pnichols
Santa Cruz Mountains
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Joined: 04/26/2005
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I have a Classs C MH with a Onan 4KW Microquiet nicely installed by Winnebago in a compartment on the dinette side well away from the sleeping areas. The Onan sits well up inside the enclosure -> not with the bottom of it sticking 2-3 inches out under like on some rigs.
I use Mobil 1 Extended Performance synthetic in it and a special spark plug, which quiets it down even more over using the stock oil/plug. Even though it's spec is 67 dB, with Winnebago's install and the upgraded oil and plug, it's now quite acceptable on noise level, inside and out. We ran it all night recently in the hot/humid South, and we could not hear it inside over the air conditioner's fan. (We left a roof vent fan running on low, set on AIR IN, to ensure safety through use of positive interior air pressure.)
Of course it's louder than our little Honda portable we carry too, but the Onan is so powerful and ultra-convenient that we rarely mess with getting out and setting up the portable. We figure the Onan uses about 0.4 gallons of gasoline per hour out of the main chassis tank when runnning the A/C, so about 2 1/2 hours per gallon in this high power situation isn't too bad a tradeoff when needed for comfort. For charging our batteries/running hair dryers/etc., the Onan probably runs about 3 hours on one gallon. (The special spark plug we use also reduces fuel consumption on small engines.)
Note that even though inverter generators do throttle back and run slower at lower power loads thus using less fuel and making less noise ... an Onan, even though staying at 3600 rpm, does of course use less fuel and run quieter with lighter loading.
Phil, 2005 E450 Itasca 324V Spirit
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dave14117
Redmond, Wa
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Joined: 05/03/2004
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We have the Honda EU3000is, which you probably have seen, runs at 49-58db. The 49db, on Eco-Throttle, is the normal operating mode unless you're running the A/C.
Thanks,
Dave
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SULTINI
PENNSYLVANIA
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Joined: 06/08/2004
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Jaybirdsdu wrote:Better keep it quiet the noise police might hear you!!!!!  The point here is you got what you can afford. I got a Briggs & Stratton 4000/watt. Its big and loud, but its all I can afford! If that bothers anyone, TO BAD!!!!
That's not really nice Brother camper. I always though campers were kind friendly people, I guess not all as in every thing else.
SULTINI
FOURWINDS SIESTA 29BG
FORD E 450
31' 3 SLIDES
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pnichols
Santa Cruz Mountains
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Joined: 04/26/2005
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"The 49db, on Eco-Throttle..."
That is the lowest dB noise spec I've seen on any portable generator, anywhere, at any time.
I think I've walked past/heard non-portable generators even quieter, but no portables quieter than the EU3000is.
Hats off to Honda on this one ... fantastic design/engineering job!
P.S. I own another model portable Honda (non-inverting) generator that runs at a constant 3600 RPM and has the quietest full speed noise spec that I've seen on any portable generator, anywhere, at any time. My Honda EX650 runs at a constant 3600 RPM at 54dB.
* This post was
edited 10/31/09 11:22pm by pnichols *
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Old & Slow
Texas
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Joined: 07/25/2007
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SULTINI wrote:Jaybirdsdu wrote:Better keep it quiet the noise police might hear you!!!!! The point here is you got what you can afford. I got a Briggs & Stratton 4000/watt. Its big and loud, but its all I can afford! If that bothers anyone, TO BAD!!!!
That's not really nice Brother camper. I always though campers were kind friendly people, I guess not all as in every thing else.
It seems all generator threads get into the noise factor. Not sure, maybe some of the issue has to do with the generation gap. Us old timers remember when campin' was campin'. Quiet and peace. Friendly folks, all. Where the 'noise police' sayin' came from, not sure. But I don't think it should be so often used. I guess peace and quiet comes at a price. BUT, my OEM is not silent. For a price me thinks the NEW rigs should have two gens. One biggie and a smaller more quiet one to top up the batts?
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bikendan
Napa, Cal.
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Joined: 11/21/2005
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Good Sam RV Club
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SULTINI wrote:Jaybirdsdu wrote:Better keep it quiet the noise police might hear you!!!!! The point here is you got what you can afford. I got a Briggs & Stratton 4000/watt. Its big and loud, but its all I can afford! If that bothers anyone, TO BAD!!!!
