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  1. #11
    Site Sponsor Gold Country Livin''s Avatar
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    That is a really interesting write up, thanks Donald. I can see where many people would be interested in this. I went on the Microair website and read the FAQ's. According to them, they bought a Champion 2000 for testing and DID NOT recommend the Champion with this as it barely worked. It is rated slightly lower than the Honda and Yamaha. I have a Champion 2000 and is why I was interested.

    SouthTX: Were you able to make it happen?
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  2. #12
    Big Traveler SouthTX's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gold Country Livin' View Post
    That is a really interesting write up, thanks Donald. I can see where many people would be interested in this. I went on the Microair website and read the FAQ's. According to them, they bought a Champion 2000 for testing and DID NOT recommend the Champion with this as it barely worked. It is rated slightly lower than the Honda and Yamaha. I have a Champion 2000 and is why I was interested.

    SouthTX: Were you able to make it happen?
    Short answer is, no, the Champion 2000w inverter generator wouldn't start my 15k AC. I figured the Champion and Honda were rated the same so they should work the same, but they don't and this isn't a slam against the Champion. Apparently, the Honda has just a little more oomph and can handle the startup load. Although I would note that I am at 1200 feet above sealevel and it might not do as well at higher elevations.

    I talked to Microair customer support several times by phone and email and was impressed both by their service and their product. They are an outstanding company and stand behind their product 1000%. In the end, even though there was nothing wrong with their product they offered me a full refund. You don't see that kind of service very often. I wonder if we could get them to manufacture RV's?

    Microair had successfully tested their unit with the Honda 2000w gen, but when I reported difficulties with the Champion unit, they went out and bought a Champion 2000w just to test it. Using some very high powered test equipment, they found that the startup load on the Champion collapsed just a little more quickly - like microseconds - than on the Honda. Not many companies go to such lengths to help a customer.

    I used their elcheapo model which is essentially the same as Donald used except without the box. I can't pass up a chance to save a buck and figured it was well enough protected in the AC enclosure. The only problem was that I found it difficult to drill the mounting holes in the close quarters. This model was a circuit board with standoffs so doublestick tape or velcro wouldn't work. The workaround for that is get figure eight washers and attach them to the standoffs then you can use a long screwdriver bit and self tapping screws to mount the unit.

    In the end, I gave up on the Champion - although I still like the brand and still use a 3000w Champion gen -and kept the Microair just because I felt that it ran the AC better and would extend its life.

    Best,

    John
    John and Jean
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  3. #13
    Site Sponsor Gold Country Livin''s Avatar
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    That's too bad. I bought the Champion basically for battery charging anyway, dry camping.
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  4. #14
    Big Traveler arhayes's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerryr View Post
    Alan,

    It’s a electronic device that modifies the AC so that starting current is reduced significantly. It allows use of a smallish generator to run the AC when shore power isn’t available such as when dry camping.
    Thanks, Jerry! Interesting project.


    Alan
    Alan and Kathleen
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  5. #15
    Long Hauler DaveMatthewsBand's Avatar
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    Question

    As someone new to the whole RV scene, I've only just started researching generators.
    I'll need to buy one in the next couple months, and during my reading I've noticed some folks seem to think brands that sell $600 2kw generators are just as good as, say for example a Honda 2kw generator that costs $1900. My guess is they're not. I can see a small amount of markup on a so called name brand but can someone that knows more about these machines explain exactly why the Honda in this example is worth paying 3x the money for? Don't get me wrong I'm not too cheap to pay for quality, if someone convinces me it is a better product I'm all for it. My guess would be the Honda is more reliable? much quieter? has a better warranty? I'm asking because I honestly don't know as I have zero experience with them.
    Resistance is Not Futile, It's Voltage Divided by Current.


  6. #16
    Big Traveler SouthTX's Avatar
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    If I was a full-timer and boondocked a lot, I *might* buy a Honda. You may have noticed my post above about the Honda 2000w gen starting an AC that the same size Champion wouldn't start, but that's a pretty marginal difference. For the price of the Honda, I could buy 2 Champions AND the parallel kit and run both AC units.

