I want a generator

[Hardcandy]

I'm planning a trip out west to Yellowstone from Ohio. I'm just wondering if I should or will need to have a generator I've been reading about the inverter gen's and I think that's what I want. Just wondering what you all are using. My 5er is a 30' 30amp unit.

[dezl_dr]

Last year the alternator died on my truck. Of course at night in the middle of no where.
If you don't know on a modern diesel truck you have about 15-20 minutes of runtime after that your truck will die.

I pulled over and checked it, no output.

I started my RV generator and let it back feed to my truck. I towed to a rest area spent the night and continued the next day for another 200 miles.

It won't last long when your electric brakes are in use.

You can have all the portables you want, I love my built in onan.

[reed_cundiff]

Generator, solar, battery, Walmart, boondocking thread
Reed

[Ric_Flair]

ol Bombero-JC wrote:
.

"driving down the road......."

Wow!
This thread -started in May- has a lot of mileage!..:W

~

It's a generator thread that has walmart camping mixed into it.

It's glorious!

[ol_Bombero-JC]

.

"driving down the road......."

Wow!
This thread -started in May- has a lot of mileage!..:W

~

[laknox]

Unyalli wrote:
Quote=[laknox]

One thing with a genny is that you can run it while you travel and run your AC, so the FW is nice 'n cool when you stop.

Lyle

another good point who cares a how loud it is in the bed of your truck as you're driving down the road.

Even better, on the cargo rack on the a$$-end of your FW. 🙂

Lyle

[Unyalli]

Quote=[laknox]
One thing with a genny is that you can run it while you travel and run your AC, so the FW is nice 'n cool when you stop.

Lyle

Another good point, who cares a how loud it is in the bed of your truck as you're driving down the road.

[laknox]

ependydad wrote:

Unyalli wrote:

avvidclif1 wrote:

Unyalli wrote:

Hardcandy wrote:
The reason I want one is for the few times we've stopped over night in a Wal-Mart lot on long trips, when we hit the road after work we may only need a layover for a few hours and that's when I think it would be handy to power up the AC.

Noisy Wal-mart lot? Noisy Interstate rest stop? Etc?

If you like opening your wallet and watching your money fly off into the distance listen to the blue and red crowd.

Honda 3000i handy 65db while powering an A/C for $2300!

Champ 3500/4000 68db while powering an A/C for $350. Save the 2 grand!

Put the Supergen tent over the Champ for $100 and your right at that 65db while powering an A/C for $450.

For what your talking this is all you need.

If you absolutely want inverter technology still save your self $1300 and look seriously at the Champ 3100i for $950 which stacks right up against the Handy.

Jeff

A Champion 4k generator that has the RV plug will make you the pariah of ANY campground. You won't even like it yourself. I don't care what the numbers say, THEY ARE LOUD. And it's an irritating loud, kinda like a jack hammer...

Absolutely disagree. It's the quietest 30 amp construction type generator out there and no matter as OP stated not for campground.

Jack Hammer LMAO!!!!

We just wrapped up an almost 2 month trip and I definitely found that I would have liked a generator in order to make rest stops more comfortable as well as being able to sleep at a rest stop. We got on a roll one day where the kids were being perfect in the backseat. We drove until 11:30 when we finally pulled into a campground so that we could run the A/C overnight (80-90* outside temps and HUMID!). Cost me $45 to park for 8-9 hours.

I've wanted a generator, but couldn't stomach the $3,000+ outlay on the setup that I'd like.

Given that we'd sleep at noisy areas anyway (rest stops/walmarts/etc.), the generator wouldn't be much louder than our surroundings. I wouldn't have considered the contractor generator without this post.

Thanks.

One thing with a genny is that you can run it while you travel and run your AC, so the FW is nice 'n cool when you stop.

Lyle

[ependydad]

Unyalli wrote:

avvidclif1 wrote:

Unyalli wrote:

Hardcandy wrote:
The reason I want one is for the few times we've stopped over night in a Wal-Mart lot on long trips, when we hit the road after work we may only need a layover for a few hours and that's when I think it would be handy to power up the AC.

Noisy Wal-mart lot? Noisy Interstate rest stop? Etc?

If you like opening your wallet and watching your money fly off into the distance listen to the blue and red crowd.

Honda 3000i handy 65db while powering an A/C for $2300!

Champ 3500/4000 68db while powering an A/C for $350. Save the 2 grand!

Put the Supergen tent over the Champ for $100 and your right at that 65db while powering an A/C for $450.

For what your talking this is all you need.

If you absolutely want inverter technology still save your self $1300 and look seriously at the Champ 3100i for $950 which stacks right up against the Handy.

Jeff

A Champion 4k generator that has the RV plug will make you the pariah of ANY campground. You won't even like it yourself. I don't care what the numbers say, THEY ARE LOUD. And it's an irritating loud, kinda like a jack hammer...

Absolutely disagree. It's the quietest 30 amp construction type generator out there and no matter as OP stated not for campground.

Jack Hammer LMAO!!!!

We just wrapped up an almost 2 month trip and I definitely found that I would have liked a generator in order to make rest stops more comfortable as well as being able to sleep at a rest stop. We got on a roll one day where the kids were being perfect in the backseat. We drove until 11:30 when we finally pulled into a campground so that we could run the A/C overnight (80-90* outside temps and HUMID!). Cost me $45 to park for 8-9 hours.

I've wanted a generator, but couldn't stomach the $3,000+ outlay on the setup that I'd like.

