a 2k. If all you need a genny for is to charge batteries or run the coffee maker, blow dryer or TV, then go small. Otherwise, a 3k, or larger, is the way to go, IMO. 3k's also have electric and/or remote start; I've not seen a single 2k class with that feature.

I have a 200lb rated cargo rack on my KZ, and I plan on putting a 3k+ genny on there when we start traveling more. I also plan on talking to my "hitch guy" and get his opinion on the rack if that 200 lb number is just LCI CYA numbers or if it would handle more. I'll likely keep the gen in a lockable box on the rack, too.

I know that you like Honda, but there are others out there that offer a =lot= more for a =lot= less, with excellent reliability, too. Westinghouse is offering some nice ones that are getting good reviews. Yeah, they're Chinese made knockoffs, but if they work, and are reliable, what's not to like? The one downside to the Predators, at least last time I looked, was that they don't have remote start.

Champion has quite a lineup of inverters that =all= have a lot more running watts than Hondas, are cheaper and are getting excellent reviews. 3400 to 5500 starting watts, all with remote start.

Lyle

[Sandia_Man]

Like the others have stated, it would seem a no brainer to go with a pair of 2K watt gennies under the conditions outlined in the OP. Best thing is most often only one genny is needed at a time, but having 4K watts is nice when you want to run other devices along with the RV AC unit.

[cummins2014]

Michelle.S wrote:
Don't forget, with the Dual small Hondas you will also need an extended run fuel tank, or you'll spend all your time filling their little tanks.

Although now I ran my single 2000 with that extended tank, before I had it ,it was still not much of a hassle with fuel . They can run 3 hours full load ,and up to 8 on 1/4 load . It seemed before the extended tank I was filling it once or twice a day depending on how much it got ran. But I agree those extended tanks are nice.

[ReneeG]

We too did not want to get the generator built in the front storage. Right not we only have one Honda eu2000 which we hardly ever use, but keep it in the front bay just in case. We thought of getting another eu2000 because our model of eu2000 is not compatible with an eu2200 so we'd have to buy two eu2200 and parallel along with the extended fuel tank. We checked into the HANDI 3000iH which would run our AC and is only 78 lbs, but with the supply chain problems, it's hard to find one, if ever.

[Michelle_S]

Don't forget, with the Dual small Hondas you will also need an extended run fuel tank, or you'll spend all your time filling their little tanks.

[Pipeman]

I owned a Honda 3000 genny. I used to haul it in the back of my truck. It was a beast to lift it up into the bed, that`s for sure. Then I got a toy hauler 5er and put the genny on a cart and rolled it in and out of the garage. Got rid of that toy hauler and got a regular 5er. Gave the 3ooo to my oldest son and bought 2 Hondas with the parallel kit. They go into the bed of my truck and are put inside a zip up type large bag that hold 2 5 gallon containers of gas and other things. Definitely easier for this 75 year old to handle. By the way, my other 2 kids(adults) have Honda 3000s for their power needs. We all boondock a lot. My 2 gennys are put at least 25 feet away from the back of the 5er and I run a rope between 2 trees and then put a plastic tarp up just high enough so I can walk in bent over to fill the gennys with gas when needed and keep the weather off of them. My 45 cents worth. Stay safe.

[valhalla360]

agesilaus wrote:
The other thing to consider is fuel use, that 3K will be gulping down fuel. But you can just run one of the 2200 if you did not need full power. Think about getting gas into the 3K too, may want a small electric transfer pump. Oil changes are the other frequent maintenance issue.

You do realize inverter generators throttle way back when the load is light.

I seriously doubt you would be able to tell the difference as so many other things will mask the fuel consumption.

I haven't priced up the Hondas lately but cost for 2 small generators is probably the biggest downside.

[TXiceman]

I have been using two Honda EU2000i generators. I can run one A/C with both when needed or just one. Plus, the Honda weights about 50# which I can still handle one at a time.

Ken

[mhardin]

bgum wrote:
Go to YouTube type in

Custom 1 man generator mount

Fellow river came up with just what you looking for.

Outstanding idea!

I would want to somehow cover the bottom cutout in case of road spray.

[Michelle_S]

Even tho the Honda 2000/2200's are lighter, getting them in and out of that front Generator Storage are is still a pain in the butt, lifting in and out.

[bgum]

Go to YouTube type in

Custom 1 man generator mount

Fellow river came up with just what you looking for.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

My RV grew a cage for the Yamaha 2800. It has remote electric start added. The reason it grew was theft.

If I end up replacing it, I'll go to Champion 3400.

I'm leery of running the generator while sleeping. I don't think a slide out is far enough away unless a genturi is used. I've had the CO detector alarm go off in the past and my cage would be more away from the RV than a slide out.

My previous RV I used a box and ramp--so I could get the generator 30 feet away.

[agesilaus]

The other thing to consider is fuel use, that 3K will be gulping down fuel. But you can just run one of the 2200 if you did not need full power. Think about getting gas into the 3K too, may want a small electric transfer pump. Oil changes are the other frequent maintenance issue.