3000W Chinese Gensets Info.

[professor95]

professor95 wrote:
EDIT ADDED 45/5/2013- When this thread started in March of 2005, I never expected to see it survive this long or amass the quantity of information that has been shared here.

In the eight year run of this thread we have amassed almost 10,000 postings and surpassed a million views. This creates somewhat of a dilemma for anyone who has just discovered the forum.

Since the amount of information is virtually overwhelming, I suggest you set your preferences for this thread to read "newest first" and then begin to page backwards.

What you will find in these pages is a wealth of info on virtually any make or model of Chinese manufactured synchronous (non-inverter) generator in the 3,000 watt performance class. Info will include how to rewire series coils to parallel to obtain maximum wattage from a single 120 volt outlet. Tips on further reducing sound levels, how to care for these generators, which ones are "RV ready" and provide the best overall performance for the dollar invested. Which companies NOT to deal with, where the best prices are, how to safely wire the generator into a home or RV, how to check your RV for electrical faults, sources for generator accessories, which 20/30 adapters are safe to use and which are not. How to convert a gasoline generator to propane or NG. This is only the beginning. The forum has a life of its own with the focus sub-topic switching frequently. Still, the main topic of utilizing the amazing, inexpensive Chinese gensets is always there. The amount of creativity and innovation presented in these pages is indicative of the talents shared in the diverse backgrounds of the folks who make up our combined RV community.

Many of the original brands and models of Chinese gensets mentioned in the introduction and early pages of the thread have since disappeared. New EPA and CARB emissions requirements, company bonds assuring the emissions warranty will be honored even if the company goes out of business, and fierce competition in the industry have changed the playing field. Champion Power Equipment has become the apparent "trophy team" providing an ever expanding retail outlet, an ample parts supply, a strong warranty and excellent customer service. CPE has continued to improve their product and now offers a new model (#46538) with exclusive convenience, safety and performance features aimed at the RV market. Big names like Cummins/Onan, Honda and Generac all now have Chinese built open frame synchronous gensets available. Ironically, the prices often found on these gensets has not significantly changed during the past eight years - even with the devaluation of the American Dollar and new EPA/CARB requirements.

I also encourage you to use the search function and even the advanced search options to find information. Key works such as "rewiring", "PowerPro", "Champion", "Onan Homesite", "Duropower", "ETQ", "Jiung Dong or JD", "Tractor Supply", "Costco", "Lowe's" and "Home Depot" are all examples of keywords that will give you specific information on different models being sold by retailers today.

Or, you can fill your glass with your favorite beverage (keep more close by - maybe some munchies as well :D, sit back at your computer, tell your wife (or significant other) that you will see her in the morning and spend the next 10 or so hours reading through the postings.

No one on the forum gets mad if you ask a question that is a repeat. Please do not hesitate to post to the forum. All questions are considered important and those active on the forum will do their best to respond with a valid answer.

Also note we are not out to knock the Honda, Yamaha, Kipor or other brands of high end digital gensets. We recognize the quality of these products and their suitability for quite, efficient RV use. But, there is a flood of reliable, inexpensive and comparatively lower cost gensets coming out of China that are excellent alternative choices for the RVer wanting power to run an air conditioner, microwave, etc. without excessive noise or breaking the budget.

Oh, one last thing. The folks on this forum are true gentlemen. We do not flame one another or the product discussed - period. Ugly contributors usually have their comments and remarks ignored by our masses. It is not a forum to start arguments to obtain a clear win. We do disagree on many issues, but we have all agreed to do that in a respectable manner.

We now have the introduction of more and more inverter gensets. There is a rather extensive thread named "The Official Unofficial Champion 2000i Generator" on this forum. Today, I added info on the new Champion 3100i inverter genset. Discussion on this product may get moved to its own thread at a later date.

Many have looked upon this thread with distain saying Chinese is cheap and doomed to failure. I remember saying exactly the same thing about Japanese products a few decades back. But, over the past eight years the track record for Chinese built generators has shown otherwise.

Please, join us in a fascinating journey down the Chinese built genset road of knowledge.

This is the question I posted that got it all started back in March 2005.......

Randy

For a little over a month now, I have been somewhat intrigued by the availability of a 3000 watt, 6.5 HP generator at Pep Boys and Northern Tool for under $300.00. The engine on this generator looks identical to a Honda 6.5 HP OHV engine. Knowing that the Chinese have become very adept at “cloning” reputable technologies from other manufacturers, I was not surprised at the similarities. Neither store could give me any information on the generator nor did they have a “running” display model.

