CW generator - Champion 4000

[mhawk4]

Just bought a new generator for the TT, it is the Champion 4000 from CW. We were going for the inverter but the price was too high for our budget; for $300 hundred got the champion and will be able to run the AC( 13500btu) when too hot outside and the wife will be very happy 😉

I am planning to attach (bolted) it to the rear cargo carrier when needed. We are planning to do some short road trips and not depend on staying in CGs. Where do you guys stay when using this type of generator? Any issues? Do you have it mounted to your trailer?

If for any reason i have to mod the unit to make it quieter, any suggestions?

I will have more questions about it; Thanks for your input.

[kellertx5er]

eend wrote:
I really don't get the generator thing, why go camping if you want air conditioning, tv and your margarita maker.

Just last night , my neighbour pulled in with his rv, Moma driving the big SUVs towing a fancy boat, they set up, a big screen tent gets set up one side is all tapped in and a giant big screen tv come out, and poppa sets up his big yellow champion generator and fires it up. That thing ran for 3 hours, so the kids can play with their playstation. After 3 hours I went over and asked if it could be shut down, it is very annoying. To me people with big loud annoying generators have no respect for someone else and are pretty selfish in my opinion.

If you need power that bad for a few dollars more you can get a powered site, and spending a few hundred or a thousand on a generator will buy you a lot of powered sites.

Come down to anywhere south of Utah/Colorado/Kansas and see why people "want" air comnditioning.

[eend]

I really don't get the generator thing, why go camping if you want air conditioning, tv and your margarita maker.

Just last night , my neighbour pulled in with his rv, Moma driving the big SUVs towing a fancy boat, they set up, a big screen tent gets set up one side is all tapped in and a giant big screen tv come out, and poppa sets up his big yellow champion generator and fires it up. That thing ran for 3 hours, so the kids can play with their playstation. After 3 hours I went over and asked if it could be shut down, it is very annoying. To me people with big loud annoying generators have no respect for someone else and are pretty selfish in my opinion.

If you need power that bad for a few dollars more you can get a powered site, and spending a few hundred or a thousand on a generator will buy you a lot of powered sites.

[colliehauler]

Bob Vaughn wrote:
I looked at a bunch of the sound deading boxes on Google and wondered how much hotter the generator would run being inside one of those boxes ? To my way of thinking the power output would be reduced with the increase in the temperature inside the box. Plus that box would have to be carried somewhere.....

I would not run a generator in a box without a fan for cooling. One person used a attic fan that would move large volume of air.

[JiminDenver]

The supergen tent lowers it by 3 DB. There is quite a bit of discussion in the massive 3000w generator thread too. I played with those interlocking floor mats as a enclosure, they are easy to store and dropped the noise level enough to notice.

[Bob_Vaughn]

I looked at a bunch of the sound deading boxes on Google and wondered how much hotter the generator would run being inside one of those boxes ? To my way of thinking the power output would be reduced with the increase in the temperature inside the box. Plus that box would have to be carried somewhere.....

[Mr_Beebo]

Desert Captain wrote:

Dakota98 wrote:
Desert

All large open frames are loud & inexpensive.... even your favorites.

My personal Favorites: Honda and Yamaha are not large open frame generators and they certainly are not inexpensive. When compared with the large open frame cheapo's they are much quieter.

As always.... Opinions and YMMV.:C

Open frame gennies and the inverters mentioned are apples and oranges.
I've owned a Honda 3000 eu and liked it. I own two Champion 2000s now and like them as much and the price even better. Both quiet, both dependable, one for about 1/2 the money as the other.

[jasult]

mhawk4 wrote:

jasult wrote:
I never leave home with out my trusty Champion. I only use it when no electric is on site and never had a problem with noise.

Jasult, Have you ever use the generator on the cargo carrier? How much vibration and noise do you have inside the TT? thx

Yes I do and the AC is loud enough that we don't have a problem with noise. Vibrations are not enough to be concerned

[JiminDenver]

Say what?

The 3500/4000 has more head room to start the A/C than a Honda EU3000is does by far. It has no eco mode that has to ramp up to meet the need, you hear a slight change in pitch for a moment and that's it. I'm talking at a altitude that a Honda EU3000is doesn't have a sniff of running our air with the eco mode on or off.

