Latest dilemma, Onan 5.5 or Honda eu6500i

[KTManiac]

Inches from ordering an '09 3605RL.

I have everything pretty much configured the way I want it, except the generator. I'm vacillating on whether to get the Onan installed and be done with it, or getting a Honda 6500w "portable" (or maybe two 3000w ones and link them when needed)

On the one hand, it would be nice to just start the Onan from inside the rig and forget about it, but then I start thinking of all the other things I could store in that space, and haul a Honda gen in the bed of the truck.

Onan generator

pros:
convenient, easy to use
runs on propane = less maintenence (and don't have to haul gasoline)

cons:
takes up prime storage space
noise & vibration in the 5er (67dB)
heavier than the Honda dry weight (somewhat negated by weight for gasoline needed for Honda)


Honda generator

pros:
can use it elsewhere (portable)
can locate it away from the 5er, less noise & no vibration (60 dB)
more storage area in front bay

cons:
more hassle, have to go outside to fire it up (remote start maybe?)
loading & unloading into & out of truck bed
worry about someone walking off with it
need gas cans (not really a con for me because I have to anyway for the motorcycles)

I'm sure there are more pros and cons that I have not thought about, and maybe I am wrong about some that I have listed. I'm a n00b when it comes to an integrated generator system. I would like to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks!

[Jim Jarvis]

Generators are expensive and they are expensive to run. If I were to do it again I would buy a smaller generator, such as a Honda 2000, and invest more in solar power.

[skypilot]

Question first is how much will you use it? Where (a lot of camp grounds have quiet hours / generator restrictions)? and then there is the weight issue. I see you mentioning Honda 3KWs, these are over 100 lbs each (2KWs are about 50 lbs each wet). Then you have the weight of the cabling and hassle of cabling from where ever you place the generator(s) to the trailer. I don't use mine enough to warrant the Onan but I must admit that hooking up the 2 honda's I have (2 Kws with parallel kit) and everything has become a chore to me. Do love the AC in the summer though so..... Flip side is that in cooler weather, one generator will normally handle the load, runs for 12 or more hours on .9 gallon of gas and is very quiet in econo mode. Mine are getting a few years on them now and I do notice that one will not spool up from econo mode to full power fast enough when the wife or I use the microwave -- the other one will. Last year both would handle the microwave individually.

You might also look at Yamaha generators -- they have a 2400 or 2800 model that is just a little more wattage than the Honda, also able to be paralleled together, and weight about 55 lbs wet. Boss has one of them and speaks just as highly about the Yamaha as his smaller (1KW) Honda.

One more thing, whichever one you get, remember that you need to run them at least 30 minutes a month, under an electrical load. The worst thing you can do to a generator is let it sit without being worked.

[bsmeaton]

It looks like you've done your research, only thing left is personal preference.

We had the Onan LP 5500 installed in our 2003, and transferred it to our 2007. To us it has become as much of a necessary luxury as most of the rest of the appliances on the Monty. I can start it from my key fob regardless of whether I'm inside, outside, or even on the road. We use it to pre-cool the Monty before pulling into the campground, roadside lunches, extended stays while boondocking, and even maintenance to run compressors, drills, etc. I'm sure we could do the same with portables, but I probably wouldn't bother most of the time because of the need to hook it all up and start the units.

As Jim says, the LP consumption is too high for continous running while boondocking, but it does serve to periodically charge up batteries for low voltage consumption. If I ever got into serious long term boondocking I would probably also invest in a small portable, which I could also use around the house, but so far I haven't found the need.

Just a note on your pros/con list - the Onan suspension is super, and I've never felt any vibration in the Monty with it running. In fact, it is so quiet and smooth I sometimes can't tell if it started or not and I have to walk outside to check it.

Have fun!

[daneboy]

Brad,
Your Onan sounds super. I didn't know they made one that isn't noisy. I opted for the little Honda 2000i because it doesn't make hardly any noise. Also Honda motors run forever, without much maintence. I just use it to charge the batteries and watch a DVD now and again. However the convenience of yours sound wonderful. KTManiac, good luck with your fine new rig.
Jerry

[chas]

I have a eu 6500 it is not a very portable unit it weighs 250 lbs it is not the thing you want to roll off the pickup bed . I solved the problem , I installed a hitch on the rear of the camper , and a hitch haul carrier . It gets the generator off the pickup - making more room - it gets the gen away from the bedroom ( no noise ) no worry about fumes and carbon monoxide - no running cables all the way to the truck , the generator sits lower and you can fill with gas without climbing . I took off the wheels and the axle sits on top the frame , i can change oil and use the recoil starter if need be without moving the generator -- no paraell cables to mess with .
enough power to run anything just like being in a park . Hitch world in the keys installed hitch for 150.00

[chas]

what is really nice is , you have the 220 volt option on the 6500 that allows u to draw up to 45 amps when pluged in corectly ( download the owners manuel for the eu 6500 it tells you how to use this feature )

[chas]

I forgot , you can chain the unit to the hitch haul and or use bycicle cable locks I also run 2 cheap strap ratchet binders from k mart to secure . Just wrap a small tarp around it or a fancy honda cover and forget it

[Waynem]

I had the Onan 5500 installed in my 3400RL when I purchased it in August 2007. I traded the 3400RL in August 2008. I can remember one instance when On the road that I used it. It was in Memphis, TN at a CG when a transformer blew. I cranked it up for about 2 hours. I always stayed in CG's that had FHU's and never needed the Onan. I ran it occasionally in the driveway, just to exercise it for 30 minutes, but never on a monthly basis like I should have.

