15K BTU A/C and Generators

[GeoffW90]

Okay... so I have been to my dealer, I have researched the internet from end-to-end, and I am still unsure of what my generator selection should be.

I bought a Firman 3300 from Costco, it was a piece of junk... Lesson learned, going to buy a Honda or two.

Anyone running generators with a 15K BTU a/c - does a Honda 3000 inverter generator have enough or should I go and get two 2000's and parallel them? I want real facts, so to RV.net I go.

Thanks in advance for your insight!

[memilanuk]

K_and_I wrote:

memilanuk wrote:

2oldman wrote:

memilanuk wrote:
With the A/C running it showed 21 amps @ 117 volts... which by my math works out to ~2450 watts... which seems kinda high.

Yeah, real high. You sure the WH wasn't on?

WH? Water Heater... you mean the DSI *gas* water heater?

A couple of possibilities: You mentioned earlier that your fridge was in "auto" mode- that will switch to 120v when it senses that it is available. If you are having problems with insufficient power, turn the fridge on to gas only. Also, you mentioned that this camper is new to you. Some water heaters have a switch on them (outside, on the heater itself) that allows it to run on 120 instead of gas. You may want to check that.

Turns out you (and 2oldman) are exactly right. The walk-thru we got from the dealer only mentioned the switch on the main control panel, which clearly says "DSI Gas Water Heater". Unbeknownst to me, there is a little rocker switch hidden under one of the pipes in the water heater panel that says 'ON/OFF'. The Keystone owner's manual is fairly lacking as far as details, but it does mention that there are two kinds - gas, with 12 vdc ignition, and gas/electric. I'm guessing we have the latter.

That said, it was in the 'OFF' position. So that wasn't the culprit.

I'm continuing my little investigation in another thread over in the 'Tech Issues' forum rather than continue to drag this one off-topic.

Thanks for the help!

[Vintage465]

Still wondering what issues O.P. had with the Firman. I would like to have got a Honda, but it wouldn't fit under my Snug Top cover. Since Honda's have proven reliability and I use mine only for emergencies and emergencies are the best place to have reliable proven products, Honda would have been a good rig. Just didn't fit.

[2oldman]

otrfun wrote:
However, the reality is, Honda generators do, on occasion, break down.

The only service I've ever needed was replacement of starter ropes, and a new carb due to my negligence of storing with gas in it. The 2ks tend to be a little hard on starter ropes due to the angle into the grommet just inside the case.

[otrfun]

2oldman wrote:

otrfun wrote:
Champion has more responsive and consistent tech and warranty support than Honda.

I don't know about anyone else on here, but in 15 years and 3 Hondas (all running), I've never needed warranty or tech support.

Yes, a strong testimonial to Honda's reliability. I acknowledged the Honda EU3000iS' reliability in my post. However, the reality is, Honda generators do, on occasion, break down. When they do, some folks (like myself) have found their tech and warranty support cumbersome--especially when trying to rectify minor issues.

[TurnThePage]

2oldman wrote:

otrfun wrote:
Champion has more responsive and consistent tech and warranty support than Honda.

I don't know about anyone else on here, but in 15 years and 3 Hondas (all running), I've never needed warranty or tech support.

Nor have I with my (old) Yamaha, or my current Champion. I think that part is just frosting. Champion is proving to be a reliable brand. I wouldn't be at all surprised if some of the others often mentioned around here also prove out. Red and blue dominance . . . history.

[2oldman]

otrfun wrote:
Champion has more responsive and consistent tech and warranty support than Honda.

I don't know about anyone else on here, but in 15 years and 3 Hondas (all running), I've never needed warranty or tech support.

[otrfun]

Crabbypatty wrote:
While I understand that folks are buying the Champions, the jury is still out on how long they will last. Having camped next to champions they are not as quiet as the Hondas. My Honda 3000i just celebrated its 14th birthday so that amortizes really well. Annual oil change and it has its second spark plug. It is heavy though so if you can mount it that makes it easier and you can get a remote start kit for it. We solared 3 years ago and wished we did it sooner so we haven't used it much. recently bought a Honda 2000i. While it will not turn your ac, two will. I liked the 3000 as the wife could just turn the key and 3.6 gallons goes 24 hours not under full load, so carried less gas

As far as I am concerned after investing over $60k in truck and trailer Im not going to screw around and spend less on something that hasnt been around that long. As soon as it blows up, which I hope it doesn't, you've lost when he Honda keeps going. Some times you needs to spend more for peace of mind and less aggravation, which is what I do.