Given that we'd sleep at noisy areas anyway (rest stops/walmarts/etc.), the generator wouldn't be much louder than our surroundings. I wouldn't have considered the contractor generator without this post.

Thanks.

[Ric_Flair]

Unyalli wrote:

Hardcandy wrote:
The reason I want one is for the few times we've stopped over night in a Wal-Mart lot on long trips, when we hit the road after work we may only need a layover for a few hours and that's when I think it would be handy to power up the AC.

Noisy Wal-mart lot? Noisy Interstate rest stop? Etc?

If you like opening your wallet and watching your money fly off into the distance listen to the blue and red crowd.

Honda 3000i handy 65db while powering an A/C for $2300!

Champ 3500/4000 68db while powering an A/C for $350. Save the 2 grand!

Put the Supergen tent over the Champ for $100 and your right at that 65db while powering an A/C for $450.

For what your talking this is all you need.

If you absolutely want inverter technology still save your self $1300 and look seriously at the Champ 3100i for $950 which stacks right up against the Handy.

Jeff

Jeff knows what he's talking about!

I'll second the 3500/4000 Champion. Best $300 I ever spent.

Don't need it now that I have an onboard genny, but used it a lot when I was off the grid with my previous 5er.

[time2roll]

Pop-Pop C wrote:
I carried one for two years and never used it!

+1
I stopped carrying mine as I transitioned into solar.
Never cared much to have a generator running. If I need air I look for hookups.

[laknox]

jffkrn wrote:
Running out of gas mid night? Not sure why. Yep I am impressed with my Honda 3000 Inverter Series. I believe just over 3 gallons of gas capacity. 2 summers ago, pulled into Prim Nevada. Stayed over night in the parking lot after a long days drive through Death Valley, just to say I did it in summer, and filled it up at 8:00 PM. Got up at 4:00 am like normal and ran A/ C all night set at 78* outside temps over night were around 100* + for the most part and then wen to the station across the way when we left to fill up again. I put 2 1/2 gallons in it. So the test was great!!! we also did a trip a month ago to California, stayed overnight at our spot in the Quartzsite desert at 110* daytime and probably high 90*s over night. Generator ran all night without an issue. So Yep We love our Honda and nope we don't run it when we don't need it and only use it for a bit of charging if needed and coffee. Our neighbors are always told, if we run the generator and it bother you , let us know, we won't do it. Most of them say they don't even hear it. That is when we are in a campground and we do follow all the campground rules when there. I guess my point being is, yes you can hear them but get one for your convenience. And when the power goes out at home from a storm, turn it on and go in the rv for a/c comfort and or run an extension cord in to the fridge! Good Luck & Be Safe ! ! !

The issue is the 1.5 gallon tank(s) on the 2000 series Hondas, so even running parallel, you still have the same run time. The 3000 (not the Handi) has a 3.4 gal tank. Just check the specs for both. Personally, I'd prefer a single, larger, genny, so I can run more stuff, if necessary. With an inverter, fuel economy's almost the same when running the same load.

Lyle

[rapracing]

KD4UPL wrote:
Why do you want one? The propane and battery systems in your RV will operate everything except the microwave and AC unit. Eventually, of course, batteries need to be recharged but your tow vehicle will do that if your traveling around frequently. If you intend to stay in one place for a long time a solar system is another option for recharging batteries.
In fact, with a large enough battery bank and an inverter you could even run your microwave and other appliances without a generator.
If you want a quick, easy way to operate high powered AC appliances then a gen. is probably a good idea. If you want to operate the air conditioner when you have no hook-up it's a requirement. Otherwise, it's a good way to make noise, use gas, and cost money.

That's kind of what I thought. Full hook up why take them. Went to a park a month ago with my wife a couple hundred miles from home and didn't take the Honda's. Well a storm went through and we had not power for over 24 hours. I ended up a Lowes buying a generator I didn't need. By the time I returned with it the power had come on so I returned it. Told the wife from now on it doesn't matter we are taking them along. May not need them but you never know.

[FlatBroke]

In regards to leaving the generator home if you are going to stay in rv park. We were crock potting dinner when the power went out. Football game was about to start. Fired up the Honda 2000 generator. Power didn't come back on for several hours. Generator saved the day.

[jffkrn]

Running out of gas mid night? Not sure why. Yep I am impressed with my Honda 3000 Inverter Series. I believe just over 3 gallons of gas capacity. 2 summers ago, pulled into Prim Nevada. Stayed over night in the parking lot after a long days drive through Death Valley, just to say I did it in summer, and filled it up at 8:00 PM. Got up at 4:00 am like normal and ran A/ C all night set at 78* outside temps over night were around 100* + for the most part and then wen to the station across the way when we left to fill up again. I put 2 1/2 gallons in it. So the test was great!!! we also did a trip a month ago to California, stayed overnight at our spot in the Quartzsite desert at 110* daytime and probably high 90*s over night. Generator ran all night without an issue. So Yep We love our Honda and nope we don't run it when we don't need it and only use it for a bit of charging if needed and coffee. Our neighbors are always told, if we run the generator and it bother you , let us know, we won't do it. Most of them say they don't even hear it. That is when we are in a campground and we do follow all the campground rules when there. I guess my point being is, yes you can hear them but get one for your convenience. And when the power goes out at home from a storm, turn it on and go in the rv for a/c comfort and or run an extension cord in to the fridge! Good Luck & Be Safe ! ! !