Generator - Newbie Question

[Freedomrider]

Hi All,

Just purchased Honda EU2000i (2 AC Receptacles) for our 30' Classic rear bed.

Could someone please explain the complete procedure on how to connect, what additional parts I need to buy, and how use this generator (hooking up to the Airstream). I want to test it to see if it will power our TV's.

I am familiar with the "Black" power cord. It has on the end of it, what seems to be a circuit breaker and I do know where it plugs in near the rear on the street side.

We have two (2) Air Conditioners. I believe the front AC(Zone 1) is the 13.5 AC? Is this correct?

I do look to purchase the Honda 2000i Companion (has the outlet the matches the AS power cord) in the future. Does anyone have actually experience of this combination really running a AC?

Thanks and please pardon these basic questions. I just don't know.

[urnmor]

I have the 25' FC, the Honda 2000 and the companion. Both are needed to run the AC and Heat Pump. I do not know if you can run two ACs with the two generators.
One Honda has run by Refrigerator, etc to include the TV. Although you must be careful if you have them all running at one time and decide to use a toaster, coffee pot or other appliance that draws alot.

I do not have a black power cord. I use the extention cord that came with the AS and an adapter that plugs into the male end of the cord and the other end into the Honda. The female end of the extenstion cord is pluged into the same outlet that you normally use on the outside of the AS.

I hope this helps.
and adapter that plugs into the

[murreywalker]

With the single genset, I suspect you're going to have difficulty in running a single AC. You can forget about running two at a time.

Personally I have the Yamaha 2400 and only a single AC, which works fine. That said, I'm careful not to put much more into the total load of my generator.

[jdalrymple]

I am going to assume you have a standard "RV" plug on the cord coming from your trailer. If that is true, you need to go to an RV store or big box home store and get a RV to 15 amp adapter plug. This will allow you to plug the trailer's cord into the Honda's standard outlet.

Remember, the single Honda will not comfortably run even a single AC. And a pair of EU2000s will struggle to power both units.

We have a pair of them and like them. They are quiet and easy to handle. I like the fact that during the trips that we know won't require air conditioning, we can take just one generator.

We purchased a external dual feed fuel tank than comes in handy, too.

Regards,

JD

[aftermath]

Don't know about the companion or whether or not it will run both AC units. I just plug my power cord into the Honda by using an adapter, 30 Amps to 15 Amps. I think it is 15, I know it looks like a regular house plug.

When I am out boondocking a run my fridge on propane and don't have the electric option for the water heater. I am sure that the generator would run both TVs and some lights too.

[MaxAB]

You will likely need more KW's to power one of your AC units, let alone both. The second EU2000 ganged with your current EU should operate a 13.5kBTU unit easily. I suspect that 2 EU's providing 4KW would not be enough power to operate both AC units at the same time.

Shore power is the answer to run them both, for sure.

You will need a 30 amp male plug adapted to your black shore power cord to connect a single Honda EU to your rig. The EU will provide enough power to operate all essential systems (except your AC units) - certainly your TVs. Suggest you make a list of all AC and DC powered items in your rig to know how much power is needed to operate them if they are all energized at the same time (worse case scenario).

Since the Honda EU is a "clean inverter" a surge protector wired in-line with your power cord is not necessary - but IMHO, I would recommend it. In case you connect your AS to an "un-clean" shore power source, the surge protector could save power boards in appliances such as your refrigerator.

Just my $0.02 - travel safe and enjoy your rig!

[wmarsha]

I saw a 2012 30 ft classic-it had a 50amp 120VAC shore cord. Best to check it out.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Freedomrider

Hi All,

Just purchased Honda EU2000i (2 AC Receptacles) for our 30' Classic rear bed.

Good choices

Could someone please explain the complete procedure on how to connect, what additional parts I need to buy, and how use this generator (hooking up to the Airstream). I want to test it to see if it will power our TV's.

I am familiar with the "Black" power cord. It has on the end of it, what seems to be a circuit breaker and I do know where it plugs in near the rear on the street side.

I'm not sure what cords and adapters you would have received with your Airstream as they may have changed it and to some extent it depends on the dealer. My rig came with only one cord -- a large, heavy 50a cord -- that connects to the rear streetside electrical connector and has a large, 4-blade connector for connection to a shore power pedestal at a campground. The dealer also included some adapters, which, used together with the big cord, allowed connection to a standard 120v household outlet.

Some of the new Classics also have a front power inlet that uses a smaller cord that is supposed to be more generator-friendly. Mine doesn't have that.

The large 50a cord is heavy and unwieldy for use with a generator, and you may wish to purchase a lighter weight 30a cord for your convenience, like this:

50A to 30A RV Adapter - 25' | Marinco

I have one of those. You'll still need an adapter (just one) to connect to your generator.

Some people prefer this setup along with a heavy-gauge 25' outdoor extension cord:

50A to 15A RV Pigtail Adapter | Marinco

We have two (2) Air Conditioners. I believe the front AC(Zone 1) is the 13.5 AC? Is this correct?

There's no way to know for sure without climbing on the roof and pulling the shroud off, but typically they're 15,000 even if you have two A/Cs. Mine is, and I have two.

I do look to purchase the Honda 2000i Companion (has the outlet the matches the AS power cord) in the future. Does anyone have actually experience of this combination really running a AC?

I do not but many people do this. A pair of 2000i (with at least one being a companion) is widely regarded to be the best setup for running A/C off the generator. You will not be able to run both air conditioners at once however.

[Wazbro]

Originally Posted by Freedomrider

I do look to purchase the Honda 2000i Companion (has the outlet the matches the AS power cord) in the future. Does anyone have actually experience of this combination really running a AC?

