My wife and I are finally going to be able to pull the trigger on our 3/4-ton diesel and 30-foot travel trailer this year... one of the first things we'll need is a generator for our trailer... So give me the scoop... what brands/models should I be looking at? I've heard a lot about Honda, but it seems as if the biggest advantage of them is how quiet they are -- and honestly that really isn't a huge concern for me; I actually enjoy the raucous hum of a generator (sort of like sleeping with the ceiling fan on). I would like it to be large enough to power the trailer very comfortably and also to be able to run some of the critical functions of the house in the event of an ice storm when we lose power (happens once or twice a year here in the Midwest...). Thoughts? Suggestions?
A lot of those should have built in gennys. I still vote for the Honda. You might not need the quietness, but they are one of the lightest on the market too. Maybe some have caught up to Honda by now, but when I bought mine 4 or so years ago they were the leaders of the pack. I have a 2000 watt for my trailer, but I don't use it for AC or constantly for Fridge. The nice thing about it is small and light, plus you can buy the companion and use 2 2000 watts in parallel and still have light portable units. These have a stable power supply for computers and sensitive electronics. If you want a big backup for the home too. Look at the 5000 or 6500 units on wheels. My dad had one that connected to his breaker box on his house that he could plug in and disconnect the outside elec. lines and power up most of the house. Not as portable but they do have them on wheels. http://powerequipment.honda.com/generators
Honda's are not only quiet but they're also really, really good gennys. (long life, few problems, hold value) So are the yamahas. (Tho' I think the Honda might be a tiny bit better.) I've owned a ridiculously loud generac (the old ones were ear-splitting loud) it was a 5500 watt. It would run about everything but you wanted to put as far away from the house/trailer as possible and even then, wall it off with some boards to direct the sound somewhere else. So I bought a eu3000 watt Honda. Electric start. It was sweet. It was also rather heavy and expensive. ($$$ 'specially for bowfishing. Get paranoid about leaving it on the boat.) I also had several of the cheap honda-ish knock off Chinese generators. Had one that lasted a few years under very heavy use and others that fried out in less than a year. On the upside, they're a fraction of the cost of the honda, so if gets stolen or fries, you're not out much. They also were tolerable on the noise level. Now we're down to one 5500 watt coleman genny (newer generac type) and two Yamaha 2400 inverter type gennys. The Yamahas have pull start so there's no added weight from a battery. They generally start in three pulls or less. I can pick one up, with gas in it and move it around. (not easily... but I'm kind of a wimp too) They can be run separate or hooked together depending on our needs. They are quiet. Good run time on a tank of gas. When we lost power from the last big blizzard, I ran the furnace off of a 2400w yamaha. If I wanted to run the furnace and fridges/freezers I'd need to hook up the 5500 watter. Honestly, I only had one genny... it would be a honda 3000. (they still hum, particularly under a load) The way we have it now with big and small gennys works best for us. If you are the least bit worried about 'zombies' in an extended power outage. You'll want the quietest genny you can find. No sense ringing a dinner bell that can be heard from a mile off.
I have used generators here fairly often. We use them when we lose electricity and I will use them when I need electricity far from the house. We have one Honda and one B&S. You will have to belive me when I say the B&S is not a hum. The Honda is a hum and it also has an economy mode in which the engine responds to generator power needs. Less electricity needed, less engine noise. That makes it much more fuel efficient too. The Honda can also be coupled with another Honda (with this option) and we can add power that way if we were to get another generator, which I may do. Honda has some very nice, very portable yet powerful generators. Both generators have been real workhorses and, while we have used the Honda more we could have used the B&S as much with the same performance. Both these genrators are at least 6 years old and the B&S I bought used (great price) so it is probably a couple more years older. We keep the oil changed and the fuel lines I empty if we won't use them for a while but, normally, I use them every month or so. That way I know they are in good working order in case we need them. My experience is limited to the B&S and the Honda and I would take the Honda over the B&S for the quietness (the B&S is a hammer to the skull, not a raucous hum ), the fuel efficiency and the parallel connection option.
We have the eu3000i. I didn't think of the heavy. I sometimes have to carry it 50 yards or more. Definitely heavy LOL. The B&S is on wheels and I still carry the Honda unless I am wearing hearing protection, then I use the easy to move B&S.
