your honest opinion on generators

[azlee56]

I have to replace the dadgum generator and I have read until I am getting confused. I know the honda generators are the cadillac of generators and the must get (yes the bf wants two of them). What is comparable though? I was looking at the champion 7500/9500. The weight of course is totally different then 2 2000 or 2000 and 3000. (He has 5000 in his mind). The hondas are rated at 45db and the champion is 68db.

We dry camp a lot and like to watch TV, we would do it in the summer too but it is hot down here. BF is getting a bit a money though and it is burning his palm. LOL:)

Also, someone on here rigged up a gravity fuel system that I just read but never explained how to rig it up that I saw.

Help! :banghead:

[f6bits]

If that’s the Champion I’m thinking of, it’s:
A) Not a clean sine wave generator (important for many electrical appliances, like computers and some TVs)
B) Not inverter (needs to be running full speed all the time)

How many air conditioners do you have? If it’s just one, then the Honda 4500 would be an excellent choice. But it’s a lot more expensive than the Champion. That Champion is just going to be way too loud to run constantly for your A/C.

[azlee56]

We have two ACs and when we went out to a park, I did have to run both of them to keep the place cool. THANK you for pointing out about it not being good with computers and more so appliances!!!! Like I said the more I have read it gets jumbled. I also read on one post here that someone tried a different type of generator and had problems with fuses and all that.

The bf wants to be able to pigtail if we need more, but run single for charging the battery and watching the tv. I told him that to me it seemed like my friends with big trucks that out do each other with running lights! HA. That being said, I don't want to spend big bucks if there is another option.

Thanks for answering. I really am banging my head on the wall here.

[azlee56]

I must admit, I do like the electric start. He asked me to get some ideas and what about onboard and I said, those are like 4,000.00!!

[azlee56]

oh and it is the generator at camping world I am using for him to read.

[f6bits]

Two A/Cs are *very* demanding, so be prepared to shell out a bunch of money. $4,000 sounds about right if you want to be self-sufficient. I like my Yamaha 2000. Camping World has a pretty beefy Yamaha 6500 for a bit under $4,000.

[SAABDOCTOR]

azlee56 My ex's father in law used to saywe can mickey mouse it for now and do it right later!! wtfo! If you can swing the bucks for the honda's you are set and won't be lookin for new ones down the road. if you can afford the best then doit once do it right if not wait and save till you can. enjoy the ride:D

[azlee56]

can yamaha's pig tail together too? (or is it just honda's). My thinking is we need at least one AC running if we dry camp in the hot months. Tell you the truth I don't think that will happen much, we will do hookups for them. I guess I am trying to justify that much money on something we use once a month in the winter and here and there in the summer. He wants it so badly though. lol

Now in the winter, we need something to support the furnance. It gets blasted cold at night.

[azlee56]

Oh Carl (the bf) will love your answer Barney. I might look at the onboard ones more too. Our Montana is hooked up with wiring for one and the stuff in the closet. I asked him about venting and such but he told me the place for the generator was vented for that purpose. Heck if I know.

About the winter and the generator. I just want it to charge the batteries good so it can go all night with the furnance on a very low degrees. Last winter in the morning the batteries died and our stolen generator was too loud to go start it so early. The other campers would have teepee'd us later.

[f6bits]

My Yamaha can pigtail for a combined 4000. Just like the Honda 2000, though I think the second Honda needs to be a special model.

If I had the money, I’d keep my small Yamaha for when I don’t need A/C and get one big generator for full capacity.

[Festus2]

azlee -
I realize that by now you are probably suffering from information overload. To add to your list, I would recommend that you consider the Boliy Generators. One of the our members, jje1960, has one and by all accounts he is very pleased with it.
I went to this site (www.bottomlinetrading.com) and found that they have Boliy's on sale. This model, Pro3600si, a digital inverter is going for $1140 which includes free shipping, a free cover and electric start. It would be suitable for sensitive electronic applications. It weighs 70 lbs (less than a Honda) and the 58 db is also quieter. You can also get models that have auxiliary fuel tanks.
This generator looks like a good buy and is highly rated but lesser known than Honda.
You can also go to the Boliy website to find out more information. I think it is www.boliy.com
Hope this helps rather than confuses.

[azlee56]

I hadn't ran into that one. If jje1960 doesn't mind I'll send them a private message, but on the other hand there has to be more people wanting to know this then just me.

Yes the overload is big and I am so glad it was pointed out to me the wording for the electronic stuff. I would have never have known that! Between that and reading Geo's stuff on the tanks and doing it, I have been a busy girl. (plus going to vegas for the first time ever).

[azlee56]

btw, Carl would love for me to just leave that stuff alone, but I don't listen well. HA

[azlee56]

the digital inverter is for the appliances/electronics right?

