Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 08-21-2015, 07:23 PM   #41
Rivet Master
 
Lumatic's Avatar
 
1971 25' Tradewind
1993 34' Excella
Currently Looking...
Estancia , New Mexico
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,742
Images: 16
Blog Entries: 1
Quote:
Originally Posted by KJRitchie View Post
Are two EU2000s running together in companion mode noisier than a Honda Handi 3000w generator?

Kelvin
There are 2 generators Honda makes in the 3000 range. One is very loud and mainly for contractors. The other is fairly quiet. Check the decibel specs. 2 2000I generators make little more noise than only one.
__________________
Sail on silver girl. Sail on by. Your time has come to shine.
Lumatic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2015, 08:17 PM   #42
Some Guy
 
djarrett's Avatar
 
1968 26' Overlander
2021 25' Globetrotter
Nashville , Tennessee
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 406
I have the Honda Eu20001 and the Eu2000i Companion. Unbelievably reliable. Unbelievably quiet.
__________________
The Jarretts
Nashville, Tennessee
1968 26' Overlander
2019 RAM PowerWagon TV-Petrol Hemi
WBCCI # 22342
djarrett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-22-2015, 11:05 AM   #43
4 Rivet Member
 
2015 28' Flying Cloud
Newtown , Pennsylvania
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 315
With loads around 1500 watts, like a microwave, 2 Honda 2000's loafing along are definitely quieter than one screaming Honda 2000.

Bruce
AstroBruce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-22-2015, 12:06 PM   #44
4 Rivet Member
 
Hiho Silver's Avatar
 
2016 27' Flying Cloud
Overland Park , Kansas
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 365
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moflash View Post
Never any problems with carbs but as with everything that I own that burns gas and sits I always add Seafoam fuel additive.It keeps the fuel fresh and the algae growth at bay.
You cant go wrong with Yamaha or Honda.These little Gens sip very little fuel.
This is a smart thing to do, and I also use ethanol free fuel. Seafoam fuel additive and ethanol free fuel combination, can't go wrong using this combo in all your small engines and boats, etc.
Hiho Silver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-22-2015, 12:56 PM   #45
2 Rivet Member
 
firstwave's Avatar
 
2006 30' Classic
Santa Fe , New Mexico
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 96
Don't think I have ever seen ethanol free fuel for sale. Where would you buy it?
firstwave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-22-2015, 01:04 PM   #46
4 Rivet Member
 
truxpin's Avatar
 
2001 34' Limited
Tucson , Arizona
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 273
Quote:
Originally Posted by firstwave View Post
Anybody know about how long one of these would run (if converted) on 20# of propane?
Not yet. I purchased one of the little 2000 Honda's a month or so back and immediately converted it to propane.
I've been putting off posting a review (including the horrible buying experience with a well known dealer of Honda generators) until I get a chance to include some performance numbers. (things like, how long will a 20# propane bottle last)
We're headed to the Alburquerque Balloon Fest. in early Oct. that will be my first chance to really give it a workout.
__________________
2013 Ram Power Wagon 2500 4X4 5.7 Hemi
2001 Airstream '34 Limited
Hensley Arrow

Fulltime in 2013 and LOVING it !!
truxpin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-22-2015, 01:18 PM   #47
4 Rivet Member
 
Hiho Silver's Avatar
 
2016 27' Flying Cloud
Overland Park , Kansas
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 365
Quote:
Originally Posted by firstwave View Post
Don't think I have ever seen ethanol free fuel for sale. Where would you buy it?
Here is a link for ethanol free gas locations.

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada
Hiho Silver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-22-2015, 01:20 PM   #48
Rivet Master
 
m.hony's Avatar
 
2013 30' Classic
Greenwood , Mississippi
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 12,111
It is widely available in our area.


Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums
__________________
2013 Classic 30 Limited
2007 Silver Toyota Tundra Crew Max Limited 5.7 iForce
2006 Vivid Black Harley-Davidson Road King Classic
1999 Black Nissan Pathfinder LE
TAC #MS-10
WBCCI #1811, Region 6, Unit 56
Airforums #70955
m.hony is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-22-2015, 01:28 PM   #49
Rivet Master
 
GammaDog's Avatar
 
2014 25' FB Eddie Bauer
Vero Beach , Florida
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 693
Images: 26
Ok, gang. Firstwave's question got into my head like a bad BeeGees tune. I decided not to wait until I was loaded for our upcoming trip (or forced to flee approaching hurricane Danny... whichever comes first).

