GENERATOR

I was thinking of getting a generator! I probably won't use it much now but you never know. If the power goes out at home or a project that I may want to do to the Cat while it is at the storage lot. Like I say I 'm just thinking out loud.

1. gas or propane
2. how many watts should I get
3. brands
4. cost I don't want to spend over $ 800.

Are you talking built in or portable? Based on price I am guessing portable. I have a Honda 2000 and would buy the same one again in a heartbeat if it went missing.
They can be purchased for a little under $900 delivered from Wise sales online.

Like maxum said you cant beat a Honda! I have three...No i'm not rich... we have a honda 1000 watt that is at least 25 years old and it runs perfect still...

I have a 6500 watt honda to run the house when power goes out.

the 2000 watt Honda is the best 2000 watt you can buy IMHO...
But it wont run your AC in your cat, however two can be parralled together later on down the road when your budget allows.

If your not looking to run the AC then the 2000 watt is awesome for dry camping...we camp at Pinion Flats CG at the Great Sand Dunes NP. with no hookups, we have an EU3000 for rv'ing and they are so quiet you can run them for a few hours a day without bothering other campers...

the only issue with the Honda is cost, they are not cheap...but worth every penny... the 2000 watt will run power tools battery chargers light stands and such...

you really need to put a list together of what you may need to run and that will dictate what size you will need...

one more thing there are some REALLY cheap generators out there...you will sometimes see 5000 watt gens for 350 bucks...STAY AWAY from these they will be so loud you wont want to run them and they most likely will not last...also the power output is very irratic on these cheaper ones. They can damage digital and electronic items.

I have seen some very good Hondas on Craigslist BTW

Don, You need to decide what you want the generator to be able to run. I have a 5550watt continous with 8200watt surge. It has provided power to my home thru two huricanes.; It will also run the camper. During the last outage, I ran the refrig and freezer in the house and powered the camper (AC) . I have had the generator for ten years. The first four years it never ran. Hurricane Katrina changed that!!!! 13 days with just the generator for power. Two year later another Hurricane and 12 days without power. I paid $ 625 (worth every penny) I have seen the same generator for less than $700 at several locations.

I have the Yamaha E2000, got it for around $800. (my Son works for a Yamaha Dealer) and I have used it a few times with my old trailer and tested it with my Cat, it runs everything but the AC. Its like the Honda in that its very quiet and good on gas, it will run between 10 to 14 hours on a tank of gas, when useing the microwave it does draw it down some but does the job. I use it to also charge my trolling motor battery when we are fishing at a dry campground. I also have the 30 amp adapter that plugs into the regular plug on the gererator so I can plug directly into the gererator without any adapters, its also very light only 43 lbs.

Do the math and then decide.

Watts/Voltage = Amperage, or

1000W/120V = 8.33A
2000W/120V = 16.6A
4000W/120V = 33.3A

You really need to know what circuits you want to power up, determine the number of watts that will be powered on each and then do the math to get the generator that will support the current draw (amps).

My home generator is a Genrac powered by a 2 cylinder Briggs & Stratton 16.5 hp engine that is rated at 10,000 watts running with a 13,000 watt surge. We get alot of power outages here in southern NH and that generator has been a life saver for us (runs the reefer, 220V water pump, heat, etc.). It will run continuously for 14 hours without refueling.

We have a big generator for the house. Got it when we lived on the MS coast. Don't really see a need for one for the trailer. If we lose power in a campground, we'll just do what we did 40 years ago. Rough it!

Tater

Lose power in the camp ground we kick on our generator has needed. Mounted in the front of the wicked kitty.

I bought a Honda EU3000 in Dec 2002 and I love it. It still has the original battery. If it died tomorrow I would buy another one just like it. I have close to 1000 hours on the thing. Never done anything but change the oil every 50 hours and changed the spark plug.

Have used it also in the house to power the fridge and TV/computer/video games during power outages.

http://bobbystuff.com/RV/05-01-Honda_Generator_cover.php

I have a EU3000 Honda and love it, but if I had to start over I would get 2, 2000s=4000 and go that way

Timflood wrote:I have a EU3000 Honda and love it, but if I had to start over I would get 2, 2000s=4000 and go that way

This is my plan. The EU 3000 is about 73 lbs (if memory serves) while a 2000 is just under 50. I can handle 50 lbs now and expect to be able to for some years. 73 lbs is too much to lift into a storage area.

The Honda 3000 is actually closer to 130 to 140lbs. This is why I went the Honda 2000 route. 130ish lbs is just too heavy to be considered portable in my opinion. If it can be mounted somewhere then it is a great choice. But, just try and lift it in and out of your truck once and see how many times you would feel comfortable doing that. Just my opinion.

maxum1989 wrote:The Honda 3000 is actually closer to 130 to 140lbs.

Camping World says 77.6 lbs. for the EU3000i Handi which is what I was thinking of; the EU3000iS (further down that same page) is 134 lbs.

It's good when both are right.

I have the Yamaha EF3000iSEB. It's a super quiet battery started generator. It's rated for 2,800 watts but will surge with help from the battery for ten seconds to 3,500 watts, enough to start the motor on the air conditioner (normal surge is 3,000 watts). But the unit is heavy at 152lbs before fuel (holds 3.4 gallons or 21 more pounds). I've got ramps to put it in the bed of the truck, and that's where she stays on trips. I use a 30-amp extension cord to reach.

At home, it sits in the garage as my backup generator.

One other thing to consider here is the DB rating...I have the EU3000Is and it is whisper quiet...

The 3000 Handy although it is much lighter has a considerably higher DB level...

decibels are rated exponentially so a 58 db rating to a 64 db rating is alot of extra noise...if thats a concern?

We have a Genarac 5,000 with a 6,250 surge for the Home.
For the camper we have a Kipor 3,500. It was made in China. Serial and part numbers on the engine has made in Japan. Engine looks just like a Honda. It is just as quiet as a Honda. I know it will run over 12 hours on a tank of gas

I put my Kipor 3500 beside a Honda 3000 today and they look and sound the same. The only different mine is yellow and the honda is red.

Me <

That about covers the generator discussion.