Two Honda 2000s or the Yamaha 3000 seb

[tomkatb]

We are purchasing a Cedar Creek 34RE fifth wheel In a few weeks.

We would like to use the a/c and the ability to recharge batteries. Ocassionally.

I cannot decide between the Honda 2000's and a supplemental gas tank or a Yamaha 3000 seb that weighs #150'and would have to live in he truck bed.

Any opinions?

[NMWildcat]

Two Honda 2000s for us. Easy to add nurse tank, carry, and maintain. No problem with lack of enough power. And when we don't need the a/c, we have the option to only run one, using less fuel.

The 3000 may or may not start a 15k a/c. The only plus for the 3000 is if it comes with a remote start/stop.

[Herk7769]

I have both; far easier to travel with two Honda’s

[CurtPutnam]

If the one Yammie goes down, that's it for the trip. With 2 Hondas, you can run pretty much everything if one goes down. Possible exception would be the A/C without the soft start kit.

[CT Sound Shooter]

tomkatb,

I started with 2 Briggs and Stratton in parallel with my new TH last summer. Don't know whether it was one bad genny between the two, or if the 2 P2000s pushing actually only something like 3800 watts together wasn't actually enough, but, A/C never ran well until I complained to my dealer the setup he advised failed. Dealer upgraded to 2 Briggs and Stratton P3000s and I couldn't be happier with the performance improvement. One thing I noticed that I don't see mentioned too often in this common thread topic is that 2 3000s work a lot less than 2 2000s - I swear the 2 3000s in parallel are noticeably quieter than the 2 2000s. I guess it makes sense because the more powerful gennies don't have to work as hard. I'm guessing that also probably means they'll likely last longer. I boondock a lot, so, I always take at least one genny and keep it in the truck bed just in case my battery gets drained by my awning. The P3000 (starting power 3000 watts, running power 2600 watts, so that's 5200 watts I believe when you run them in parallel) has wheels and an extendable handle and weighs 84 pounds.
Another, benefit is that I generally can run whatever else I want when the A/C is operating. Hope this helps.

Happy trails,

CTSS

[SuicideSaints]

Is an onboard genny an option? What size AC? What are you other needs? I had 2 yamaha 2Ks that fit my TT great, ran my 13.5K AC and a few other small accessories. they didnt do so great with the AC and Mircrowave at the same time but they worked as long as you didnt need to run both at the same time for any amount of time.

After getting my 5er and having an onboard genny I swear by it for ease of use and plenty of power. I can start it from inside and it is quiet.

[benchmarks]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Two Honda 2000s for us. Easy to add nurse tank, carry, and maintain. No problem with lack of enough power. And when we don't need the a/c, we have the option to only run one, using less fuel.

The 3000 may or may not start a 15k a/c. The only plus for the 3000 is if it comes with a remote start/stop.

X2

[Mad Cow]

Just a different approach, but instead of two Honda's vs one Yamaha, I use two Yamaha EF2000's.

But the idea is simple. How much power do you need, what are your physical limitations on handling the generators, where will they be placed in use, etc. Lot's of considerations.

And any of these will comfortably start even a 15K AC if one has something like the MicroAir Easy Start on the AC unit. And of course, with the larger units, remote start is indeed a option.

but one could also consider something like the Champion 3500. Less expensive than either a Yamaha or Honda equivalent, and it can be had in dual fuel.... gas and propane. And it has remote start along with being about as quiet as any other inverter generator. Weighs in at about 100 lb. Will comfortably run the entire trailer along with AC, again, if one uses something like the Easy Start on the AC unit.

The killer problem with the AC units is start up amps to get the compressor rolling. The Easy Start does a gradual ramp up to get the compressor rolling gradually and thereby use far less start up amperage. A very good solution.

[Big Bill]

I haven’t purchased yet but leaning toward 2 generator s because of loading and now I read depenibily, inverter s r quieter

[Walholler]

Honda now has a EU2200i generator on the market, believe the wattage is 1800 constant and 2200 surge, two can be ran together. I believe Direct Electric is taking orders for them, but do not have any in stock yet. Their promotional price is same as the EU2000i. One feature I like about the EU2200i is the fuel shutoff valve, this feature allows you to shut the fuel supply off and run the engine out of fuel thereby preventing the fuel to age and causing carburetor problems. Check it out.

[card16]

I have two Honda's, much lighter in weight and they give you the option of using only one of them based on the power requirements that you may have.

[Mad Cow]

And that is a neat deal. Honda and Yamaha make some very reliable products and the 2000w units are very versatile. Combined they offer more than the 3000w units. They are quiet and very miserly on fuel consumption. I have a Yamaha EF2000 that rides in its own box on the frame of my semi truck. It has been bouncing around on that truck for about 500,000 miles. Fires up when I need it. And I can run it 8-10 hrs on a tank of fuel.

Do proper maintenance on them. Feed them good fuel. And they will deliver every penny of what they cost.

[JimMorrell]

I could never handle the weight of the 3000 gen. 2 Hondas was my choice. In summer, I use 2 because of the AC. In fall and spring, just one.

[Normtrk]

Originally Posted by tomkatb

We are purchasing a Cedar Creek 34RE fifth wheel In a few weeks.

We would like to use the a/c and the ability to recharge batteries. Ocassionally.

I cannot decide between the Honda 2000's and a supplemental gas tank or a Yamaha 3000 seb that weighs #150'and would have to live in he truck bed.

Any opinions?

I would go with two 2000's. When connected together you have about 3800 volts and they easier to maneuver than the 3000 which only puts out about 2800 volt. That's what i did..

[Mad Cow]

I have to concur. Two Honda or Yamaha 2000w units offer the most versatility and exceed the running watt output of any 3000w single unit.

If one is bound and determined to go with a single unit, I still have to recommend the Champion 3500 dual fuel. 3200 running watts. Pure sine wave output. True RV compatible 30A receptacle. weighs in at roughly 96lb. A Honda or Yamaha 3000w is going to tip the scales at 130+ lb. The Champion can easily be had for under $1100. Try getting a price anywhere close to that on a Honda or Yamaha 3000w.

[KFX450RXC]

We used to use the two Honda 2000s at our ATV races. Not only were they easy to deal with, during the colder months, we would only bring the Companion. 2000 watts was more than enough to power everything since the AC was not in use.

[Mad Cow]

Some are inclined to use space heaters or factory installed fireplace/heaters during cooler weather. In that situation, it is going to be the same deal as if they were using AC in the summer. Some have a full blown need for power year round.

[babock]

I just sold an almost brand new 3000W Yamaha genny because it is way too heavy.

[tomkatb]

Thanks all.

The new Honda 2200's sound good.

More flexible and I can pick them up without the DW.

I had planned a built in generator until I looked at fuel consumption.

[High Desert]

When I had 5th wheels, I used a Honda 3000 W generator. As I aged, the generator got heavier, so sold it and got two of the Honda EU 2000 pennies with the parallel cable. Works great for running the AC, if needed. In cooler months, just have to have one with you to keep batteries charged up. They are real good on gas consumption for general use, so that would be my choice if I was to do 5th wheels again. We have siince moved to a Class C with a onboard generator and I still have the two Honda 2000's in the shop!