champion 100263 3400 watt inverter/generator question

[sgfrye]

i pulled the trigger on a new champion 100263 3400 watt inverter/generator this week. got it yesterday. i plan on doing the 5 hour engine breakin tomorrow. i prefer to use propane more than gas but before i decide on buying 2 20 gallon propane tanks my question is does anyone have experience with this unit starting a 15,000 btu a/c off propane and or gas? i have a new 2018 wildwood tt. i don't plan on doing alot of off grid camping but do plan on doing that on our back property this weekend for a dry run. i wouldn't be running anything else in the tt other than maybe tv and dvd player, fresh water tank pump, and some lights.

[sgfrye]

UPDATE. i filled gas tank for the 5 hour breakin period today. Started right up. Ran my 15k btu ac and friddge no problem. It is 98 degrees here in north carolina today. Ran for 5 hours. Changed oil. Hooked up to my 20lb propane tank. Started ac no problem. Ran for another 5 hours Runs 15k ac , fridge, so far so good. And tv and lights .. runs with very low noise less than ac.

[RSD559]

jaycocreek wrote:
A quick review from Camping world of the champion 3100 inveter having owned a Honda 3000is.

I bought this one last week to take with us last weekend to the lake. I previously owned a Honda 3000i but it was stolen a year ago. Because we don't go near as much as we used to I really didn't want to spend $2,000 + on a generator so I got the Champion. I took it out of the box filled it with oil & gas and it started the first pole. So far so good. My disappointment was that it was no where near as quiet as the Honda. Maybe when there is no load but when the AC kicks in we were all laughing because it was every bit as loud as my buddies $300 Pep-Boys generator. The next disappointment was after running with the AC on for about 45 minutes it kicked off on overload. I shut it down for a short while then tried it again and after only 5 minutes it was useless. I will admit it was 110 dg outside but I had it in the shade not on an extension cord or any of those other mistakes. I did run my Honda all day once on blacktop at a high of 117 dg. The next day it was a little cooler, like 105 dg and it did work fine. I'm assuming that it was the heat and if we are lucky we won't go camping any more in that kind of heat. Overall it is light, easy to move around with the wheels, great having the RV plug built in but I gotta tell ya, It aint all that quiet.I bought this one last week to take with us last weekend to the lake. I previously owned a Honda 3000i but it was stolen a year ago. Because we don't go near as much as we used to I really didn't want to spend $2,000 + on a generator so I got the Champion. I took it out of the box filled it with oil & gas and it started the first pole. So far so good. My disappointment was that it was no where near as quiet as the Honda. Maybe when there is no load but when the AC kicks in we were all laughing because it was every bit as loud as my buddies $300 Pep-Boys generator. The next disappointment was after running with the AC on for about 45 minutes it kicked off on overload. I shut it down for a short while then tried it again and after only 5 minutes it was useless. I will admit it was 110 dg outside but I had it in the shade not on an extension cord or any of those other mistakes. I did run my Honda all day once on blacktop at a high of 117 dg. The next day it was a little cooler, like 105 dg and it did work fine. I'm assuming that it was the heat and if we are lucky we won't go camping any more in that kind of heat. Overall it is light, easy to move around with the wheels, great having the RV plug built in but I gotta tell ya, It aint all that quiet.

Same thing happened to me with a Yamaha generator not running the AC in extreme heat, yet my Honda has worked fine with the AC at over 100 degree's.

I was going to let this go, but I can't. I have owned both a Honda EU3000is and a Champion 2800/3100 inverter generator. The Champion is a little louder than the Honda. But it is no where near an open frame generator, or even a lawn mower. It's close enough to the Honda that if the Champion is too loud, the Honda will be too. As for it's ability, It blips to about half throttle for less than a second and settles a little over idle when I run my 15k A/C on it. It gets hot here too. Today is 109. I should fire it up and cool off the trailer, just for fun.

[jaycocreek]

I'm not against this generator in any way.. I thought I had one of the best when I bought a Yamaha until I asked if to pull my 13.5 AC in 95+ degree heat. It would not leaving me without AC in very hot weather. My Honda has done it several times...

When I put out a bunch of money for a product, especially a well known product like a Yamaha generator, I expect it to work in all our any circumstance I use it for. The Yamaha did not, the Honda did and does as well as the Onan's I have owned.

I hope this new Champion works well for those that buys it. Wouldn't everyone like to to get something for half the price of the tried and proven... I sure would.. But having RVed/camped and stayed in the boonies for over 50 years, I have learned that generators is not something to skimp on.. I still own 5 and always take two with me incase one bites the dust just when I need it.

[TomG2]

jaycocreek wrote:
A quick review from Camping world of the champion 3100 inveter having owned a Honda 3000is.

There are second hand reports about lots of products. The Youtube videos do not agree that this model is as "loud as my buddies $300 Pep-Boys generator".

[jaycocreek]

A quick review from Camping world of the champion 3100 inveter having owned a Honda 3000is.