I pulled the Hondas out of the garage, grabbed two 20 lb LP bottles and the digtal bathroom scale and started my test.

I weighed each tank using the scale (also weighed a case of water as a "control" to assure reasonable consistency of the scale from start to finish of the test), plugged a hair dryer into each generator to simulate a load, turned the EcoThrottles "off", and fired them up (since they've never seen gasoline, they started on the third pull even after sitting in a hot garage for over a month) and started the stop watch.

After 30 minutes I switched hair dryers between the generators just in case they were not the same wattage (I was trained as a scientist... I couldn't help myself... one variable neutralized). After an hour I turned off the gas to each, unhooked and reweighed both the water (which was precisely the same as before to the 1/10 th of a pound) and the two bottles.

The answer I got was that each bottle was 2.0 pounds lighter than at the start.

Since a 20 lb LP bottle doesn't actually hold 20 lbs of LP (typically a full cylinder delivers 17 to 19 lbs before its exhausted... and blue rhino and Amerigas reportedly only put 15 in theirs) that says a generator running flat out will empty a full 20 lb cylinder in about 9 hours of operation.

Since a propane refill costs about $15-20, propane costs about $2/hour per generator at full load. Since the same load reportedly runs an EU2000 for 3.4 hours on one gallon of gas which at $2.50 per gallon is about 75 cents per hour, propane is way more expensive. Like others have reported, I chose propane because it seems safer to transport under my black tonneau, I can use the 30 lb bottles on the AS or carry 20s on the generator platform and I believe LP saves me from the reliability issues of gas left in carbs (or the need to manage that problem with additives, carb draining, etc). Other folks make the choice for gas for equally compelling and valid reasons that suit their needs. However, if fuel cost is driving your choice, GO GAS!

Now, on to the question of "what can I run with one, or two Honda EU2000s?". I mentioned yesterday that I cannot run my factory installed AC (a Dometic Penguin II 15,000 BTU AC/heat pump which Dometic says draws 13.4 amps for the compressor plus 2.6 for the fan or 16.0 amps total) and microwave (Sharp carousel micro/convection at 12.5 amps as a microwave, more in convection mode) at the same time with the two EU2000s in parallel. I did not mention that there are other loads on the system. The other biggie is my aftermarket Progressive Dynamics 4655v converter/charger. The 55amp (DC) model draws up to 950 watts or 7.9 amps of AC.

When I fire up the generators and connect them to the trailer and want AC I assume that the converter usually wants all the power it can draw to charge batteries and handle the 12v load. Let's do the math...

16.0 amps of AC plus 7.9 amps of converter (23.9 amps total) at 120 volts is 2,868 watts. The Hondas are rated at 1,600 each continuous.... 3,200 for the pair. 2,868 is under their capacity. All is good. Now, GammaDog wants a frozen burrito to become a mouth burner and kicks in 12.5 amps of microwave and the total is 36.4 amps or at 120 volts 4,368 watts. That exceeds both the sustained 3,200 watt and max 4,000 watt output of the pair of Hondas and nasty things happen since the resulting voltage drop is bad for the burrito and any device on the system. (Has your "30 Amp" Airstream ever tripped a 30 amp breaker on a campsite pedestal? Mine has. Now you see how that happens. The breaker was likely working as designed. Thank you Square-D!). If the converter happened to be asleep at the time I hit the microwave "go" button the AC and micro would have worked. I know that it's a "smart charger". It might be smart enough to take a break now and again. If you had a similar experience and said "gee... that wasn't a problem last time I ran the micro and AC at the same time" it could be that "last time" your converter was not drawing full power to charge low batteries when you asked the microwave to cook your dinner.

The solution is to turn off any one of those loads so the other two don't overload the generator pair.

