Generator for 2021 and beyond

[Ray and Susan Huff]

I thought I would find answers here, but no . . . . 

We are still trying to procure a Yamaha 2200i generator for our 2021 Elite II.  We prefer the Yamaha over Honda mostly for the fact that it has a 30amp plug; Honda does not.

Sadly Covid, hurricanes and wildfires have depleted the supply chain, at least for Yamahas.  I've been trying, since October to procure one, to no avail.  I email suppliers regularly:

October: When do you expect the Yamaha 2200i to be available?  Answer: Most likely sometime in December.  Ask to be put on an email notification list."

Today's answer: Not until Spring.  Perhaps you'd like a 3,000W?  Me: Already have a 3,100W; want something quieter and more portable that can be carried in our pickup bed tool box.

We will have the 2,000i in stock next week.  Me: Need it to occasionally run A/C

We can sell you two!

Now Spencer Savage @ Yamaha is telling me the 2200i won't run the A/C.

I'm reading older posts of some Oliver owners, in the past, running a 13,500BTU with a 2,000W generator.  Oliver now comes equipped with a 11,000 BTU A/C and I can't run it with a 2200i generator? (Lithium Pro Pkg with soft-start option)

At least we won't need A/C for a few months; really don't want to tote around our 3,100W 125# generator for occasional use of high wattage appliances and cooling, not to mention how to keep it from being stolen.

My question for Oliver owners out there lucky enough to have a Yamaha 2200i, or even the Honda version: is this the generator we want, assuming we can find one?

[Mike and Carol]

5 minutes ago, Ray and Susan Huff said:

I'm reading older posts of some Oliver owners, in the past, running a 13,500BTU with a 2,000W generator.  Oliver now comes equipped with a 11,000 BTU A/C and I can't run it with a 2200i generator? (Lithium Pro Pkg with soft-start option)

I have a 2KW Champion inverter generator and I can start and run my AC (13,500) with it.  I do have Easy Start on my AC.  I know that Honda and Yamaha make good generators, but this Champion is lightweight, quiet and reliable.  $399 at Tractor Supply.   Mike

[Landrover]

I can agree with the champion 2k inverter generator it is a great generator for the cost and reliability.   As stated you do need the Easy start option for your Ac unit  2-2200 watt generator works fine. 

[connor77]

This is the one we bought.  I was told (by Yamaha) that it would operate an A/C provided it had soft or easy start.  I wish it had the 30amp plug but I can get around that.  It is super quiet, I can pick it up and it's made in Japan.  I think the build quality is excellent.  When I fueled it up it started first pull.

https://www.yamahagenerators.com/Yamaha-EF2400iSHC-p/ef2400ishc.htm

[mossemi]

We purchased a Honda 2000i in 2004 after Hurricane Frances.  I think it was Frances, we had 4 hurricanes that year and it was a COVID ago.  The 2000i runs our Dometic 13,500 with Easy Start without any problems.  How many amps is the Yamaha 2200i rated for peak and running?  And how many amps does the 11,000 BTU air conditioner pull when starting and running?  I can’t and won’t answer your question whether that is the generator you want, because you have stated many times that the Yamaha is the generator you want and I don’t want to get in the middle of that.😊. I can only address my successes and failures.

Mossey

[Carl Hansen]

We are still trying to procure a Yamaha 2200i generator for our 2021 Elite II.  We prefer the Yamaha over Honda mostly for the fact that it has a 30amp plug; Honda does not.
 

Greetings!

I have been doing a good deal of research on generators lately and I have discovered that Honda does make the EU2200ic that does have the 30 amp plug. The”c” in the product code stands for “companion”.

To get the full 30 amps of power you have to purchase the standard EU2200i and link them together.  But you can purchase the “companion” version buy itself and run it standalone. This what I plan on doing. 

The other option is to purchase the standard EU2200i and add a 30amp adapter plug.  Many people will use this option as well. 

I understand the Honda runs quieter than the Yamaha but Yamaha makes a great product as well. 
 

Carl

[SeaDawg]

Hurricane season is over. Supply chains are opening up. Get the yamaha,  if it's what you really want, but one of the lesser names, purchased from Costco or another source with a good return policy, would also do quite well.

