What is your preference? 2 small in parallel or one larger generator? Champion 2500 Dual Fuel amzn.to/44t8ntU Parallel Kit. amzn.to/3WuTFQV Westinghouse 4500 amzn.to/4aj5BJ1 RV On board Propane Generator. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-L3ozi5rgy-8.html Check out the Camco Taste Pure Water Filter bit.ly/3WnhTN3 RU-vid.com/@CamcoManufacturing
Agreed that the parallel kit ground plug mod is a necessity - why have quick connects for two out of three connections???? That has always boggled my mind. We run two smaller ones and a parallel kit too - two is one and one is none. However, when both small units are running at 80% load vs a single larger one running at 80% the noise levels are significantly louder with the two smaller units as you experienced too. Definitely a game of compromises - weight, portability, backups, noise levels, etc I think with more and more battery banks being installed (solar disregarded) smaller generators will be more common place as a backup way to charge those- but onboard large inverters starting to come on pickup trucks changes that landscape significantly too Maybe we should do a collaboration video together with our Champion generators compared to the ever popular Predators from Harbor Freight now that they’re coming as a dual fuel option! Great video Jared- thanks for doing all that testing brother - I know how much goes into a video like this
We went back and forth in this issues, one big genny or two small ones, but then we found the Pulsar Products GD400BN generator. It's the size of your champion and only weights 47lbs. It delivers 4000w peak on gas and 3600w peak on propane. We have used it to run one of our A/C's on our Brinkley without a soft start. Our Brinkley is a lower VIN number so it does not have the Chill Cube AC in it. I can't say anything about reliability since we haven't had it that long, and don't have much time on it. However, so far it's working like a champ. Honestly, I was very surprised to find a 4000w generator in this size and weight.
I'm on my second Pulsar, the first one quit working while it was under warranty. So far the replacement is holding up 4 times longer than the original.
Hello Jarad…… I have a Westinghouse 4500 watt generator! I’m on vacation with it right now! tried to use it two days ago?? It ran the air plus other thing in the RV….. the meter said it was supplying 3.75KW and it lasted for about 15 minutes then over loaded ! Next day just with the trailer no Air it worked fine! It was in the AM things were cooler! Going to experiment with it before I upgrade ! Something to note…. It has to have some voltage on the battery connection in order to pull start the unit! It has internal alternator, so not having a built in dc generator to charge the internal battery it doesn’t make its power to excite any winding. To make power to start when pull starting the unit! I have more on this unit but I don’t want to write a book here! Thx Steve
We choose to go with a single 4500W Champion. It is gas only. We only need it on camping trips about once a year, since there is not many area's to boondock in the Mid-Atlantic region. The generator is used more as emergency power for the house, thus it's a good size for our furnace and our needs in the winter.
A huge factor that wasn't touched upon is the fact that with the two smaller generators, if one of them breaks (or isn't running for whatever reason) you still have a generator. If the big one goes on the fritz, you're SOL.
My experience in my monaco motorhome...two ryobi 2300 units for when were running the a/c and using tv and other stuff, but when its cooler out and we dont need a/c one ryobi is perfect and uses so little fuel and is almost silent.
I found the dual fule 2500 for 450 $ on amazon(where else) and added your RV port conversion . I love it not having to carry extra tanks. The single db reading was app 57 db no load and went up to around 65 plus as the load increased. Still not as bad as the 7k one I have for my house. The only other option I added was a 15 ft 3/8 cable and lock to keep it from walking away. Keep up the good videos live learned slot thanks
OK, I wish I could lift my Honda EU2200i up onto the tailgate of my truck....I'm too short though, and probably too weak. Thanks for showing the numbers in text in your video. I wish more RU-vidrs would do that when comparing generators.
When we camp in the winter, early spring and late fall we don't need to run AC so having one small generator works best for us. We had a 3200watt Champion and it was a lot heavier than a single Honda 2200 watt. So thats what we went with was 2 Honda 2200's.
I like the Champion generators with he 30 amp RV plugs and remote start. Started out with a 3150, then upgraded to the 4650. The remote start is the way to go.