One final thought... To answer the "can I pleeeeeease run my AC on just one Honda 2000?" question. If your one AC is a Dometic Penguin II 13,500 BTU model (for which my Dometic manual lists power needs) it uses 12.7 amps at 120 volts for the compressor and 2.6 for the fan. That's 15.3 total. At 120 volts that's 1,836 total. That's over the sustained rated power of the Honda EU2000 but under the max. I'm not sure how the Honda responds to that. Maybe someone with actual EE training (I said I was trained as a scientist... and I chucked that for a business career anyway... I never would have made it as an actual engineer) can tell us. If it responds with a voltage drop, 15.3 amps at 1,600 watts would have to deliver 104 volts. Hard on the compressor? I don't know. I wouldn't do it. In any case, adding any other load - even "just the converter" - would easily exceed the Honda's capability. The even smaller 11,000 BTU penguin II is 1,572 watts for compressor plus fan and would fit as the only load on a single Honda 2000 rated for 1,600 watts continuous.

There... I'm glad I got that off my chest. Now let's hear from people with actual knowledge in how this stuff works. I'm either going camping (heading to western New York then Maryland then the outer banks including two times with the truck and trailer on the NC ferry system!) or running like a scalded dog from Danny.

My next test will answer an earlier question... Since I sometimes run my generators using a tee fitting from the LP port on the AS, is there sufficient gas flow in the trailer to deliver 3,200 watts of electricity and run the fridge, stove and hot water heater? Stay tuned....
GammaDog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-22-2015, 01:51 PM   #50
4 Rivet Member
 
Rockingham , North Carolina
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 353
'People with actual knowledge' I am not.

Almost didn't bother replying after reading the requirements. Hope you don't mind me chiming in. But I did confirm what I thought in my earlier reply in that with a certain quality solar system, utilizing a hybrid converter, you can run the air conditioner with a single Honda 2000 generator.

If this is of interest to anyone I suggest you contact Lew Farber here. His contact info is also listed on AM Solar's website as one of their few approved installers. He is an 'EE', over winters in Florida (near OP), and is sharp as a tack.

At this point I've merely exchanged a few long winded emails with Lew, but we will have him design and install a solar power system in our 30' Serenity when we buy it.


Dan
__________________

"The wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask."


- Nancy Newhall
Danattherock is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-22-2015, 04:46 PM   #51
Rivet Master
 
dznf0g's Avatar
 
2007 30' Classic
Oswego , Illinois
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 13,658
Images: 5
I'm a bit jealous of my Bro-in law. He can run his A/C on one EU2000i. He bought a little 16' SOB with a 10 - 11000btu (I forget exactly) A/C. Specs say 16A on startup and 11.4A running.
__________________
-Rich-

"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." - Red Green
dznf0g is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 08-23-2015, 06:36 AM   #52
New Member
 
1990 34' Limited
grosse pointe , Michigan
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 4
Just yesterday I tried to use my Honda 2000 generator and it is not enough to run the ac on my 34' limited. I'll have to by a companion to it. They are so quite and lightweight its worth it to me.
shantycreek is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-25-2015, 11:41 PM   #53
Rivet Master
Commercial Member
 
Vintage Kin Owner
Naples , Florida
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 7,508
You called ????

The system Dan has mentioned involves a minimum 400 amp/hour lithium battery, adequate solar and a Magnum MSH3012M 'hybrid' inverter/charger.

I have started a Dometic 15K A/C from the inverter/battery alone with a calculated run time of 2.6 hours before the lithium is depleted.

I have also used a Honda 2000 coupled with the Magnum to start and run the same size A/C. The hybrid/lithium combination seamlessly supplements the 2000 watt generator output to cover the transient amperage surge required to start the compressor.

After the compressor settles down, the Honda (or Yamaha) takes over the full operating load of the A/C unit.

All amperages were verified thru a Blue Sky iPN - PRO solar remote with a 500 mV shunt. Once the compressor stabilized, the amp draw from the batteries approached zero.

Can it be done........absolutely! But it sure ain't cheap!!!!!!!!!