I have done a little research. This is what I have discovered:

Many of these generators are imported by ELIM International (www.eliminternational.com) out of Buffalo, New York from Jiung Manufacturing in China. (The unit at Northern is identical but carries the JIUNG name.)

The engines are indeed a Chinese knockoff of the popular 6.5 HP 196cc Honda Engine. “Supposedly” Honda has licensed the engine technology to the Chinese manufacturer of the product.

The Chinese company that makes the ELM3000 generators is a rather large, diverse, long-standing company with a reputation for “above average quality” Chinese made products (Jiung Manufacturing). There are many more Chinese companies making almost identical gensets.

The generators at PepBoys do have a six month limited warranty. But, it is only on the engine (not the generator) and requires paying for shipping to and from Buffalo. Probably not a very practical thing to do if you have warranty issues.

ELIM does supply replacement parts (a PDF parts manual is available on the ELIM web site). No prices are given for replacement parts nor is there an “availability listing”.

The generator head itself is a brushless design. The only really significant wear parts in the generator are the bearings – most likely universally available.

The published dB rating is 67 at 23 feet. This is “reasonably” quite for a generator of this size as most comparabl.... The 67 dB rating is the same as Honda gives their 3000 watt CycloInverter with a “look alike” eng...

[toprudder]

It must be an oversight, but the specs list both models as weighing 100 lbs. I thought the electric start with the wheel kit would have added a few pounds. 🙂

[77charger]

I am probably going to be gettin a new duropower with the sound kit soon.My current 3500 has done well for me so far and still going good considering the abuse i have put to it.Had a muffler bracket break just left it and muffler got lil loose but still hasnt gotten any louder been this way for about 6 months and lots of hours,has a few continuous runs in the summer when temps were well over a 100 also

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Ask and you -SHALL- receive!

Thanks for the update, Prof!

Be looking forward to test results and comments.
JC

[professor95]

Oh, By the Way........

The 3,000 Watt Chinese Generator Forum celebrated it's 2nd birthday a couple of weeks back. Who would have ever thought it would last this long, have over 3,000 postings and 304,000 views? Our comments have definately had an impact on the small generator market and the type of features available for RV use. The excellent manners of the forum contributors have shown what a great bunch of folks RVers are. You guys (and gals) are the Best!

Amazing!

[professor95]

ol Bombero-JC wrote:
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Wiz or Prof - any info on release of new gens, upgrades,
(such as a factory sound-deadening kit,) from Champion?

Even if you haven't heard anything, let's start some rumors!

We don't have to start a rumor. Here they are.

Recoil Start Basic RV Model:


Electric Start Delux Model:



We got most everything we asked for on this Forum except for the sound reduction panels. Champion says they are still "working" on the sound reduction kit but there is no release date being given. When it does come out, it is suppose to fit older models as well.

The Deluxe RV model has a LCD read-out that displays engine RPM, Hours and Voltage. Also has a row of white LEDs under the new shrouds to light the front panel.

12V DC is gone on both models as is the 240 Volt outlet. (Electric model does have a charger for the battery but no 12VDC out plug).

Pretty much the same engine but an all new alternator reported to have a single coil and heavier gauge wire with better insulation that runs cooler than the current models.

New are the shrouds that go over the top of the gas tank. I am not sure what they are for other than a place to put the Champion Logo and name.

I am being told that the new models are not in the warehouse yet but have been shipped from China. They should be available in the next few weeks.

I do not know about pricing. We will need to wait and see what hits the street.

I am excited and disappointed at the same time. I like the features they added, but really would have also liked to see the sound reduction kit included.

I'm going to try and get my hands on one of the electric start models so I can run it through the mill. I'll let the Forum know more as details are discovered.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Wiz or Prof - any info on release of new gens, upgrades,
(such as a factory sound-deadening kit,) from Champion?

Even if you haven't heard anything, let's start some rumors!

[COnative]

When I fired mine up the first time it was on concrete in between trailer and the house and fence. A little noisy. Put it out in the yard on grass 30 ft from trailer, cut some mdf board to cover three sides. Muffler side open obviously(I think muffler is extremely quiet), used webbing such as motorcycle strap to tighten boards and you can barely hear it. Mine is on the wheel kit, so air circulates underneath. On edit... on the side with control panel only bottom section was covered. Take a look at this pic. http://www.duropower.com/images/upload/products/x/DP3500RES.jpg
These Gens are down to 58-60 db. If you look careful, they are put together very similarly to the champion. The difference is they have bolted, vented panels to places that champion left open. I imagine champions design team is going to come up with something similar to this for their release next year. As most of you have heard, a panel kit will be available next winter. At least that is what a champion rep told me. Happy camping!