[wwest]

mhawk4 wrote:
Just bought a new generator for the TT, it is the Champion 4000 from CW. We were going for the inverter but the price was too high for our budget; for $300 hundred got the champion and will be able to run the AC( 13500btu) when too hot outside and the wife will be very happy 😉

I am planning to attach (bolted) it to the rear cargo carrier when needed. We are planning to do some short road trips and not depend on staying in CGs. Where do you guys stay when using this type of generator? Any issues? Do you have it mounted to your trailer?

If for any reason i have to mod the unit to make it quieter, any suggestions?

I will have more questions about it; Thanks for your input.

Good way to destroy your A/C compressor.

When the compressor motor initially starts after a long period of non-use the head pressure will be fairly low, in accordance with ambient. So the initial start-up current flow spike might be within the range wherein the genset throttle can quickly open wide enough that the compressor motor winding temperature sensor/CB will not trip.

But that's not likely to be the case with subsequent compressor "re-starts.

So the protective sensor/CB will likely cycle on and off until the head pressure subsides enough that the genset will rise in power output before the CB trips.

[Desert_Captain]

Dakota98 wrote:
Desert

All large open frames are loud & inexpensive.... even your favorites.

My personal Favorites: Honda and Yamaha are not large open frame generators and they certainly are not inexpensive. When compared with the large open frame cheapo's they are much quieter.

Yes, folks with a red or blue can be just as obnoxious (excessive running and quiet time violations), as the folks running the yellows but that is not about generators as much as it is about being less than considerate.

Part of the generator issue comes from folks that just "Have" to have all of their AC toys when out camping. :h After a couple of days off the grid my two group 27 batteries are needing a charge and about an hour or so of run time takes care of it for another couple of days. After nearly 2 years/23K+ miles, of owning our class C with at least 50% of that time spent off the grid we have only put 47 hours on our built in generator and maybe a dozen or so on the Honda 2000.

I usually ask my neighbors when they are going to run their generator and where possible try to run mine at the same time. I will never light off the genny just to make a pot of coffee or watch TV. Larger batteries, inverters, solar etc., make doing so totally unnecessary. If you have a lot of unsupported AC toys then sites with electric are where you, and your neighbors, will be the happiest.

As always.... Opinions and YMMV.

:C

[cpaulsen]

cacoon wrote:
I have had the same generator for over three years. It has operated almost perfectly. I have ran the AC many times. I only use it when it is allowed to do what I need to do. It still starts in one pull. They are a great generator for the price.
Cacoon

Same here!! Admittently.....it is louder then a Honda.....and a lot depends on where and when they are used. Got mine from HD for less than 275.00 and have never regretted the purchase. Lots of state parks have quiet hours from 10 pm to 7am....and have seen no issues with any generator during those times.

[mhawk4]

jasult wrote:
I never leave home with out my trusty Champion. I only use it when no electric is on site and never had a problem with noise.

Jasult, Have you ever use the generator on the cargo carrier? How much vibration and noise do you have inside the TT? thx

[JiminDenver]

DC

Not everyone that owns a Champion 3500/4000 is a evil person. Not everyone that owns a Honda is considerate. In fact sometimes they are so sure that the Honda is so quiet that they run them excessively, as in 24/7.

No one has ever heard my Champ because we go where we hear no one and no one hears us, I took the money I didn't waste on a pretty red generator that would let me hold my head high here but wouldn't be able to run my A/C at altitude and bought a solar system that allows us all the comforts of home including A/C. The New Champ with remote start has never gone camping but it is nice in the storage lot.

[mhawk4]

Great info so far, including the smart ones :C.

My son and i tested the unit and ran the AC with no problems; yes it is louder than the inverter we tested and much quieter than the big MoFo i have for the house.

I understand the noise issue in the CGs, not many people are corteous or follow the rules. Our generator will be used mostly on the road for the stops in Travel stations, rest stops and places with no electricity. Also will give us the ability to spend more time doing road trips and not depending so much on the CG reservations.
Hopefully we can be more spontaneous in our travels.

Please champion owners, more info the better. Please share your knowledge. thx.

[Dakota98]

Desert

All large open frames are loud & inexpensive.... even your favorites.