My Yamaha 3000 has earned a permanent spot in my truck's bed. I've jumped co-worker's cars with it (in combination with a battery charger I also keep around), powered up some electrical appliances in the middle of nowhere, and many other tasks. For example, a Nissan Leaf will add five miles to its range on an hour on a 120VAC charger.
I do plan to buy a Yamaha 6300 watt generator though. Mainly so I can use it for powering more circuits on the house if power fails.
For us the Honda 2000($900) had been worth it because we do a fair amount of camping in national parks with out hook-ups and an occasional overnight at a Walmart. It has given us the freedom to camp multiple nights without hook-ups which nearly always saves money by paying half-price with the senior pass. otherwise, our battery would only be good for about 1 night without recharging.
I got a Generac QP40 from a dealership who removed it from a brand new fiver. It had three hours on it. It has come in handy when Wallydocking and for a couple of power failures here at the park I'm staying at. I got the generator because the price was right ($1000) and I knew I wanted a built in unit. I was using a contractor grade Briggs and Stratton generator which was LOUD. That unit has been demoted to use at amateur radio Field Day and for backup duty at any future sticks and bricks we have.
Richard L. Ray
SSgt USAF (Retired) Life Member DAV
W4RLR 146.52 mhz
2005 Ford F-250 Lariat Crew Cab
1995 Jayco Eagle 277RBSS fifth-wheel
"Never ask a man what kind of computer he drives. If it's a Mac, he'll tell you. If not, why embarrass him?" Tom Clancy
With the upcoming severe weather conditons being associated with the 2012 thing a generator may come in handy at home as well. When you beef-up your trailer for camping off the power grid also may benefit you big time at your home location. We had hurricane Irene come thruh here last year and no power for a week. We watched HDTV every night lite up our house patio area, had a block party every night with neighbors, me and another neighbor went around to all the folks here and ran their fridges a couple of hours every day so they wouldnt have to throw out their meats, felt good to have something to help the neighbors. Now there are several generators in the neighborhood... My jeri-can of gasoline only lasted four days so I finally had to go find a gas station that was run off a generator to fill up my jeri can again. I had my oklahoma credit card handy to empty my truck gasoline tank as needed also.
AS my profile signature says "Alway have a PLAN-B"
My Posts are IMHO based on my experiences - PM me Roy and Carolyn
RETIRED DOAF/DON/DOD/CONTR RADIO TECH (42yrs)
K9PHT (Since 1957) 146.52M
2010 F150, 5.4,3:73 Gears,SCab
2008 Starcraft 14RT EU2000i GEN
2005 Flagstaff 8528RESS
POPUP PHOTOs-Pg52-Pg56
IMHO go buy a $500 5kw Coleman and use it at home. Cheap solution, and neighbors will not mind, they might even visit if they get cold. Be sure to ALSO install a transfer switch. That is what we have.
We've gone over 200,000 miles RVing without a generator, and never needed one.
Chuck
Wonderful Wife
Australian Shepherd
2010 Ford Expedition TV
2010 Outback 230RS Toybox, 5390# UVW, 6800# Loaded Not yet camped in Hawaii, 2 Canada Provinces, & 2 Territories I can't be lost because I don't care where this lovely road is going
You think you "might" use it once a year, then I suggest you rent it. That way you don't have to lay out the cash for something that smells, has to be stored and exercised and may never get used.
2011 GulfStream Amerilite 25BH
2007/2003 Ford Expedition
Nights camped in 2011 21
Nights camped in 2012 16
Got a 4000w Onan in the 5ver,a 100.00 cheapie 1000w for a small emergency and a 4700w to run the whole house if the power goes out...wouldn't be without one,you might just want one of the 1000w "Harbor Freight"ones for all the more you might use one,they are pretty quiet,and just over a 100.00 bucks.
2011 Palomino Sabre 31RETS,5th Wheel,Triple Slide,4000W Onan Genset
2006 Super Duty,XLT, V10, 6 Speed, 4.10, Tow Command, Tow Pkg. 4X4,Dual Exhaust,K&N,Reese 15K,Air Bags
We bought our Honda EU2000i when we had a cabin cruiser that we used frequently to boondock in backwaters. It performed flawlessly for about 7 or 8 years and then started getting sluggish. We took it to the local Honda (car) dealer, who has a complete generator sales and service department, and I don't remember the cost exactly, but it was not exhorbitant, and the unit is back to being flawless. We have an extra gas tank that we can tether to it for longer running time.
Now that we have the MH, we stay in campsites with power roughly half the time. The rest of the time, we are in the wild or at some event that doesn't offer power, mainly hobby events like model airplane contests. We couldn't do it without the Honda. We also have a propane-powered generator built in to the MH, but it goes through so much propane that we used it bringing the MH cross-country from its previous home, but never since, because the Honda is much more affordable.
The Honda produces enough power to run the necessities in the house when power is out, which happens only once a year or less, but usually while I'm working, and I would be definitely out of sorts if the computers and Internet died. One winter we lent it to friends who were freezing in an area that had two weeks of power outage after an ice storm.
To me, a generator with fuel supply is a must-have just for preparedness, and a Honda EUY is the only generator to have. And at 47 pounds, I can carry it around if necessary. But for RVing, I have to agree with this statement:
Quote: Now, if you find yourself dry camping because you now have a generator, that's different. Who knows.. it could change your life!
I can't imagine being limited to campgrounds with power. The generator is one of the last possessions I would give up willingly.
We have a contractor's noisy generator to use at home during power outages. We can keep our furnace, fridge water heater and furnace running as well as the neighbours.
Our former neighbour had a CPac (night time air machine) and had to have power at night.
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