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Old 09-30-2004, 07:44 AM   #1
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Honda EU 3000 vs 2x Honda EU 2000

Hello all,

Our Overlander will be ready early spring 05

We are at the generator selection process for next year and would like to have a generator for home backup before winter.

I have decided on the Honda EU series, It is hard to believe that Honda can make such a quiet generator!

Here is my question, so please feel free to weigh in!

We will want to use our a/c some times.
We have plenty of storage space in the back of the Burb.
Will get the wheels on the EU 3000 and use a ramp to load into Burb.

How do you decide between 2x EU 2000 in parallel or one EU3000?
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Old 09-30-2004, 07:54 AM   #2
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How strong are you?

From a physical perspective the 3000's are heavier than hell and take two strong people to move. The 2000s are manageable alone if you can heft around 60 lbs with no problem.
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Old 09-30-2004, 08:35 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vajeep
......... please feel free to weigh in!

How do you decide between 2x EU 2000 in parallel or one EU3000?
Vajeep:

2 2000's @ 46# each - 96 lbs -- throw in a phase link total cost +/- $2200


1 3000 @ 134 lbs - a bit less than $2000


Since your carrying in the 'burb I would tend toward the dual 2000's. A lot would depend on the use of the AC - in the South AC is mandatory for domestic tranquility for most of the year.......but if you will use the AC only a small percentage of the time and you can leave one of the 2000's at home.....
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Old 09-30-2004, 09:56 AM   #4
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I have been able to get by with one EU2000i, so far. Mine will run my A/C on low fan. I have done this for 20-30 minutes to take the edge off. All boondocking we have done has been in cooler weather anyway, where 70-80 day time temps drop into the 50-60 degree range at night.

Most of the time we use the generator for power outages and work around the farm where an extension cord won't reach.
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Old 09-30-2004, 10:48 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vajeep
We are at the generator selection process for next year and would like to have a generator for home backup before winter.

We will want to use our a/c some times.
We have plenty of storage space in the back of the Burb.
Will get the wheels on the EU 3000 and use a ramp to load into Burb.

How do you decide between 2x EU 2000 in parallel or one EU3000?
I own an EU2000i, and am very happy with it. However quiet it is, it's still a nuisance at times. I think that 2 of them would make more noise, take longer to set up, and need a parallel wiring rig.
If weight was no issue ( ramps etc), then I would opt for the EU3000, especially if you're running it at home as well.
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Old 09-30-2004, 01:03 PM   #6
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I've got two 2000's on my list. Compared to the 3000, having two 2's gives you both more flexibility and more power than the 3000. One person can easily lift the twos around, don't need a ramp, and when connected they give more power than the heavier 3000
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Old 09-30-2004, 02:08 PM   #7
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VAJEEP,

I agree with TINHUT's rationale. Since I have a EU-3000, let me give you my thoughts.

I have one with a wheel kit and I use a ramp to get it into the bed of my pickup truck. I rachet it secure with hold down straps. It is protected from the weather with a truck cap. I have it locked with a Krytonite cable. This, the cap and the 150# weight might discourage a theft. When I need to use it, I loosen the straps and roll it to the tailgate. I open all the windows in my truck cap to give it plenty of oxygen to operate. I made a special adapter with a NEMA L5-30P locking plug so that my RV 30 amp plug would adapt to the generator. Mayberry's and Southwest Fastener sell them now. The 3000 will start my 13.5K BTU air conditioner, but probably not any bigger. I rarely use it for that though. It does take some work to wrestle with it, because of its weight.

Sometimes I wish I had a 2000 or even a 1000 just to charge my battery and run a small appliance. I eventually might get one, so that I don't have to lug the BIG 3000 around, particularly on short weekend getaways. But, I personanlly wouldn't get 2 x 2000 units, even if I didn't have the 3000 unit. I just wouldn't run my A/C. I'd use my Fantastic Fans instead.

