Yet Another Generator Discussion!

[SpeakEasy]

I know how much you folks love generator discussions. Here's another one.

I have fallen from heaven. I have ordered a generator. During my nearly 20 years of RV'ing I have sworn at generator-users, I have sworn that I would never have one, and I have nearly gotten into fights with generator-users. Mostly because of the noise.

My defenses began to crumble when I heard about Honda 2000's and their quieter operation. My defenses crumbled even more when I bought a trailer that had an air conditioner. My defenses crumbled even more when I went to a Bluegrass festival in 90-plus heat and had to listen to everyone else's generators anyway. But then I learned that the Honda 2000 and other similar-sized generators wouldn't run my air conditioner. When I realized that I'd need a $2000 generator to do that, I pretty much abandoned the idea. Back to being a committed non-generator-user.

Reading the discussions here recently I learned about Micro-Air Soft Start . In exploring their website I learned how this device is installed and how it enables a 2000-watt generator to power the ac.

My defenses fell the rest of the way when I found that Micro-Air has also researched the small generator market and has come up with a recommended product: the Westinghouse iGen2500. Micro-Air guarantees compatibility with their SoftStart product, and they are selling these generators for $630 with free shipping. Amazing.

Forgive me.

-Speak

[Songbirds]

bikendan wrote:

Songbirds wrote:
So you can JOIN them together with another Honda for added output check them all out for attaching each to another and you will find HONDA is the ONLY ONE?

your statement is SO incorrect. there probably at least 20 different brands of inverter generators that can be paralleled.
Yamaha, Kipor, Boliy, Champion, Generac, All Power, Wen, Ryobi, Predator, All i-Power, Powerhouse, Pulsar, Energizer, Firman, Suburu, Lifan, Briggs and Stratton are a few of those.

YOU ARE CORRECT. as it happens this is what I believed for many years. After writing this, I was talking with a friend and the subject of Generators came up. He also corrected me and I learned what you had stated, Way to stay on top of things. One thing about RV'ing was always learning something. Also good to know as I'm not that big of a fan, of Honda's, You are correct Thanks.

[bikendan]

Songbirds wrote:
So you can JOIN them together with another Honda for added output check them all out for attaching each to another and you will find HONDA is the ONLY ONE?

your statement is SO incorrect. there probably at least 20 different brands of inverter generators that can be paralleled.
Yamaha, Kipor, Boliy, Champion, Generac, All Power, Wen, Ryobi, Predator, All i-Power, Powerhouse, Pulsar, Energizer, Firman, Suburu, Lifan, Briggs and Stratton are a few of those.

[Florida_Swamp_F]

Remember that this string goes back to being able to reduce the locked rotor amps of an AC unit by using a soft start device. I am coming from a truck camper to a large fifth wheel that has a residential frig. I have one Honda EU2000ic that I love that took care of my truck camper and its AC with no problem.

I liked the prospect of being able to use my single Honda with that AC Unit using a soft start on the AC. Getting another Honda for parallel would work great.

Here is the issue. The fifth wheel has a larger converter and a Residential Frig. The inverter for the frig is controlled by a transfer switch that will automatically put the frig on AC when shore power is detected. A single Honda 2000 goes under a significant load with just the frig and the converter. You have to add a second Honda to run the AC with the frig and converter on even at low outside air temps. The microwave is a 1500 watt monster so it taps out the Honda with nothing else running. Ultimately, to run this camper it needs two Honda 2000s.

I have a couple options. Keep the Honda 2000 and buy another Honda 2200 which will pair with it. Or, keep the Honda and buy a Champion 3500 Dual Fuel.

I have an extra space for a third large propane tank. I could store the Champion under a cover in my bed and quickly tie it to that propane tank. I could also put the Honda on the back hitch carrier and have it to run the converter and fridge in cool weather. Either way, I'm spending about $1100 for another generator.

What would you do? I am six and half dozen the other on this thing now.

[RSD559]

burningman wrote:

RSD559 wrote:

Hmmmm. $2000 vs $700. Or you could get 2 Champion 2000s for about half of the Honda price.

That’s not the whole picture.
I had two EU2000s for 12 years and decided to sell them and buy a new pair.
NOT that I needed to, the old ones still worked perfectly.
I got $1400 for the pair, then ordered a new pair for $1800.

It effectively cost about $400 to own two EU2000s for 12 years. That’s cheap!

