Portable Generator

[GoinAllTheWay]

Sorry if this has been discussed in other threads. Tried finding the RV thread but no luck.


Anyone have a good suggestion of a portable generator. CT had a Champion on sale for under $500 (3500/4500) that looked like it would fit the bill nicely but the thing (according to youtube vids) appears to be as loud as a lawnmower.


Looking to power a trailer/recharge the battery. Think that also has enough jam for the A/C. I also liked the fact it could double as an emergency generator to run fridges and freezers at home if needed.


Champion looks to be a well respected product, just the noise. Honda also comes up a lot.


What you you tried that you like? I don't really care about remote start but emphasis on being relatively quiet and useful during a power outage at home if needed. On wheels is also a plus.

[BlackArcher101]

You will never go wrong with a Honda unit.

[Nufy]

Do you want campground friendly ?

It will make a difference in Brand and price...

[Samonadreau]

If using in a campground or you dont want to be noisy an inverter genny is the best. Honda ones are good. if you dont care about noise the champion ones run fine.

[Geraldsh]

Any quiet little gen can charge your batteries but running an AC will need 2500 watts or more. You may get away with 2000 watt gen if you have a soft-start installed on the AC. Honda is my preference. I bought 2 2000 watt units that can be used together for 4000 watts when I need lots of AC.

[puffnstuff]

Another vote for Honda

[CaptainYooh]

Honda eu2000i and eu2200i are hands down best portable gas generators which can be carried around (due to reasonably light weight.). Quietest and the most reliable. They can also be paralleled to produce double output. But they usually sell for about $1,000 used (and $1,400 new). I found a used unit for $800 and spent about $50 more to have it tuned up myself (new oil, air filters and spark plug). Couple of hours of time in the garage.

There are no really good generators around $500, unfortunately. You can get some cheap used made in China units, which are likely being sold because they are not that good.

If you need one for a one-off venture, I suggest buying a used Honda and then re-selling it after. You will likely recoup all your money back.

[Doctorfever]

I’ve got a Yamaha. Super quiet. Had it for years.

Has been good to me.

I use Honda generators at work. They are excellent.

[Snuffleupagus]

A buddy of mine has a propane powered generator made by Westinghouse,says it's unreal, powers everything and is whisper quiet, he's kind of a hardcore camper who goes for weeks, don't think it was cheap though.

PM me if you want me to ask more about it.

[Geraldsh]

TIL you can get propane conversion kits for Honda generators; that plus a cordless chainsaw would free me from those noxious gas cans completely. I may need a gofundme to git’r’done.

[schteve_d]

I bought a brand new Yamaha EF2000is on sale at Riverside Motorsports in St. Albert a couple of years ago for $850. It's a great little portable generator.

Look around and you can find some deals. I think it's worth the extra money for a Honda or Yamaha over a Champion.

[DFO]

Bit off topic but if you're in the market for a truck the F-150 hybrid with the optional 7.2kw onboard generator is great.

[indes]

I have the champion 3000w inverter and it's solid and quiet. You don't want a regular generator for the trailer, definitely need the inverter or its way too loud.

I also have the DeWalt 12" chainsaw and it's awesome. Same chain speed as my 24" Husqvarna Rancher 460.

[Flames_Gimp]

i have a ryobi its actually good

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Not sure what their consumer/retail options look like, but Portable Electric is an outfit that I have some contacts with— they make portable solar-powered generator for a variety of uses. You don’t get quieter than solar powered.

https://portable-electric.com/voltst...power-station/

Might be worth sending them an inquiry to see what they can offer, if anything. Plus, they’re Canadian (if you care about that sort of thing).

[chedder]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

Not sure what their consumer/retail options look like, but Portable Electric is an outfit that I have some contacts with— they make portable solar-powered generator for a variety of uses. You don’t get quieter than solar powered.

https://portable-electric.com/voltst...power-station/

Might be worth sending them an inquiry to see what they can offer, if anything. Plus, they’re Canadian (if you care about that sort of thing).

If you're looking to power rv air conditioning, microwave, etc, a solar generator will not have enough juice. Maybe in the future when solid state batteries become mainstream. You'd need a huge inverter and many hundreds of amp hours of battery storage. Then enough solar to keep it all charged.

If you have solar panels, an inverter and batteries in your rv, you already have a solar generator.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by chedder

If you're looking to power rv air conditioning, microwave, etc, a solar generator will not have enough juice. Maybe in the future when solid state batteries become mainstream. You'd need a huge inverter and many hundreds of amp hours of battery storage. Then enough solar to keep it all charged.

If you have solar panels, an inverter and batteries in your rv, you already have a solar generator.

I’m not going to argue (I just don’t know enough to get into it) but I do know that their portable solar generators are used in industrial applications that take way more juice than a microwave in an RV.

I don’t know anything about the other stuff you said, so can’t really explain what they are doing and how, but if you look at their website you’ll notice that their main customers are in the film and construction industries, which are applications that need large amounts of generator output.

What I don’t know is how affordable that option is on a consumer level—I’m not saying it isn’t, I just have no idea. I’ve never needed a portable generator for anything so I’m basically the opposite of an expert….

[chedder]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

I’m not going to argue (I just don’t know enough to get into it) but I do know that their portable solar generators are used in industrial applications that take way more juice than a microwave in an RV.



I don’t know anything about the other stuff you said, so can’t really explain what they are doing and how, but if you look at their website you’ll notice that their main customers are in the film and construction industries, which are applications that need large amounts of generator output.



What I don’t know is how affordable that option is on a consumer level—I’m not saying it isn’t, I just have no idea. I’ve never needed a portable generator for anything so I’m basically the opposite of an expert….

I'm sure their stuff works and is really good. The poster is looking for a portable option for camping. The stuff that company does is gigantic and not exactly something you can pack with you on a weekend trip.

For camping, for better or for worse, gasoline is necessary if you want all of the comforts of home.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Fair enough—as I said, I don’t know much about it. I’ve never taken a microwave camping….