[jje1960]

Hey there. Yes, we are very pleased with the Boliy. It's light, at 70Ibs, not sure any other can match the output to this light weight. I'm in love with the electric start, not that I can't pull a cord once or twice, however just reaching into the bed of the truck and pushing the button is cool. The Boliy sips fuel, without aircon have gone like 14hrs on the 1.9gal tank and it was still going. The auto throttle is awesome, works for everything except aircon, even with the supra capacitor the genset just won't jump quick enough to start the compressor. We had a problem (my fault) and Boliy dealer completely honored the warranty and problem was solved. I've changed the oil religiously, I've always believed this is a 'key' to longevity with small generators. We have a SuperGen Tent for elements and extra noise protection, made a simple vibration board out of 1/4" plywood, Styrofoam and ducktape, this is awesome for mounting the genset on the rear bumper of the unit, don't hear nor feel the inverter running while inside the unit. Why did I end up with Boliy? Frankly, I needed to run a 15K aircon unit and it was the only genset that I could afford that would handle the 15K and be quiet, light and not be out of our price range. We have had several generators over the years, this unit is my hands-down favorite. Just ones opinion though, there are many gensets out there to choose from. Hope this helps.

[Festus2]

azlee -
The thing to look for in a generator IF you want to use it to power sensitive electronics is that it says "sine wave output"- or better yet "pure sine wave output". The fact the Boliy has both digital and sine wave features make it worth considering - and the price is right!! Unless you are really interested in sine waves, just accept the fact that a generator or inverter that has this designation is better. If you want to dig into sine waves, you can always Google it. (sine wave generators & inverters).

As pointed out by jje1960, this Boliy model is capable of running at 15K A/C.

Don't be put off by the fact that you are, for the moment, alone in asking the questions. There doesn't have to be a whole bunch of people making inquiries to make the thread/topic worthwhile. Ask.

[f6bits]

The Boily is the one I’d get as a standalone generator that’ll power everything on my trailer at once. However, I don’t think it’s got the oomph to run two A/Cs at the same time. Ok, *maybe* it can run them, but getting them started at the same time would certainly be a challenge. With my Yamaha 2000 and a hard start capacitor on my A/C, I still can’t get the A/C to start on a mild day with no other electrical load on the generator.

[azlee56]

thanks you all. I went and looked and read and printed out what was said here, and all on the generators. He had never heard of the Boily generator either, but he was interested in what he was reading. I deposited all the print outs in his hand and said "your decision". lol. He said "oh thanks!!" I am a stinker sometimes, but after I went to read about onboard generators my mind exploded.

[SAABDOCTOR]

Hi just looked into theboily nice unit.. my unit is not set up for a generator. and personaly i don't want one fixed in place. i would rather have the quiet portables in the bed of my truck with a cable lock that way exhaust fumes and any noise is away from my camper. one thing my dw says is " this camper is as nice as our house and i want the services!" so thats were i stand she don't want no generator! so far i have been lucky no power failures at the camp ground only at home! ha. my other question for you is how do you sleep with all the info you have been getting? you must have major mind race:banghead:

[azlee56]

Sleep?? HA! I organize it and then hand it over and he gets to not sleep and mull it over. After a day of work where my mind whirls it is kind of nice to concentrate on something else. I will read here and then get questions going and go look for answers, but the generator thing was deep!

Yeah, I think I agree as much as I would like to go press a button in my closet to turn on the generator, the fume thing has me concerned. I feel bad he has to go start the generator in the cold during the winter (he is a gentleman). An electric start then he wouldn't feel so bad if I went and started it.....well, if he let me touch it. lol

I do enjoy dry camping, but I have to have music and a shower here or there.

[jdoug]

I'm thinking the Boliy (never heard of 'em until here!) with a remote starter is just the ticket for me. I can be sitting in the comfort of my easy chair, the wind a blowing, the rain a falling and just hit the button! Actually, being in a wheelchair makes the stairs not so much fun so any help I can get from technology I'm all over.

Thanks for the info!

Doug

[SAD]

...I think I agree as much as I would like to go press a button in my closet to turn on the generator, the fume thing has me concerned....

My last camper (5th wheel Toy Hauler) had a built in Onan 5500. I really miss it. A properly installed and maintained unit will have no fumes.

Not loading and unloading.... Not having to refill the small gas tank.... Having a push-button control right there at the staircase SURE WAS NICE!!!...

We used ours quite regularly. Even overnight!! Oh the fright!!! Blue-hairs everywhere would just faint!!!

In 2007, we had a terrible ice storm which had over 1.5 million homes without power while outside temps ranged between 7 and 22. Luckily our TH had a full fuel tank. We ran the generator for 4-5 days straight. (even while sleeping!! faint!)

When we traded for a traditional 5er, this was one of the things I dreaded - not having the built in. But the living space was more important to us than the toy space. If they had an Alpine/Avalanche with a built in genny on the lot, I would have bought it on the spot. No such luck. Could have ordered and waited... But I'm not that patient.

Right now we have a Yamaha 2800i portable. Works great for us. But some day, I'll eventually put a Onan 5500 back in the front portion of our basement again ;)

[azlee56]

I need to check into those. I was trying to figure out what models there were and how you put them in, and how in blazes you do the exhaust when it sits in front of the fw. Lots to learn!

