Which Generator??

[rmkrum]

With the quick-connect modification I made (this thread, posts #22-24, then again at #182 for pictures) the Champion Dual Fuel 3500 can just stay in the bed of the truck, I just run the shore power cord (optional extension propane hose and extension cable) to the genny, plug it in, hook up the propane, and fire up. Only have to lift it once...and the electric start on the Dual Fuel makes it unnecessary to yank the starter. (Yup, I'm a lazy Glamper when I want to be...)

When I get the time, I'll put another shore power port on the front of the AS, and an automatic transfer switch near the power panel, then no 30 amp shore power extension cord needed...less stuff to wrestle with when setting up. Makes it quicker to get to beer and food time!

[Daquenzer]

Yep

[wareaglewalt]

I'm looking to run the AC occasionally on our 25FB Twin Flying Cloud. Obviously our Honda 2000i won't do it so my options are get another 2000i and continue to run gas only, or the Champion 3400 dual fuel. The larger wattage Honda and Yamaha won't fit under our tonneau cover so that's another consideration. The Champion 3400 appears to fit under the tonneau cover if I'm measuring everything correctly.

Is it correct to assume the Champion 3400 will power the 15,000 BTU AC unit? Also would I be able to run the AC on Eco mode (for lack of better terminology) or does the Champion have to be running full tilt boogie all the time for the AC?

I originally bought a Honda because of it's reputation for dependability, but this Champion sure has a lot of good reviews on this particular thread, so I'm leaning heavily in that direction.

Thanks!

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by wareaglewalt

I'm looking to run the AC occasionally on our 25FB Twin Flying Cloud. Obviously our Honda 2000i won't do it so my options are get another 2000i and continue to run gas only, or the Champion 3400 dual fuel. The larger wattage Honda and Yamaha won't fit under our tonneau cover so that's another consideration. The Champion 3400 appears to fit under the tonneau cover if I'm measuring everything correctly.

Is it correct to assume the Champion 3400 will power the 15,000 BTU AC unit? Also would I be able to run the AC on Eco mode (for lack of better terminology) or does the Champion have to be running full tilt boogie all the time for the AC?

I originally bought a Honda because of it's reputation for dependability, but this Champion sure has a lot of good reviews on this particular thread, so I'm leaning heavily in that direction.

Thanks!

Couple of personal observations from my experiences on this past year:

Yes, Champion 3400 will run either the 1350 or the 1500 AC. I have run both without any problem, one at a time, using my neighbors Champion 3400 he purchased last year from Costco.

I purchased the Dual Fuel Champion 3400 last summer and run on propane only...it works great also for either AC, plus no gas to carry..

The Honda 2000 will run your 1500AC if you get the EasyStart from Micro Air...they offer an AS discount also, if you decide to go that rout. Great service and assistance on this install if you want to do it yourself.

But, I also was able to run my 13500 AC recently with the new Honda 2200 with the propane conversion, done by Genconnex. I tried this without having the EasyStart; need more data, but seems to work fine on the 13500. I cycled it several times at 6,000 ft while in Banff few weeks back. I also tried the single unit with my 1500AC and it did start, but when the AC cycled, it bogged down; continued to run it fine, but I think the 1500AC may be a bit much for this one full time without the Easystart.

Not sure about just using the 13500AC which did work just fine for the time I was cycling it to make sure it worked. I would like more data if someone else has tried the new Honda 2200 without EasyStart on the 13500? If I can confirm, I may sell my Champion due to weight issues, and get the newer Honda 2200...may do that anyway, with the EasyStart... Not sure yet.

[jdlloyd24]

Interesting...

I just bought the new Honda EU2200i, and it looks like the A/C in our Airstream is a Carrier 68RV14102A which is 13.5k BTU that runs at 115v and 13.5a. Do you guys think the EU2200i will be able to run the A/C on its own without EasyStart installed?

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by jdlloyd24

Interesting...

I just bought the new Honda EU2200i, and it looks like the A/C in our Airstream is a Carrier 68RV14102A which is 13.5k BTU that runs at 115v and 13.5a. Do you guys think the EU2200i will be able to run the A/C on its own without EasyStart installed?

Hi

Your 13.5K BTU AC probably pulls closer to 15A than 13A when running under a heavy load ( either real hot or real cold ... humidity also matters ...). The EU2200i is rated for 1800 running watts which is exactly 15A. If the converter /charger is fired up and pulling 3A (as it may be doing) or the fridge is pulling power .... you probably are out of luck.

