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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
  
Location: North Dakota | I am a new LQ owner as of this past weekend and need to purchase a portable generator. I've been told by the dealer to get at least a 3000-3500 watt gen, but with so many on the market I'm wondering what everyone's favorite is and what decibel I should try to stay under. Also, is the 3500 the max watts or the running watts? Any advice would be appreciated:) |
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Regular
Posts: 50
| We have had the Honda E or Ie for several years and love it. Quiet & smooth running. Get the remote start with it.  |
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Expert
Posts: 2678
Location: Mi | DITTO on the Honda. We've had a 3000 for many many years, quiet, no problems at all, you can get one cheaper but they sure don't compare! |
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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
| go 4500 or 5000watt or even 7500 if you can and go propane
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Location: Not Where I Want to Be | vjls - 2018-11-13 8:47 PM go 5000watt or even 7500 if you can and go propane
all of that is good advice if you want to spend more money than needed and have more hassle than necassary
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The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | 1DSoon - 2018-11-13 8:08 PM
vjls - 2018-11-13 8:47 PM go 5000watt or even 7500 if you can and go propane
all of that is good advice if you want to spend more money than needed and have more hassle than necassary
I should have also stated that I will need to be able to lift it out and back in to the tack area by myself. I’m not a weakling my any means, but I do know the higher the watt the more it weights and the larger it is. |
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 Star Padded Honey
Posts: 8890
Location: NW MT | WYOTurn-n-Burn - 2018-11-13 7:39 PM 1DSoon - 2018-11-13 8:08 PM vjls - 2018-11-13 8:47 PM go 5000watt or even 7500 if you can and go propane
all of that is good advice if you want to spend more money than needed and have more hassle than necassary
I should have also stated that I will need to be able to lift it out and back in to the tack area by myself. I’m not a weakling my any means, but I do know the higher the watt the more it weights and the larger it is.
A LOT of folks buy 2 of the 2000's (I think they increased them to 2100 or 2200 now) and run them tandem so get the power they need but also able to pick up & carry the inverter/generator. It's more expensive buying 2 like that, but easier for many to deal with. |
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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25351
Location: Bastrop, Texas | It’s hard to beat the Honda 3000. They weigh about 150 lbs.
They are very quiet. The bad part is you are paying a lot more versus many other generators. I owned one for several years and ended up selling it....big mistake. |
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 Poor Cracker Girl
Posts: 12150
Location: Feeding mosquitos, FL | I bought a Champion 3100 watt inverter generator before Hurricane Irma last year. I love that thing. It's quiet, it starts reliably, and it has a handle and wheels. It's not the lightest thing - I think it's 85lbs or so - but with the handle, I can get it in the back of the horse trailer easily.
We used it sitting on the back porch after Hurricane Michael and, with the doors and windows closed, you can't really hear it at all. Great little generator. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| TrackinBubba - 2018-11-14 6:38 AM
I bought a Champion 3100 watt inverter generator before Hurricane Irma last year. I love that thing. It's quiet, it starts reliably, and it has a handle and wheels. It's not the lightest thing - I think it's 85lbs or so - but with the handle, I can get it in the back of the horse trailer easily.
We used it sitting on the back porch after Hurricane Michael and, with the doors and windows closed, you can't really hear it at all. Great little generator.
My in laws also have a Champion, i believe the same size. It’s got a push start so he puts it up on the hay rack during the summer and sends my niece up there when they get to a show to plug it in and turn the key.
We have an old, loud 6500 off brand. I could wrestle it into the back tack, but it was a process. We have a ramp on the trailer now which makes it much easier if we do need to take it because it’s on wheels (threw it in as a backup when we were having some trouble with the on board). It’s loud but it’s been reasonably dependable. My husband welds with it now and plans to run it until it blows up. If we haven’t found a welder generator by then we’ll probably look at a Champion around the same size. |
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Location: Not Where I Want to Be | Honda was the bell cow in Gensets for years.
There are several others much cheaper that have made great strides in catching honda.
The 2000's run in parrell will run anything on a common LQ trailer but will be expensive.
