byates
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Re: The Official unofficial CPE 2000i Generator Thread
mskobier wrote: Hello All, I found this group the other day. The reason for joining was that I purchased a returned 2000i (red) from a store that sells returned merchandise. Needless to say, I got an excellent deal on the generator. The store allows the potential buyer to test run the generators prior to purchasing since there is NO warranty, and you take your chances. I removed the generator from its box added oil and gas (provided by the store) and attempted to start it. It started on the secoond pull and ran up to full throttle since the econ switch was turned off. Plugged a fan into the gen and it ran fine. However the gen would not settle down to a steady speed. I figured it was old gas or something similar and decided to take the chance and purchased the gen. Mitch I'm confused again - the poster on 3/7/11 said: "As the common saying goes, "S**t Happens." I have been told that most of the 2000i returns to CPE have nothing sent with them to indicate why they are returned. Big box stores like Costco or Sam's take them back and ship them to CPE's warranty service department with NO documented user problems or complaints. It is then CPE's responsibility to determine what (if anything) is wrong. Many returns never show a fault - so go figure? CPE does not resell any refurbished or returned products in the USA or Canada. What they do with them is not shared openly but I do know many are simply destroyed. The EPA prohibits this without extensive emissions re-certification. Thus, a high return rate can get pretty darn expensive to a company committed to customer satisfaction and service." But of course, pointing out this discrepancy could be construed as a snipe. So be it. I am convinced that CPE is aware of the solution to this problem, but as the poster on 3/7 said, recall repair and/or resell can get pretty darn expensive.460Views0likes0CommentsRe: The Official unofficial CPE 2000i Generator Thread
-=dwh=- wrote: byates wrote: At your suggestion, I did some reading in the Honeywell 2000 thread. I understand where you are coming from on the Honeywell 2000i. After reading dwh's thread comments, it would appear that the original problematic Honeywell 2000i generators were supplied by the Chinese company Yongkang Xingguang, and the later and more dependable Honeywell 2000i units were supplied by Suzhou Tiger Power Machine Co. after Generac took over. No, there were two versions of the YX product sold by Northshore under the HW name. The second version had the fuel primer and the 12v stuff removed. It also had better internal grounding, and added an overflow tube from the top of the gas tank filler neck down and out the bottom of the unit. But it was basically the same YX product. Now that Generac has taken over Northshore, they are marketing the Suzhou Tiger product under both Generac, and Honeywell, names. Generac has been manufacturing and marketing power generating equipment for half a century. Based on this analysis, purchasing a Generac 2000i from Costco would pose little risk if its performance didn’t measure up. Using the Generac or Honeywell names is a marketing trick to capitalize on the reputation of a well-known brand. I would not attach any importance to the companies' reputation when it comes to guessing at the quality of a Chinese product. The Generac, and now also the Honeywell, are Suzhou Tiger generators. At best, the Generac name means you might get decent service from Generac, but IMHO it means nothing as per the quality of the product. To be fair, YX did improve the product, but it was too little, too late. They do make a whole bunch of different inverter generators so I doubt they'll go out of business any time soon. I figure the Northshore execs probably got their golden parachutes out of the deal, which was doubtless more important to them than their customers. Welcome to the US/China trade economy. Thanks for the history lesson. A little knowledge can be dangerous, but a well informed consumer has the power to choose wisely. Two reasons why I said purchasing a Generac from Costco would pose little risk to the consumer: first, the liberal return policy offered by Costco and, second, Generac does have a reputation to uphold. I don't believe they would risk that reputation on just any Chinese made generator. OnanCummings is another reputable power supplier with the Chinese made Loncin generator in their product line. I purchased my Loncin made Onan from Costco several years ago, and it has been problem free. Champion evidently does have a business relationship with Yangzhou Best Machinery & Electric Corp, but I don’t know if it is related to power equipment as much as auto parts. They do share the same office building in California. I believe that the Chinese factory that Champion says it owns is Zhejiang Changtong Machinery Co., Ltd. On ZCMC’s website, there is a Champion logo on the factory which appears to be a poor photo-shop job. In this regard, global supplier/customer databases show shipments of Champion branded generators and generator parts from several different Chinese companies. So I am more than a little confused in this regard. Other Chinese manufacturing companies which could have a part in the Champion generator equation include: Zhejiang Constant Engine Mading Co., Shaoxing City Tongyong Engine, and Sichuan Engine Trading Co., Ltd. This is my opinion and is based on information obtained from internet browsing and a phone call to YBM&E listed number in Santa Fe Springs.481Views0likes0CommentsRe: The Official unofficial CPE 2000i Generator Thread
