Portable Generator advice

[Midastouch]

I have been in the market to purchase a large portableemergency generator ... one that would run the unit with no problem. I have been looking at generators with a wattage around 6500 -8000 but the problem I have is which one ... each has some little differences in fuel capacity, run time, etc ... when compared to each other. Bottom line is that I want a good machine without going overboard. How much power do I need to make sure I can run everything if I need to? I have 2 air conditioners. If I want to function as I am now, can I? Can I run them both if need be? I guess you guys got the idea!

Briggs and Stratton vs Honda engine (price) vs Generac vs ...... Any advice would be appreciated. I did get my Trojan batteries installed!

BTW ... If anyone has noticed ... we have a hurricane headed towards us so my generator need got a little more important! I want to be ready just in case

 

[snuffy]

The problem with a generator 6000-8000 watts is with weight and noise.
You definitely don't want a Briggs & Stratton, just for the noise. The weight is another big issue, unless you're Hercules, and I don't think that's the case.
Even a generator of 4500 watts that is quiet weighs over 200 lbs. with gas. You have some big decisions to make because unfortunately, you can't have high wattage and low weight, not to mention the noise. A DB level under 60 would be preferable.
Check out this site for some really good prices on Yamahas. I have one of the smaller ones, the EF2800i, and I really like it. They are just as good as the Hondas.
http://www.wisesales.com/YamahaEF4500iSE.html

 

[jnbhobe]

Lynne; I mounted mine to a rack on the back of the BH,I've got a 3000 honda witch is very quiet but will not run the whole unit. They do make a 6500is honda that is quiet. other than that I would think about having a honda or onan installed in the front of the LM. Good Luck!

 

[snuffy]

You could parallel two Honda EU3000is to get 6000 watts and use separately when not needing higher wattage.

http://www.wisesales.com/GeneratorAccessories.html

 

[StevieWonder]

Unless you plan on 'boondocking' on a regular basis, go with the smallest unit that will run ONE AC unit because of what Snuffy said above:

The problem with a generator 6000-8000 watts is with weight and noise.

If you plan on putting this in the unit, it will eat a huge amount of space and loading up 400lbs into the back of a pickup is an issue for most of us, even with help.

The Honda units that can be parallelled are a viable but very expensive option and their run time is fairly short unless you don't mind being trapped at the unit to refuel every few hours.

I'd go with a smaller generator that is capable of running one AC and various appliances. Energy use management means you can run the AC compressor OR run just the fan unit for brief periods when you use other high load items like the microwave. A tower floor fan is very effective in moving cold air from the one AC around the rest of the coach. Will it work in Nevada at 110? Not well. But I've been in the 90's comfortably.

I also own the same Yamaha generator which is much cheaper than the Honda, nearly as quiet with better run time and the ability to function as I indicated. A side benefit of this Yamaha is that the unit will fit inside the front storage compartment (the one where the front legs mechanism lives). And one person can pull it out. The Honda 3000 won't fit and is nearly 3x as heavy and a good bit more money.

 

[Superduty]

This is the unit I bought last year. 6000 watt...
http://www.kipornorthamerica.com/Sinemaster4.aspx

It is a chinese made generator... I was a little leary to purchase at first...
But it has been working great... I have about 200 hours on it already.. No problems...

It is a little louder than a 3000 watt generator... But not by much..

It will run the entire camper with no problem... I have the BH 3670...
I only have one A/C.

I have a long box 2008 Ford f350 Dually... I use ramps to get it loaded on the PU. It is a little bit of a challange...

My brother has a honda and his is lighter... but does not have the power to run the entire camper... There is a trade off...

I also wired the house so that I can use the generator if need be....

 

[Midastouch]

It was early in the morning before work when I initial posted this, so let me get more specific! I am fulltime, in a permanant site right now on family owned property. My son and family is in the house. I am out back in the pasture, but on a great site with power, water, etc.... but want to have a generator so that IF the power goes out, I am good to go and can sustain. Weight is not an issue as it will be kept outside, under the front of the hitch for easy access and will have a wheel kit on it, I'm sure. Noise is secondary to being able to keeping cool and maintaining if the power were to be out for a couple days which can happen since we live out in the country and they take their sweet time getting to us. Thunderstorms knock us out for hours and that seems to be common!

So, with that being said .... should I go for a unit that has a honda engine powering it, or what? I am looking on this site http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/quick_search.php and have been looking at these ..... trying to decide. Any thoughts? Thanks for the input so far and sorry I didn't get into more specifics earlier!

 

[snuffy]

Might help to know your budget range.

 

[Midastouch]

I'd like to keep it between 800 -$1000 and that is because I know that what I am looking at is going to cost that. I need to know what the difference, if any, there is between the 6200 watt and the 8000 watt as far as my needs go. Am I going to need an 8000W or is that overkill? I have some telling me that I need to get something with a Honda engine, as Northstar tool, the Powerboss and the Coleman have Honda engines, but is it the name I am paying for or is the extra cost justified? That's the kind of stuff I am looking to get advice on.

 

[davelinde]

Weight is not an issue ...

...Noise is secondary

For MOST RV applications weight, size, and noise are important.

Once you take that off the table... what is important to you?

 

[morganm12]

Lynne, let me suggest that you might want to pay a visit to the Onan shop located just east of Bossier at 4910 Industrial Dr Ext. I think they carry other brands of generators. Reading your bio I'm betting you know where this is. Phone # 747-0212 unless my book is out of date. I had a Generac 4500 with the quietest muffler available and it was still very loud. If I got another generator it would be installed and LP. Gas models require that you keep relatively fresh gas in them or you got a problem. Personally when it comes to power, overkill works better than underkill in the ARKLATEX heat and humidity.

