I've previously owned 2 Honda EU2000i gensets, each purchased used, primarily as back up for those times each season we inevitably lose shore power while camping and may want / need to recharge the battery. Eventually I sold each one for what I had paid due to lack of use ... that and the fact I found hefting a 50+ lb genset in & out of the truck, then rarely using it, got old really quickly. :( The one time we lost power for 36 hrs and could have really used it the genset was sitting back in my workshop. :S However, an opportunity has presented itself where I can buy a 2 yr old, lightly used Yamaha EF1000iS for the equivalent of ~ $500 USD, about half of what a new one would cost here in Canada. At 30 lbs it sure would be a lot easier to throw into the truck as back up for camping and although it doesn't happen often I could also use it to run my furnace those couple of times each winter we lose power here at the house. I could also alternately power the kitchen fridge to avoid food loss during the hot summer months. My question for those who own a 1000 watt inverter genset - is a 1K genset small / light enough that you find you really do drag it around with you camping and 2) do you find other uses for it? Any comments appreciated. :)

I use my Yamaha solely for charging the batteries. I used to connect it directly to the batteries but now I go through the TT converter/inverter; I start it up when it gets dark and turn it off at 10PM; It sits outside and hums away doing it's thing. 1,000W does limit you, You can't use the micro-wave and even the coffee maker is right on the edge.I since upgraded to a 2,000W model which gives me many more options - I run an electric chain-saw, hedge-trimmers, sawzall etc etc.I would get a 2,000W over a 1,000w any day - even if it weighs a bit more.

1000 va may not be enough to run the furnace.

Also 1000 watts will not start your household fridge. It can't handle the inrush current on startup.

What size is the onboard charging system? A 60amp model might overwhelm the little generator. Basically, they are nice little generators but too small to do so many things that they don't have a lot of use. The 2000w models might not run the air/con but can provide most other common power needs on an RV.

pianotuna wrote:1000 va may not be enough to run the furnace.Back when I owned an EU2000i I re-wired the house furnace so I could run it directly from the genset sitting in the backyard. Max power draw measured with the furnace running was ~ 550 watts, I don't recall PF as measured with my Kill-a-Watt meter but I seem to recall VA was ~ 750 VA. The EU2000i easily handled the load, barely ran much above ECO speed, but the question remains as to whether the EF1000iS could handle this task without going into overload. :hRight now I'm monitoring the house fridge with an energy meter that reads MAX AMPS & MAX WATTS, along with the Kill-a-Watt that reads PF ... max I've seen so far is 613 watts / 4.33 amps which would suggest a PF of ~ 85, which in turn means a VA of ~ 725 VA ... just waiting for the Kill-a-Watt to confirm this.Our Coachmen has a WFCO 8955 converter which I suspect the EF1000iS would power without going into overload, even at the converter's maximum charge rate ... probably what fitznj is doing with his own EF1000iS. I also have a CTEK Multi US 7002 7 amp charger that I wired into the trailer because it's capable of a true 14.4 volt bulk charge rate, unlike the WFCO which never seems to go beyond ~ 13.7 volts no matter how depleted the battery may be. If the EF1000iS won't handle the WFCO it certainly would power the CTEK, though charge times would be awfully long.As far as A/C is concerned I was able to run a variety of 13,500 BTU A/Cs with an EU2000i BUT only under limited conditions - when ambient temps hit the mid 80s F the genset increasingly went into overload. Eventually I decided I wasn't going to run any genset 12 hrs a day just so I could power an A/C so that need has really gone away for me. That said, now that the Micro-Air Easy Start Soft Starter Kit is available that would be my solution to running A/C with a 2K genset. Obviously a 1K can't handle this task anyway so the issue is moot for me, as is running the MW oven - nice to do if I could but not important enough to me to drag around a much heavier 2K genset vs the much lighter 1K.Thanks to all who have responded so far! :B

Yamaha EF1000iS Genset | Good Sam Community

SoundGuy
Explorer
Dec 28, 2017
shum02 wrote:
You want to borrow mine to give it a shot PM me. I can tell you though without any doubt it does not have the grunt to turn over a furnace motor. It might/maybe keep it running but it will not start it.

SoundGuy wrote:
Thanks for the offer Shum but that's pretty definitive - a 1K just isn't going to cut it. :(

We'll have to catch up sometime around a campfire again! :B

shum02 wrote:
Heading up to Mac this weekend for New Years, come on, drag the rig out for some winter fun :B Only a metre of snow or so has fallen in the area!

Ha, WAY too cold for me! :E I remember doing that once at Mac a few years ago with one of our mutual friends who was participating in their winter camping program. Sorry, but standing around a campfire when it's -22C doesn't appeal at all, I was thinking more like July! :B
shum02
Explorer
Dec 28, 2017
SoundGuy wrote:
shum02 wrote:
You want to borrow mine to give it a shot PM me. I can tell you though without any doubt it does not have the grunt to turn over a furnace motor. It might/maybe keep it running but it will not start it.

