Honda EU 1000 Generator--was given as free gift

[MARider]

Hi all,

Was helping a family member move this past weekend and was offered her barley used Honda EU 1000 generator for free 

Obviously I am going to take it.  My question is, how useful do folks think this would be for camping?  I camp with my Coleman Avalon with my family often at places without power, and often for many nights in a row.  Some of the places I camp have neighbors nearby, others have nobody within a mile+.  I use 3 batteries for extended stays, and if need be, run into town to have them charged at local gas stations. 

I guess having some AC power would be nice, but the generator would need to be running the entire time.  Even if it is very quiet, and even if nobody is around (I would NEVER run it with anyone near me, regardless of the time of day, or the rules of a campground--my rules say, be as quiet as possible for the sake of others trying to enjoy themselves. ), I myself would not want to listen to it--I go camping to get away from such noises.   

Can I plug my battery charger into this and charge my batteries?

Probably a stupid question--can I plug my PU into this and use my PU outets etc? 

Other uses?  It is free after all!  I wont sell it either.  Would not be right to accept and then make a profit on it.  If I sold it, I would just give the money made back to my family member.

Thanks!!!

 

[ghacker]

That's a nice way to say "Thank You". Yes, you can use it to charge your batteries and as a power source. These units are pretty quiet. I think it'll surprise you. Obviously you won't be able to run an A/C unit. Maybe an electric heater on a low setting or a coffee maker-depends on the wattage. Certainly things like a laptop, radio/tv, fan, etc. should pose no problem.

You can get a PDF file of the owners manual here.

[kfriceman]

You can do all the things you mentioned in your post.  Just be aware that certain appliances while connected directly to the shore power will not work, i.e AC, toaster, microwave, etc.  These items will draw more power than the gerneator can supply.

-Kevin

[Chuck S]

At a near noiseless idle this genset will charge your battery via your converter.  Just plug it in.

Mine would run my coffee maker, but rarely my microwave. 

-- Chuck

[MARider]

At a near noiseless idle this genset will charge your battery via your converter.  Just plug it in.

Mine would run my coffee maker, but rarely my microwave. 

-- Chuck

Wow--this would be really convenient on our longer trips.  Would mean we could pack less batteries!  And would not have to charge them.  Very cool!

[Between Trips]

That's some gift!

Can I plug my battery charger into this and charge my batteries?

Yes, but your Avalon probably already has a capable battery charger via its WFCO converter. Just plug your shore power cord into the gen and power it up.

....can I plug my PU into this and use my PU outets etc?

Yes.

[Outbound]

What an awesome gift!  The EU1000 is a  great little genny that's perfect for charging your batteries.  As others have said, just plug your PUP into the genny (you'll need a 15-30 adapter) and let your converter do its job.

[pup daddy]

Obviously I am going to take it.  My question is, how useful do folks think this would be for camping? 

Sorry, but every previous post was incorrect.  That generator will not be of any use to you.  Let me send you my address and I'll dispose of it for you.  For no charge of course!   

[MARider]

Obviously I am going to take it.  My question is, how useful do folks think this would be for camping? 

Sorry, but every previous post was incorrect.  That generator will not be of any use to you.  Let me send you my address and I'll dispose of it for you.  For no charge of course!   

[firescout14]

You got a good deal there!  I found a near-new EU-1000i on Craigslist right after buying our Starcraft.  I know the 2000 watt model would be able to run more things, but I think the size/weight difference is inconvenient.  I can run a 5500 BTU A/C unit with my 1000.  My wife can also run her blow dryer on the medium setting, if need be.  Charging the camper's battery is the main reason I got the generator, and for that purpose, it works most excellently. 

[Chuck S]

The Honda EU1000iA2 is a wonderful unit and certainly the price was right in this case!

I can't recommend buying the Honda, or any 1000w genset for the reason it will do so little and is essentially just a "camping toy."  Ours would not, for example, run our home refrigerator during an extended summer power outage.  A 2000w genset will do this and isn't that much bigger.

With a pair of GC2 batteries we seldom run out of 12v power and went all the way up to an EU3000is.  Her main use is powering our house during storm power outages.  Pretty heavy to lug around for camping, but she'll fit in the back of the truck.



-- Chuck

[firescout14]

...I can't recommend buying the Honda, or any 1000w genset for the reason it will do so little and is essentially just a "camping toy."...

For some camping applications, a small, quiet 1000w generator does the job quite well.  I wouldn't call it a *camping toy*. For our application it works great.  We are *lightweight campers*, though.   Our Starcraft 2406 is a 2800 lb gross weight pop-up.  We tow it with one of two smaller sized vehicles and travel as a family of two adults and two small children.  The Honda 1000 travels nicely in the interior entryway of our trailer.

I just looked up what a Coleman Highlander Avalon is: a high-wall 4600 lb gross weight pop-up (a super pop-up).  For a trailer of that size, and its appropriate tow vehicle (= large amount of cargo space), I would of course say that a 2000w generator would be the minimum recommended size.

Maybe the best thing to do is to list the *gift* generator on Craigslist, and then fund the purchase of a 2-3Kw generator with the proceeds.

On a final note: we have a Generac electric start 4000w generator for the home, so the Honda is for camping or secondary backup.

[wavery]

I disagree with "Just plug the camper into the gen-set" theory. As you rightly pointed out in your 1st post, you would be running the generator nearly constantly.

Having 2 or 3 batteries will give you the ability to run on one battery until it gets down to around 12.0V. Take that battery off, put a fully charged battery on the camper and put the discharged battery on the generator with a 25A battery charger. You will be able to charge the fully discharged battery to about 80% in a few hours.

Even if you have to do this daily, it is a lot better than trying to keep your batteries topped off by running the generator 8hrs a day. Even with the 25A charger, you will only get about 6A for a few hours and 2 amps as the battery reaches full charge. When the battery is fully discharged, it will absorb 25A for a few hours giving you the ultimate amount of charge with the shortest run time on the generator.

[beemerphile1]

Small generators do have purpose.  It would be an excellent and economical generator for charging batteries when dry camping.

My itty bitty Harbor Freight 800/900 watt generator can run anything in my pup including the microwave or 5,000 BTU air conditioner.

For faster charging you can always use a larger charger rather than the internal converter.  I use a Vector 1093DBD for fast charging.

RVers that regularly dry camp and charge with a generator usually operate their batteries between 50% and 80%.  Trying to charge above 80% is highly inefficient as wavery stated.  It is a good idea to fully charge occasionally to prevent sulfation.

Multiple batteries linked together have a greater capacity than batteries used separately due to the Peukert effect.  Keeping batteries linked together in a bank of batteries will result in less total charge time.

[rabird]

At a near noiseless idle this genset will charge your battery via your converter.  Just plug it in.

Mine would run my coffee maker, but rarely my microwave. 

-- Chuck

Wow--this would be really convenient on our longer trips.  Would mean we could pack less batteries!  And would not have to charge them.  Very cool!

Too easy to just plug in and let your 35A WFCO do it's thing for an hour or two daily. At the same time you'll have 120v inside the PU for charging cell phones, computer and/or watching TV!