Do we really need to spend $2K on a Honda Generator?????

I saw a few quiet ones at the Sydney 4x4 show recently but I didn't take a lot of notice of them, but Yamaha have some. Check the specs on the Honda and use them as a comparison for other quality units! Honda are expensive and quiet, you cant beat them for reliability! Michael

I guess you do then.
Of course you can do it simply, and cheaply, (you can travel around Aus on a pushbike) but many people nowadays require their coffee machines, satellite tv's, electric blankets, dvd players, recliners, in laws, grandchildren, stereo, blender, laptops etc. You get the idea.

Honda is good gear. Of course you'll also need about 10km of extension leads to get the creature far enough away along with petrol supplies (which is another storage problem in itself).

The answer is no,buy a Kipor,there the same only painted blue and $500 cheaper.Ive got one and very happy with it Wally

Honda Eu20i is not the best friend with all air conditioners either I have 2006 van with a Dometic air con and it will only just run the air con nothing else on a hot day!

Hi. If you are on the road all around Oz for a few years full time then get the better quality items to start with. It will pay in the long run. You can buy the Eu20 here for a lot cheaper than 2 grand. I'm sure you don't need the extras they want you to buy. I have run ours on two 20m leads to two Caravans to charge both vans' batteries when we had two cloudy days and the other lady used a hair dryer as well. You could hear it running the hair dryer but it ran on eco mode for the charging and was hardly noticeable. Regards,Bob.

G`day,
Unless you have somehow to charge the batteries if the weather turns sour for several days, then yes you will require a generator.
I have just bought a new Yamaha EF2000iS for less than $1800 delivered.
I previously had a Honda eu10i but it stuffed up and I have found it extremely difficult to get much information from either Honda or the dealer.
I have lost confidence in Honda products and service, and because I have had an excellent run with my other Yamaha products I will now try their Generator.

Enjoy your travels,

Scrubby.

With the trip plans you describe, I'm sure you'll never regret investing in a quality generator.
Its not just the appliances you want to take with you - its those overcast drizzly days that can go on and on when you are camped out - solar is no use and you can't let batteries get flat. Agree re above that $2000 is too much for the Honda - caravan and camping show specials are a good opportunity for keen pricing, plus the discounters online.
Yamaha have a great reputation too and are priced a little lower that the Honda. I get by with a Yamaha 1.0 @ 13kg, being our battery charging backup - we can't run our van's air conditioner in the bush and I have to leave my twin thermoblock milk frothing drug producing espresso machine at home (sob)...... but 13kg is about all my dicky back can handle :-o).

I'm happy with my Genquip 2000 about half the price of a Honda
Kev

Over the life of your generator, Honda will be cheap at the price. They are reliable, built to last, light and easy to handle and start - even for a girl. Quietness as already mentioned - they just purr. When camped near others using Hondas we have to go outside the caravan to be sure the genny is still going. With the cheaper brands, it is not so much the noise level but the annoying rhythm of the sound. When touring in the Kimberley, most who were using generators had either the one or two kva - not a bother to us in the campgrounds.

The Honda 2kva is the pick of the generators and is very quiet. However, my air command air conditioner keeps tripping out when it is very hot with the 2 kva just when I need it. I have purchased a Kipor 2.6 kva which is considerably cheaper and does the job every time. If you are unsure of the load of the air conditioner or coffee machine it may pay to borrow or hire one to make sure it will do the job you require.

Hi

Your car's alternator can charge the batteries. 100 or 150 amps, you won't need to run the engine for long to charge even 4 big deep cycle batteries. The savings in weight, different flammable fuel etc are huge.

Its a personal preference, but I'd spend my money on a good solar setup, and fall back on the car's alternator in overcast situations.