The AC pulls upwards of 40A when starting without a soft start kit installed. That 4800 watts is way past the 2200 watts the EU2200 should be able to do for a surge.

Simple answer is a pair of EU2200's and a combiner kit.

Bob

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by jdlloyd24

Interesting...

I just bought the new Honda EU2200i, and it looks like the A/C in our Airstream is a Carrier 68RV14102A which is 13.5k BTU that runs at 115v and 13.5a. Do you guys think the EU2200i will be able to run the A/C on its own without EasyStart installed?

I would try it out....I was able to start my 13500 AC and cycle a few times over 5 min running with my friends 2200 as I mentioned. It seemed to work fine, but surely my test was not over a prolonged period. The Easystart is a nice modification for sure and will allow you to start/run either of the AC's, (15000 or 13500, but if you don't need it, hey...) I was asking if anyone else has tried this with the 13500...I was not running any other appliance at the time. My fridge was on propane, so perhaps it will work, perhaps not, as UB is suggesting....Please try and post results if you can?

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Another interesting twist to this is altitude. That may not be a big deal in Brooklyn NY. It may be a bigger issue in western Montana. Gas or propane engines put out less power at higher altitudes. Generator engines are a bit over power to take care of some of this. At what point the thin air catches up with you .... who knows ....

Bob

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

Another interesting twist to this is altitude. That may not be a big deal in Brooklyn NY. It may be a bigger issue in western Montana. Gas or propane engines put out less power at higher altitudes. Generator engines are a bit over power to take care of some of this. At what point the thin air catches up with you .... who knows ....

Bob

I was at 6k feet in my "testing", above Banff...and the generator was a Honda 2200 modified with the propane conversion by Genconnex. I was under the impression the altitude may have contributed that particular propane-powered 2200 running my AC's.... Not really arguing....the Easystart is a great upgrade, as I mentioned earlier. Would be nice to have a 45lb generator that would run the 13500 AC on propane, without the Easystart...I may in the end bite the bullet and sell my DualFuel Champion, install the Easystart on my 15000 AC, purchase the Honda 2200 with propane option, and be done with it.... maybe next year....

[uncle_bob]

Hi

... but do you *need* AC at a thousand feet above Banff?

Never done it with the AS, but been there more than once with tents....

Bob

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

... but do you *need* AC at a thousand feet above Banff?

Never done it with the AS, but been there more than once with tents....

Bob

Your correct; the AC was Not needed...but I did need a generator due to lack of clear solar access, and I was using my dual fuel Champion...And, as I mentioned, my friend had his "new" Honda2200 propane modified with him and we both wanted to see if it would run my AC's without the Easystart....he had the Easystart on his new 23D, but I do not have on my 2 AC's on my 28'FC. That's why we did the "test"...we were surprised to see them both start and run, albiet the 15000AC did bog down the generator when I cycled it a few times...the 13500 did not bog down, but we only ran it for about 5 min...looking for more data with the new 2200 to see if it was a fluke or if it really can run the 13500 AC without the Easystart... Now Uncle Bob, you know the "rest of the story"!

[uncle_bob]

Hi

There are a couple of things that impact the "load" on an AC unit. Humidity is one (more is worse), air temperature is another (big delta is worse). I also seem to remember that air density matters as well. Is high altitude easier or worse .... hmmm ..... way to long ago to remember that kind of stuff ....

All that said, it is impressive that the 2200 held up in the test.

On a similar "I tested it and it works" ... It turns out you *can* run two AC's on a 30A plug (plus the normal trailer nonsense).. gulp ... I stopped the "test" once I noticed what was going on ... In some cases the breaker doesn't trip quite as fast as maybe it should ... . With an inverter generator, you rarely get "lucky" that way. The solid state stuff is pretty consistent about shutting down.

Bob

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

There are a couple of things that impact the "load" on an AC unit. Humidity is one (more is worse), air temperature is another (big delta is worse). I also seem to remember that air density matters as well. Is high altitude easier or worse .... hmmm ..... way to long ago to remember that kind of stuff ....

All that said, it is impressive that the 2200 held up in the test.

On a similar "I tested it and it works" ... It turns out you *can* run two AC's on a 30A plug (plus the normal trailer nonsense).. gulp ... I stopped the "test" once I noticed what was going on ... In some cases the breaker doesn't trip quite as fast as maybe it should ... . With an inverter generator, you rarely get "lucky" that way. The solid state stuff is pretty consistent about shutting down.