Also, you can easily order any part for a Honda. Every last washer or rubber bumper.
In fact most pieces you can just go pick right up at a local Honda power equipment dealer.

Try all that with a Champion.
I’m not saying the Champion isn’t a great deal or that it’s not a good set, I’m just pointing out the Honda isn’t a bad deal either.

Or, if you bought the two champions, you could put the extra $400 in the bank. As for parts, Champion is very responsive and CS friendly. When I got my generator, the air box was broken. I called them, talked to a real person, and the free replacement was in my generator two days later, along with getting another free filter. No complaints. I have honda stuff. Love our Ruckus scooter. My dealers never have anything but spark plugs and oil filters in stock. Everything else seems to be a special order.

[austinjenna]

Honda, Yamaha, Champion, Predator generators all can hooked up in parallel. Not just honda's

[Songbirds]

Honda Generators ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES THAT CAN BE JOINED/attached together to run in parallel? My Statement ONLY HONDA was NOT TRUE as other Generators can ALSO BE JOINED TO WORK TOGETHER. Thanks to member below. (Thanks bikendan post below) pointing this out Thanks again


Here is a PDF link to a Honda Generator manual check out PAGE 23- for parallel usage. Honda Generator Manual check out page 23.

[burningman]

RSD559 wrote:

Hmmmm. $2000 vs $700. Or you could get 2 Champion 2000s for about half of the Honda price.

That’s not the whole picture.
I had two EU2000s for 12 years and decided to sell them and buy a new pair.
NOT that I needed to, the old ones still worked perfectly.
I got $1400 for the pair, then ordered a new pair for $1800.

It effectively cost about $400 to own two EU2000s for 12 years. That’s cheap!

Also, you can easily order any part for a Honda. Every last washer or rubber bumper.
In fact most pieces you can just go pick right up at a local Honda power equipment dealer.

Try all that with a Champion.
I’m not saying the Champion isn’t a great deal or that it’s not a good set, I’m just pointing out the Honda isn’t a bad deal either.

[Gulfcoast]

.

[RSD559]

burningman wrote:
Two EU2000/2200s will make more power than that Champion will, and give you the option of running just one smaller set when power needs are lower.
And they’re lighter.

Hmmmm. $2000 vs $700. Or you could get 2 Champion 2000s for about half of the Honda price.

[1320Fastback]

In my trailer the 13.5K Dometic will continually send our 2 Yamhah 2K gens paired together into overload. The AC will run fine at home off of a old Onan 4BFA and 30A shore power.

I am convinced the AC, like everything else in new trailers is bottom barrel cheap quality. It has the aftermarket Dometic Hard Start Cap and that didnt make any difference.

I think I'll put a Atwood Ac up there and trash the Dometic.

[burningman]

Two EU2000/2200s will make more power than that Champion will, and give you the option of running just one smaller set when power needs are lower.
And they’re lighter.

[Florida_Swamp_F]

I know the topic is about how to reduce the locked rotor amps of AC at start up with a soft start micro capacitor. Being able to reduce this makes the question of what a smaller inverter will do with a typical RV Air Conditioner. I put the chart below together based on the specs given by Coleman for the MACH 8. The watts based on the outside air temperature answers a lot of questions for me.


Coleman MACH 8 15000 AC

Temp. 110 105 100 95 90 85 80
Watts 2016 1901 1786 1671 1556 1441 1326
Amps 17.53 16.53 15.53 14.53 13.53 12.53 11.53

[BFL13]

What about the inverter? If you can run the MW etc (not all at once of course) off grid, then you can still do that while charging the batteries at the same time by converter/solar

That way your gen only needs to run the battery charger. For air conditioning, you need enough generator, but that is different.

Same thing if you only have 15a shore power like at somebody's place you are visiting. The shore power can just do the converter while the inverter runs your 120v things like MW etc.

[Florida_Swamp_F]

Changed my mind!

I ran the 15000 BTU Coleman AC on my Jayco yesterday for hours. No problem with the Honda EU 2000 to run the AC at 80 degrees outside. I doubt it would have handled the extra running amps if the outside air temp. was 95 or higher. I did have to turn off the Residential Frig and the Converter to do it.

I really like my Honda but I have put it up for sale and will buy a Champion dual fuel 3400. Can't see paying another $1K for another small Honda that won't run my converter and Microwave at the same time by itself.