Best Portable Generator For Camping?

Gary RVer Emeritus said:

Seems to me your issue with with the priorities of that individual shop and not Yamaha USA. Sounds like they service big industrial units and only work on the consumer grade portables in their spare time.

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Gary
If I travel 70 miles one way to a certified warranty location should I not expect reasonable service?  We would have gladly switched shops had the second closest location not been 125 miles one way.  This location was a marine/atv dealer and they sold the generator line.

The poor warranty service at this specific location is only one of the factors.  Please recall both generators failed with the same problem at approx. the same service hours.  We also contacted Yamaha USA via certified mail with no response.

AStravelers said:

On the other hand the Champion brands are usually very, very loud.  Extremely loud! They will drown out normal conversation in and near your campsite.  Most importantly, even if YOU don't mind the noise they will greatly disturb other campers within about 1/4 mile (400 yards). 

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You are comparing inverter Hondas with construction Champions, that's not fair. The Champion 73536i 2000 watt inverter is rated the exact same - 53 dB on economy - as the Honda EU2000I 2000 watt inverter, and it's less than half the price. I have the Champion 75537i 3000 watt with remote start, and we love it - 58 dB, sips gas, and we can turn it off and on from inside the trailer as needed. Just our personal experience.

Gods Country said:

Yes it's a good idea to travel with a generator.  AFAIC they're all pretty noisy unless you get one of the tiny inverter type that everyone seems to prefer, which IMO is fine for charging the battery, and running some small items.  They're also pretty pricey comparatively. 

The people that whine about noisy generators at a campground make me laugh.  Most campgrounds are noisy.
They're near major highways, interstates, have people coming and going all time during the summer months.
Ok I don't understand the people that run a genny all day and sit in the A/C watching TV, but it's their life.
It's not camping, or even remotely close. It's city camping.  You're sitting in what amounts to a big parking lot.
You want piece and quiet hoist a pack on your back like I used to do and head out into the wilderness. 

Personally I would rather listen to  20 generators running then a pile of screaming kids, or the ankle biter that won't shut up.

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You sure camp at different campgrounds than I do. I hate noisy generators at boondocking areas where I can hear the neighbor's generator across a few hundred feet. I hate them at Quartzsite in the middle of the desert. I hate them at remote Forest Service campgrounds at 8500' elevation surrounded by trees. Campground's by a highway are generally commercial places that have electricity anyway. Why would anybody be running a generator there anyway?

Generators are a fact of life for most of us who frequently dry camp. But please think of other people before you buy a noisy generator.

UTTransplant said:

You sure camp at different campgrounds than I do. I hate noisy generators at boondocking areas where I can hear the neighbor's generator across a few hundred feet. I hate them at Quartzsite in the middle of the desert. I hate them at remote Forest Service campgrounds at 8500' elevation surrounded by trees. Campground's by a highway are generally commercial places that have electricity anyway. Why would anybody be running a generator there anyway?

Generators are a fact of life for most of us who frequently dry camp. But please think of other people before you buy a noisy generator.

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The point is every easily accessible campground is noisy.  The park campgrounds where dry camping is necessary are loud because of generators, all of them.  Private campgrounds are noisy for other reasons.  I imagine tent campers grind their teeth from any noise that they themselves aren't making.  My generator is 60 db, which I'm sure many consider too loud.  It runs a couple hours a day (dry camping) to top off my battery.  Oh well. 

HONDA.....Accept no substitute!

Small =Honda or Champion
Large =Onan or Generac
You just want one large enough for your  needs and quiet enough running so you don't upset the neighbors.
Just my 3 cents worth

AStravelers said:

#1 consideration is, "is the generator quiet". 

On the other hand the Champion brands are usually very, very loud.  Extremely loud! They will drown out normal conversation in and near your campsite.  Most importantly, even if YOU don't mind the noise they will greatly disturb other campers within about 1/4 mile (400 yards). 