Do you weigh more or less with changes in temperature? Robertpanick is correct. There is a given amount of propane in a tank, it has a certain mass, that mass doesn’t disappear and reappear if the temperature changes. The pressure in the tank will fluctuate with temperature.
There are some lighter 4500 watt units now. They use higher performance 150cc motors instead of the normal 212cc and are about the same size as those 2500 watt units and 50 to 60 pounds. I'm probably going to end up getting one because sams club has a 4600 watt efi unit for 800usd currently.
You were given bad information. The weight of propane in the tank doesn't change based on temperature. If it did you would be creating or destroying matter, which can't happen in a propane tank. What does happen is the pressure changes based on temperature. Higher temps will have higher pressures. The regulator should eliminate any pressure differences due to temperature, which is why you use them.
One problem with propane is what is called the heavy ends that leave an oily black deposit in carburetor. The first time I took an LP forklift carb apart I was very surprised
Nice comprehensive comparison. Have you noticed that the Champion idles quite a bit higher on propane? We went from the Champion 2500s to the Westinghouse 4000. Take a look, smaller engine than the 4500 so it's lighter, smaller, more efficient , has a lithium battery with remote start and a 30A plug with the nice data center. IMO a great dual fuel RV genset. It's about 400watts down from the 4500 on propane but so far no issues starting a/c's or anything like that. Really enjoying the unit. Thanks again!
I use 2 smaller generators in parallel on propane only for the portability and ethanol issue you cited I got tired of lifting the 100+ lb used to have. Using propane negates the need for carrying a gasoline can. I will carry extra propane tank as a general rule. I opted for 20lb propane tanks over 30 in the camper with spare tank in the truck. Always have an extra that way. if I am in a bind and can’t get a tank filled, I can always do the exchange at almost any store…my spare is always my oldest tank so if I have to exchange, I’m exchanging one that has expired or is about to expire. I recognize exchanging is the most expensive, so it is only done if absolutely necessary.
Nice comparison thanks for posting. I have a different philosophy on the generators and gasoline. I use the cheapest gasoline I can find from the pump lowest octane. The only thing that low quality gasoline does that I have noticed is possibly gum up the generator if you don’t use it very often and never leave the gasoline in the generator when storing it, but if it does happen, it’s easy to clean. The carburetor comes out and less than 10 minutes and you can clean it and have it in working again in less than an hour and that’s only once every few years.
I have the 3400 Champion dual fuel (90 Lbs) genny which resides in the back of my F350 all camping season. It does all I need to do, but I have to run it every month or else the battery will die and it is a royal bear to start by pulling. In retrospect, if I get rid of the 3400 I will definitely replace it with 2 smaller generators with a parallel kit. That way one generator stays on the truck (to air up tires at the beach with the pancake compressor) and the other stays on the rig.
heh…I’m watching this in the parking lot after just picking ip my 2nd westinghouse 4000 to run parallel, slightly less power (for one) than the 4500 but only 60 lbs. I can lift them into the truck bed no problem. Nice and quiet, lots of watts. When you have one gen and one gen dies you have zero. when you have two gens and one dies you still have one!
The propane consumption difference was interesting. I honestly thought the two 2500’s would have used more. I recently came across a killer deal and bought two Powersmart gas 2500’s. However, my generators are more for home emergency use (SE Texas and hurricanes). For this reason, I felt 1 larger generator would be simpler so I picked up a Westinghouse 4500 DF. I went from no generators to 3 in a weeks time and will no longer be caught with my pants down in the next blackout.
you forgot the #1 advantage to the Westinghouse.... remote start!! that's literally the only reason i have a 4500 watt gen. if the smaller ones had a remote start option id get in a heartbeat. nothing like firing up the gen to make coffee from the comfort of your warm rig on a chilly morning!
Yes the remote is nice, we don’t leave our generator hooked up since we have our inverter setup. It mainly comes out if we want to run the AC for a while without drawing down the batteries or for an hour or so to charge the batteries.
i went champion 3500. it's right at the limit of what i can pick up (empty on gas) and has more than enough power on propane to run my entire camper (AC included)
I checked them out, not very much information, they seem just like every other generator on Amazon etc, they seemed to be a lot more expensive. What makes them so good?