When I evacuated from hurricane Ike, I had to run the generator in the SOB for a day and a half. And we needed it then. A generator is like insurance - you only need it once in a while, but when you do you are so glad that you have it.

The Onan 5500 is good for about 8 hours on a 30 pound tank of propane, then you have to refil the propane tank - just bothersome to do. Some CG's have portable trucks that come around once a week and will fill them, otherwise off to town to get it filled. I cannot speak for the operational aspect of the portable generators, but I think they run longer on a tank of gas - guess it depends on the size of the tank.

The Onan 5500 did not vibrate the Hanna, and was not noisy sitting in the Hanna. After all, both the front and back AC's were running with no problem at all.

You have done your research. It's just a matter of preference.

[exav8tr]

KT, I haven't heard about your camping preferences, Full hook up vs boondocking or occasional boondocking. Let me just say this: My sister and bil have had a fiver for over ten years and full timed for over 4 1/2 years and they have never had a generator and do not plan on getting one. Why? They don't boondock at all, their choice obviously. I have been fulltiming for over 18 months (I know, not very long in the grand theme of things), I boondocked at Quartzsite earlier this year for about 10 days and used a Honda 2000, I again used the gen in Ohio when Ike blew down our power, Power restored in less than 24 hours. Of course, I was limited in what I could run during this time, i.e. no AC nor Mircowave. My point is that you must decide on the style of camping you want to do and buy a gen to fit those needs, sort of like buying the trailer to begin with. There seems to be a huge price difference in an Onan vs a small Honda. No one can tell you which one is best for you except yourself. BTW my 3400RL has the gen prep but so far, I have elected not to have a unit installed. I carry my Honda in a tool box in the back of my truck, (Locked, of course). In short, define your camping style and you will have your answer. Good luck!!!!

[KTManiac]

Good point Phil.

We do about 90% wilderness/dry camping with our 24'TT and will try to maintain that ratio with the future 5er. The thing is, here in the PNW, we have only used the AC maybe 3 times in the 6 years we've had it. Due to the size increase, we will probably not fit into a bunch of our favorite hideaways and will need to find some new places to "boondock" as you call it. I'm not retired yet, so most likely will not be long-timing it anytime soon. Might do a little more National Park camping, as the wife has a Golden Age Pass, half price is nice! Most of the places we camp at are $5/night USFS spots or free, but on a road trip we would probably stay at full hook-up spots, or overnight at a Wal-Mart, to stay near the highway until reaching the final destination.

At any rate, we would need a generator to run the halftime oven, a tv, and charge the batteries mostly. On the rare occassion that AC is needed, I'm not sure if 2 linked eu2000 Honda gens would get the one 15k btu AC to start, and if it did, would not likely run much else at the same time. I think 2 eu3000 units would be the way to go if we were to need the AC for any length of time with other concurrent demands. When AC is not needed, one eu3000 would be way more than sufficient for our needs.

I would like to get out to the southwest states and over to NM a few times for some short stays, so AC would be nice to have (and needed more often).

The Onan 5.5kw, at .4 gal/hr with no load and 1.1 gal/hr at full load will suck a 30# propane tank dry "tout de suite" with about 10 hours of use at 50% demand, if my calculations are correct. ...and I don't see too many propane fill stations where I do most of my camping. Not very cost effective in my mind, but extremely convenient!

The 6500w honda burns about 1 gal/hr at full load, and two 3000w together is roughly the same. So there is no free lunch there, but the Eco-switch makes for good economy on them when demand is low.

Long post, huh!? Anyway, it looks as though I'm talking myself into the multiple portable gen route, whether they be honda, yamaha, or some other quiet unit.

[exav8tr]

KT, After reading your post and seeing what your preferences for camping are, I would go with the built-in Onan, probably a gas unit. The handling of the portable units, in my opinion, would get old very quickly. Keep in mind, the Honda 3000s weigh 147 lbs each, a tad too much to be lugging out of the truck when I needed them, by contrast the 2000s weigh in around 50 each, a little more user friendly. The only other way I would go is for the Honda 6500 on the back of the Monty, but I've heard they are fairly loud and you may find restrictions at parks for running them all night. You have a lot to decide, good luck in whichever way you go. The great thing is there is no "right or wrong" way to go, only what you prefer..

[skypilot]

KT: As I mentioned earlier I have two honda 2KWs which I parallel together. Both running I can run the big AC in the main room (15K as I recall) and wife runs the microwave while the TV and interior lights are on. Never had a problem with that -- we are running water heater on propane; refer is set to Auto so it is running on electric at this time. Now, that said, I have noticed that if the microwave is running and the AC kicks on, it will trip the generators every once in a while. I think it has to do with the spool up time from econo mode that is causing this because in the really warm weather when we are tailgating -- and I'm running both out of econo mode -- I don't have that problem at all. Again, if I had it to over again, I'd look real hard at the Yamaha 24 or 28KW models. The 3KW is getting up in weight and I can no longer lift that much weight without bank pain. (oh the ramifications of getting older!!! -- Dang calendar is moving to fast!!! ).

Wife looking over my shoulders just corrected me -- said we'd look real hard at the Onan and be done with it!! Guess the boss has spoken

[bsmeaton]

One downside to our Onan is there is no "econo mode". It runs the same rpm regardless of load.

[KTManiac]

Well, I've finally decided. It's portable generators for me. This afternoon I ordered the 3605RL without the Onan generator or the generator prep option. Now I just have to figure out which ones to get.