Quiet Generator for 30amp RV

[Sailing Guy]

Originally Posted by Persistent

EU3000iS
EU3000S1AG

3000 watt 120V inverter generator with CO-MINDER™

Power for furnace, fridge, most 13,500 BTU RV AC units, & more
Super quiet & fuel efficient
Electric start
Inverter - stable power for computers & more
CO-MINDER: advanced carbon monoxide detection system

MSRP
$2529*
https://powerequipment.honda.com/gen...odels/eu3000is

vs. I $1049 for the dual fuel Westinghouse 4500 generator, with advanced digital metric measures . Powers a 15,000 air conditioner plus microwave easily. Pure sine power. Quieter than the EU3000 at 52-56 decibels.

Honda 196 cc engine vs Westinghouse 224 cc engine

[Ldubs]

Originally Posted by HiWay-OurWay

So, for those of you that have 3000, 4000, 4500 watt "portable" inverter generators, how are you transporting them? How are you lifting them into or out of a truck, or a front bay on a 5th wheel, or on and off a cargo tray behind an RV?
Are there any issues with one of these larger portables being in the way of a pinbox if a slider hitch is moved back?

I could easily get a couple of 2200i generators out of my truck bed or 5th wheel storage bin, but not a 100# generator. At 66+ yrs old, it's all about lighter gear and less abuse of body parts that don't heal so well anymore.
Does anyone have a clever hoist or crane that flips up and lifts that beast out and onto the ground?

We have a 3400 watt that weighs in at 100 lbs. Being 69+ years old, I have a similar concern. We use a Stromberg Calson Trailer Tray that fits over our A-frame trailer tongue. Works pretty good. The generator stays there (unless one of the kids is along - haha).

Here is a pic from eTrailer:

[terntes]

I purchased the Westinghouse 2200 max watt, all most as quiet as Honda, runs my AC on our 30A Thor ACE and was much cheaper. I did internet research on reviews and i give it 4 stars. Been running it two years now.

[a7az]

Originally Posted by memilanuk

Several years ago when we decided to get a generator, we looked at the Champion 3100 for $1k... or a Honda EU2000 for $1k (and figured we'd need two, plus the parallel kit). So we got the 3100.


The electric start has been pretty much a joke. The onboard starting battery *never* holds a charge. Guess if I had it on a battery tender between trips or during the off season, it might help.


The pull start... yeah. When it's good and warm and already has been running within the past few hours, it starts after 4-5 good pulls (and I'm not a small guy). If it's been sitting for a long while between trips... good luck. 40 or 50 pulls is more like it.


This weekend I was getting things ready for our first trip of the season - and figured I'd fire up the Champion and let it idle for a bit while I get everything else loaded. After way too many attempts to start the blasted thing, that turned into "screw this, I've had enough of this crap" and a quick trip to Sportsman's Warehouse for a Honda EU2200i.



*Literally* one pull start, every time (thus far).



Just like my old Honda snow blower and (past) Honda lawnmower. Okay, maybe two pulls on those when they were cold.


I'll probably get a Micro-Air EasyStart 364 for the TT A/C and see if I can get by with just one of the Honda's. If not, I'll happily buy a second one before I waste more time tugging and cussing at that Champion 3100.

Many potential operator problems here.

1. gummed up carburetor from unstabilized gas sitting for a long time
2. carburetor was rarely if ever drained
3. carb choke was not used to start the engine
4. carburetor jetting is messed up

[twinboat]

If your not big on storage procedures of portable generators, just start it up and let it run out of gas for long term storage.

[memilanuk]

Originally Posted by a7az

Many potential operator problems here.

1. gummed up carburetor from unstabilized gas sitting for a long time
2. carburetor was rarely if ever drained

Ran it dry after use, and used non-ethanol gas, with fuel stabilizer in the off season, for exactly these reasons.

3. carb choke was not used to start the engine

Wow, suddenly you're clairvoyant, and know whether I was using the choke or not. Impressive.

4. carburetor jetting is messed up

Not sure how that becomes an operator problem... it's exactly how it came from the factory. Honda seems to be able to make a unit that doesn't require futzing around with the carb jetting... but hey, yeah, never mind that and blame it on me as well.


Please, continue to make asinine assumptions about how I do things. Should be entertaining.

[Marine359]

I bought the Champion 2500df because I didn’t want to carry a gas can, and with my damaged heart, it’s 39lbs was appealing. I’m also tv payload challenged. I wanted to carry just an extra 20lb propane tank in my tv. It hasn’t worked out well. The Champion is so hard to start on propane, I get tired and frustrated, resorting to pouring in a pint of gasoline, on which it starts easily. After running the gasoline dry, I switch to propane and it starts easily. It will NOT run the 13.5 Dometic roof air on propane. Now left with the choice of installing easy start or tossing the Champion and buying a bigger generator. Aargh!