May want to check out Westinghouse’s 4000 watt generator duo fuel. Little heavier at 65lbs, but same size almost as Champion. Fit in pass through as well.
yes, if you use gasoline, then use ethanol free. I use all ethanol free gas in all my lawn mower equipment. I like the idea of 2 small generators for portability and separating them if needed for different uses. And I've heard Champion is one of the best invertor/generators to purchase.
Thanks for the video, I always appreciate the content you provide. Quick question; You mentioned changing the oil on both generators. So that I understand completely Oil is something you always have to maintain no matter which fuel source you are dealing with. I am exploring the option of getting a generator and wanted to get a better understanding of the maintenance required. If there is another video where you go more in depth on maintaining a generator please link in the reply. Thanks again for your dedication to making us smarter
I hand built a nema 1450 outlet with three standard 12 gauge extension cords. I can run three 2000 watt generators together so both my AC can run if need be, or just run two, or even one if I dont need alot of power.
We chose the same route, however I am now downsizing to just one genny as we have never had to use the second one on the road. It ended up, at least for us, that one is done. We run our AC regularly off it along with lights, tv and such, just no micro. When in the mountains we don't have a problem, I think because it is cooler and we don't need it as frequently and haven't been above 10k feet an needed it. As for the bonded plug, I don't understand why you would even use a surge protector on a genny for various reasons; why is it that you are? Thanks for your vids.
Toujours très intéressant de vous suivre... Probablement le meilleur site pour Le VR. Merci! Thanks, it's always very interesting to follow you. Probably the best RV site.
I put my Honda eu7000is in the back of my truck. It stays there the whole time while I am camping. I have a long 50 amp extension cord so and can plug in my trailer from a ways away if needed. Works great and can run my whole trailer, plus I don’t have to worry about someone stealing it as it is bolted in and weighs 300 full of gas.
Yupp they are quieter at idel but tend to be louder under load - definitely a ratio of how much power you’re asking the generator to produce vs its max capacity - would be nice for companies to publish 100% capacity noise ratings
Since we have the Victron Multiplus II inverter with power sharing, I only use a single Champion 2500 dual fuel generator. I tell the Multiplus not to draw more than 15 amps of power, and if our loads temporarily exceed that, the Multiplus takes the additional power from our batteries, inverts it to 120 volts AC, and sends it alongside the power from the generator. When the loads drop below 15 amps, the Multiplus charges the batteries back up. It works flawlessly. The only time our power needs exceed 15 amps is if we're trying to run the AC or heat pump while also running the toaster, microwave, or hair dryer, which isn't long. In truth, I don't see much need for the parallel kits anymore since soft/easy starts are available on air conditioners and dramatically reduce the surge load when the compressor starts up. Even a 15k BTU air conditioner with a soft/easy start can likely be run directly from a single 2500 watt generator. You would just need to turn it off before running the microwave or some other high power item.
Yes we love our Multiplus. It is amazing. We have heard of people without a Multiplus in the heat at higher elevation struggle/not run their 15k AC . We, like you, also find that majority of the time we only need the generator to recharge the batteries and only one is needed for us.
When running the two generators in parallel, do you need two neutral ground plugs for each generator? Thank you for all your good videos. I have learned a lot. I have two 2000-watt Honda's with a parallel kit. I have never plugged them into an RV. I have used them for home backup only.
Does anyone like camping next to someone running a generator? I hope these facts are right: If you are running a generator to charge batteries, AGM and Wet cells charge at about 7 amps (all day to recharge)? Lithium batteries are controlled by the BMS (maybe 70 amp charge - 10X faster). Most Lithium owners have Solar? Another issue is that most of the people that run a generator, point the exhaust at their neighbor. Last year I camped 25 times in my Class A, never ran my generator. When I camp I don't seat inside and watch TV with the AC on! I wish that the State Park Campgrounds would impose restrictions and conditions on generator users!