[IL_Travelers]

I am a Honda fan.  After reading all the Forum posts I bought the 2200 (not the Companion, an adaptor is fine) and converted it to LP with a Hutch Mountain conversion kit.  Easy peasy.  Now it will run on gasoline, or I can connect to the LP quick connects on our new Ollie when we get it on May 17!  The YouTube installation directions made the conversion so very simple to install.  After re-gapping the spark plug, it started right up on LP.  Yes, a Honda is more expensive, but so is an Oliver.  I don't plan to purchase another generator in my lifetime.  It is very lightweight and perhaps the quietest on the market.

[Ray and Susan Huff]

On 1/5/2021 at 8:15 PM, mossemi said:

We purchased a Honda 2000i in 2004 after Hurricane Frances.  I think it was Frances, we had 4 hurricanes that year and it was a COVID ago.  The 2000i runs our Dometic 13,500 with Easy Start without any problems.  How many amps is the Yamaha 2200i rated for peak and running?  And how many amps does the 11,000 BTU air conditioner pull when starting and running?  I can’t and won’t answer your question whether that is the generator you want, because you have stated many times that the Yamaha is the generator you want and I don’t want to get in the middle of that.😊. I can only address my successes and failures.

Mossey

Thanks for sharing your experience . . . . according to amp/wattage specs of the Yamaha 2200i, it should, as would your Honda, run the 11,000 BTU Dometic just fine; in conversing with Yamaha, they concur.  

[Ray and Susan Huff]

20 hours ago, Carl Hansen said:

We are still trying to procure a Yamaha 2200i generator for our 2021 Elite II.  We prefer the Yamaha over Honda mostly for the fact that it has a 30amp plug; Honda does not.
 

Greetings!

I have been doing a good deal of research on generators lately and I have discovered that Honda does make the EU2200ic that does have the 30 amp plug. The”c” in the product code stands for “companion”.

To get the full 30 amps of power you have to purchase the standard EU2200i and link them together.  But you can purchase the “companion” version buy itself and run it standalone. This what I plan on doing. 

The other option is to purchase the standard EU2200i and add a 30amp adapter plug.  Many people will use this option as well. 

I understand the Honda runs quieter than the Yamaha but Yamaha makes a great product as well. 
 

Carl

I did not realize the Honda companion 2200i has the 30 amp plug; I wonder why the standard does not.  So, can the companion model be used alone?   One concern in having to use an adapter plug to connect the Oliver power cord to the standard outlet is this: is there room between the two 20amp receptacles (on the 2200i standard modle) to plug a neutral ground plug into one of the outlets so the Oliver surge protector can be fuctional and still have room for the Oliver power cord plug?

I believe both Honda and Yamaha are good generators. The Honda is rated a bit quieter, though I would want to hear them in a side by side comparison to see if the difference is discernable.  The Yamaha has a bit larger fuel tank, and thus a longer average run time.  I like the handle configuration of the Yamaha, as it accommodates one or two person transport.  Yamaha also has a fuel gauge.  

For the time being, we can always use our larger 3,100W less-portable generator 

[Ray and Susan Huff]

25 minutes ago, IL_Travelers said:

I am a Honda fan.  After reading all the Forum posts I bought the 2200 (not the Companion, an adaptor is fine) and converted it to LP with a Hutch Mountain conversion kit.  Easy peasy.  Now it will run on gasoline, or I can connect to the LP quick connects on our new Ollie when we get it on May 17!  The YouTube installation directions made the conversion so very simple to install.  After re-gapping the spark plug, it started right up on LP.  Yes, a Honda is more expensive, but so is an Oliver.  I don't plan to purchase another generator in my lifetime.  It is very lightweight and perhaps the quietest on the market.

Is there room for the neutral ground plug on the Honda?

[NCeagle]

2 hours ago, Ray and Susan Huff said:

I did not realize the Honda companion 2200i has the 30 amp plug; I wonder why the standard does not.

Probably because with only a single generator, 15 amps is the max.  These generators are made for more than just travel trailers and having only a 30 Amp plug with a 15 amp generator would limit it's usefulness elsewhere.  When you add a companion, you can now produce 30 Amps so a 30 Amp plug makes sense.

