Honda EU2000i
June 13, 2017
I pulled the trigger and ordered the generator today. It was a hard decision to make. I was on the fence for a long time. Should I go for brand name and pay the money or try to save some and hope the product will be reliable.
Since we bought the 5th Wheel we stayed equal amount of times in campgrounds with the power and without. The times we stayed in campsites without the power I borrowed my friends generators. Two WEN 56200i that he bought on Amazon for half of the price that one HONDA cost.
One time I rented Honda EU2000i from the United Rentals for $58 per week so I could compare both of them. To be honest I was not able to tell a difference in performance or noise. So that made it even harder to decide...
At the end of the day I chose Honda just because it's reviews and longevity (not sure if this is a real word or I just made it up). The thing that helped me to separate with $1000.00 was the simple fact that Honda has been around for a many years and people who owned them for 10-15 years still happy with it. WEN also has good reviews but it's relatively new and who knows how they will perform with the time and usage.
VS
So now we will wait and take it for a run this weekend.
June 16, 2017
The generator was delivered right when we were leaving and because we had a campsite wit electricity I did not bothered to bring it with me this weekend...
June 19, 2017
Today I opened the box to get this puppy going, but to my surprise the box did not contained oil. I saw some videos of un-boxing new Honda generators and they all contained a bottle of motor oil...mine did not. Not sure if Honda decided to save some money on $3.00 bottle of oil or simply forgot.
I had to make a quick trip to the local LOWE'S. They do not have Honda brand so I bought John Deer. The way I see it if its god for their equipment it has to be good enough for Honda...
After removing side panel with a simple turn of the screwdriver and removing oil tank cap I tilted the generator forward to check if manufacturer relay sends the generator without oil... To be honest, I was surprised to see some oil pouring over the lip.
I guess Honda do not send it completely dry and have some oil in it... Kudos to Honda engineers for designing a little plastic lip so the accidental oil spill don't drip directly inside the casing and make a mess overtime... I was able to use paper towel and oil spill was taking care off...
With the oil filled up to the brim and oil tank cap back in place I added gas to the tank and was ready for the start up and test run.
Choke - check, Power ON - check...pull on the cord....pull on the cord....pull on the cord...nothing... Did I forgot something? Oh yes, the gas was OFF...switched gas cap to On position, yanked on the cord and the generator came to life...
Plugged the patio lights to test the load it works like a charm... I am ready to go camping now, use this puppy a lot and see how it will perform.
I will post some updates once in while about general performance, likes and dislikes...problems if any... Now I just need to save some "dope" for another one so my girl could run her hair dryer and AC as needed...
December 10, 2017
I used generator on several camping trips now for total of about 36 hrs. I Love it!
It starts every time and works impeccably well. No more worries about draining batteries and camping in the cold or dark. Noise while on Eco mode is minimal, so you don't have to worry about annoying your neighbors or camp host. We normally comply with quiet hours so that's not an issue, but on several occasions we started earlier in the morning to get us a fresh cup of coffee...
Totally recommend to get one if you thinking about. It makes camping so much enjoyable and hassle free.
I added a link bellow for both generator so you chose whats right for you and your pocket.
August 7, 2018
Still going strong. Starts after 2-3 pulls when cold and stored for several weeks. After first warm up run it starts at the first pull...every time. I probably have about 90 hrs. now. Mainly recharge the 5th Wheel batteries or when my girl is using hair blower or microwave. Noise is minimal. I tend to place it behind the tree and away from the camp to further minimize the noise. I use 100 foot extension cord and had no issues with overload or getting cord hot. So far very happy with choice.
I did however modified the unit a little... painted exterior to blend in with the nature better. Got really tired of staring at the red blob...so I bought some paint and on one lazy afternoon I painted it. You can read about this project here - Painting Generator.