[Cool_Canuck]

Ya'll talked me into one. Picked it up from Parts America. Silly thing is, Kragen Auto have them for $349.00. Order one online from Parts America @ $299.00 and pick it up in one hour at the Kragen store. Save $50.00 🙂

Put in some 10W-30 oil and some gasoline. One pull and it started. 🙂 Noiser than I thought it would be. Noise abatement coming up. Plugged the trailer into it and fired up the AC. No problem.

[Gene-C]

Bob & Cathy: I will try to describe what I did with my sound box. The box is longer than the Gen by about 12 inches and taller by maybe 4 inches and deeper by about 6 inches.
The Gen sits about 5 inches from the left of the box and I cut a hole opisite the air intake of the engine. I then put a piece of duck work pipe from the outside to the intake. I cut a hole just the size of the hot air exit in the bottom to get rid of some of the heat. On the right there is about 7 or 8 inches left in the box. The bottom of this was cut out. A divider was placed on an angle from the right bottom leaning towards the left. (towards the Gen.) This leaves an angled hollow place in the box. An air vent was cut into the right side of the box and a screened grill was placed over the opening. Inside the angle box two squirl cage blowers were installed to blow air over the top of the Gen and down the left side of the engine and going across the bottom of the Gen and dumping out the bottom on the right side where I cut the bottom of that seven inches. So the air goes from the right top of the engine across the top down the left side and across and out the right bottom. I put an elbow on the exhaust and it blows out the bottom hole on the right also. I then insulated the inside with foil faced 1 inch sound insulation from Overtons Marine.
It now runs cool and reduced the sound by a bunch. I don't have a DB meter so I can't give numbers but It is much better.
Most of the sound comes from the engine and not the exhaust but if you can find a replacement muffler that helps then so much the better.

God Luck. I hope this helps a little. It worked for me.

Gene-C

[bobandcat]

Gene-C,
Can you supply details on your genset sound reduction housing? Since you put so much effort into getting it right, it could save others the extra testing iterations. Also, I'm very interested in the cooling information to keep the fuel at reasonable temp. Pics would be great! Thanks.

[Gene-C]

Just an update from a champion owner. I bought mine last fall for a future trip to Alaska. Had it only a few weeks and we had a very bad ice storm. No electric for four days. Hooked the Champion to the house with a pigtail into my 30 amp RV outlet and pulled the main breaker into the house from the power co. For four days I had a furnance and fridge and Tv. Life was good. The Champion worked without a problem.
We just returned yesterday from a trip to Old Mexico for about four weeks. We ran the Champion every day for several hours. (Electricty in Mexico leaves a lot to be desired).
I use Quaker State 30w oil and I do have to add a little oil about every other tank of gas ( about 15hrs running time)
It starts on the first pull almost every time.
I have it enclosed in a box that keeps the noise down to an exceptable level. I won't go into the box details here but will say it took about six weeks of testing to get it right. If you do mount in a box make sure you have plenty of extra cooling air flowing over it. With the gas tank on top the fuel gets real hot fast without GOODcooling.

Gene-C

[Oldfordman]

TTHauler wrote:
Has anyone tried a different muffler on the Champion gen to quiet it down even more?

The muffler is not a big source of the noise that remains. The air cleaner needs to be more solid as it is a source of noise and there needs to be some sound deadening material around (or near) the crankcase. The muffler is great as it is.

[TTHauler]

Has anyone tried a different muffler on the Champion gen to quiet it down even more?

[Oldfordman]

Mr. Tommy wrote:
Frankly, I don't remember anything in the manual about 'breaking in' either. I'm about ready to change the oil (mainly because I change the oil in my lawn mower, ATV's, and now the generator) for my yearly spring change. Breaking in for me was taking it to Washoe Lake for a weekend of 100+ degree days and living in the lap of luxury (i.e. air conditioning in my travel trailer - 🙂 ).

IIRC they don't call it a "break in". They just say change the oil after 5 hours. This is just to make sure that any fine particles from the inital wear-in are flushed out.

[Mr__Tommy]

Frankly, I don't remember anything in the manual about 'breaking in' either. I'm about ready to change the oil (mainly because I change the oil in my lawn mower, ATV's, and now the generator) for my yearly spring change. Breaking in for me was taking it to Washoe Lake for a weekend of 100+ degree days and living in the lap of luxury (i.e. air conditioning in my travel trailer - 🙂 ).