I have the (non-companion) Honda 2200 and did the propane conversion like @IL_Travelers.  Absolutely love it so far.  I use my 15 Amp to 30 Amp adapter (which I'm sure you have as well) to connect to my Ollie shore power connection.

 

[ShallowGal]

We purchased the Yamaha 2400 Inverter Generator for our 2017 Oliver Elite II, it works great with power to spare.  The only down side is it's weight but will put up with the additional weight as it is an outstanding generator.

[mjrendon]

I also have the Honda 2200i (non-companion, non-Bluetooth model) and use this to connect to the front power port with the generator on the tongue box. The Honda is very light and relatively quiet.  I have also been impressed with all of the add-ons that are available for these Honda units and I am considering a propane conversion.

Link

 

Edited January 7, 2021 by mjrendon

[mossemi]

8 hours ago, Ray and Susan Huff said:

Is there room for the neutral ground plug on the Honda?

I assume you are referring to the Honda 2200i Companion.  The pictures I see on Google look like it but I can’t be sure because I can’t physically test that.  And it looks like the newest model have cover over the outlets so that’s another variable to consider.

The following pictures show my equipment.  I use a 50' 12 gauge extension cord plugged into an outdoor 15 amp outlet at home to power my trailer 24/7 365.  But I can run the air conditioner with the same extension cord plugged into the Honda 2000i.  And I will mention it again, I do have an Easy Start.  I recently helped a friend install a Soft Start on his 10 year old SOB trailer and he is using a Yamaha 2200i.  Works just fine.

The other equipment in the pictures are the neutral ground plug that came with my trailer.  A test cable I made out of a male and female 15 amp replacement plugs and a scrap of wire.  An AC/DC Amp meter to take load readings from the generator.  A 15 to 30 amp conversion plug.

Mossey

[mjrendon]

1 hour ago, mossemi said:

An AC/DC Amp meter to take load readings from the generator.  

Mossey,

Is that amp meter "in-rush" capable and if so, did you take measurements before and after the soft start installation? I have heard the in-rush current can be 50-60 amps at 120V.  

Mike

[mossemi]

48 minutes ago, mjrendon said:

Mossey,

Is that amp meter "in-rush" capable and if so, did you take measurements before and after the soft start installation? I have heard the in-rush current can be 50-60 amps at 120V.  

Mike

My Easy Start was installed at the OTTO's Rally in 2018.  MicroAire sent a tech/engineer to the rally do do installs on the spot.  I did not test before, during or after the Easy Start installation at the rally.  I bought the meter and built the test cable in 2019 after  someone posted about having trouble with their Easy Start and while researching their problem via Easy Start documentation I came across the plans for the test cable and then bought the meter.  When I have used it, Krunch started the air conditioner while I monitored the meter.  I do not remember seeing anything near the range of 50-60 amps.  And I’m not familiar with the in-rush feature.  This meter was about $30 on Amazon at the time and I just wanted it because I like being able to look at problems myself.  Whether I ever fix anything or not is not as important to me as trying.

Mossey

 

[mjrendon]

My understanding is that the in-rush current is the current required to start a motor/compressor during the first 5 cycles.  This current is much higher than the what is required to keep a motor/compressor running and is the reason that our smaller generators cut out when trying to run an AC.

I thought I would ask you since your setup looks optimized for taking that specific measurement.

 

[Carl Hansen]

"So, can the companion model be used alone?"

Yes, you can run the Companion (Honda EU2200ic) stand-alone.  The advantage to that is you don't need an adapter plug to attach to your trailer.

Either unit can be run stand-alone.

To get the full 30 amp service though you must have the standard and the companion product connected and running together. 

If you have the easy start option on your air conditioner I believe you can get by with a single generator.  If you want to run the A/C, microwave, and hair dryer at the same time, you will need both units. 

I imagine that for 95% of the time, a single unit would be sufficient.

Edited January 7, 2021 by Carl Hansen

[Carl Hansen]

1 hour ago, Carl Hansen said:

"So, can the companion model be used alone?"