This works for me

With its excellent reliability, extremely quiet operation, and as you mentioned, its ability to run much longer on a tank of gas, the Honda EU3000iS has the edge over the Champion 3xxx inverter generators.

In terms of price (50-65 percent lower), less weight, and much higher inrush current capability, the Champion 3xxx inverter generators have the edge over the Honda EU3000iS. Don't underestimate the advantage of high inrush current capability. This gives the Champion 3xxx inverter generator the ability to start and run significantly more RV a/c units than the EU3000iS, especially 15k units.

The Champion 3xxx inverter generators have been on-sale/in-production for 5 years now. Based on the high number of positive online reviews, it's obvious they've been selling very well, and have no significant reliability/quality issues. After 5 years of "jury" deliberation I believe it's reasonable to assume the Champion 3xxx inverter generator is not a ticking time bomb.

Last, but not least, IMO, Champion has more responsive and consistent tech and warranty support than Honda. With Champion you get warranty and tech support directly from the manufacturer. Honda's warranty and tech support is all 3rd party, via their authorized dealer network. Expertise and service tends to vary from dealer to dealer.

Bottom line, both generators have their own respective set of pros and cons. The better generator is in the eyes of the beholder.

[2oldman]

memilanuk wrote:
Then what?

I guess you don't have an electric WH.

[2112]

It could have been charging a low battery as well

[K_and_I]

memilanuk wrote:

2oldman wrote:

memilanuk wrote:
With the A/C running it showed 21 amps @ 117 volts... which by my math works out to ~2450 watts... which seems kinda high.

Yeah, real high. You sure the WH wasn't on?

WH? Water Heater... you mean the DSI *gas* water heater?

A couple of possibilities: You mentioned earlier that your fridge was in "auto" mode- that will switch to 120v when it senses that it is available. If you are having problems with insufficient power, turn the fridge on to gas only. Also, you mentioned that this camper is new to you. Some water heaters have a switch on them (outside, on the heater itself) that allows it to run on 120 instead of gas. You may want to check that.

[Vintage465]

GeoffW90 wrote:
Okay... so I have been to my dealer, I have researched the internet from end-to-end, and I am still unsure of what my generator selection should be.

I bought a Firman 3300 from Costco, it was a piece of junk... Lesson learned, going to buy a Honda or two.

Anyone running generators with a 15K BTU a/c - does a Honda 3000 inverter generator have enough or should I go and get two 2000's and parallel them? I want real facts, so to RV.net I go.

Thanks in advance for your insight!

So I'm interested to know what was funky about the Firman 3300. I bought one with the specif idea that it was only for emergency use like firing of the 13.5 A/C if we got stuck somewhere and had a heat wave. I start it once a month or so and let it run for an hour. It fires my 13.5 easily. What was the deal with yours?

[memilanuk]

2oldman wrote:

memilanuk wrote:


WH? Water Heater... you mean the DSI *gas* water heater?

no

Then what?

[Crabbypatty]

While I understand that folks are buying the Champions, the jury is still out on how long they will last. Having camped next to champions they are not as quiet as the Hondas. My Honda 3000i just celebrated its 14th birthday so that amortizes really well. Annual oil change and it has its second spark plug. It is heavy though so if you can mount it that makes it easier and you can get a remote start kit for it. We solared 3 years ago and wished we did it sooner so we haven't used it much. recently bought a Honda 2000i. While it will not turn your ac, two will. I liked the 3000 as the wife could just turn the key and 3.6 gallons goes 24 hours not under full load, so carried less gas

As far as I am concerned after investing over $60k in truck and trailer Im not going to screw around and spend less on something that hasnt been around that long. As soon as it blows up, which I hope it doesn't, you've lost when he Honda keeps going. Some times you needs to spend more for peace of mind and less aggravation, which is what I do.

This works for me

[2oldman]

memilanuk wrote:


WH? Water Heater... you mean the DSI *gas* water heater?

no