A few years back I lost my home due to a natural disaster. I was forced to move my family into a 38 foot travel trailer off grid I purchased this exact generator. I ran it 24 seven for 18 months straight shut it off. Want to add oil that it I still have it today runs perfect. You can’t go wrong with Honda.
I'm sitting here watching this video powered by the same generator due to hurricane Sally. I have no doubt you will be very pleased with your purchase. I'm running a full size fridge, deep freezer, window unit ac, full tower pc, 55" tv, a few lights, and charging the neighbors cell phones/tablets and the generator hasn't even stuttered once. Also running all the above on 5 gallons of gas every 22-24 hours. I'm very happy with this generator, enjoy!
I have the same gen and love it. You mentioned Colorado so I'll mention that up here in Canada they sell these gens with honda's " cold weather technology" a breather heating coil. It runs like a champ in severe cold. Thanks for the vid.
I have this EU3000is generator. It is a good generator and very quiet. It does require choking to start most of the time so remoting the electric start is problematic. It does not handle all air conditioners under all conditions, at least it didn't when we went up in altitude though it did work at home when we initially tested it. It is quite heavy to lift. I now use two EU2000's because they are lighter and handle the air conditioner with ease with their higher total power capacity.
Good video. Agree on the shorter videos. You have a good style, good sound. Well done. One small suggestion: shorten the power cord to exactly only what you need, to reduce voltage drop from the generator to the camper plug.
We have the same one. It ran our house with 2 fridges and a well pump for 7 days when hurricane Sandy hit NJ. Just last week it ran for 4 days during the last TS. Always starts easily, and is really quiet. I'm a big fan of Honda, power equipment or cars/motorcycles. In my immediate family we have had over 20 Honda vehicles, never any major problems. Brother in-law ran a Civic over 500K original engine/transmission. I still have a '86 lawn mower that starts on 1 pull. Good luck with yours.
You may want to install a rv ac soft start , microair easy start ... they reduce the amount of pull the compressor needs to start and is easier on the generator and ac unit .. something to look into.. installed a a plug in at the front of our trailer so I could run the ac as we traveled so it was already cool when we arrived at our destination .. nice generator 👍
Just so you know on Honda's and many other engines you aren't supposed to screw in the fill plug to check the oil, they are designed to just be placed in and rest on the threads for an accurate reading,it's in your manual or on the sticker next to the drain plug,I have the same one . Yamaha does it the same too.
I made the same mistake, the instructions are not very clear, I don't remember who told me that, and since I measure it the proper way, like you've said
I have been in and around Honda Generators for over 30 years. My one suggestion is to always run the unit on Eco Throttle. The only time I turn off the Eco Throttle is when starting a cold engine or if I want to run the fuel out of the carburetor after shutting off the fuel valve. The Eco Throttle is designed to respond quickly to heavy loads like starting up the AC. Also, please always turn the fuel valve off when the camper is in motion going down the highway. Overall your video is GREAT!!!
We powered our Rockwood travel trailer with the Honda EU3000is for ten years and never had issues. In eco mode we could barley here it running even though we kept it right next to the bedroom end of the trailer. Awesome generator!
Ours is 10 years old with remote start love it. Change the oil and we replaced the battery last year. We love to go off grid and the neighbours never complain about noise.
I have a off grid camper in Michigan and have been using this same generator for three years, it runs my single air conditioner and all appliances with no problem, it is quite and very fuel efficient. I also purchased the wheel kit that saves your back. Great Generator !!!
Running A/C and all appliances, about how long of continuous run off grid will a full tank of fuel last? Does the engine oil level drop at all during this time period? Thank you!
We’ve used that Honda generator with our 5th wheel for over 10 years. It’s amazing. We’ve made a few videos on it too. It’s great for camping off grid (dry camping) and long travel trips. It also allows me to work from camp!
I bought an EU3000 in 2006. Great generator. No problems for 14 years. Just changed the plug and oil regularly and kept it clean. I am sure you have experienced the only down side of an EU3000. It weighs 154 lbs dry. We ran ours in the back of the pickup truck. It was quieter and it didn't vibrate the trailer at night when we were sleeping on hot nights. You won't regret buying that generator.