Yes, you can run the Companion (Honda EU2200ic) stand-alone.  The advantage to that is you don't need an adapter plug to attach to your trailer.

Either unit can be run stand-alone.

To get the full 30 amp service though you must have the standard and the companion product connected and running together. 

If you have the easy start option on your air conditioner I believe you can get by with a single generator.  If you want to run the A/C, microwave, and hair dryer at the same time, you will need both units. 

I imagine that for 95% of the time, a single unit would be sufficient.

New information... (at least for me)

As I am digging into this a bit further, I just learned that the 30A receptacle on Honda Companion is not an RV plug but a twist-lock plug.  You will still need an adapter to plug your RV plug into the 30A receptacle.

According to ADKCamper,

"The 30A receptacle on the companion model is a 3-prong twist lock (L5-30R), whereas the standard shore power cord terminates with the RV-specific 3-prong straight-bladed plug, aka TT-30P. While electrically compatible (125V/30A max, hot/neutral/ground connection), the two connectors are not physically compatible. You will need a separate adapter to plug the standard Ollie shore power cord into either the Honda companion model 30A receptacle or the 15A receptacle.

The 30A receptacle is not protected by the small 20A push-button breaker on the front of the generator. In an overload situation, the inverter will shutdown and trigger the "overload" LED. You may have to shutdown and restart the generator to get the inverter to reset (vs pushing the 20A breaker button back in if you were using the 15A receptacle when the overload occurred).

So bottom line it doesn't really matter, pending your opinions on (1) which adapter you would prefer to use, (2) the 20A breaker vs the inverter overload mechanism, and (3) whether you think you might in the future have occasion to either borrow or purchase a 2nd generator, and which configuration that 2nd generator is likely to be..."

Thanks to Tom (ADKCamper) for his insight!

If you carefully read the Honda powerequipment.com website, they mention the need of an adapter...

"The EU2200i Companion offers one 30A receptacle for RV applications (requires optional adaptor) and one 20A receptacle. The 30A receptacle allows 2 EU2200i models to be run in parallel by way of a simple parallel cord and not an external parallel kit."

I learn something new every day!

Carl

Edited January 7, 2021 by Carl Hansen

[mossemi]

Then I think starting load would equal the in-rush load or as Honda states it Surge load.  My test equipment does allow me to see the surge, start or in-rush load, as well running load.  The Easy Start stages the start sequence there by limiting the surge, start or in-rush load during the startup process.  My 2004 Honda 2000i is rated at 13.3 amps or 1600 watts for a running load and 16.7 amps or 2000 watts for a surge load.  At one point in time I did a test, running the Dometic 13,5000 BTU on my generator just to verify my test cable and the AC/DC amp meter.  I do not remember to surge or running amperage.  I just know it always works when I run the air conditioner on the generator.  I am including a link to Micro-Air which explains this much better than I can and I added a picture of a Honda 2200i advertisement with the surge and rated loads.

Mossey

https://www.microair.net/pages/easystart-installation-faqs
www.microair.net/pages/easystart-installation-faqs

 

[Ray and Susan Huff]

20 hours ago, Carl Hansen said:

New information... (at least for me)

As I am digging into this a bit further, I just learned that the 30A receptacle on Honda Companion is not an RV plug but a twist-lock plug.  You will still need an adapter to plug your RV plug into the 30A receptacle.

According to ADKCamper,

"The 30A receptacle on the companion model is a 3-prong twist lock (L5-30R), whereas the standard shore power cord terminates with the RV-specific 3-prong straight-bladed plug, aka TT-30P. While electrically compatible (125V/30A max, hot/neutral/ground connection), the two connectors are not physically compatible. You will need a separate adapter to plug the standard Ollie shore power cord into either the Honda companion model 30A receptacle or the 15A receptacle.

The 30A receptacle is not protected by the small 20A push-button breaker on the front of the generator. In an overload situation, the inverter will shutdown and trigger the "overload" LED. You may have to shutdown and restart the generator to get the inverter to reset (vs pushing the 20A breaker button back in if you were using the 15A receptacle when the overload occurred).