Bob

I must say every lawn mower, whipper snipper, chain saw has had me pulling the cord until I'm blue in the face but the Honda gennie starts on the first or 2nd pull every time. I sometimes think we overbooked with the 2kv and maybe the smaller one would've kept our batteries going but we don't take evry gadget known to mankind and a coffee pot is fine for us. You should pick one up for $1700. (a generator that is, not a coffee pot ;))

Eight years on and still running beaut..... Honda is King on reliability. Bushtracker load tested Kipors on their vans and they failed miserably. If a particular make or model does not run an aircondition it may be either due to the power requirement of the aircons or the true rating of the gennies. The best bet is solar but you will still need an alternative for those periods of extended lousy weather.

You pays your money and make your choice then live with the consequences.

John

I agree that you should take a generator if you can afford one. I also agree with all the Honda comments but if $'s is the issue.. have a look at the Genquip range

http://www.genquip.com.au/digital-inverter-generator-2000w/

make sure you compare apples with apples e.g. Output Range an Max Output etc.

One important consideration that seems to have been forgotten and that is one must consider what type of electrical equipment will you be running. Particularly, if you will be using the generating capacity to operate sensitive electronic equipment, you MUST get a generator that produces a PURE sine wave.

There are sales people out there who will tell you that a modified sine wave will be fine for computers and gaming consoles but believe you me (I made electricity for 30 years operating a coal fired power station), they are NOT. If you use modified sine wave generators to run these types of equipment you seriously risk the well being of the gear. Don't get burnt by con merchants.

Regards ... Ajay and Fletch.

Genquip or Yamaha, minimum 2.4kva and don't forget the fuel stabiliser....

Cheers

Merv

Others with much more frst hand experience than me may offer more on this, but as far as size goes 2KVA is probably about the minumum you would want if you are talking coffee makers, boiling kettles, microwaves, running air con, etc - the larger power type items.

You need to check the VA rating (not just the Watt rating) of the devices you want to use and see what the largest of them is. Some can also have high startup currents that will knock the generator out if it is not big enough to cope.

Without getting complicated, if a device only has a Watt rating and a Power Factor (PF) divide the Watts by the PF (ie. 300W with 0.6 PF is 500VA) and then add some "fudge factor".

Intersting as we did a test with a 2kva Kipor on a mates caravan and it failed once the Fridge, Battery charger and air con was turned on. With the EU 2.0 we had everything on including the air con, fridge, Battery charger, turned the microwave on full for 2 minutes boiling water and still did it no worries. We even considered turning on the 240v hot plate but knew that would be pushing it so did not bother!

He has since bought a honda and will be offloading the Kipor in the very near future. He paid $1550.00 for his but he picked it up! 2 grand is excessive these days for this genny

Buy the cheapest Chinese one you can find and just wear earmuffs and communicate via little whiteboards and a texta or learn handsign.
Only need to know the bent elbow with tilting hand to mouth for a beer or thumb to forefinger and second finger for food. After a while you also shake the fist.
Get pictures of birds to hang in the trees 'cos they will be gone too.
It wont have much grunt, but hey, its cheap.
It will also annoy the beeep out of everybody else for a mile around you but at least you save a little bit for a while , meet a few others over a punch-up and then in a few years or when somebody smashes your Chinese one, you will get a Honda or Yamaha.
Sorry, had to have a story.....Let him get a red or blue one and it will keep you both happy !
I have had the same one you are looking at for many years and even when left for a year, second pull and it will fire up. I run mine on Premium Fuel.
If you look around you can usually find deals saving 2-3 hundred occasionally.
Sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and pay the dollars for peace of mind.
It will last you forever and if you ever want to sell it, it will sell quick for decent amount.
Enjoy your trip, safe travels.

Do you need a 2kVa generator?

Thanks guys for all your advice. It seems on this occassion my gadget loving hubby was perhaps right and the Honda is the way to go. As we are not heading off till next year we have time to hunt around for a special to ease my budgetary mind!!

I agree with Burnt Damper - my 2KV Honda won't run my A/C as well as charge the one battery on my van. I'm disappointed. Didn't expect it to run the elect jug as well. But thought the 1st 2 things would work at the same time. Should have gone bigger.