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Old 01-10-2022, 03:47 PM   #1
ScottN
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Portable Generator

My question is about portable generators that have a "companion" model with a 30A outlet (e.g., Honda EU2200i Companion). Will the 30A outlet provide power without using the parallel kit?


I know these outlets would not provide the full 30A without a second generator being connected in parallel, but it would be convenient to have the 30A outlet right on the generator without having to use adapters to go from 20A to 30A to 50A. (I have the Solar Flex 1200L-i, and the Montana Regional Representative assures me I can regulate how much electricity is pulled from the generator. So I could draw 1800-1900 watts from the generator to supplement the batteries while running an A/C, for example.)



Besides the Honda EU2200I Companion, I have not yet found other "companion" models that have the 30A outlet. For Champion and Cummins, the 30A outlet is part of the parallel cable kit. For brands that provide the 30A connect as part of a plug on the parallel kit, will the plug be "hot" even if only one generator is in use?
 
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Old 01-10-2022, 03:52 PM   #2
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Seems like an adapter like this would work for the Cummins. I have an older Champion 3500 inverter (pre-paralell days!) and i can plug a 30 amp direct. I used it with my previous 3 travel trailers. No idea about your “hot” question...someone else will know.
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Old 01-10-2022, 04:07 PM   #3
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A 2200 watt Honda generator will only put out 1800 running watts. 2200 watts is starting watts. This is typical of all portable generators.
Most of these generators have a 3 connector twist plug not a 4 connector. The 3 connector plugs come in 20 and 30 amp. If you go that route be careful to get the 30 amp.
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Old 01-10-2022, 04:09 PM   #4
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Champion says you can use this parallel kit to connect two 2800 watt champion generators and get 50 amp output to run two 15000 BTU A/C units. Read the whole spec sheet.
"https://www.amazon.com/Champion-Parallel-2800-Watt-Inverter-Generators/dp/B06XW2929Z"
On the champion webpage they have an assistant to help you select which generators are compatible with the 50A parallel kit.

We are currently at NAS Key West Sigsbee Campground where they have a mix of FHU and dry camping. I can tell you just by walking around Honda makes the quietest generators. We have walked by Honda, Predator, GE, Westinghouse, Wen, and the Honda is the quietest.
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Old 01-10-2022, 04:28 PM   #5
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Scott,

With the Honda genny the 30 amp plug will work whether the parallel kit is used or not - of course with a 2200 it only provides 1800 watts. With the parallel kit connected and two gennies running it will provide 3600 watts. With the kit connected you can still get 1800 watts from the other genny if only one is running. This handy if only one of the gennies is a companion model.
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Old 01-10-2022, 06:12 PM   #6
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I have four generators an Onan. It’s broke for the second time in 70 hours. I know they aren’t all like this one. I just got a bad one. The other three: a 2000 watt Predator a 3000 watt Honda and a 3500 watt Predator. My Honda is older than I can remember. I paid a $1000 for it so you an figure how old it is. I had to replace the battery twice and rebuilt the carburetor once. Even though it doesn’t have many hours on it it’s been a great unit. The Predators are new so I don’t have much to go on. I have read more than a thousand reviews probably over two thousand. What I have found, almost all give great service. A few do give problems. I also found some with thousands of hours on them, one thousand, two thousand several with 5000 hours and one family that lived off grid and ran their 3500 watt Predator 7 years 16 or 18 hours a day for 42,000 hours. I have read all the Honda 2200 watt reviews and found about the same thing there. The difference is there is no your meter on the Honda. Out of I think a few less than 300 reviews they were all very positive except for the last 40 or so. Honda had a lot of we are sorry we will contact you. Another difference in the companies Honda has a 3 year warranty and will fix your generator if you have a problem. Harbor Freight has a 6 month warranty that can be extended to two extra years for about $150. If you have a problem even if you are reasonably out of warranty they give you a new unit without question.
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Old 01-10-2022, 06:20 PM   #7
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Don't know anything about champion, but if you get an Cummings Onan P4500i, it has a true RV 30 amp plug and it produces 37 amp, more than enough to power anything in a 30 amp RV, exactly the same as being plugged into shore power.

When two generators are run in parallel, it's to produce 50 amps.
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Old 01-16-2022, 03:16 PM   #8
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To answer your question, yes the 30A outlet is still usable without connecting a second honda generator in parallel. I do that all the time when I do not need the second generator.
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Old 01-17-2022, 03:58 PM   #9
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I have 2 Honda eu2200i generators, one is the companion. When connected together the will provide enough power for my 50 amp single AC 5th wheel. Either of them by itself will power the AC if you turn the auto throttle off but it runs hard. From idle it doesn't ramp up fast enough to start the ac and will kick out. When they are connected it's no problem. One of the best features of the 2200's is you can shut off the fuel and run the carburetor dry so the fuel doesn't gum up the carb if you don't use it for a while.
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Old 01-17-2022, 05:21 PM   #10
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[QUOTE=ToolMan;1242767 One of the best features of the 2200's is you can shut off the fuel and run the carburetor dry so the fuel doesn't gum up the carb if you don't use it for a while.[/QUOTE]