Lew Farber
RVIA/RVDA Nationally Certified Master Tech
Master Tech Energy Systems, Inc.
AM Solar Certified Installation Center
Lifeline Batteries**Magnum Inverters
541-490-6357
__________________
lewster
Solar Tech Energy Systems, Inc.
Victron Solar Components and Inverters, Zamp Solar Panels, LiFeBlue and Battle Born Lithium Batteries, Lifeline AGM Batteries
lewster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2017, 11:28 AM   #54
2 Rivet Member
 
LazyGray2's Avatar
 
2020 28' Flying Cloud
Hiawassee , Georgia
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 59
BambiTex, ever get an answer about the WEN?
LazyGray2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2017, 01:29 PM   #55
Rivet Master

 
2015 27' Flying Cloud
Portland , Oregon
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 684
Send a message via AIM to hhendrix Send a message via Yahoo to hhendrix
Quote:
Originally Posted by KJRitchie View Post
Are two EU2000s running together in companion mode noisier than a Honda Handi 3000w generator?

Kelvin
I have two Yamha 2000i's running together and there isn't much of a noise increase if any.
__________________
The ability to follow instructions is highly underrated.
Always be wary of stupid people in large numbers.
hhendrix is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2017, 09:19 AM   #56
Rivet Master
Commercial Member
 
Vintage Kin Owner
Naples , Florida
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 7,508
Two words to enable you to operate your Dometic roof A/C from a single Honda 2000.............EASY START!
__________________
lewster
Solar Tech Energy Systems, Inc.
Victron Solar Components and Inverters, Zamp Solar Panels, LiFeBlue and Battle Born Lithium Batteries, Lifeline AGM Batteries
lewster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2017, 12:18 PM   #57
Journeyman
 
2016 25' International
Amherst , Massachusetts
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 956
Quote:
Originally Posted by lewster View Post
Two words to enable you to operate your Dometic roof A/C from a single Honda 2000.............EASY START!


It's Lewster endorsed...and that's saying something!
__________________
-----

Some (hopefully useful) Airstream videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/c/journeymanvideos
thiel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2017, 12:48 PM   #58
MOS
3 Rivet Member
 
2023 19' Caravel
Queensbury , New York
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 159
Quote:
Originally Posted by lewster View Post
Two words to enable you to operate your Dometic roof A/C from a single Honda 2000.............EASY START!
Just what model is the 2000 watt easy start ?
or are all Honda 2000w easy starts ?
MOS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2017, 01:11 PM   #59
Rivet Master
 
jayseejay's Avatar
 
2015 27' FB Eddie Bauer
2011 25' FB Flying Cloud
Fernandina Beach , Florida
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 629
Hi MOS. EasyStart is an electronic device that, once installed on your RV air conditioner, permits the AC to start and run from a single Honda 2000 generator. It is manufactured by MicroAir - more info here: www.microair.net. Joe
jayseejay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2017, 01:52 PM   #60
MOS
3 Rivet Member
 
2023 19' Caravel
Queensbury , New York
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 159
Quote:
Originally Posted by jayseejay View Post
Hi MOS. EasyStart is an electronic device that, once installed on your RV air conditioner, permits the AC to start and run from a single Honda 2000 generator. It is manufactured by MicroAir - more info here: www.microair.net. Joe
Joe , now that make some sense , I used soft starts on large electric motors years ago thru work.
Which model Micro Air should I be looking at for a 15,000 BTU unit
Thanks
MOS is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Honda EU2000i Generator Mount for Bambi Teton Stream Boondocking 54 06-15-2023 08:44 AM
Portable Generator Sound Levels: One Honda EU2000i vs. Two Paralleled Honda EU2000i AndyPenny Generators & Solar Power 19 06-05-2017 03:04 PM
Honda Generator EU2000i Theft Deterrent Bracket z8 hm Generators & Solar Power 1 02-17-2012 04:47 PM
Honda EU2000i Generator Pricing Jan.2005 markparker22 Generators & Solar Power 12 11-23-2005 06:49 AM
Honda EU2000i generator dhe9 Generators & Solar Power 4 04-12-2005 06:33 PM


Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Airstream, Inc. or any of its affiliates. Airstream is a registered trademark of Airstream Inc. All rights reserved. Airstream trademark used under license to Social Knowledge LLC.



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:50 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.