That's not really nice Brother camper. I always though campers were kind friendly people, I guess not all as in every thing else.
this is just an example of today's attitudes. used to be people were polite and considerate of their neighbors. but the "I can do what I want and screw everyone else!" attitude is now the norm.
Dan- Firefighter , Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur , Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever , 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
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PPCLI-Jim
canadas west coast
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Bikendan I agree with you 100% it seems that there are more of that kind out and about or, is it that there are just more people out and about? I have 2 gennies one is a 6.5 k Onan never a crowd pleaser, and a 650w Honda with a baffle box that ive just constructed .. When i go to the camp grounds there are generally no constraints on the generators except for timings . That said I dont run my Onan unless i have to and for as short as time as I can get away with it . I exercise it when out on the road or WAY out in the woods, even then I find it loud . generally you will find my EM 650 bubbling away next to the front of the MH and then it goes to my fridge other then that I'm good for peace and quiet. While theres alot of back and forth about gennies and colours the only argument i wade into it the noise one . i personally dont care what colour or size as long as its quiet.
Been there, doing that have a few T shirts .
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officergator
Central Florida
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I agree with the peace and quiet, I went to Smokemont for a couple weeks, and it was nice, but there were generators running during the day, but no one really had one running all the time. Although peace and quiet is good, the need to charge batteries so the darn furnace lights when you crank it up and the lights come on so you can see is a necessity. I plan on running a gen for a couple hours a day max, no need to power the whole darn rig all day and night. If you need that, stay at a campground with shore power.
Which brings me to an experiment we conducted last night. Being a police officer I have access to some nice "toys". Radars, in car cameras, and a decibel meter when measuring music and muffler levels. Kinda funny, all these posts I have made and never thought to do my own independent research. Well tonight I did. I happened to be working a burglary and had to call an evidence officer out to process a scene for finger prints. Well due to the humidity part of a car was wet. I noticed as my evidence officer rolled a drawer out of the side of the truck with of all things, the Honda EU3000. The quiet big daddy everyone has been talking about. The evidence officer cranked it up and man it was QUIET. I was absolutely in awe. Then she hooked up a big hair dryer, to dry the door of the car, and a couple large floop lamps for light. That quiet EU3000 I was in awe of..... GOT LOUD! Hence I run to the trunk of the car and break out the ol decibel meter. At seven feet, 64db! It flucuated between 64 and 65, but lets say 64 to be nice. HMMMMMMMMM........
At a constant 68db, 4-5db higher than the Honda, the Champion sounds really good. No pun intended. Just thought I would share that. Call a momentary misuse of police equipment, but I just had to know!
2007 Dodge Ram 1500 ThunderRoad
1998 Coachmen Catalina Lite 24D
1 Beautiful Wife
3 Howling Beagles
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Old & Slow
Texas
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Joined: 07/25/2007
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To be really fair, the difference in 7 feet and 7 meters is considerable. When I checked my Onan at 5/7 feet the meter read 75 dBA. This is pretty loud if you are a close neighbor. Yes, I own a Chanpion and know the little fellow quite well. I built 12 different boxes to test different ideas to add some silence. If the issue were not 'serious' the subject would not be number one with most generator threads. So the question will remain, what to buy, red, blue, yellow or some other color. Yes, the sky is blue and most owners of that color are saying the 3000i is the one to buy. And I wish the Honda 650 was still on the market.
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greenrvgreen
open road
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Joined: 09/05/2007
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Gator 5-0:
This is the heart of the controversy, IMO. While the Champion is significantly louder at low output than a Honda at low output, the difference is MUCH less at high output for both units. When forced to compare both at max output, Honda-only purists starts warbling about the sound signature of the Champion being "inferior".
I have the Champion 3500 and the 1200, and I love them both. As others have said the Champion 3500 is BIG, designed to run a 30-amp RV robustly, and since it does NOT have any sort of econo mode, it's going to use a lot of gas if you're just running a light or two, and it isn't going to be much quieter.
If you buy the Champion you are going to have to deal with occasional grumbling from nearby neighbors, and the noise police. No amount of explaining to these people about SPL or generator hours is going to placate them--they will not accept a yellow gennie.
OTOH, you would have to buy TWO Honda 2000's (and pay about $2,000) to equal the wattage of the Champion 3500, still available for around $300. Additionally, the Champion is dead simple technology, and VERY well built. This makes for a level of reliability and service life that appears to exceed that of the precious Honda.
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