Generator

[trippy]

We went boondocking for the first time this past week. We found out real quick a generator or invertor is a must. You can't charge the batteries with the car unless you want to run it for a couple of days. Lucky we had a friend with a generator to charge our batteries.

I have a couple of questions:

I am getting ready to purchase the Honda 2000 or the Yamaha 2400. Can I plug in the electric cord and run other items while (with the exception of the frig which I run on gas) I charge the batteries?

Should I charge the batteries direct from the generator?

Is $1,000 a good price for the Honda 2000? I found the Yamaha 2400 for $1,100, is this a good price?

We are planning to go boondocking again in a couple of weeks and want to take the correct equipment.

Thanks for your help....

[rickandsandi]

Greetings Jim-
Boondocking is one of the great joys Sandi and I have with our Safari. Having been tent campers when we are not at a rally with all our AS friends we like to find out of the way places. We have survived 5 days dry camping and we have only one battery. There are a lot of folks here on the forum who have gens for a whole bunch of reasons. What you need to do first is realize what you want when you are dry camping, TV, DVD, Coffee Maker, Micro Wave. Use the search function because I know someone had a really great list put togther of needs when running off batteries. For us, we have a nice little 1K gen for topping off the batteries if we need to.

[Condoluminum]

Welcome..

You should try the "search" tab above and type in a few words like Honda and Generator and Yamaha to see other threads, user opinions, alternatives, noise considerations, etc...

That said, either generator will run the TV and microwave and coffee maker (or Espresso machine..) WHILE charging the batteries through the power supply charger on the trailer, if you just plug the trailer's cord into the generator.. If the batteries are dead, and need a faster charge, you can get a 12V cord and try to charge them directly. What you won't get is Air Conditioning. Neither unit has enough power for kick start of A/C compressor while powering the power module and charging batteries. The Honda can be paired with another to run A/C. The Honda Eu1000 is cheaper and lighter and will charge the batteries and run a TV and microwave, but maybe not all at once...

Prices vary, but $1000 is not bad for a Honda 2000, depending on taxes, delivery, etc. Some Montana internet sellers will deliver for slightly less net...
The Yamaha is heavier, but more powerful, and slightly noisier.. Don't know about Yamaha pricing. Honda will terminate dealers who advertise discount pricing in print or on web, but some might negotiate over the phone. Yamaha still won't run A/C... Auto Parts Store/Sears Generators offer 4KW for $600, but are really noisy and heavy... If you are boondocking in hot remote areas, that might be solution for A/C, if you have no neighbors and don't mind some daytime noise.. Finally, don't plan to mount on rear bumper.. Too heavy and frame not designed for cantilevered loads back there. With some clever welding, you could make a mount on front frame..

John

[jlester]

I have the yamaha 1000. I used it on my 22' 2005, and now I am going to use it on my 1962 globetrotter. I had two 12volt batteries on the 22'. The yamaha charged the batteries and also ran the microwave. It is a very light and very quiet generator. I am very happy with it. It does not take up much space in the back of the car. The generator runs over 8 hours on less than a gallon of gas, if I remember correctly.

[Lufletch]

I've gone boondocking several times with the Honda. It runs everything but the AC. You can run the AC unit on high fan and the vent fans as well as the fridge, TV, and microwave - just not all at the same time. The Honda is quiet enough to be approved by the National Park Service for use in park campgrounds. Most of our neighbors have remarked about how quiet our Honda is. $865 on EBay - new w/ warr. keeps the batteries topped off after only 4 hours running from a partial drain.

'86 25 ft. Sovereign

[henw]

Boondocking is great. But, at the same time we like to take plenty of showers, flush the toilet, stay cool, and cook.
Two Honda 2000 generators, an inverter, a tote tank, and, an extra 20-25 gallons of water in 5 gallon jugs will serve us well for a long weekend.

Tom

[BillTex]

I noticed the title of this thread and couldn’t help wondering “ do you really need AC”?
I’ve got to agree with Rick on this one. We have boondocked for many days on just battery power (2 in our coach) and still had 50% juice left. Propane and batteries can last a long time if conservative. Having said that, we have never had a TV in our camper, I think we ran the AC once this summer (we had to leave the dig for a few hours and it was hot).
I have pondered buying a genset, truth is we just don’t need it. Oh yeah, our espresso machine is old school; steam it up on the stove, no electric needed. (You can find these in old hardware stores or “ethnic” food stores.) So unless you need to run AC you might want to rethink this idea…just keep your batteries fresh.

Bill

[trippy]

Thanks for your help. Don't need the air. We camp at 4100 feet. I have settled on the Honda 2000. Can hook two together in case we decide to boondock in hot areas.

Jim Triplett

[rettoc625]

We have a Honda 2000i and it is very quiet. That is an important consideration when you are enjoying the peace and quiet of a remote location. We have parked next to other campers with Yamahas and they are incredibly loud.

The 2000 will run everything with the exception of the AC, however, if you decide at a later date you want to use the AC, it is possible to piggyback a second Honda 2000 to your existing one and have enough juice for the AC.

The price you found for the Honda is a good one. We paid a little less than that using my son's business discount at a 'toy' store he frequents.

Mary in CT

[ScottW]

$1000 is a little pricey for a Honda eu2000i. Check online with 'Mayberrys'. I paid less than $900 each for two of them...delivered.

[grizzy]

Check with Wise Equipment ( http://www.wisesales.com ). That's where I purchased my set and they were very good to work with. I checked for a friend this summer and the EU2000i was $869 and the Parallel kit was $199, all with free shipping. I haven't seen a better price anywhere.

[Condoluminum]

Just wanted to post a warning about using old gas stored in metal or plastic jug for a year or two.. The newer gas mixes with ethanol or whatever else they put in doesn't store well for more than 6 months, even with mystery additives...

Bad gas can (will...) potentially cause problems like valves seizing and breaking.. Been there, did that... Honda warranty is good, but it's painful to test during cold rainy rally around holiday weekend...

[ROBERT CROSS]

Another vote for the Honda 2k.


Just finished our 4th season without a problem. When boondocking in the Adirondacks it stores in a two-man tent from Camping World, when set up 25ft from the rig ya can hardly hear it running. The tent has kept it dry thru more than one downpour!! Also a convienent place to store other Stream'n Stuff you don't want to leave in the open. The Honda is also light enough to move into the tv for security when needed.
I have always used the ground lug with a braided copper strap, you can usually find them with an eyelet at both ends, the wire hooked end peg that came with the tent driven thru the eye into ground works great.

IT'S HARD TO MAKE A COMEBACK, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ANYWHERE..

[tsunami]

Purchased a Honda 2000 earlier this year, prior to heading out on a three week vacation. We love it. It's light weight and extremely quiet. It helps top off the batteries when the solar panel is not getting enough sun while we dry camp. Used it in the Wasatch Mountains (Salt Lake City) and the campers next to us remarked that they never heard it running.