Appreciate the video. Just snagged this unit from a local auction house…I don’t think the consigner ever used it…it’s like new condition and best of all, got it for $475 ….need to identify what plug adapter I need and read through the owners manual to change oil and correct fuel type to use but excited to use it on our first camping adventure. Thanks again for a great video
You got a fantastic generator!! I have been using the same one for my mobile office since 1997 and I get between 5k to 8k hours before the rings need to be rebuilt. I use synthetic oil ( Mobile One ) It was in a enclosed compartment in a van and during the summer, it would get so hot it would vapor loack. No Prob... 20 minutes in the shade and good 2 go... I have went 12v / solar and it's been great. I use a ProAir 12 AC, Battleborn batters and Victron multi plus 2000. You won't be disappointed my friend. BUZZ
This generator should NEVER be run inside of an enclosure. It is already an engine and generator in a box and then you put it into another enclosure? Read the Owner's Manual!!! It has to breath and be able to pull in fresh air and discharge the hot air and exhaust gases. It is highly dangerous to run this unit inside of an enclosure.
I love Honda Generators. Nice set up. My advice is to absolutely make sure that generator is locked down at all times. People drive around looking for those to steal. You might invest in a Steel generator enclosure that will keep it more secure and less visible. Honda red = lots of bad guys wanting one.
I've had the Honda 3000 inverter for about 17 years. Flawless performance. I ran 10 desktop computers and monitors with 3 dyesub printers remotely on this unit with power to spare. For home use it also can power my water pump if needed.
Real nice generator. You do pay a bit more for the place on it that says Honda. You need to make it real hard to remove it so that it won't grow legs on you somewhere.
Been using this for our trailer for a few years now. Great generator. We always use it on Eco even with the AC running, runs just fine. Only time I turn Eco off is when my son is using his playstation. On Eco when the AC compressor kicks in, the Playstation will reboot. Nice using the Eco throttle because it really does extend the run time.
Big Honda fan.. I’ve owned the 2000 and 6500 quiet inverting generators. But I just can’t spend $2k anymore when you can get a Champion dual fuel 3400 for well under a grand. I’ve had mine for 2 years and it’s been bulletproof.
In my opinion you can't go wrong with Honda or Yamaha generators. I prefer quality over cheap. I have a Yamaha 2800 that's 20 plus years old. Ran on propane is whole life. Great informative video thank you
Great run through. I have made a similar video and cant seem to get the video off the ground. Glad to see that you are reaching a lot of people about this amazing generator
nice video! I have the same set up and the only thing I notice with my honda 3000 is that if I leave it on full throttle running my a/c. some times I have to get up in the middle of the night to refuel but if you leave it on eco throttle you'll be good all night
Hi Adam, your setup is great, just thought I would comment. I have a Honda 2500 watt unit. The engine is mouted with some motor mounts. After a while a couple broke, and I got some from Graingers, and replace the old ones. You might think of doing this with your mounting to the base. Just another way, that I thought I could comment on. Good fun and great days on your trip.
Nice install. You might want to consider running a ground cable from the generator ground lug to your trailer tray. The ground lug is on the center of the side facing you when you're looking from the back.
Why? The cable from the generator is grounded at the service panel in the trailer. You only need to use the ground lug if your cable doesn't have a ground in it. You only want one ground.
I think you made a wise decision on your Honda. My cousin has had two Honda 2200 watt generators secured and wired in his pickup truck bed to use with his 5th wheel camper and has used them for three years and is completely satisfied.
I love all the kits they have. You can add a remote start that even turns on and off the eco mode from the remote. Also, a tri-fuel kit so they will run on gas, propane, and natural gas.
Great buy. I am sure you will be happy with it. I was surprised you didn't plug a light into the generator on first start to see if it produced AC. Thanks for sharing
If you want to use it for standby power, I would suggest buying a good quality battery maintainer. One of the small Noco Genius ones is all you need and it looks like you have room beside the battery to install it. Then you just need a light extension cord to provide power. My generator actually came with one built in - very good in our cold Canadian winters! It also helps to run it every couple of weeks or at least once a month.
