The question I asked myself was, "Am I really going to need this Honda i2K generator?"
Eight years ago, the answer was, "Yes" but I subsequently sold my rock crawler and don't spend a week camping at a trailhead. I used it once to start my bro John's truck camper after it sat for a week at Means Dry Lake (aka: The Hammers).
We tried to use it one time @ 10K feet and it would hardly run. Got some altitude jets that we've never used. We've used it when we were at a camp for more than 3 days. This was pre-Solar. That's when I needed to charge the batteries. For our use it was almost over kill, every time, but an insurance policy if the truck would not start. I took it to the shop as it finally would not start. The reason? Lack of use and old gas .
However, I still use it but not for the original purposes. I drag it around in a small metal mesh garden wagon with a 50 foot, 12 GA cord to run my 1500W leaf blower to blow off our 125 foot driveway. Just today, I used our 10Amp, corded Weed Whacker for an hour around the back of the property using the same power set up with the wagon. On some extremely cold winter nights when the power has gone off (and the 7KW backup generator is running) we use it to power a 150W incandescent bulb in the pump house. Again, way overkill. The well head has frozen on us a couple times frying the electronic board. We now have an insulated pump house. None of these uses were even in my lexicon when I bought the Honda 2K. With the addition of 200W solar there is only one reason to take it along in the TC: truck won't start. We don't have AC. We don't use a microwave.
So, the long and short is:
1. Write down every conceivable reason for a generator.
2. Slowly, and don't hurry this process, whittle the reasons down.
3. If you've whittled it down to no reasons you don't need a generator.
jefe
'01.5 Dodge 2500 4x4, CTD, Qcab, SB, NV5600, 241HD, 4.10's, Dana 70/TruTrac; Dana 80/ TruTrac, Spintec hub conversion, H.D. susp, 315/75R16's on 7.5" and 10" wide steel wheels, Vulcan big line, Warn M15K winch '98 Lance Lite 165s, 8' 6" X-cab, 200w Solar