This is a great feature. Neither of my Harbor Freight generators have a separate fuel cutoff. Both are an easy fix for $10. The 2000 watt involves opening up the left side unhook a ground wire and adding a toggle switch hooking one side of the back to the ground and drilling a hole in the plastic case for the toggle switch. The 3500 watt generator is even easier. Buy a connector unhook a black wire add a toggle switch. Take the 12 volt reset switch out replace it with the toggle switch and put the front panel back on.
I have several of the black connectors. They come in a pack of 12 so if you have one of these generators or one like the Harbor Freight model I’ll send you a set. I would not be surprised of many of the Honda clones are like or similar enough that the connectors will work.
You can get a remote start stop for the Harbor Freight for $129. It’s a 30 minute mod with no altering the generator. It’s plug and play and works for a 100 feet or so.
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Old 01-17-2022, 05:48 PM   #11
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Thanks for the information about the mods.
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Old 01-17-2022, 05:55 PM   #12
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Thank you for the information about your experience with Honda generators. I am leaning toward purchasing Honda, although the dual-fuel Champion models are appealing since I can avoid the issue of stale gasoline. My main concern of operating on LP is the reduced electrical output at higher elevations (several percent reduction for every 1000 feet above sea level).
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Old 01-17-2022, 06:11 PM   #13
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ScottN. Any naturally aspirated engine looses about 3.5% of power per 1000 feet of elevation, propane, gasoline. Air is thinner at elevation and without forced induction you just can’t get as much air in the engine.
I had my Honda 3000 watt up on the Blueridge Parkway last summer. It sooted up the back of my camper. We was at about 4000 feet. I could have rejeted the carburetor. It only takes a few minutes but I didn’t.
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Old 01-18-2022, 07:23 AM   #14
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There is another way to run the carburetor out of gas it’s free and easy for almost any of these Chinese Honda clone generators. If it has a three position on off switch. The off position does two things. It cuts the gas off and has a wire to the ignition. When you rotate the knob to off it cuts the gas off and cuts the ignition off. To run the carburetor out of gas you need to cut the gas off without cutting the ignition off. The three way switch has a wire running to the ignition and almost surly has a connector in it. It must have a connector in the wire to assemble the generator. All you haft to do is find that wire and disconnect the connector. The down side to this is the generator will always take about 20 seconds to stop running and it will take a few seconds for the carburetor to fill with gas every time you start the generator.
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Old 01-18-2022, 07:32 AM   #15
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with the Honda 'companion' it does have the 30 amp plug in BUT you need a special 30 amp plug and then you can plug in your regular 30 amp plug into that.


And, as you know the generator won't product 30 amp without the other generator attached. I've done this for years since I only have the companion Honda.


If you have the money just get the Honda.
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Old 01-30-2022, 05:01 PM   #16
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If you are a Honda fan and aren’t we all, Honda is coming out with a new portable generator. It will be about 60 pounds, be a little larger than there 2200 watt unit and have 3200 watts 2800 running watts. I don’t know if it will have an electric start. It should be a great little generator, it’s a Honda.
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Old 01-31-2022, 12:00 PM   #17
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Thanks for the heads-up, Lynwood! Here is some information I found about the new Honda EU32i:



https://global.honda/newsroom/news/2022/p220117eng.html


Available in March in Europe, so maybe soon after in the U.S.
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Old 01-31-2022, 01:21 PM   #18
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We just had a two day power outage at home from winds, and we ended up getting this Westingtonhouse inverter generator. It's the iGen4500DF (dual fuel). Comes with a remote start and everything else to run from either gas or propane, and it is 30 amp ready for the RV. It has wheels and a retractable pulling handle and weighs 98lbs. Cost on Amazon was $1,099.00.

https://www.amazon.com/Westinghouse-...s%2C112&sr=8-5
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Old 01-31-2022, 01:33 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 432bartman View Post
We just had a two day power outage at home from winds, and we ended up getting this Westingtonhouse inverter generator. It's the iGen4500DF (dual fuel). Comes with a remote start and everything else to run from either gas or propane, and it is 30 amp ready for the RV. It has wheels and a retractable pulling handle and weighs 98lbs. Cost on Amazon was $1,099.00.

https://www.amazon.com/Westinghouse-...s%2C112&sr=8-5
I like that A LOT. Just added to my wish list. Thank you.
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Old 01-31-2022, 07:08 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 432bartman View Post
We just had a two day power outage at home from winds, and we ended up getting this Westingtonhouse inverter generator. It's the iGen4500DF (dual fuel). Comes with a remote start and everything else to run from either gas or propane, and it is 30 amp ready for the RV. It has wheels and a retractable pulling handle and weighs 98lbs. Cost on Amazon was $1,099.00.

https://www.amazon.com/Westinghouse-...s%2C112&sr=8-5
Got me one of these minus the dual fuel. Haven't got it installed in the pull out drawer as of yet, but have ran it to see how loud it was. Pretty impressive.
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