So bottom line it doesn't really matter, pending your opinions on (1) which adapter you would prefer to use, (2) the 20A breaker vs the inverter overload mechanism, and (3) whether you think you might in the future have occasion to either borrow or purchase a 2nd generator, and which configuration that 2nd generator is likely to be..."

Thanks to Tom (ADKCamper) for his insight!

If you carefully read the Honda powerequipment.com website, they mention the need of an adapter...

"The EU2200i Companion offers one 30A receptacle for RV applications (requires optional adaptor) and one 20A receptacle. The 30A receptacle allows 2 EU2200i models to be run in parallel by way of a simple parallel cord and not an external parallel kit."

I learn something new every day!

Carl

So, in regards to needing an adapter to use either outlet with the Oliver power cord, the question in my mind still remains: is there room on the plug panel of the standard Honda (with two 20 amp plugs) to accommodate the neutral ground plug (necessary for the onboard surge protector to operate while using generator power) and the adapter for the Oliver power cord to plug in to the second receptacle?

Also, without a 30 amp plug, and connecting the Oliver power cord to the 20 amp plug, will any additional load in combination with running the a/c trip the generator, as it often will when plugged in to a 20 amp home plug? 

[mjrendon]

34 minutes ago, Ray and Susan Huff said:

is there room on the plug panel of the standard Honda (with two 20 amp plugs) to accommodate the neutral ground plug (necessary for the onboard surge protector to operate while using generator power) and the adapter for the Oliver power cord to plug in to the second receptacle?

Yes, but this is also depending on the adaptors that are chosen.  There are larger 15A to 30A diameter adaptors will not fit with a neutral ground plug in place, but even those could be used with a short 15A extension cord. Or you could use the one that I put in my previous post works fine with my Honda 2200i - shown here again.

 

Mike

 

 

Edited January 8, 2021 by mjrendon

[Jim_Oker]

On 1/6/2021 at 11:49 PM, Ray and Susan Huff said:

Is there room for the neutral ground plug on the Honda?

I found there was not with some of the larger plug adapters out there. However, I did also find that once I got it set up with an adapter plug that allowed room (there's a photo of one such adapter above in another post), that I was getting an error on the Surge protector panel in the attic (the description of the error in the SP manual mentioned neutral-ground issue IIRC). So I tried it w/o the neutral ground plug and lo and behold I got E0 - i.e. no error and happy current flowing to outlets and charging the batteries etc. I.e. with just  the  one outlet into which the trailer was plugged). This appears to defy the conventional wisdom I've read in generator threads on this forum but there it  is in any case...

BTW I also bought the Hutch Mountain propane conversion kit and found it similarly easy to install, and it worked just fine on first try, though ran just a touch more smoothly after doing the easy-to-make airflow adjustment that's clearly described in the HM instructions (it's nice to know how easy this is as they suggest it may need re-adjusting at altitude).

Edited January 8, 2021 by Jim_Oker

[Ray and Susan Huff]

11 hours ago, Jim_Oker said:

I found there was not with some of the larger plug adapters out there. However, I did also find that once I got it set up with an adapter plug that allowed room (there's a photo of one such adapter above in another post), that I was getting an error on the Surge protector panel in the attic (the description of the error in the SP manual mentioned neutral-ground issue IIRC). So I tried it w/o the neutral ground plug and lo and behold I got E0 - i.e. no error and happy current flowing to outlets and charging the batteries etc. I.e. with just  the  one outlet into which the trailer was plugged). This appears to defy the conventional wisdom I've read in generator threads on this forum but there it  is in any case...

BTW I also bought the Hutch Mountain propane conversion kit and found it similarly easy to install, and it worked just fine on first try, though ran just a touch more smoothly after doing the easy-to-make airflow adjustment that's clearly described in the HM instructions (it's nice to know how easy this is as they suggest it may need re-adjusting at altitude).

So, you're saying you don't need the neutral ground plug when connected to generator for power?  Has anyone else experienced this?

I won't be able to try it until we get a generator . . . . whenever that might be!

So here's a dumb question: We've never run a trailer on generator power; our precious RV had a built-in generator.  Do you start the generator, then plug in the power cord or plug in the power cord, then start the generator?  Or, does it matter . . . . .