We have a Victron inverter setup with solar and don’t use a generator much but am happy to help families get out and camp whatever their setup might be. Solar is amazing
When I bought my grand design fifth wheel I had the dealer install a 5500 onan generator propane with starting switch inside. We can run both air-conditioning. I didn't want to deal with lugging around portable generators.
The weight wouldn't change, the density of the propane and the pressure in the tank would. It might slightly affect how much fuel the generator burns but it wouldn't be much and the tank itself wouldn't change weights. The ratio or gas to liquid propane in the tank would change some as the temperature affected the pressure, but whether it was -10 or 100 out the cylinder's weight wouldn't change. To put it another way, if you measured out a gallon of LP at 2 different temperature they'd contain different amounts of propane because the density would be different. But once the propane is measured into the tank, that that. The amount of propane doesn't change so the weight (technically mass) doesn't change. What would change is the liquid level in the tank and the pressure. That's part of what a regulator is for, keeping a constant pressure out as the pressure in the tank varies.
Note there is a quite substantial power output loss as you increase altitude. At 8000’ the single Champion won’t even run my microwave. figure on losing 3% per 1000’
I built a "cage" that mounts to my rear bumper. I lock my generator in the cage and never have to move it. It's always there to plug into if I need it.
Thanks for the informative video. You have a knack for simple explanations and clear communication - definitely appreciated! I bought a pair of Pulsar GD400BN units: duel fuel, each provide 3600 peak watts, 2800 running watts. Pretty quiet, start really easily, about 48 lb each. One of them can power BOTH A/C units on my rig (15kand 12k btu) - but only after I installed soft-starts on the A/C units. If I want to run both A/C's, and the microwave, coffee maker, electric kettle, etc., I need both generators with the parallel kit. Question: you bonded your ground and neutral with the "neutral/ground bond plug" (what I'll call a "plug shunt"), but is that on only a single generator? When using both generators with the parallel kit, you connected the parallel kit to the ground on BOTH generators, right? Would you then use the "plug shunt" on one of the generators? Since the parallel kit joins the 3 leads of the 2 generators (in parallel), I would think that you only need 1 plug shunt, or is t better to put it on both generators? I would actually consider mounting a heavy duty switch on each generator to optionally bond ground and neutral (when the switch is flipped on), so I don't waste an AC outlet on the generator ... but i guess when using the generators for my RV, I'll just be using the 30 amp receptacle (NEMA L5-30R)
We have several generators for different uses. 1600-5000. My preferred gen is the champion 4500. I have a hard time with pull start due to a bad shoulder. I upsized my truck from a F-150 to F-250 only to discover I downsized (height) the truck bed. None of our larger gens with electric start will fit in the 250 with the tonneau. I had to remove the wheels and feet to make it ‘just’ fit. What was Ford thinking?
When parallel and if 1 generator shuts down, is the running generator able to output power through the parallel kit with less power or does the output voltage goes to 0 on the running generator?
just bought a 4500 champion dual fuel but havent used it yet. it gives the parallel option also. reviews showed the champion better than the Westinghouse. didnt see the vid on the connection to rv propane
Hey Jared. Do you have a link or description for the quick connect for the ground wire? That's the one thing I'd love to change on my Champion parallel set up. Thanks and I enjoy your channel.
Do the 2500 small generators have a 30 amp RV ready plug, or do you get that only when you use the parallel kit? So can you use only one 2500 without a convoluted series of dog bones? I know the 4500 Champion is 30 amp ready to plug in. I too use my RV propane supply with my 4500 Champion. Very easy to do, and the electric start is a breeze to use. My 4500 Champion tips the scales at right at 100 lbs, and is a little difficult to lift and store. Thanks for the content. Professional, concise and to the point. Your delivery is excellent without all of the stumbling and mumbling on some other RU-vid videos.