[michael]

Im leaning twords the onan, lp burns cleaner and quieter thanks for the thoughts on the onan i was reading all the post hoping i would find a coment on the onan. and i like the thought of it built in , putting a portable in and out of my pickup isnt much fun, my time and my back should be used for hoisting a cold drink not a heavy generator."bouncey:

[davidjsimons]

Onan is hard to beat and the service network, at least in my area , is excellent.


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[hankpage]

Onan is hard to beat and the service network, at least in my area , is excellent.


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Can't go wrong with a Cummins product. :D

[floatflyer]

I use two Honda EU2000's with a parallel kit. I bought them from Mayberry at about $900 each, and the kit is another $250. The nice thing is they are very quiet and only 45# each so manageable to move around. The Max sustained output is 1600 Watts each so they won't run two A/C units, but I have only one. For times to run lower consumption loads I can get by with just one unit at much lower fuel use. I also have a 6 gallon aux fuel tank that feeds both units, giving me a longer use time without having to refill the one gallon generator tanks. Just FYI.

Something else about the Honda is the eco-throttle. You can activate it and the engine and generator will be load responsive, so running at lower output (and less fuel) if the electrical load is lower than the full load output. No, I'm not a salesman. I just appreciate a good product and value.

[SAD]

I use two Honda EU2000's with a parallel kit. I bought them from Mayberry at about $900 each, and the kit is another $250. The nice thing is they are very quiet and only 45# each so manageable to move around. The Max sustained output is 1600 Watts each so they won't run two A/C units, but I have only one. For times to run lower consumption loads I can get by with just one unit at much lower fuel use. I also have a 6 gallon aux fuel tank that feeds both units, giving me a longer use time without having to refill the one gallon generator tanks. Just FYI.

Something else about the Honda is the eco-throttle. You can activate it and the engine and generator will be load responsive, so running at lower output (and less fuel) if the electrical load is lower than the full load output. No, I'm not a salesman. I just appreciate a good product and value.

I find it very hard to believe you can run and A/C on 1600 watts.

Not trying to be contrary. But that simply doesn't make sense.

[jbsmith]

I find it very hard to believe you can run and A/C on 1600 watts.

They're using a parallel kit with two generators to double the output to 30 amps and up to 4000 Watts.

I've considered doing the same. Carrying the 2000 has to be easier than trying to hoist the 3000 into my truck. The combined noise of two 2000's which individually are already louder than a 3000, is my only concern...plus I already own a 3000.

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[SAD]

They're using a parallel kit with two generators to double the output to 30 amps and up to 4000 Watts.

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I missed the each part. 3200 is good. My bad!:o

[gduff]

We also have the Honda 2000i which works great. I did not want to struggle with moving a generator that was over 100#. We obviously cannot run the AC with it, but can do most everything else plus keep the battery charged when boon docking. Probably will invest in the parallel kit and the second unit when we go full time.

[Scottinvt]

I'm looking Ito the fairly new Yamaha 2400, spoke to my local dealer and it will run our 1 a/c unit no problem.

[JRTJH]

I'm looking Ito the fairly new Yamaha 2400, spoke to my local dealer and it will run our 1 a/c unit no problem.


Scott,

The Dometic website recommends a minimum of 3500 watts to run a 13,500BTU A/C. While some may believe this is "overkill", generators are designed and constructed with varnish on the copper windings in the armature. This varnish will melt and reduce the insulation on the windings as the generator heats up from being loaded (used to power electrical items). The engineering design calls for a specific heat tolerance in the windings. Overloading the generator will increase the heat, destroy parts of the varnish insulation and short out segments of the armature winding. Once this happens, that part of the winding will no longer function (it is shorted out) and the remaining parts of the winding must carry the load. Over time, the varnish degrades repeatedly in generators that are consistently overloaded and further destroys the armature.

While a 2400 watt generator will "usually" power an A/C, using it for that task repeatedly will destroy the generator over time. How much time depends on many factors, not just electrical load.

A typical 13.5K A/C draws 12 amps for the compressor and 2.5 amps for the fan motor. Thats about 14.5 amps for the A/C total. At 120 VAC, that's 1740 watts to run (starting has a larger power requirement). So, the generator has the "wattage" to run the A/C, however, when you plug in your RV, you also power the converter, any 12 volt systems that may be running as well as additional 120 volt systems. The "usual" amperage requirement for most travel trailers when initially plugged into shore power is around 5 to 10 amps. That's a wattage draw at 120 VAC of 575 - 1150 watts. When added to the 1740 watts the A/C draws, the actual power requirement of the RV will be much closer to 2300-2500 watts. So, you will be over the regulated "run load" of the Yamaha 2400 watt generator (2000 watt continuous output over 20 minutes).

Will the Yamaha 2400 generator "run" a 13.5K A/C? Yes it will, with 300 watts to spare under normal conditions.

BUT: when the A/C is installed on an RV with other electrical loads considered, the 2400 watt generator will be running above its maximum continuous wattage nearly all the time it is in use. I'd urge you to reconsider. $1500 is a big investment to make when you are buying the absolute minimum power requirement you'll need. You probably should consider a bigger generator or a "dual stack" generator system so you have the reserve power to run your A/C without overloading your generator.