    I use my generator maybe a dozen times a year and it is more likely to walk off than wear out.

    Best,

    John
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  7. #17
    Long Hauler DaveMatthewsBand's Avatar
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    Question

    Quote Originally Posted by SouthTX View Post
    If I was a full-timer and boondocked a lot, I *might* buy a Honda.
    You may have noticed my post above about the Honda 2000w gen starting an AC that the same size Champion wouldn't start,
    but that's a pretty marginal difference. For the price of the Honda, I could buy 2 Champions AND the parallel kit and run both AC units.
    I use my generator maybe a dozen times a year and it is more likely to walk off than wear out.
    Best,
    John
    Thanks John, all due respect but I don't think owning a generator that won't start your AC is a marginal difference,
    since the whole point of having a genset, at least for us, is having the ability to run the AC.

    Also, I just looked on Amazon and the Champion 2000 watt generators, at least the first few that popped up in the search were about $800 each.

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0041K09D8/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all


    Which is only about $175 cheaper than the Honda 2000 watt.

    https://www.amazon.com/Honda-EU2000I...70_&dpSrc=srch

    So the price of 2 Champions would be about $1600 vs the $975 Honda, plus you'd use twice as much fuel and it would be a lot noisier and take up twice as much space.
    Seems the Honda comes out way ahead at least in this scenario. Or am I looking at the wrong models on Amazon?
    Resistance is Not Futile, It's Voltage Divided by Current.


  8. #18
    Big Traveler SouthTX's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveMatthewsBand View Post
    Thanks John, all due respect but I don't think owning a generator that won't start your AC is a marginal difference,
    since the whole point of having a genset, at least for us, is having the ability to run the AC.

    Also, I just looked on Amazon and the Champion 2000 watt generators, at least the first few that popped up in the search were about $800 each.

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0041K09D8/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all


    Which is only about $175 cheaper than the Honda 2000 watt.

    https://www.amazon.com/Honda-EU2000I...70_&dpSrc=srch

    So the price of 2 Champions would be about $1600 vs the $975 Honda, plus you'd use twice as much fuel and it would be a lot noisier and take up twice as much space.
    Seems the Honda comes out way ahead at least in this scenario. Or am I looking at the wrong models on Amazon?
    I meant marginal in that no one really expects either 2000 watt generator to start a 15k AC unit. The fact that the Honda will hold the startup current rush for a couple of extra *MICRO-SECONDS* is a pretty marginal difference in my book. I think most people use this size generator mostly for battery charging and if they can start one AC then charge their batteries while it runs, that's gravy.

    Amazon is bad about that and has become my source of last resort. The going price of the Champion 2000 seems to be $469 and I've seen them recently in the $440 range. Keep in mind, too, that few Honda's will do the job without the Microair so you have to figure the cost of one Honda plus the Microaire against two Champions and the parallel kit. The alternative is a 3000 watt class generator and in many situations that is a better way to go, but you were just asking about the Hondas and clones.

    Best,

    John
    John and Jean
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  9. #19
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    I'll throw out a plug for the Honda. I've had a pair of 2kw Hondas for 10 years. Used them for boondocking and ganged together for emergency power to my home. I always drain the float bowls when in storage and change the oil once a year. These machines have performed flawlessly without so much as a spark plug change. I ran them for 5 days straight powering my house during a storm outage, didn't use a drop of oil. At 46 lbs ea, they're easily moved about.

    Good quality generators like the Champions were not available at the time I purchased these. Due to their exemplary service, I would buy these again.

  10. #20
    Long Hauler DaveMatthewsBand's Avatar
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    Cool

    I am reading on other threads that some folks think there isn't much difference in these generators, name brand or otherwise.
    Maybe I'll just go all out and get this monster 11,000 watt continuous for $1700.



    https://www.harborfreight.com/13500-peak11000-running-watts-22-hp-670cc-gas-generator-epa-iii-with-gfci-outlet-protection-63078.html



    Resistance is Not Futile, It's Voltage Divided by Current.


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