The Champions and Subaru Gens are pretty darn nice and a 3500-4000w will not break the bank
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: Georgia | I'm needing a portable generator for a small weekend package trailer. Just needed to run the basics. No shower but a small hot water heater for a sink. What would be good generators for me to look into? I would like for it to have wheels so I can roll it. |
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The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | The Champions seem to have good reviews, but are they super noisy at full capacity? I like the look of them and I like the fact they are affordable. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
Location: MN | Ditto to the Honda 2000's. Light weight and can easily be picked up and moved around plus they are super quite. |
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 Lady Di
Posts: 21556
Location: Oklahoma | vjls - 2018-11-13 7:47 PM
go 4500 or 5000watt or even 7500 if you can and go propane
I would never own a propane generator again. I had one on an LQ once, and whenever I needed it, it wouldn't start. When we had no electricity at our house due to an ice storm, we were going to just stay in the LQ....nope....the propane got too cold and wouldn't go through the lines, so it wouldn't start, and of course, we had no way to warm it up since the generator wouldn't start. Then at rodeos, whenever it got the coldest, that's when our generator wouldn't start. I'll never own one again. Just my experience. My gasoline generators never failed to start. |
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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
| 1DSoon - 2018-11-13 9:08 PM vjls - 2018-11-13 8:47 PM go 5000watt or even 7500 if you can and go propane
all of that is good advice if you want to spend more money than needed and have more hassle than necassary
i paid 746.00 for my powermate 5500 watt propane with wheels its electric start or pull propane i do not consider tht expensive
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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
| dianeguinn - 2018-11-14 12:26 PM vjls - 2018-11-13 7:47 PM go 4500 or 5000watt or even 7500 if you can and go propane
I would never own a propane generator again. I had one on an LQ once, and whenever I needed it, it wouldn't start. When we had no electricity at our house due to an ice storm, we were going to just stay in the LQ....nope....the propane got too cold and wouldn't go through the lines, so it wouldn't start, and of course, we had no way to warm it up since the generator wouldn't start. Then at rodeos, whenever it got the coldest, that's when our generator wouldn't start. I'll never own one again. Just my experience. My gasoline generators never failed to start.
thats why they have both types me i will i will stick with prpane my son in oh his is proane too never he does promplem but... thats why there are choices :)
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The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | vjls - 2018-11-14 11:29 AM
1DSoon - 2018-11-13 9:08 PM vjls - 2018-11-13 8:47 PM go 5000watt or even 7500 if you can and go propane
all of that is good advice if you want to spend more money than needed and have more hassle than necassary
Are you lifting your 5500 in and out of your trailer by yourself? I've looked at some and they are upwards of 150lbs +; that seems heavy to me. |
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Poor Cracker Girl
Posts: 12150
Location: Feeding mosquitos, FL | WYOTurn-n-Burn - 2018-11-14 11:45 AM The Champions seem to have good reviews, but are they super noisy at full capacity? I like the look of them and I like the fact they are affordable.
The Champion inverter generators are not loud at all. You can stand next to mine at full blast and easily have a conversation. It's a tch louder than the Honda 3k that a friend of mine has (we did a sound test at a barrel race one day) but not at all noticeable. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 538
Location: Central Texas | I bought a Champion from Tractor Supply. I beleive it's the 5500. If you are standing right next to it, it is noisy, but I put it at the back end of my trailer and it's not loud in the LQ part. I've noticed most others (other than the Honda quiet ones) are the same loudness. It has wheels and i can get it in the back of my trailer by myself (with some leverage). It was less than $1000. Also I use mine for my weekender package trailer as well as at home to run 2 fridges, a freezer, and a few fans when the power goes off. It has always been reliable. I didn't use it for 2 months. We took it out and one pull started.
Edited by txcajuncowgirl 2018-11-14 1:30 PM
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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
| WYOTurn-n-Burn - 2018-11-14 1:44 PM vjls - 2018-11-14 11:29 AM 1DSoon - 2018-11-13 9:08 PM vjls - 2018-11-13 8:47 PM go 5000watt or even 7500 if you can and go propane
all of that is good advice if you want to spend more money than needed and have more hassle than necassary
i paid 746.00 for my powermate 5500 watt propane with wheels its electric start or pull propane i do not consider tht expensive
Are you lifting your 5500 in and out of your trailer by yourself? I've looked at some and they are upwards of 150lbs +; that seems heavy to me.
not anymore i can not even lift a gallon of milk
but the 1 i have is portable with wheels beforse sci and before i got lq with generator we had portable 1 that we usesed i had a ramp plus my son who was little a would roll them in to trailer the
vicky stewart |
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 It Goes On
Posts: 2262
Location: Muskogee, OK | I have a champion. It's a good generator, works for what I need but is heavy and also pretty loud. Good quality for the money, though. |
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The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | barrelracingchick16 - 2018-11-14 3:59 PM
I have a champion. It's a good generator, works for what I need but is heavy and also pretty loud. Good quality for the money, though.