PrivatePilot wrote: You might want to read the Honeywell 2000 thread here at rv.net before considering it. Short form: I owned one. It sucked. 1 dead, 3 week turnaround on warraty replacenent. It acted up as well. Lots of others in same boat. Loud, lots of weird noises, clattering and clanking. Theres a reason Honeywell got out of the generator business. At your suggestion, I did some reading in the Honeywell 2000 thread. I understand where you are coming from on the Honeywell 2000i. After reading dwh's thread comments, it would appear that the original problematic Honeywell 2000i generators were supplied by the Chinese company Yongkang Xingguang, and the later and more dependable Honeywell 2000i units were supplied by Suzhou Tiger Power Machine Co. after Generac took over. If the Generac 2000i is also produced by Suzhou Tiger Power Machine Co., then maybe it should be considered as a legitimate alternative to the CPE 2000i. Generac has been manufacturing and marketing power generating equipment for half a century. Based on this analysis, purchasing a Generac 2000i from Costco would pose little risk if its performance didn’t measure up. Thanks for your input in helping me understand how the pieces fit together. By the way, boondocking through tropical storm force winds must have been an adventure. What is your estimate of the wind speed your fifth wheel withstood?481Views0likes0CommentsRe: The Official unofficial CPE 2000i Generator Thread
-=dwh=- wrote: byates wrote: hedge wrote: Help... I just purchased one of these tonite. I put gas and oil (400ml) in it and it fired up after a couple of pulls but then went straight into overload mode (didn't have anything plugged in). I shut if off right away. Now when I attempt to start it the cord has a lot more resistance than it did before and it doesn't start. I got it at costco so it's likely going back unless someone knows a quick solution. PS: is 400ml the correct amount of oil? it says 0.4L throughout the manual but when I put 400ml in it seemed like it wanted to come out the fill port. I measured exactly 400ml and turned it over to make sure there was no oil in it to begin with. Given all the reported problems with the 2000i, I would return it to Costco. While I don't have any firsthand experience with the Generac line of generators, Costco online has the Generac 2000/2200 inverter for $529.00, shipping included. The Generac has a 126cc engine vs the 80cc on the Champion and should be more apt to deliver on its advertised performance. Just FYI: When my 3rd Honeywell failed, Generac had just taken over Northshore Power (and the Honeywell branding contract). They were going to send me a Generac as a replacment, so I looked into it. The Generac is made by (IIRC) Suzhou Tiger Power Machine Co. in China. I believe the generator currently being sold under the Honeywell name is the same generator. It might be a great generator. I wouldn't know. It turned out that it's a 49 state gen and they couldn't send me a replacement because I'm in California. So they sent me a refund instead. (Which I used to purchase an 80cc 1200wC/1500wS Champion 42431. Aside from being noisy and needing an ounce of oil added with every tankful of fuel, it's been humming along without an issue for over 300 hours now.) Good information, thanks. Now that you mentioned it, maybe that brand takeover by Generac was the reason reports of Honeywell unreliability decreased. I don't know much about the Generac brand either and wasn't promoting it, just giving the original poster a similarly priced alternative from Costco to look into. In addition to Honda and Yamaha, the Onan Cummings inverter line is the only one that I could recommend without hesitation. But of course, they are more expensive. Is your Champion 42431 also a rebranded product? I believe that several different Chinese manufacturing companies ship generators and generator parts under the Champion brand.481Views0likes0CommentsRe: The Official unofficial CPE 2000i Generator Thread
hedge wrote: Help... I just purchased one of these tonite. I put gas and oil (400ml) in it and it fired up after a couple of pulls but then went straight into overload mode (didn't have anything plugged in). I shut if off right away. Now when I attempt to start it the cord has a lot more resistance than it did before and it doesn't start. I got it at costco so it's likely going back unless someone knows a quick solution. PS: is 400ml the correct amount of oil? it says 0.4L throughout the manual but when I put 400ml in it seemed like it wanted to come out the fill port. I measured exactly 400ml and turned it over to make sure there was no oil in it to begin with. Given all the reported problems with the 2000i, I would return it to Costco. While I don't have any firsthand experience with the Generac line of generators, Costco online has the Generac 2000/2200 inverter for $529.00, shipping included. The Generac has a 126cc engine vs the 80cc on the Champion and should be more apt to deliver on its advertised performance.481Views0likes0CommentsRe: The Official unofficial CPE 2000i Generator Thread