Bob

Understand; I could not start my 13500 with my Champion 2000 and after talking with Mateo from MicroAir about it, he said it would not work with the Easystart either, that's when I decided to go up to the Dual Fuel model. The Honda or Yamaha 2000 would work if you had the Easystart, but they were still a few $$ more expensive then the Dual Fuel at $890~, and they still would require the Easystart (more money) to work...Now, enter the new Honda 2200 couple months back... likely the answer is it will work with the 13500 in some instances, but to be safe, the Easystart is the way to go if you want the maller 45lb generators...

[czunc]

Follow up on my generator quest. I thought I would share my results from my quest to find the "right" generator for our style of camping. I've tried several brands of generator from Honda, Yamaha and Champion. These are all about about the same quality with very little difference in noise. My goal is to be able to run at least 1 A/C unit and use the microwave whenever I wanted. Originally I was against installing the MicroAir easy start on my units but i did finally breakdown and install it on the main 15k btu unit. We were hoping this would allow us to run on Yamaha EF2000 but it wasn't enough. After purchasing the Yamaha, I bought a Honda EU3000. This would run the A/C with the Easy Start but had little power left for anything else. My next purchase was the Champion remote start 3400. So far this is the generator of choice. Its easy to move because of the built in handle and the remote start works flawlessly. The remote start was a great feature when dry camping in Yellowstone and it was 25deg outside. All we had to do was point the remote towards the generator and we could start it to recharge our batteries without having to go outside. I was not interested in the dual fuel option because its much easier to find gas than bulk propane. I needed the propane for the furnace and usually if its cold out and we don't need the A/C, I will take the smaller Yamaha.



Hopefully this helps you decide.....

[drbrick]

This is a great thread and thanks for the quick-connect modification. Personally we run the Champion 3400 dual strictly with LP (I dislike carrying gas). Runs our 1350 AC no problem and everything else when needed. Since we also use solar (200w) + 180w suit case if shade is an issue, we have gone almost 2 weeks on 20lb LP (when not using AC - Boondocking in the Great White North really does not require a lot of AC usage). We run the Champion in the TV bed, which also help reduce the noise. In fact, 20 feet away and you really can hear a whole lot.

Should mention that we are old timers so the way we move the Gen out of the TV (which has a lift kit) is a fantastic, easy to setup Hitch Hoist.

[mefly2]

Listen to the EU3000is with electric start and QUIET exhaust / muffler ... and you will likely buy it ...IF... you have the budget and room to store ......folks around us at campgrounds really like us as neighbors and we don't worry about AC - or microwave + other combo - loads either.
Then wattage or electrical consumption is not as much of a concern.
Ours fits nicely on a bedslide in the rear of TV.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by mefly2

Listen to the EU3000is with electric start and QUIET exhaust / muffler ... and you will likely buy it ...IF... you have the budget and room to store ......folks around us at campgrounds really like us as neighbors and we don't worry about AC - or microwave + other combo - loads either.
Then wattage or electrical consumption is not as much of a concern.
Ours fits nicely on a bedslide in the rear of TV.

That one is also a very nice quiet generator...if it was propane, would be great! Just lots more $$ then some others with same power...Champion Dual Fuel works well for our use.

[Roadtech]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

Champion Dual Fuel works well for our use.

x 2

[Rzrbrn]

The Honda Eu3000is does have a propane conversion kit. I have the remote start kit on mine. Also spare parts are available at local Honda retailers. But the Champion is a high quality Chinese made unit, no doubt about that.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by Rzrbrn

The Honda Eu3000is does have a propane conversion kit. I have the remote start kit on mine. Also spare parts are available at local Honda retailers. But the Champion is a high quality Chinese made unit, no doubt about that.

How much was your total investment in the Eu3000i with the propane conversion, shipping, and remote start? (Just curious total cost of this.) I have electric start on my Duel Fuel, but it's not remote; some other 2400 model Champions have remote start, but they are gas. Didn't want gas. Champions typically are about 1/2 price of Honda or Yamaha's from my searching...they work well for sure.

Champion has many service locations; likely the most used industrial generator on work sites are Champions...and your right to notice it isn't made in Ohio like the Honda...or the AS's made in Ohio...Lord knows there are no issues with AS here on the Forum... By the way, I don't work for Champion...I would likely purchase a Yamaha or Honda if they weren't so expensive and if the Champion didn't work fine.