If you do need A/C for what ever reason, comfort, health, etc., determine whether the 3000 will start it (13.5K or smaller). If it's bigger, you'll need the 2x2000 set up. Also consider, if you have the 3000, is it OK to keep your "burb" open to ventilate while the 3000 is running? Do you want all those fumes inside there. A 2000 or 2x2000 would be more manageable and you could even remove them from the vehicle while running.

You can't go wrong with the Honda EU series. They're quiet and energy efficient. I hope you get the one that is best for your needs.

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Old 09-30-2004, 02:36 PM   #8
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We have the 3000 for running our air. We do like UWE and leave it in the back of the truck. It is a bit of a heft but my wife and I are still strong enough to lift it up at the start of a trip and out at the end. We considered 2X2000 but we fear not being able to use the air. Our home is in such a cool climate year round everywhere is hot when we leave. Two 2000s running would have to be louder than 1 3000 which Honda claims is actually 1 db quieter than the 2000. Bottom line: It's your call. Jamie
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Old 09-30-2004, 09:33 PM   #9
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Thumbs up The Honda EU Generators are Terrific

I own a EU2000i and love it. It's light and very quiet. I too can run my A/C on the low setting with no problem. If I had the to choose I'd go with the two EU2000i's. At 46 lbs they're easier to move and provide more juice when run in parallel than the EU3000i.

The bottom line, however, is that you can't go wrong with either one.
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Old 10-01-2004, 04:43 AM   #10
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One other reason to go with the 2000 is fuel consumption. During the power outage caused by Jeanne, I was able to run mine for over 9.5 hours on one tank of fuel in the "eco throttle" mode. I do not know what the 3000 will do fuel wise, or what size tank it has.
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Old 10-01-2004, 09:48 AM   #11
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I was told it was certain death (although slow) to run your ac on one 2000, but I had a chance to try it while at burning man, and for my AC (13,500) it seemed to work fine. I did disconnect everything else (no battery charging, etc) and set it so it would not cycle (full cool). This was a perfectly acceptable solution for me, as I was only looking to duck the heat if it became unbearable. So the question is, is this ok, or am I still looking for trouble. The voltage was fine once started, and it really did not seem to labor starting the compressor. I don’t own one yet, but I sure liked it…
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Old 10-01-2004, 09:57 AM   #12
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Have 2 EU2000's with home-made parallel kit (from Home Depot). Run them together, and the 15,000 BTU AC/HP works well.

Little noticable voltage drop. However, if you have them in the ECON mode, there is a bit of a V drop when AC kicks on. Recommend running them not in the Economy mode if the AC/HP runs. That reduces gas life. Have external 6 gal marine tank that I use to fill them.

Single gen makes a quick and mean latte at a rest stop.

Still blows main circuit breaker if you run AC/HP and microwave/convection together. I does that on shore power too.

73/gus
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Old 10-01-2004, 10:12 AM   #13
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Sorry.......more to think about.........

The decibel level is not the only consideration.The frequency of the noise that the generator makes is also a factor. Lower frequencies actually
distribute themselves better and further in all directions. Higher frequencies
don't have good " legs ", but to many are more annoying. I think that
the 2000's have a whinier sound. One of the reasons that the 3000 is
so much heavier is that it has so much more noise suppression.
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Old 10-01-2004, 10:13 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gklott
.....Still blows main circuit breaker if you run AC/HP and microwave/convection together. I does that on shore power too......
Flash back to Green Acres – early episode – Mr. Oliver Wendell Douglas (Eddie Albert) says to his wife, Lisa (Eva Gabor) (after she repeatedly blows fuses in the farm house) – “Lisa, You Can't Plug in a 2 with a 6!”….

to which Lisa replies ….“Dahling, Why not?”
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Old 10-01-2004, 11:35 AM   #15
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FWIW, I know of no one who's measured the the sounds of one EU3000 and two EU2000s PRODUCING THE SAME POWER, side by side. All we know from the Honda specs is that two EU2000s producing a greater 3200W rated are louder than the EU3000 producing only 2800W rated.

