Generator questions

[GoBeavs]

I'll be taking out my travel trailer this summer and I'm a new rv'er. I have a 2017 Cherokee with two batteries. I'll be going "dry" camping for up to 5 days at a time. Will a Honda 1000 generator be able to charge my batteries? I just want to plug it into the regular shore power outlet. How fast will it charge? I'll be staying in national parks and they only permit generators to be run a max of 6 hours a day (2 in the he morning. 2 mid day, 2 evening). Plus I want to be a good neighbor. These seem like a really quiet option. I know a 2000 would work, but I can save a lot of money by going with the 1000.

[RSD559]

If it is red, remember, you have a 50/50 chance that you will need to put a start kit in your A/C. Blue and yellow both have more watts at surge. Me speaks from personal experience. Had a red, now a yellow.

[TomG2]

cjoseph wrote:
Will you ever find yourself somewhere in a hot and humid summer when you just might want to run your Air Conditioner?

If so, buy one big enough to run the AC. When you need it, it will be worth it.

But what if it is not red?

[cjoseph]

Will you ever find yourself somewhere in a hot and humid summer when you just might want to run your Air Conditioner?

If so, buy one big enough to run the AC. When you need it, it will be worth it.

[mikakuja]

I have used both 600 and 800 watt Honda generators to run the built in chargers on several RV's with no issues, and the EU1000i is capable of way more that either of the two smaller generators that I have used. Sure you are not going to be running the microwave or water heater with the 1000w but it will be more than adequate to plug into and charge batteries and run lights. Besides that, if the OP wants to upgrade at a later date the 1000i is a pretty easy sale all day long.

[korbe]

In our neck of the woods, we call it LW, it stands for last word. Let's see who really needs to get it. 🙂

[SoundGuy]

Huntindog wrote:
So yes, you are technically correct.

So having made a strong case against the 1000, I guess that means that you now are going to recommend that the OP get the 2000?

I don't care at all what the OP gets. :W I've owned 2 Honda EU2000i gensets and the fact is that 50+ lbs is heavier than 30 lbs for an EU1000i. Duh. :R

Secondly, if the OP is running a WFCO converter then a 2K genset won't offer much advantage over a 1K since the WFCO is such a poor performer, unlikely to ever draw at it's maximum rating. A converter's poor PF rating, regardless of whether or not the OP understands what that is, will exacerbate the situation even further. This is exactly why those who are truly concerned about properly recharging their bank of batteries will replace a stock WFCO with a much more capable converter such as a Progressive Dynamics 9200 series model that will properly bulk charge @ 14.4 volts, even 14.8 volts for some models, and which will draw it's rated full load from a generator, in which case a 2K such as an EU2000i would be fully justified. :R

For sure, if the OP also wants to run other appliances then a 2K genset would be a more versatile choice but if it's purpose is for recharging a bank of batteries rated @ 225 AH and he's running a WFCO (which he hasn't told us) he's unlikely to find much advantage with a heavier 2K genset.

So despite the fact you may mock the analysis the reality is the devil is in the details. :S

[Huntindog]

SoundGuy wrote:

Huntindog wrote:
The 2000 watt and 1000 watt will charge the batteries in exactly the same amount of time, using the convertor... So long as the convertors power draw is less than 1000 watts (very likely).

The EU1000i, as an example, is continuous rated at 900 watts, not 1000 watts. Secondly, even if a converter was rated at a maximum draw of 900 watts it still wouldn't be able to draw full power due to it's rather poor PF rating, often .7 or even less, the end result being VA that's well beyond the capability of the EU1000i to produce. The result - longer charge time.

Oh jeez. I think you are getting way beyond what the OP needs to know in an effort to be "right".

Yes, all generators have advertised, and continuos power ratings... The EU 2000 IIRC is 1600 watts.. Any other generator will be similar.
And yes, different convertors do have different PF requirements. But nobody knows just what the OP has, so that is just throwing mud at the wall, and hoping some will stick.

And IF his convertor does draw more than what the 1000 can supply, yes it will take a very long time to charge as it will most likely go into overload, and not produce ANY electricity.

So yes, you are technically correct.

So having made a strong case against the 1000, I guess that means that you now are going to recommend that the OP get the 2000?:B

[SoundGuy]

Huntindog wrote:
The 2000 watt and 1000 watt will charge the batteries in exactly the same amount of time, using the convertor... So long as the convertors power draw is less than 1000 watts (very likely).

The EU1000i, as an example, is continuous rated at 900 watts, not 1000 watts. Secondly, even if a converter was rated at a maximum draw of 900 watts it still wouldn't be able to draw full power due to it's rather poor PF rating, often .7 or even less, the end result being VA that's well beyond the capability of the EU1000i to produce. The result - longer charge time.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

GoBeavs wrote:
Good info! Yes. We'll just be cooking on the stove and doing things that don't require cooking like sandwiches. Lol

Your stove should run off propane? we dry camped in our PUP because that's all we could do. Cooking wasn't an issue.

You can always run your generator when you need more power. You can easily charge your phones and you can do that in your TV anyway.

[Huntindog]

SoundGuy wrote:

Huntindog wrote:
For maximum flexability, the 2000 is the way to go. Not much more weight, and only about 300.00 more. A year from now you will thank me for this, as the 300.00 will be long forgotten.

Yeah, a 1K will take longer to recharge a set of batteries to the same SOC as a 2K but at the end of the day my back will thank me for choosing a 1K. :W

?????
The 2000 watt and 1000 watt will charge the batteries in exactly the same amount of time, using the convertor... So long as the convertors power draw is less than 1000 watts (very likely).

The OP is new to this. I think he may very well find that a 2K gen. is so much more usable, that the 300.00 and 20# difference is moot.

I am getting up in years, and my two EU 2000s haven't been a problem for me or my wife to handle... Its only 50#. Heck that is what a bag of dog food weighs.

[dbbls]

I used a 1000 watt Honda for years and 4 hours of run time kept my batteries fully charged. Don't use the charging plug on the generator, instead, plug your power cord into the generator.

[afidel]

If you can get by with a 1k for 6 hours max why not do 500-700W of solar panels and skip the noise and hassle?

[time2roll]

Honda 1000 is good for about 40 amps max into the battery.
Need to post the converter model number to know what works.

[TomG2]

I hauled a 1,000 watt generator around for a couple of years and almost never ran it because I don't use a lot of battery power. Hauled a Honda 2000i around for a few more years and seldom used it since it would not reliably run my air conditioner. I now have a 3500/4000 Champion that is often used when taking a lunch/nap break in a rest area, or for a few hours in a truck stop or Walmart when overnighting in parking lots. My point is, try to figure out how you will actually use one before spending your money. 30 amp service was what I wanted and got. I can boondock silently for a few nights with batteries and a little solar.