 

[StevieWonder]

I beg to differ. Overkill isn't worth a plug nickel if you can't transport the generator without an army of muscle to load/unload it.

If you are looking midsize, dirt-cheap you might consider a Champion. It's about 68dB, which is pretty darn quiet for a 3500 watt generator. It weighs 100 lbs which is pretty close to the limit of "portability" unless you're into weight lifting. They are sold by Cabela's(the sporting goods chain), which will ship it to you if you're not close to one of their retail stores, and have gotten great reviews for the price, $399 !!! They also have a rare feature, a built-in outlet that accepts the 30W RV plug, so no adapter is required for a 30amp trailer.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?type=pod&id=0040261

I don't think you'll find a residential quality power generator of 8000 watt size for anywhere near $1000. BEWARE of industrial generators which are fine for saws, pumps, air compressors, etc but produce "dirty" power that isn't suitable for TVs, computers, microwaves, etc. They are loud as the devil too. Not much need for silence at a construction site. Don't forget the larger units will be much thirstier too which means hauling around more gas and refilling more often.

Lots of power doesn't have much value if you can't load/unload the generator because it weighs 300 or 350 lbs. 6000 watts is 6000/115 amps which is 52 amps. That exceeds the amount available through ground power at your friendly campground. 70 amps isn't going to help you one bit. All it's going to do is cost you more money to buy and more money to operate while being louder and so heavy that portability is restricted to rolling it around IF you can figure out how to get it where you are going.

BTW, loud can be a REAL issue if you are camping in a public location. Again, it's not a value if you can't use it. I've got a great generator in a Honda 6500, but it's too heavy and big to lug around so I use the Yamaha 2800 if I need some boondocking capability.

 

[Midastouch]

I need to know how big of a generator in wattage I need to handle my Grand Canyon without going overboard ... and with that said, what brand would be the best bang for the buck? How's that?

 

[Midastouch]

Oops, didn't see these last 2 posts on the second page! Appreciate the add'l info ... again .... I will not have to haul this anywhere, I just want to be able to use it if and when the power I am plugged into now goes out and be able to function like I do ... air conditioning and all!

 

[jmgratz]

Check out the Honda 3000. Get two, run them in parallel and they are quiet, light, small enough to transport and will run you coach including the AC. My 7500 Generac is too heavy to transport but is great when hurricanes knock out the power at home. My next generator purchase for the RV power will be 2 Honda 3000 and a parallel hookup cord.

 

[StevieWonder]

OK. Not requiring any portability certainly changes the criteria dramatically.

It still makes NO sense to buy anything over 50 amps which is roughly 5750 watts. Anything over 6000 watts is a waste of money on a coach that only has a 50amp service. You may find that at 5750 watts you're "in between" the common levels. For example my 6500 watt Honda is more than adequate. You're just wasting your money and gasoline on anything bigger.

Given the budget you mentioned, I'd say your options are extremely limited. The cheaper generators are generally industrial grade which doesn't mean tougher ... it means the quality of the power is "rougher" and isn't intended to power sensitive electronics. The cheapest generators are generally ... surprise ... Chinese and you will find that replacement parts are very hard, if not impossible, to find and nobody that sells them works on them.

I've owned several Northstar generators from Northern Tools. They have been very serviceable but those big, inexpensive units have the "rough" power characteristics I mentioned above. I used them to power lights, portable welders, etc and they worked fine. I wouldn't use them on anything that's subject to damage from unrefined power.

One last thing ... gasoline left in the tank deteriorates rapidly and will cause gum buildup in the carburetor bowl and jet that will render the generator useless. If you plan on leaving ANY fuel in the tank for periods in excess of two weeks, I would absoultely, positively add a fuel stabilizer. This stuff, Stabil is the most recognizable, is available at any auto parts store.

 

[jmgratz]

The other thing I have done and it has worked well is to turn off the gasoline flow and let the generator run until it runs out of gas. This will clear the carburetor of the gasoline and help prevent gum build up. (Do the same thing on the boat motor)

 

[RVCamper]

I've got a great generator in a Honda 6500, but it's too heavy and big to lug around so I use the Yamaha 2800 if I need some boondocking capability.

I have the ES6500 an electric start 2 cylinder water cooled generator for power outages. I love it when ther is a power outage, runs most of the house (But No AC)

I have a Yamaha EF2400iS Generator for boondocking.
I love the Yamaha, and the inverter technology. It runs either the AC or Microwave flawlessly, is quite, and only spools up under load.

For grins I hooked up the Honda to the RV to see how it did. Because it does not have the inverter technology, it gets a load and spools up to its higher speed, and stays there. This makes it loader, and thirster than it needs to be. Based on my testing, I'll certainly won't be temped to take the Honda with me unless for some reason I needed to run the AC and Microwave at the same time (not really needed).

My recomendation is Yamaha EF2800i little more than your budget. Let us know what you go with. http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/Yamaha-EF2800i/p1208.html

 

[snuffy]

Your budget constraints will dictate your options. Trust me, a 6000 watt with a B&S or Tecumseh over a 4 hour or longer period will get on your nerves. At the $1000 level, most of the ones power wise are noisy. Pick your poison. If you can move up to $1600-2000, you will be much happier.
Another option is to check Ebay or craigslist for used ones.

 

[jmgratz]

Sounds like I need to take a look at the Yamaha.