Thanks for the offer Shum but that's pretty definitive - a 1K just isn't going to cut it. :(

We'll have to catch up sometime around a campfire again! :B

Heading up to Mac this weekend for New Years, come on, drag the rig out for some winter fun :B Only a metre of snow or so has fallen in the area!
SoundGuy
Explorer
Dec 26, 2017
shum02 wrote:
You want to borrow mine to give it a shot PM me. I can tell you though without any doubt it does not have the grunt to turn over a furnace motor. It might/maybe keep it running but it will not start it.

Thanks for the offer Shum but that's pretty definitive - a 1K just isn't going to cut it. :(

We'll have to catch up sometime around a campfire again! :B
shum02
Explorer
Dec 26, 2017
SoundGuy wrote:
pianotuna wrote:
You do need to specify the location if you wish others to help you. But clearly you don't wish for that assistance.

In my original post I was asking for commentary on the Yamaha EF1000iS. I do appreciate the replies but at no time did I ask where I could rent one as I know from doing my own search there just isn't anyone nearby that rents an EF1000iS so this simple solution isn't as simple as it would seem. :R

You want to borrow mine to give it a shot PM me. I can tell you though without any doubt it does not have the grunt to turn over a furnace motor. It might/maybe keep it running but it will not start it.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Dec 22, 2017
Hi Phil,

Yes for a residence--not for an RV.

pnichols wrote:
pianotuna wrote:
1000 va may not be enough to run the furnace.

Don ... I guess maybe I'm a bit slow around the holidays, but ... what are you referring to here? Did you mean a stick house gas furnace during power outages?

As for an RV furnace - their coach fan systems usually only draw 5-8 amps of DC power (according to these forum discussions) - which translates into less than around 100 watts.

My little EX650 Honda suitcase generator will easily power the RV's propane furnace fan (and the furnace's ignition circuit) or the RV's air conditioning distributed duct fan (of course with the A/C's compressor turned off).

:h
SoundGuy
Explorer
Dec 22, 2017
pianotuna wrote:
You do need to specify the location if you wish others to help you. But clearly you don't wish for that assistance.

In my original post I was asking for commentary on the Yamaha EF1000iS. I do appreciate the replies but at no time did I ask where I could rent one as I know from doing my own search there just isn't anyone nearby that rents an EF1000iS so this simple solution isn't as simple as it would seem. :R
SoundGuy
Explorer
Dec 22, 2017
pianotuna wrote:
1000 va may not be enough to run the furnace.

pnichols wrote:
Did you mean a stick house gas furnace during power outages?

Yeah, that's what we're talking about - running the stick house furnace in a case when power is lost.

We normally camp on electric sites so the only time I'd use a genset while camping is when we might lose shore power, run on battery until power is restored (which in one case was 36 hrs), and would like to have a means of recharging the battery. The weight of a 1K genset is better for me than a 2K but because I'd use it so seldom I'd really also like to being able to use it to power the stick house furnace in case of emergency. Problem is, according to my Kill-a-Watt my house furnace draws ~ 460 watts but it's VA is ~ 751 VA because it's PF is just 0.61. I know an EU2000i will handle this load (because I've tried it) but I question whether an EF1000iS would, considering this warning in the EF1000iS owner's manual.

Ergo, the reason for doing a test first before buying. ;)
pnichols
Explorer II
Dec 22, 2017
pianotuna wrote:
1000 va may not be enough to run the furnace.

Don ... I guess maybe I'm a bit slow around the holidays, but ... what are you referring to here? Did you mean a stick house gas furnace during power outages?

As for an RV furnace - their coach fan systems usually only draw 5-8 amps of DC power (according to these forum discussions) - which translates into less than around 100 watts.

My little EX650 Honda suitcase generator will easily power the RV's propane furnace fan (and the furnace's ignition circuit) or the RV's air conditioning distributed duct fan (of course with the A/C's compressor turned off).

:h
keymastr
Explorer
Dec 22, 2017
While it is not a Yamaha I bought a Sportsman 1000i from Amazon on cyber monday for $200 and free shipping. Only wanted it for charging the trailer batteries and it works great for that. Charger goes into bulk mode and it has a little bit left. Won't run the AC or microwave but for $200 it is a great little Genny and when the charger goes to absorption mode the thing throttles down quite a bit and is pretty quiet. Also only weighs 18 pounds.

Would I prefer a Honda or Yamaha? Definitely, and if I get a bigger one to run AC I probably would, but for battery charging? No need.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Dec 21, 2017
You do need to specify the location if you wish others to help you. But clearly you don't wish for that assistance. BTW I lived in Toronto for many years. -30-

SoundGuy wrote:
pianotuna wrote:
Then you need to be more specific that S Ontario for your location.

No I don't, I know where I am and I've already done a search in my local area for possibilities ... there aren't any. That aside, doesn't matter where I am, one would have to be nuts to drive through that kind of traffic just to pick up & return a rental genset. May not mean much to you but anyone who ever has to challenge traffic anywhere in and around the GTA would understand completely. :(

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