Best Small Generator for t@b needs

Sgtjohn

Thanks to all of you I have bought the best generator-Honda EU2000i.  I don't think-or rather I think a Honda can't be beat for dependability.

RZRBUG

I know it has been mentioned that generators are not to be used in an enclosed space, but as a reminder, this happened just last week.

HOPE, Ark. (AP) - Authorities say the death of a truck driver from Mississippi who was found at a weigh station in southwestern Arkansas was accidental.

Hempstead County Sheriff James Singleton told the Texarkana Gazette that the death of 44-year-old Anthony Wayne Azlin of Etta, Mississippi, was ruled by the state medical examiner to be accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.

Arkansas Highway Police Officer Doug Lafferty told deputies that he found Azlin dead inside his truck shortly after noon Tuesday at the eastbound weigh station near Hope. Singleton says deputies found a portable generator mounted and running under the sleeper portion of the cab of the truck.

Lafferty said Azlin's father called asking if Azlin was still at the weigh station where the father had last heard from him.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Nomad

Keep that exhaust away from your open windows too.

ChanW

PXLated said:

Noticed today that there's probably 70 RVs/Campers spread out over three campgrounds where I'm at and 75% have solar systems. One of the tent guys does also.
Around 50% also have generators and of those 90% are the Honda 2000i

Hmm. So much for "roughing it".

I think we all have a hopeless dependence on electronic gadgets...

I admit, I've had a hard time adopting the word "camping" as what we do with our T@bs. What ever happened to flint and steel, anyway?

Nomad

There's real camping (a tent out in the wild, not in a campground) - Then there's us with small camper trailers or tents in campgrounds that just need to juice out gizmos/battery - Then there's the big rigs with every appliance you'd have at home including a wash & dryer.

leenscottfl

On a Facebook page someone said that her TV charges up her depleted battery in an hour. Not having done that can anyone verify charging can be accomplished in an hour? If true that would be great.

Verna

leenscottfl said:

On a Facebook page someone said that her TV charges up her depleted battery in an hour. Not having done that can anyone verify charging can be accomplished in an hour? If true that would be great.

No, it cannot be done that quickly. I blew the fuse in my Zamp 80 watt solar panel and 45 min of running the tow vehicle only brought me up about .4 V on the SS's battery.  This happened just last week in Southern Arizona.

mawebb

It takes about 7 to 8 hours to charge an average lead acid battery under optimal conditions, given the battery is significantly discharged. It will take longer if the charger has limited current capabilities. The connection from your TV is usually rated at 30-40 amps, but the charging process will not use that much. 

Nomad

Verna -Doesn't it depend on the output of your TV? The other night (after a day and a half of overcast gloom) my meter was showing 12.2. I hooked up to the TV and ran it for 15-20 minutes and got it back up to 12.8.

ChanW

Martin, thanks. I hadn't known that even a vehicle's alternator system takes that many hours to charge the battery. 

Here's an informative article about it: 
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_the_lead_acid_battery

mawebb said:

It takes about 7 to 8 hours to charge an average lead acid battery under optimal conditions, given the battery is significantly discharged. It will take longer if the charger has limited current capabilities. The connection from your TV is usually rated at 30-40 amps, but the charging process will not use that much. 

Deltaboy59

Nothing like being able to use bathroom in the middle of the night... cold...raining...the bathroom was essential in my decision to purchase my t@b s maxx... Along with all the other amenities of home. Roughing it ? In a t@b ? Lol.

leenscottfl

Patti - My thoughts exactly. We love our tent and believe our extended trips when we have to crawl in and out of our 4 season tent helps limber up the old joints. But we have been rained on so much we decided to get our S Maxx that we refer to as our hard sided tent. Haven't used it yet but we too will live and cook outside but will have more room than the tent in bad weather.

Lisa33

I can relate that I had the Frigidaire FRA054XT7, which supposedly uses only 465 watts while cooling.  I had a Champion 2000watt inverter generator that had very similar specs to the Honda and Yamaha.  I could run the a/c at home at 300 ft above sea level.  However, in Grand Teton National Park at 6,600 feet, it wouldn't cool.  Altitude undoubtedly played a role.  Personally, based on that experience I wouldn't count on a 2,000 watt generator to run an a/c if it was critical for health and comfort. I, too, wanted to believe that it was possible but my experience resulted in disappointment and frustration.