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Would you surprised that the Champion 2000W generator has a dBA rating 53 at 23' on "eco" throttle? The EXACT same dBA rating of the Honda 2000W on the same eco throttle setting.
And less than half the cost of a Honda 2000W.

http://www.championpowerequipment.com/products/inverters/73536i-2000w-inverter/#product-specs

Honda 2000 is 53 dB at 9 foot from generator at 1/4 load, 59 dB at full load. Champion 2000 inverter version is 59 dB at 34 feet from generator. You have to look at both dB and distance. The Champion is way more than twice as loud.

No, I am not surprised.

EDIT to correct the generator brand. I looked up the Champion, but I wrote Generac. That was an error. The dB measurement is the same, but the distance the noise is measured at is the big difference between the two brands.

UTTransplant said:

Honda 2000 is 53 dB at 9 foot from generator at 1/4 load, 59 dB at full load. Generac 2000 inverter version is 59 dB at 34 feet from generator. You have to look at both dB and distance. The Generac is way more than twice as loud.

No, I am not surprised.

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You should be surprised because a Champion generator is a LONG way from a Generac.
The Champion dBA was rated at 23' @ the SAME EXACT rate as the Honda.

But if folks want to burn a cool $500 more for the red one....go for it.

Here is a good page, by Honda. Scroll down and you can see the difference between the "sine waves." Depending on what you are doing, and what you want to pay. A lot of modern flat screens that allow us to do Netflix have CPUs in them. Some have better or more tolerant power supplies than others. If you buy one, keep your receipt. You might need to take it back. At least ask them what their return policy is.

http://powerequipment.honda.com/generators/selecting-a-generator

marcortez said:

Would you surprised that the Champion 2000W generator has a dBA rating 53 at 23' on "eco" throttle? The EXACT same dBA rating of the Honda 2000W on the same eco throttle setting.
And less than half the cost of a Honda 2000W.

http://www.championpowerequipment.com/products/inverters/73536i-2000w-inverter/#product-specs

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Thank you.  You and one or two others educated me with the fact that Champion actually makes a quiet inverter generator. 

It is interesting, when doing a Google search for Champion Generators, the top paid Ad from Champion for portable generators only lists noisy contractor generators: http://www.championpowerequipment.com/products/generators/?gclid=CjwKEAjw_PfGBRDW_sutqMbQsmMSJAAMpUapriyAivUz3b9X0dkVQBieke9BMRLS6kHKRoWsFhlBThoC7gzw_wcB

That's why I provided a link for Champion inverter generators in a previous post.

Before purchasing, I'd go to a dealer who sells multiple brands and listen to the generators at various loads.  I'd also do some research on longevity and maintenance.  I have 2 honda eu2000i (one for my trailer when traveling and the other to hook up in parallel when power goes out at my house) that I purchased in 2012.  I've had no problems and do all the maintenance myself.  I only use the one I carry in the trailer when my solar panels don't get enough sunlight to charge my batteries.

Thanks for the link goat. Put it on my wish list on Amazon.

AStravelers said:

Thank you.  You and one or two others educated me with the fact that Champion actually makes a quiet inverter generator. 

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This is why I love this board. People are friendly and willing to accept feedback. Makes the conversations much nicer to be part of! 

Hey guys! I know I am a little late to the conversation but hopefully this helps someone out there.
As far as purchasing a generator for camping is concerned, there are two main factors to consider. The first is how much power you will require and the second is noise emissions.

POWER: If you are tenting and do not require your generator to power a 13,500 BTU AC unit then something around the 2000W range should power most of your appliances without worry (coffee makers, hair dryers, CD players, laptop/phone charging etc). If you do require something that can power an AC unit on an RV you should be looking in the 3000W and above range for a 13,500 BTU unit.