I’d just start with one, especially if you have lithium with inverter that is big enough to run the RV (AC etc). Even without it, I’d get a soft start instead of a second generator. The only benefit with a second generator is redundancy and more flexibility with storage. I’d avoid the larger generator at all costs (pun intended)
Hey Jared, I love your channel and always learn something from your episodes. I have a question about the bonded plug. We have 2 2000W Predator generators that can be linked together. We also have a hardwired 30amp Hughes power watchdog. My question is if my generators are linked together do I put a bonded plug into both generators or just one? I couldn’t see how yours was set up once you had everything connected. Thanks!
No it was under an actual load. I had a large load going in the RV. With our Victron inverter we can limit the power it will draw which worked great for this test.
A great episode very informative. I enjoy your channel all your tips and information you make it easy to understand now the guy Todd from national RV training center. He says you don’t need a surge protector when using a generator. What are your thoughts? Thank you again for your help.
My experience & opinion - the surge protector helps save both the generator and the RV components if something goes amiss with the generator. Example - I forgot to open the gas tank vent on a generator so it couldn't spin up under load. Voltage dropped but the surge guard caught it and opened its relay. Saved the RV components and the generator from low voltage - high current condition.
Thanks! You don’t have to have one but like @henry17403 said it can still help you if you have an EMS or one like the Power Watchdog EPO for the exact reason he mentioned. It also can be the good reminder to use the bonding plug if you forgot.
very good video. I also use a dual Champion 2500 generator setup running on RV propane, but haven’t tried both at the same time from the RV fuel source. Have you tried two generators off a T fitting setup from the RV source? Wondering if the propane flow rate would be sufficient from the RV source split to both generators.
When was the last time you weighed your trailer I recently checked my tongue weight what I found unless my TV is at it’s max weight my tongue weight is way to much.
I just bought two of the Champion 2500 generators. One of them starts easily, the other one I pull the start cord until I give out, rest & pull some more before it will finally start, even on gasoline. On propane both together will not start my Furrion 15,000 btu air conditioner on Eco, so I have to run them full blast all the time or set the temperature so low that the compressor won’t cycle off. So far not impressed by this setup.
Yes, but many RVers have them hardwired in the RV. The other thing is there really does need to be a ground neutral bond at the source for safety. So either way if your generator is not bonded you should use a ground bond plug.
It depends on the inverter. Our Victron Multiplus handles it internally. It disconnects the bond when on shore power and connects it when just inverting. It’s best to test your inverter. Plug in your surge protector and see if you have an error.
So 30 amps is 3,600 watts so yes it does but if you were trying to stay at a true 50 amps you would need a 12,000 watt generator which would be very large. With our inverter setup with power assist it makes it to where we can use a smaller generator or be on 30 amps and not be as limited. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-v4E7oNaqJlE.html
The single smaller one may not be able to run the AC, particularly if the AC doesn't have a "Soft Start." The 2200 rating on his generator is max surge & the steady state rating is somewhere around 1800 watts. I have two 2000s and I need both of them to run the convection microwave as well as the AC. The oven is about 100 watts over the 1600 watt steady state rating of one generator. If you don't plan to use the oven or the AC you can get by with just one to keep the battery topped off while dry camping.
I just double checked. Those are the bullet/butt connectors I crimped on. I picked mine up at the hardware store but these are the same thing. amzn.to/3JZJH2I
Good question. Me personally I don’t see the need for feeding a single RV and don’t recommend it. I don’t recommend people using grounding rods out there boondocking or in off grid campgrounds.
7:40 urban rv myth ... no you didn't run your 5th wheel AC. You ran half an AC unit. Trailer, tag along, run a single AC unit and a single champion is going to trip out. Did you try the microwave 😂 ? ....😢
I was talking to a whole home generator installer today, explaining that I was planning to connect my two inverter generators in parallel so that I can run both of my A/C units on my fifth wheel. He asked what happens if one runs out of gas? Is there a possibility for the still operating generator to back feed into the generator not running? He said if this happens it could damage the stator, making the generator unusable. Just wondering if this could happen.
I look at all these options and I Finally choose the Honda 3200 watts, expensive but very light, efficient and Quiet ; and can Run my A/C on the quiet mode. It is also made in Japan. There is a propane kit conversion on Amazon, but don’t know if it is approved by Honda. It also have the 30 amps RV Outlet.
