Special generator discussion

I have a big, heavy 8000W constant load contractor generator that will run the house well pump and one of the water heaters, it gets used if we have an extended blackout, last one was 3 days. It will also run my Lincoln IdealArc 250 if I have a remote welding job.

The Honda on the other hand will run the house frig, a small storage freezer and one TV/DVR/WiFi and some lights for shorter outages. It also goes boondocking with us in the 36' A, after the on board Onan QD puts the initial charge on the batteries the Honda purrs away at the end of a 85' 12GA cord off in the bushes to top them off.

The Honda has also run.
Small 120V MIG welder for smaller remote jobs.
Electric Jackhammer
Saws/corded drills for fence jobs
Grinders/sanders/wire wheels/flap discs.
Electric "Chainsaw on a stick" for remote pruning jobs
and handles all charging for the Truck Camper.

As with the MIG welder (bought for body work) the Honda has more than paid for itself in uses I never anticipated, pretty much just got it for the TC.

BTW once you turn off the cap vent shutoff you can store it in a vehicle with no gas smell at all. Just as a test before transporting it the first time I left it in the truck's cab with the window up for 2 days. No gas smell. Try that with a contractor genny.

EDIT: Last time I was up at Animas Ghost Town by Silverton there were some workmen renovating the buildings. Guess what was powering their tools, yep a couple of purring little Hondas.

It is convenient having a generator in my MH. however, never had the need for one in my TT. In the morning if I was on the road traveling just starting my PU started charging the batteries. If dry camping for days just popped the hood on PU and charged TT batteries with jumper cables. Then used my portable solar panel during the day. Generator is nice in the MH. Wife can use hair dryer, curling iron, and we can use electric coffee pot and toaster.

Hi,

If you only do weekends, a good pure sine wave inverter, and some solar panels may meet your needs. The only item that is difficult to run is the air conditioner. If you don't need the air to be cooler, then you don't need a genny.

Solar is currently costing about $2.00 per watt. on a DIY installation.

For the price of a Honda you can have a very good solar set up.

The only place outside of camping that I have needed the generator has been to run a bounce house at a park. Although I do keep it on hand to run a driveway sump if the power goes out in a rain. I no longer take the generator camping. (Kipor KGE3000Ti)

built in Onan and a portable generator on a DIY slide in a fwd storage compartment
have used it to power an electric chain saw 'fire wood'
circular saw 'remodel'
welder ... hitch and carrier repair, bike rack etc..
even used it to power my vector battery charger to get another vehicle started
I often run small power tools .. drills, multi-tool, dremel , soldering gun etc while charging batteries

I have both an EU2000 and EU1000. The EU2000 I bought for my last RV which didn't have an on board unit. The EU1000 (I got it from my dad for a bottle of scotch...they quit dry camping) is the one that goes dry camping with me for battery charging only. It is much quieter than the on board unit. We RV all year round so supplemental charging will always be a need even with solar.

Both generators are used for power outages which frequently happen in the fall storm season here. I also have used them for utility power when there is none nearby (tools).

If I had to choose between Honda and solar, it would be Honda....although both is even better.

I'd go with the Honda first, then solar, just because there may be times where the batteries need a charge to handle the furnace on a cold night, and it is coming evening time.

Even with an inboard generator, a little 1000/2000 watt inverter generator comes in handy, just because they use far less gas, and if charging batteries for a while, might as well use something that uses 1/10 of a gallon an hour than something that uses .4 gallons per hour. Plus, there is always that time where the house batteries can get so low that the onboard Onan might not be able to start up, so having a backup on hand can save a trip.

We had this same debate with ourselves before we left on a CC camping trip. Florida to Cape Cod, to Seattle, to N CA, to Nevada, to Utah, and still on the road since May. We're aiming back to Florida now, probably take a month more.

Despite the shutdown on NPs (which usually have no power anyway) we've made it without a generator. We have ONE on board battery. many state parks have FHU or at least W/P. So, every few days, or once a week, we find a state park or a COE with power, and top charge everything - TC battery, LT, camera batteries, etc.

We decided when we left to see what happens, and that if we TRULY NEEDED it, we'd just buy the Honda or Yamaha when we 'had to have it'. SO far, we have not bought one ...

We have no television, hair dryer, etc, and we use battery in a very conservative fashion, but even if we had a generator, we'd still keep up the same lifestyle... So far, we've never felt inconvenienced enough to buy one.

BTW: Nothing upsets me more than sitting at my campsite and having the neighbors fire up the noise and run it for hours at a time - especially in the evening hours. IF YOU SIMPLY MUST run it, do the courtesy of running in the daylight hours when we're off enjoying the area.

Camping, my 2000i will run the microwave, coffee pot, converter, and DW & DD's hair dryers (not all at once of course.)
It'll also run 2 refrigerators, the sump pump, furnace, TV, and dsl modem when the home power is out.
And it runs my circular saw, jig saw, and drill charger for remote projects.

Many of our favorite campsites are shaded so solar isn't a good option for us.

If you have a big inverter, except for air con there's not a lot you need a generator for except charging batteries.