Old & Slow wrote: I didn't mean to change the subject from the storm post by B.Yates but I was typing at the same time, sorry. Must add, I feel for all the storm victims. Plenty of stories to come, I'm sure. Just hope none of our RV folks were hurt. No problem, Floyd. I am still curious how much wind velocity the RV withstood as the TS came through.237Views0likes0CommentsRe: The Official unofficial CPE 2000i Generator Thread
PrivatePilot wrote: Hybridhunter wrote: If you want to have 12volts / charging at the same time as you run your A/C, you could pick up an efficient 15amp speed charger. I sometimes run that off my truck's built in 400 watt inverter, so it is low amp draw, and a decent unit all around. Less than half the amp draw of a converter with a bad PF. What you suggest is an incrediby lossy way of charging a 12 battery from a truck. You're taking 12v, stepping it up to 120, and then back down to 12 again, all via a method that looses a lot of it's effeciency to heat, and will only output a few amps at the end. You'd be a LOT better served turning your truck around and hooking some booster cables between your trucks alternator and your house batteries - mere minutes will yield much better results. FWIW, we just boondocked through Hurricane Irene (at the CT/MA line) and my two little champs performed admirably, running for about 48 hours straight powering the 5'er. As the wind and rain howled we sat in AC comfort watching movies. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that even without a hard start on my 13.5kbtu roof air the paralleled Champs were able to start the AC even from eco mode, WITH the converter on! It was nice having the genny's idle down for the periods of time the AC cycled off - I gassed them up at 11PM before hunkering down for the worst of the storm and they were both still running at 7AM when I woke up. Took advantage of a break in the rain around 7:45 to run out and refuel and they ran the rest of the day as the storm passed. Finally shut them down around 7PM as the hurricane moved on, leaving cool dry air behind it - no need for AC anymore, and with fully charged house batteries we switched to inverter power for the evening. I experienced hurricanes Ike and Rita, as well as Tropical Storm Alicia. Not sure I would want to be in the path of a hurricane or tropical storm while in a recreational vehicle. In that area, you had to experience tropical storm winds (39-73mph) while boondocking. Were you in a protected area where the wind was blocked? What was the wind speed at your location?332Views0likes0CommentsRe: The Official unofficial CPE 2000i Generator Thread
MrRchitty wrote: I understood his post. You are quoting a percentage on two units. Ok, add yours in. But you aren't counting those we don't know about. My kid's fire truck, 100% failure if we count just mine. When I add my personal experience with this unit in, the average increases to .667, an excellent average on the diamond, but a dismal average for a company promoted by some to be world class. My grandson has a battery powered John Deere tractor purchased at ToysRUS. No problems to date, so I guess the average for kid's toys is up to .500. My experience on internet threads, whether it be generators or firearms, is that posts extolling a product far outnumber the negative posts, this thread excluded.317Views0likes0CommentsRe: The Official unofficial CPE 2000i Generator Thread
Hybridhunter wrote: ******SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Champion 1200 / 1500 Watt can run the 100% full load from my converter, including the large startup draw. I tested the genset with the converter charging a low battery, while running every 12 volt accessory, and then I started my 5000 BTU A/C running off my inverter (which puts a huge battery / converter draw). The converter was in "bulk" mode right from the start, and was near 100% output, as the voltage was at 14.3ish, and then sagged when I started the AC. The output voltage on the gen was between 104-108 volts. As I was playing around, I was able to bog the generator down to 87 - 90 volts by overloading it, and it never stalled or shutdown. So there you have it folks, the 1200 / 1500 model 42431 can outperform the 2000i when presented with the ugly load of a WFCO 8955. As for noise, it has a lower frequency, and it is louder, but I just threw a floormat over it, in the shape of a taco, with the sides draping down over the plug, and up at the intake and exhaust ends. I think the lower frequency, and the constant, lower, smoother running of this generator makes it easily as suitable as a campground genset. Not to mention the lack of rattling, that I found with both my 2000i's. Sorry to hijack, but I figured it was relevant to the topic, and I am now a happy camper. Not to mention the $169 all in price from a certain online camping outfitter. DW is quite happy, which bodes well for the rest of us....... deleted-answered my own question.369Views0likes0Comments
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