You chose well. I am off grid and I own several generators. There is Honda and there is everyone else. Honda generators 'just work', for years and years. You might be surprised how many people have trouble with various generators, even if they don't put many hours on them like I do. Now that we have the power utility choosing to not provide power sometimes out here in California, many of my friends and neighbors have had to buy generators and learn tough lessons of which ones work and which ones give trouble. You can also go to a small engine repair shop and ask them. They know. Re: the 'eco throttle' it is normally better to leave it on, as it reduces overall fuel consumption, especially if you are not running the AC. The main time when you might want it off is if you are powering a high current power tool (like a big saw or jackhammer) and you will be powering it on and off a lot -- the 'off' eco mode allows faster, more positive startup in those conditions. A big reason for using an inverter generator, which is substantially more expensive than a simple generator, is the fuel savings over time. It is also quieter, as you note.
Honda generators.....buy once, cry once. You pay for them but they're not cheap for a reason. They are THE best generator you can buy, hands down and I know of no one who would disagree with that. Smart purchase dude. I especially like the fact that you can use the generator and camper for storms. That was smart thinking on your part for sure. Imagine a storm come through and you have to stay in a hotel or somewhere for a bit, that can get really expensive. With the camper, you can stay in there or if the storm coming is going to be really big. You can just hitch up and head inland and shack-up wherever you want to until the storm passes and then head back home. That camper setup gives you both a lot of freedom and flexibility.
I have the EU2000i - great generator. Like others said, try to run non-ethanol gas if you can and drain the bowl on the carburetor. If it sits too long the bowl gets corroded/gummed up. I've used mine through several power outages during hurricanes - great quality, quiet, and reliable.
i own 2 honda 3000 inverters. several notes here: they are best started with the eco switch off that way there is more rpms and oil pressure at first start. also switch your ref and water heater to propane leaves more watts for pure 110 use. i have a 36 foot fifth wheel with 15,000 btu central air and 13,500 btu bedroom air. when i got my first honda 3000 i wanted to see how long it would run on 1 tank of fuel it was 94 degrees outside set thermostat to 74 degrees and left 6 led lights on it ran for over 11 hours on eco throttle with the 15,000 air on. now with 2 units i purchased a Y connector for 50 amp service one connected to each generator so one supplies the left side of the panel with 23.3 amps and the other one supplies the right side of the panel with 23.3 amps. they run well.
I purchased the same geny in 2015, the battery died 6 months ago, so lasted almost 6 years, not bad, still haven't changed filters or spark plugs, because I barely used it, but I have already purchased them, will do it any day now, still starts in the first pull, still 100% reliable, it is expensive, but worth it, and the autonomy is ridiculous, 20 hours at half load in econo mode, you need it, it works, that's how these units are, they don't give them away, for a good reason, you want the best stuff, prepare your wallet
HONDA "EM4000SX" HERE. 3500 RUNNING WATTS, 5000 PEAK WATTS. ELEC. STARTER. STARTS FIRST CRANK IN +12F SUB FREEZING COLD EVERY TIME. PURCH. NEW 2017. FULL SYNTH. OIL EVERY 6 MOS. STILL RUNS LIKE NEW. HONDAS ARE A BEAST. LIKE YOU SAID: "WHEN YOU NEED IT, IT'S WORKS".
I went cheap for our Colorado trip and bought a predator, but if the Honda generators are like everything else they make it will be worth every penny, you cant tear em up.
Mine is 10 years old and still powers my camper. Get the Microair for your AC. You can keep your Honda on eco mode, and it will spool up with the AC. Also remote starts with a key fob are available.
Remember when checking oil level to not fully screw in the dipstick, only insert it till it first touches the threads then pull it out and check the level.
I'm a Big Guy Myself. I'd recommend the propane conversion. Ladders and Older Big Boys don't always get along so good. Last thing you want to do is spend your vacation time in the ER. You can still run it on Gasoline after the conversion. I also got the Hutch Mountain Triple Fuel Kit with the Quick Connects. Get set runs so much cleaner on propane also. $300.00 well spent. Switch to 30lb tanks and you will be able to ride out just about anything.
Great choice. I use mine for our travel trailer too. We do a lot of boondocking. I added a remote starter (Pinellas Prowar Products) and a hour meter to mine. The remote starter is great and the hour meter helps a lot with oil changes. We use the generator a lot more than I though we would.
