We bought this same exact model atleast 5 years ago and haven't had a problem. They are the same as far as loudness and i only paid 300 for mine.
Tailgating Generators
- Thread starter Sparkplug
- Start date
An alternative to generators for tailgating is to get one or two deep cycle batteries (plus a charger) and an inverter. You charge it up at your house overnight and one battery will usually last a full tailgate. There's no sound, it takes up little space, and is much less expensive. I'm not sure if you need a pure sine inverter for tv's, but i figure it's better safe than sorry. You could easily buy a full set up for under $250.
We did this for a couple years. We usually run a TV, a crock pot most every tailgate along a radio and found out they wouldn't keep up. I believe a person would be fine if only using one thing that needed power.
Used to have an old RV for tail gating and I can tell you that without a generator to keep charging the deep cell battery they don't really run much for very long. Just the convienence of a steady power source is worth the $400ish a generator will provide
My brother has a Honda and so does one of my buddies so if we are having a high load - like the shorepower A/C unit we just added to the bus - we can tether them with a simple harness and double our load capacity.
That is the killer in your set-up. Anything with an electrical heating element will not last with a simple battery and inverter.
I'll second the Ryobi! You can get 2 of these for the price of the Honda.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-2-...igital-Inverter-Generator-RYi2200GR/300404697
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-2-...igital-Inverter-Generator-RYi2200GR/300404697
I had a guy come up to my tailgate last year for UNI. His crockpot had killed his car's electrical system. I think the car itself was okay, but he was blowing fuses or something.
We were able to finish cooking his dogs on our grill. He was a good guy, but it actually was his first tailgate.
I have been around many different generators while tailgating and while at other events like airshows.... The Honda is the best.. and I have seen the Champion units work and be quiet. The biggest question for the Champion is where to get parts or service. Honda is easy to get serviced and parts if you need them on the road....
My son and other friends use the 2000 in parallel to get the 4000 watts... but no electric start. you also have to feed 2 units unless you get the siphon tank and caps. I used a 3000 for my first camper.... and it worked great.. but we upgraded to another camper with 2 a/c units and wanted more wattage. I grabbed a 7000 watt with fuel injection. Ran everything.. (dual air conditioners) for 3 nights on 5 gallon of fuel.. very happy with fuel usage.
My son and other friends use the 2000 in parallel to get the 4000 watts... but no electric start. you also have to feed 2 units unless you get the siphon tank and caps. I used a 3000 for my first camper.... and it worked great.. but we upgraded to another camper with 2 a/c units and wanted more wattage. I grabbed a 7000 watt with fuel injection. Ran everything.. (dual air conditioners) for 3 nights on 5 gallon of fuel.. very happy with fuel usage.