At the 15A (1800W) my 13,500 btu unit is supposed to draw running (fan on high), the dual 2000s are running at 45% of their max capacity, while the EU3000 is running at 60% of its max capacity.

To my knowledge, no one here really knows what that means in terms of sound pressure level in decibels and those commenting on it here are only guessing. Personally, I can only guess the difference would be undetectable by normal human hearing, but it is likely, on Eco-Throttle, the two EU2000s at 45% are running at a lower rpm, generating a lower frequency sound than the EU3000 running at 60%.

Honda only rates a single EU2000 to run at 1600-2000 watts for 30 minutes continously. Turning the thermostat down to keep the AC compressor running continuously will result in run times far in excess of that. You can buy two EU2000s now, or you can run one and probably replace it twice as often.

I've run the AC and 1500W microwave together, both on shore power and generators, without tripping the main breaker, or overloading the generators. But perhaps I've never had an instance where the compressor and magnetron both started at exactly the same time.
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Old 10-01-2004, 12:40 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gklott
Still blows main circuit breaker if you run AC/HP and microwave/convection together. I does that on shore power too.

73/gus
We installed an Electronic Monitoring System (EMS) in our trailer. The EMS monitors the volts, amps, among other things at the pole. We have learned that when the ac, fridge on ac, and the microwave are on, we draw more than 30 amps into the unit. We then blow the main circuit. If you turn the fridge to gas, and leave the hot water on gas, the circuit will not blow with the microwave and ac.

Having an EMS has helped us learn some of the mysteries in the ac system of our trailer. It is also the reason I purchased an autoformer for the unit. We found severely low voltage in some western parks during ac season.
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Old 10-04-2004, 07:03 AM   #17
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thanks all!

Thanks to all who replied! I am glad to hear that you all were mixed on the reasons why each one had different systems.



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Old 10-04-2004, 04:21 PM   #18
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Abe,

Congrats on deciding on the EU-3000. It will be adequate for RVing and home use.
I bought locally. However, I did my homework. I got the best price off the Internet from Alamia.com for the generator and Maberrys for the wheel kit. I don't think Honda allows publishing prices in the Internet anymore. But you can probably e-mail them for a written quote. I printed the prices and marched into my local dealer and asked him to match these prices. He didn't hesitate. I saved about $200, even though I had to pay State Sales Tax and they even prepped and load tested it. Ready to Go!
I preferred this for 2 reasons:
It helps the local merchants and I was afraid of getting a damaged generator shipped to me and having to fight the freight company with a claim.

Best of Luck,

Bob
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Old 10-04-2004, 10:06 PM   #19
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EU3000 experience

Abe,

I have an EU3000 that I purchased in the summer of 2000 from Palco Generators, in Norvelt, PA near Pittsburgh (www.palcogenerators.com). They also have a location in Winfield, WV. They beat the best price I could find on the internet, are very knowledgeable and they handle only generators, having been in business for over 30 years.

I modified mine to have a remote electric start and choke, a runtime meter, and made it dual-fuel capable by adding a low-pressure propane vacuum regulator and carburetor. It is mounted on the tongue of my Bambi in a stainless steel enclosure (see www.mswartz.com) and has over 600 hours on it.

When I've had power outages at home the EU3000 powers the critical loads in my home through a transfer switch and is fueled from the outside propane tank.

I am very pleased with the EU3000 and would highly recommend it to others. And I found the people at Palco very helpful with service on a Yamaha genset I had. The EU3000 hasn't had any need for service so far.
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Old 10-05-2004, 09:43 AM   #20
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I'm impressed. I thought you could get propane models of the 2000 and 3000 but haven't been able to located any. I like the forward mounted genset running on propane format. Very nice work.
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