NOISE: No one wants their campsite to sound like a construction zone. If you are looking for quiet portable power you are in the market for an INVERTER generator (as opposed to a conventional generator). Inverters also produce a "cleaner" power source that is suitable for sensitive electronics such as laptops and smartphones. The inverting process produces a smoother sine wave that will not damage the microprocessors within these electronics.


Many people swear by Honda's and Yamaha's and they are the industry leaders when it comes to inverter generators BUT there are many alternative companies (ie Champion, WEN, Westinghouse) putting forth very competitive products at a lesser price that merit consideration when shopping around for a generator.

I found this website to be extremely helpful when deciding which generator best suits your needs;

quietpowergenerators.com

The "inverters vs generators" page is very insightful and arms you with the knowledge necessary to make an educated purchase. They also have detailed reviews of the latest and best selling inverter generators on the market.

I hope this helps! Happy camping and all the best,
Dave

I am a contractor and use a lot of generators. We have burned out a cheap one on one house we built. Actually the second one was on its last legs by the end of the job. The homeowner decided to supply his own power. I dont know why the companies that build generators couldnt list the running hours each machine is designed to last. Im sure the companies test these products to failure point.  They know roughly how many hours they are designed to run properly. If such a standard existed, you would find the honda and secondly the yamaha, would be far above the cheaper models in running time, possibly many many times over. I have had honda generators last from five to ten years running nine hours a day for a better part of the year. If someone is only going to use it a few hours a day, five times a year, go for the cheaper model. If you plan on running it sixteen hours a day, most of the year, it would be cheaper in the long run to buy the better quality models. The quality of the regulated power coming out of the machine and noise would also be better. The inverter gennys are cheaper to run and much quieter, due to the fact that they only rev high enough to create the power being drawn. Non inverter ones rev wide open if you as much as light a light bulb or draw any power. jmho

Sorry, I know that this topic is very old, but maybe my answer will help someone in the future since I spent a lot of time to find the right information.
Most lower priced non-inverter generators produce 60 cycle AC current directly
by turning at a very specific speed. This means the engine on a
non-inverter genny must run at full speed all the time- even if there is nothing connected to it. This makes more noise and burns more fuel.

Some higher priced inverter generators produce DC current which is
electronically inverted to 60 cycle AC power.
This means the engine does not have to run at a specific speed.
For this reason, when the generator is under light load the engine can run
at a lower speed. This is often quieter and more fuel efficient.

NOTE: Honda calls this eco mode or something. I'm not sure that all
inverter genny have the low speed under light load option so you might
want to check before you purchase one.
Also, this more expensive inverter genny typically have better mufflers.
They are pretty quiet but I disagree with folks who say they can't hear
them run!! I CAN HEAR A HONDA https://mechanicguides.com/best-portable-generator/ from across the road no problem!
They ARE quieter than most others tho....

Finally, some campgrounds don't allow generators during certain hours.
Even the quiet ones are not allowed in some areas.

Hope this helps a bit!

I've been very happy with my Generac IQ2000 Inverter Generator for the year that I've had it.  Quieter than the Honda EU2000i.  I picked mine up as a factory refurb for $600.

Nice video comparison at the following link: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6Cs23XAhZ0

Cheers,


Dan K.

DanKearney said:

I've been very happy with my Generac IQ2000 Inverter Generator for the year that I've had it.  Quieter than the Honda EU2000i.  I picked mine up as a factory refurb for $600.

Nice video comparison at the following link: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6Cs23XAhZ0

Cheers,


Dan K.

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Don't like to revive such old topics, though I came to say thanks, Dan. We've been choosing between Honda EU2000i and Generac IQ2000, but it was troubling to find any info about the noise level of Generac. Also reviews are quite controversy: here, for instance, it's between 75 and 80  - which is louder than average Honda noise level 48 to 57 (source), and here it's said that the noise level is "53 decibels when on standard mode".
Pretty sad, that video is not available anymore. But maybe you have any additional feedback on this model? How long do you own it?
Thanks in advance, from both of us.