I've had one of these for 3 years. It has worked great for home backup and pretty good for RV. I am in NC and have it on Craigslist though because I want to switch to a lighter propane unit with an Easy Start. I thought it would have sold by now since the new ones with wheel kit are about $2300. Great generator though. Seems like it will last forever.
I see a rocket pot in the background! I'm from South LA so boiling crawfish, crabs, and shrimp is the way of life down here. Those rocket pots are awesome!
Adam, I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for. I have owned this very same model and without a doubt, it is the best available generator on the market for RVing.
I have the EU3000i, which is the smaller version of that one and it runs my RV AC and microwave at the same time, as well as all the lights. I have the same tray and I built a steel box to cover it, that's hinged and lockable.
When connecting any battery you should always connect the positive terminal first, and then connect the negative terminal. That prevents the possibility of shorting out your wrench or screw driver.
I’ve had an EU3000is for 20 years, haven’t used it much, probably has less than 60 hours on it. Because I haven’t used it much I just spent $270 to have the carburetor replaced due to corrosion from ethanol gas and water absorption. I always used Sta-bil gas treatment but still had the problem. I’ve also had a few batteries in there over the years. You will likely not have these problems since you will be using it regularly. I recommend always turning on Eco-throttle as that is the main advantage of inverter technology. It decouples engine RPM from AC 60 Hz, it allows the engine to run at the speed needed for the electrical load rather than at a fixed speed to maintain frequency. This of course dramatically reduces engine noise and wear. Eco-throttle needs to be off only when starting the engine (briefly) or if repetitively starting a big load which is rare, really never for me.
That is a nice set up! I would also like to get the Stromberg rack. I bought the Champion which was much cheaper and it works, however it is no Honda. Have fun on your trip and be safe!
I would leave echo throttle off when running ac, inverter generators have a harder time starting loads with higher inrush currents like air cond compressors. you did make a very nice purchase, these are nice generators.
Howdy there, yep had a Honda 6000 for Meany years always worked well never let me down. The Yamaha I had for some reason needed to rebuild the carburetor every year. you can't go wrong with the Honda.
Hey Adam, something you might want to think about and you may have already done it is make a strain relief for the power cord so it doesn't twist the power outlet and cause issues after a period of time. Dave
[I need to wait until the end to comment] May I suggest, that instead of the rear bungy for the gas can, that you use rope with hooks, and only a bungy on the front to keep the slack out of it? If you have to hit the brakes, the inertia will be for forward movement. I like the idea of a rope, so there won't be any forward shifting. The front bungy's will keep the rope tight. All bets are off if you buy that new RAM TRX -- with 650 lb feet of torque and that Hellcat Horsepower, well, maybe get a stronger hitch. ;) Take care, Adam & Abbey.
Keep in mind that you can use eco throttle as long as it will start the genny. Because its inverter based there isn't any need to have it running high speed all the time. Many AC's will start just fine with the eco throttle on as it can react fast enough. It will save fuel if it doesn't need to run the engine that fast. Remember that energy is RPM's squared. So even from 3400 RPM's to 3600 RPMs you have alot left.
I bought and installed a rubber tire set online (eBay) that allows me to roll my generator away from my camper. The rubber tires (8 1/2" diameter) allow it to be rolled through sand. I further constructed ramps out of 16 ga metal construction channel that allows me to roll it onto the rear deck of my trailer.
A good idea is to turn off the fuel and let the generator die from fuel starvation. Keeps fuel out of the carb jets and fuel bowl. Also if you have access to gasoline without ethanol, use it. I also put Stabil in my fuel that I use in mine. Have had no problems starting, even though it may sit for months. Happy travels.
I have used non ethanol fuel for years with Stabil added. I use it in all of my power equipment (chain saws, chippers, hedgers, generators, lawn mowers, etc.) They all start without fail on the first start up in the spring. I have never had a carb gum up over the winter. Well worth the extra cost. Have fun on your Western adventure, Adam.
Great substitute for an APU on a big rig. Save fuel and wear and tear on your diesel. Runs your heat and ac without disturbing your neighbors at the truck stop.