I bought this one last week to take with us last weekend to the lake. I previously owned a Honda 3000i but it was stolen a year ago. Because we don't go near as much as we used to I really didn't want to spend $2,000 + on a generator so I got the Champion. I took it out of the box filled it with oil & gas and it started the first pole. So far so good. My disappointment was that it was no where near as quiet as the Honda. Maybe when there is no load but when the AC kicks in we were all laughing because it was every bit as loud as my buddies $300 Pep-Boys generator. The next disappointment was after running with the AC on for about 45 minutes it kicked off on overload. I shut it down for a short while then tried it again and after only 5 minutes it was useless. I will admit it was 110 dg outside but I had it in the shade not on an extension cord or any of those other mistakes. I did run my Honda all day once on blacktop at a high of 117 dg. The next day it was a little cooler, like 105 dg and it did work fine. I'm assuming that it was the heat and if we are lucky we won't go camping any more in that kind of heat. Overall it is light, easy to move around with the wheels, great having the RV plug built in but I gotta tell ya, It aint all that quiet.I bought this one last week to take with us last weekend to the lake. I previously owned a Honda 3000i but it was stolen a year ago. Because we don't go near as much as we used to I really didn't want to spend $2,000 + on a generator so I got the Champion. I took it out of the box filled it with oil & gas and it started the first pole. So far so good. My disappointment was that it was no where near as quiet as the Honda. Maybe when there is no load but when the AC kicks in we were all laughing because it was every bit as loud as my buddies $300 Pep-Boys generator. The next disappointment was after running with the AC on for about 45 minutes it kicked off on overload. I shut it down for a short while then tried it again and after only 5 minutes it was useless. I will admit it was 110 dg outside but I had it in the shade not on an extension cord or any of those other mistakes. I did run my Honda all day once on blacktop at a high of 117 dg. The next day it was a little cooler, like 105 dg and it did work fine. I'm assuming that it was the heat and if we are lucky we won't go camping any more in that kind of heat. Overall it is light, easy to move around with the wheels, great having the RV plug built in but I gotta tell ya, It aint all that quiet.

Same thing happened to me with a Yamaha generator not running the AC in extreme heat, yet my Honda has worked fine with the AC at over 100 degree's.

[mobeewan]

Yes, yellow decibles are always noisier than red or blue decibles. Even when they are the same number.

[TomG2]

mobeewan wrote:
Okay, the NOISE police aka glampers have officially responded.:R

There will be a couple of more who think that 59 Champion decibels is much louder than other brands. Or maybe they don't care to learn?

[mobeewan]

Okay, the NOISE police aka glampers have officially responded.:R

[Dennis12]

You get what you pay for! That include performance and NOISE.

[RSD559]

EastCoastRover wrote:
I would read the reviews on Amazon. There are some comments about people running 15000 BTU ACs on their travel trailers. Evidently not with propane unless you install a "hard start capacitor".

Cut from one comment on amazon.

"generator could barely handle my 15000 btu air conditioner right out of the box. It would not start the compressor at all while using propane, but would start it most of the time using gas only when all of the other breakers were turned off. Even then, when the compressor turned on, the overload light would blink. After reading other reviews, I installed the Supco SPP6 hard start capacitor and it changed everything. I can now start and run everything (ac, fridge, microwave, outdoor fridge) at the same time while using propane!! I even turned the electric hot water on for a few minutes while ac was running. It worked, but it was maxed out. Wouldn't recommend running both hot water heater and ac at the same time.

Not my experience at all. My Champion 3100/2800 fired up my 15k in eco mode with a jump to about half throttle and then down to a little above idle. Mine did come with a hard start kit from the dealer. I bought the Microair Easy Start this week. I need to find someone I trust, that is a wee bit lighter than me to get on the trailer and install it.

[EastCoastRover]

I would read the reviews on Amazon. There are some comments about people running 15000 BTU ACs on their travel trailers. Evidently not with propane unless you install a "hard start capacitor".

Cut from one comment on amazon.

"generator could barely handle my 15000 btu air conditioner right out of the box. It would not start the compressor at all while using propane, but would start it most of the time using gas only when all of the other breakers were turned off. Even then, when the compressor turned on, the overload light would blink. After reading other reviews, I installed the Supco SPP6 hard start capacitor and it changed everything. I can now start and run everything (ac, fridge, microwave, outdoor fridge) at the same time while using propane!! I even turned the electric hot water on for a few minutes while ac was running. It worked, but it was maxed out. Wouldn't recommend running both hot water heater and ac at the same time.

[GordonThree]

easy way to find out, hook 'er up after that 5 hour break-in.

consider an upgrade of either an inexpensive hard-start capacitor or a pricey but very effective soft-start module for your AC. Even though your generator should start the AC it without either, having one will reduce stress on the generator and the AC compressor

another upgrade to consider is your AC-DC converter. is it a three or four stage temperature compensated smart charger, or a basic WFCO "dumb" charger? The later could take forever to recharge your coach batteries if it doesn't kick into a high output mode properly.