Generator

[alanzuck]

I am thinking of getting the Honda 2000 generator, and I have a question.

Can this portable generator be kept in the front storage compartment of my 3295? Is the compartment strong enough to hold it when traveling? Also, if it can be kept there, can it also be used there, or must it be kept outside where there is more ventilation?

I will be taking a trip in January to the Copper Canyon in Mexico. On that trip, we will be traveling on a flatcar railroad car for 5 days and nights. This will be completely dry camping. Is it essential that I have a generator for that time? I have been told that it is good enough to recharge the battery every day by starting the truck every morning and letting it run for an hour or so?

[HamRad]

alanzuck,
Hello Dalia and Alan.... we have the same model and we carry our Honda 2000i in the front compartment. We've carried it there for over a year. When I first put it in I was worried about it supporting it but no problems so far. I would like to operate it in the compartment but I DON'T. I think one could operate it in there if you left the door open and weren't in the trailer. If you're sitting outside the trailer watching the miles roll by on the flatcar it would probably be ok.

I always take mine to the rear of the unit to run it. A couple of times I've set it under the front overhang but like it better at the back.

I have tried charging my batteries by running the truck while it is hooked up. It does not really work for me. I think only a trickle charge is supplied... not really sufficient for full charging. An hour or two with the Honda, however, is more than enough!

Good luck and have fun on your trip to Copper Canyon.

HamRad

[foggyb]

HI I have the same generator and haul it in the front compartment but didn't like the flimsey floor so I put a 1/2 inch pressure treated plywood floor over the metal one. I also have added two golf cart 6 volt batteries in series with the 12v already in the compartment so I really had reservations about the strength of the floor. So far it works well. We don't run the generator in the compartment and also use a seperate battery charger when running the generator. That puts a lot more than a tricle charge into the batteries during the generator run and cuts down on the time it has to run. Dan

[fulltimedreamer]

Alan,

I can't help you on the generator as I haven't used one. However, we are interested in the Copper Canyon railcar trip. Let us know how it goes as we plan to do this in a few years.

[alanzuck]

I just ordered the Honda EU2000i generator. After doing a lot of reading and speaking to several people, it seems that is the way to go. I should have it in a few days.

I never had a generator before, and I'm not so sure how it will work, but I will let you know.

Also, I will let you know about our trip to the Copper Canyon. We go from January 10 to February 5, with the company "Tracks to Adventure." We leave from El Paso, Texas and return to San Diego, California.