How many watts is yours? |
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It Goes On
Posts: 2262
Location: Muskogee, OK | WYOTurn-n-Burn - 2018-11-14 4:11 PM
barrelracingchick16 - 2018-11-14 3:59 PM
I have a champion. It's a good generator, works for what I need but is heavy and also pretty loud. Good quality for the money, though.
How many watts is yours?
3500 running watts, 4000 startup. I have a weekender and it runs everything great (air conditioning, heat, lights, water pump, fridge/microwave). |
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Location: Not Where I Want to Be |
https://www.amazon.com/Champion-4000-Watt-Digital-Inverter-Technology/dp/B01M3R711N/ref=asc_df_B01M3R711N/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198059306090&hvpos=1o4&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6870494595787054415&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028364&hvtargid=pla-404490739847&psc=1
That Generator right there will run 99% of all LQ trailers on the Road
WIll be a very small smidge more noise than a Honda and about half the price.
Edited by 1DSoon 2018-11-14 6:43 PM
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The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota |
Thank you for the link!!! And I really appreciate your input:) |
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 Certified Snake Wrangler
Posts: 1672
Location: North MS | I have a variety- the broke down Onan Microquiet 4000 that I am tired of throwing parts at, but it sure was nice when it worked. Led to me buying a Honda 3000 that worked for everything in my trailer except the AC (older AC with higher startup amps). So I ran it in tandem with a Honda 2000 I purchased next. Well a mouse chewed my starter cord and when I pulled, it snapped. So I replaced the string (that was a doozy). Well somehow along the way the dang handle came off later and that string sucked back up in there again. Then the husband lost a screw that I found later after we bounced from MS to LA for a barrel race and the dang thing wouldn't crank. I was stuck using the single Honda 2000 which was good for basics like charging the batteries on the jack, lights, fan, hot water heater or fridge. I didn't run two big items at once. It was HOT!!!! So I found another Honda 2000 and I have been using that pair lately because they both fit in my tack area below the saddles easy. That gave me time to tear down the 3000 as I believed the motor was locked up- nope. The missing bolt was lodged so as to prevent what I call the "dynamo" that actually makes the power from turning over. So literally nothing would turn due to that bolt. Now it is back purring like a kitten. But the 3000 will run my powersaver AC I had installed, battery charger, fridge, hot water heater lights. The pair of 2000's run everything as well. I have a friend who runs his entire trailer on the Harbor Freight 3500 model. If I were to buy a new generator. I would get the harbor freight one. VERY quiet. Good on fuel. My friends have had zero problems |
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Location: Not Where I Want to Be | bluerose2001 - 2018-12-06 12:31 AM I have a variety- the broke down Onan Microquiet 4000 that I am tired of throwing parts at, but it sure was nice when it worked. Led to me buying a Honda 3000 that worked for everything in my trailer except the AC (older AC with higher startup amps). So I ran it in tandem with a Honda 2000 I purchased next. Well a mouse chewed my starter cord and when I pulled, it snapped. So I replaced the string (that was a doozy). Well somehow along the way the dang handle came off later and that string sucked back up in there again. Then the husband lost a screw that I found later after we bounced from MS to LA for a barrel race and the dang thing wouldn't crank. I was stuck using the single Honda 2000 which was good for basics like charging the batteries on the jack, lights, fan, hot water heater or fridge. I didn't run two big items at once. It was HOT!!!! So I found another Honda 2000 and I have been using that pair lately because they both fit in my tack area below the saddles easy. That gave me time to tear down the 3000 as I believed the motor was locked up- nope. The missing bolt was lodged so as to prevent what I call the "dynamo" that actually makes the power from turning over. So literally nothing would turn due to that bolt. Now it is back purring like a kitten. But the 3000 will run my powersaver AC I had installed, battery charger, fridge, hot water heater lights. The pair of 2000's run everything as well. I have a friend who runs his entire trailer on the Harbor Freight 3500 model. If I were to buy a new generator. I would get the harbor freight one. VERY quiet. Good on fuel. My friends have had zero problems you could have replaced your onboard for about the same money or less than all the honda portables you bought.
Edited by 1DSoon 2018-12-06 6:20 AM
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Portable Generators