The companion matches the 30 amp, you should have 50 amp and still need an adapter.

[Wazbro]

Originally Posted by wmarsha

I saw a 2012 30 ft classic-it had a 50amp 120VAC shore cord. Best to check it out.

That would be 50amp 240VAC (used as 2 50amp 120VAC lines in most cases, rarely used as 240VAC in an RV).

[Alphonse]

I have a set of these and the kit to sync them together. The Honda cable kit that I bought came with the adapter plug needed to plug my trailer 30 amp in to. Runs one AC on a 28 footer no problem. Would be reluctant to try two.

[F450Harley]

Originally Posted by Freedomrider

Hi All,

Just purchased Honda EU2000i (2 AC Receptacles) for our 30' Classic rear bed.

Could someone please explain the complete procedure on how to connect, what additional parts I need to buy, and how use this generator (hooking up to the Airstream). I want to test it to see if it will power our TV's.

I am familiar with the "Black" power cord. It has on the end of it, what seems to be a circuit breaker and I do know where it plugs in near the rear on the street side.

We have two (2) Air Conditioners. I believe the front AC(Zone 1) is the 13.5 AC? Is this correct?

I do look to purchase the Honda 2000i Companion (has the outlet the matches the AS power cord) in the future. Does anyone have actually experience of this combination really running a AC?

Thanks and please pardon these basic questions. I just don't know.

If you must use both ACs & boondock a lot in summer, trade your new 2000 Eu before you pour gas in it and pick up the 3500 or 6500 Eu if cash and lifting are none issue. I tried them all before I settled for the heavy Eu6500i which stays on my truck bed and I just run the cable to my AS. It handles load best and quieter under heavy load than all other eui. Eu6500i came ready with 50Amps port, remote start/stop and longer service intervals. Just my 2 cents.

[robert@honda]

Both the standard Honda EU2000i and the Companion EU2000i put out the same amount of AC power, 2,000 watt max, 1,600 continuous. When they are connected together with a parallel cable, those numbers double. That's where the large 30A receptacle on the Companion is handy; you can easily get an adapter that lets you plug a standard RV male to a 30A twist male, then into the 30A receptacle.

As others have mentioned, a pair of EU2's should easily handle a single A/C unit. No way they could reliably start and run two A/C units at the same time.

[robert@honda]

Originally Posted by F450Harley

Eu6500i came ready with 50Amps port

From the factory, the Honda EU6500is offers a number of receptacles, but the largest capacity ones are 30A. You can use an adapter to convert a 50A male to a 30A twist, which can then plug into the 30A receptacle. Here's a close-up of all the receptacles:

[Ridgerunner3]

I have an EU2000i and an EU2000 Companion that I run hooked together to power my trailer when needed to run a single brand new 15,000 Dometic Penquin heat pump installed by AS at Jackson Center last August. My experience this winter is that while running the heat pump both generators went into "overload" and cut power to the trailer unless I turned off "Eco" mode on both generators.

I do not normally heat with the heat pump and the generators. I was testing the capability of the generators. Other power consumption by the AS was very limited during the test. The outside temperature was in the 38F range. The defrost cycle on the heat pump appeared to be the straw that broke the generator's back. No problem with "Eco" mode off.

I feel fairly certain, based on my experience, that two EU2000i's will not run two AC/Heat Pump units at the same time. However, the two Eu2000i combination is a great generator setup as long as it fits your power consumption.

One other thing I do to ensure generator reliability is to only run Non-Ethanol gasoline in the generators. 10% enthanol gasoline will eventually result in carburetor maintenance that can be avoided by only using non-ethanol gas. Same rule applies to all of my lawn and garden small gas engines.

[polarlyse]

Hey Bud. You're lucky to have a source of non-ethanol based gasoline available. I don't think we are so fortunate. My son works at a Conoco-Phillips refinery and I will ask him but I do not know of any sources.

[Freedomrider]

Thanks all,

First, I will not try to run both AC on the Honda combination. All your information was soo helpful. I feel I can now go and take another look at my AS and figure out how to use this generator. Thanks for the detail and links on the plug and adapters. Excellent idea. It makes so much sense now. I remember seeing the new propane connection on the front, but do not remember if there was a electrical outlet on the front side.

The EU6500i would be a good solution but the weight would be an issue. I think the tandem is a good and light option.

Thanks to you all, I now have the confidence to try without the fear of doing some kind of damage.

Once all is in place, I will you know how it came out.

[Ridgerunner3]

Originally Posted by polarlyse

Hey Bud. You're lucky to have a source of non-ethanol based gasoline available. I don't think we are so fortunate. My son works at a Conoco-Phillips refinery and I will ask him but I do not know of any sources.

There are some web sites that attempt to list stores that sell non-ethanol but the websites are not typically very accurate (missing many of the stations that sell it). A good place to look is at a small quick stop shop that sells bait and attracts fishermen with outboard engines. Ethanol gas is really hard on outboard boat engines.

Many in our community spoke to a small independent store about non-ethanol gas. The store was able to make arrangements with the distributor for one of the tanks to have 87 non-ethanol gas. Their business is booming from the demand for non-ethanol gas and all the milk, bread, etc... sales that comes with the increased customer traffic. Before this store got non-ethanol, I would make a 60 mile round trip to buy non-ethanol gas for my generators and equipment.

[Freedomrider]

jdalrymple,

Can you tell me what type of "External Dual Fuel Tank" you have?"

Thanks.

[Wazbro]

Originally Posted by Freedomrider

jdalrymple,

Can you tell me what type of "External Dual Fuel Tank" you have?"

Thanks.

That is "External Dual Feed Tank" like this.

Brand New Dual Feed Extended Run Tank for Honda EU2000I EU1000I Generators | eBay