I have no problem charging my laptop using a 400 watt inverter in my T@DA nor did I have trouble with it in my SS with its smaller battery.  Having solar or not wouldn't impact your ability to charge a laptop.  Let's not get that confused.  The question is whether you can run your computer with the battery and inverter.  Using solar panels with a solar charge controller is simply another means of charging the battery of the trailer, which is what you in turn use to power your equipment.  Solar doesn't power anything directly.

Lisa33

As far as charging the battery from  the tow vehicle, there are many, many factors from the size of the alternator, the size of the battery, the gauge of the wiring from the alternator to the 
battery and then don't even get me started on the topic of a "surface" charge...  

leenscottfl

I think that we can safely stipulate that there are variables associated with pretty much anything. And I certainly know that my ignorance is so profound that only general info sinks into my grey matter.

ChanW

Yep, one of the deciding factors for us was the indoor terlet!

And yes, we certainly like having a clean bed (or clean toilet!) to use wherever we might pull over...

We realized that one thing that had kept us from camping for a number of years was not being comfortable sleeping on a thermarest, and the Tab could fix that for us.

Deltaboy59

Purchased the Honda eu 2000i yesterday. The reviews helped tremendously. Since AC is an absolute nescestity in the Deep South, I will use the generator to run the AC and charge my battery simultaneously...

leenscottfl

There don't seem to be any "deals" on Hondas. Did you have to pay pretty much MSRP?

Sgtjohn

$945.00 for mine.  Delivered and started right up-and, it will run the a/c.

Deltaboy59

Yep I paid 949.00 from my local Honda dealer... Gave me a 6 pack of honda oil... 25.00 value... And they service if I ever need it.

Deltaboy59

Now my questions are... Do I just use my t@b cord and plug in to Honda ?
Will my power inverter recognize the generator ?
Will it automatically charge my t@b battery ?
Thanks.
Does cord length effect the performance of the Honda ?
i have several lengths !
Should you plug in and then start... Or start the generator and then plug up.

RZRBUG

The EU2000i does not have a 30A plug, so you will need an adapter for the generator's 20A plug that will allow you to plug into your 30A T@B cord.  Then use the T@B cord as you normally would with shore power.

The T@B will recognize that it is receiving power and will treat it the same as if you were connected to 20A shore power.  When I use the generator, I will still use the surge protector between it and the T@B just as if I were plugging in to shore power. And, it will charge the battery same as usual.

Extremely long cord lengths may create a voltage drop just as it would if you were using a long extension cord.  I would use the shortest cord I could, but since you can move the generator around, that shouldn't be a problem.

ChanW

Delta,

I always start the generator, let the generator warm up a little to 'stabilize' its output voltage, before plugging anything in.

RZRBUG

You may be right, Chan.  After reading your comment, I went back and deleted what I had said.  The reason is that if you are completely hooked up and start cranking on the generator and it starts and stops, or sputters around, you will be producing "some" amount of power and up and down power supply is not good on equipment.  Someone should chime in that knows more about this than I do.  It's good that the inverter has a delay for this very reason.

On the other hand, if I'm hooking up to shore power, I will flip the breaker off at the supply point until hooked up, then turn the power on.

ChanW

Larry, for sure on mine, the power isn't really 'clean' until the generator is running smoothly.

I've also found it's a little harder to yank on the starter cord if there's a load on the generator.

mawebb

Even though the Honda should only provide the correct voltage, I agree that getting the generator up and running first before connecting the trailer is best practice. 

Deltaboy59

Thanks for all the info...will put it to good use. 

jhouston

I just bought a Yamaha EF2000isV2 Generator.  I plan on camping this weekend.    I'm going to use it for my 2018 Boondock T@b 320S.  If I use the propane for the fridge and Alde system will I need to use the Generator for 2 nights use? 

Tabaz

Depends on the size of your T@B battery.  The bigger the battery, the longer it will last before needing to be recharged by the Yamaha.  Take the generator with you just in case.

jhouston

@Tabaz Its a group 24 battery.  I will take the generator as well.