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by Marine359

I bought the Champion 2500df because I didn’t want to carry a gas can, and with my damaged heart, it’s 39lbs was appealing. I’m also tv payload challenged. I wanted to carry just an extra 20lb propane tank in my tv. It hasn’t worked out well. The Champion is so hard to start on propane, I get tired and frustrated, resorting to pouring in a pint of gasoline, on which it starts easily. After running the gasoline dry, I switch to propane and it starts easily. It will NOT run the 13.5 Dometic roof air on propane. Now left with the choice of installing easy start or tossing the Champion and buying a bigger generator. Aargh!

It only produces 13.8 amps, max output on propane.

Make sure the running amps of your AC is less then that, before you buy an EZ start. They reduce startup amps but not running amps.

[Cumminsfan]

Just bought a Genrac iq3500 elec start. So far I love it. Used it a couple weeks ago when the temps hit 92-99* to run the AC. It's super quiet and when it's running the AC it barely revs up. It does seem to suck gas but I guess thats part of the 3500W and running the AC.
It's heavy at around 120 lbs full of gas. I made a cart to roll it up in the truck bed and leave it there when camping.
My son bought a DF3100 Champion last year and he was surprised at how quite the Genrac is. Only minor draw back is the 30A twist lock. I bought RV to 30A twist lock adapter for it.

[Vintage465]

Originally Posted by ByeTheWay

The quietest generator is Solar

I'm with you! I make plans to never need a generator. I camp where it's cool or at least pleasantly tolerable. If I need to pull my generator out for any reason, it's because something went desperately wrong with my camping/traveling plans!

[astrocamper]

I started with 605 watts of rooftop solar and a Honda EU2200 with an EasyStart on my Mach III air conditioner. I found my wife was incompatible with me running the air conditioner enough to enjoy the air conditioning when it was hot.

I eventually upgraded to 1440 watts of rooftop solar and 640 watts of portable and changed out the air conditioner to a Mach 1 (PS) Power Saver version which only pulls 9.3 amps. My Victron Energy Multiplus 3000VA is my quiet generator. I have no problem keeping 700 amp-hours of LiFePO4 Battle Born batteries charged and run my air conditioner from about 10AM until about 8-9PM during the hottest months on solar, batteries and the Multiplus.

I know no longer need to worry about using up my 5 gallon gas can on a 10 day trip for the generator to run the air conditioner. Saves the space and weight of the generator and gas can and a 2nd hour plus trip to a gas station for a refill.

The generator is now only used for sustained power outages at home. My trailer can carry the important sticks and bricks load while the sunshines and the generator can be fired up before my trailer batteries run down. My trailer acts as an 8.4 kilowatt-hour battery for my home using a 10 circuit transfer switch feed by the output of the Multiplus.

[Sailing Guy]

That’s quite a setup. $7000 or close at today’s prices invested in just batteries.
It may work going with no generator if you don’t have to run air conditioning at night. Here in July and August that certainly is not a good option for us.
Maybe we are spoiled or age has created a want to be comfortable in heat climates.


We aren’t as sophisticated or into being dependent on expensive batteries and have a combo approach. But we can’t or don’t have to limit our use of the air conditioner.

We also have the Victron 3000 Multi which is a great unit. We supplement with 450 in solar and a dual fuel Westinghouse 4500 so no need for any soft start or worry about running the air conditioner and any other appliance. It can run 18 plus hours and has a remote start.

There are many ways to create a system and Taylor it to fit your preferences and needs. You seemed to have found your own niche.

[astrocamper]

I live and camp in the arid Great Basin and our night time temperatures drop down into the 60s or lower even in the summer time. I never need air conditioning past about 9PM. Most of the time I don't need it after the sun sets.

Most of my camping is at 5000-8000 feet in elevation.

A lot of our off grid camping is around a lot of astronomers, many camping in tents. We don't want to impose generator noise on them.

[Sailing Guy]

Understand . You can do that where you are.

On the east coast you can’t always do that, especially in the mid Atlantic and southern states. It may reach the upper 60s but in June-Sept the humidity will be in the high 60/70% range.

If you want to do any exploring like revolutionary war or civil war where our nation was founded it can be hot and humid in the summer.,

We are set up to boondock pretty well. We’d prefer to do that sans generator. But we don’t need to be uncomfortable either. We try and stay in state or national forests or ACor Enginet sites. Therec are virtually 0 BLM sites east of the Mississippi. We’ve camped at altitude out west. It’s nice to visit there. Camping fir us is a chance to see the entire US and Canada so it’s important to be able for us to do it comfortably no matter what region we are in.

We don’t look at one region as better than the other. They all have so much character and history and beauty. The diversity is part of the beauty of America.