Posted: 6/14/2008 1:10:07 PM EDT
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The generators that were going for 150$ shipped to your door from Parts America. We did a little bit of testing with them today. We were running both 120V outlets, one with 1700 Watts and the other with 1650. Thats 3350 watts. The generator is rated at 3500 Watts continuous and 4000W peak. After about 2 minutes at that load the generator starts to fail. It starts sputtering like its stalling. Has anyone else with one of these generators had any problems like this? |
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First off - Call - 1-877-338-0999 - Champion Power support. 2nd - I'm curious how you were pulling from which 120V outlets. Did you use the 120/240 twist lock with an adapter - or the 30 amp "RV" plug as the 2nd 120V source? You said "the generator starts to fail. It starts sputerring..." Fresh clean gas? (I have added an INLINE replaceable fuel filter) Does it run O.K. WITHOUT a load? |
I've seen several reports that the gas cap doesn't vent like it should. After the engine draws some gas from the tank, a vacuum develops inside it that hinders any further gas flow. If the engine resumes smooth operation after the gas cap is loosened a bit, you've found your culprit. |
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There are many owners of the Champion generators on the RVnet forums. You could also try searching/posting over there. www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/listings/forum/39.cfm |
We were using the RV plug with an adapter. Like this  The gas was recently purchased less than a week ago. It has no problem without a load. We were using hair dryers as a load. If I turned down one of the hair dryers (cutting the total load to 2600Watts) the generator would come right back to life. We'll try the gas cap thing, but I dont think thats it. |
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I'd suggest you hook a watt meter up. Hair driers are not consistent in their design or power usage. That watt rating on them is as much a marketing thing giving an idea of temperature as a real watt usage. They tend to use more wattage the longer they are on. That's why they burn out if you leave them on too long. It sounds like you are overloading the gen. The only way really to find a gens peak continuous is by monitoring the watts. Watt meter have become very inexpensive with the low end inline units as inexpensive as $20-$30. Even if they were consistent at 3,350 watts on a 3,500 watt rated continuous, you're probably still too close to the rating. That rating is like any other specification and plus or minus rating tolerance. How tight gens hold that rating is one of the little extras you pay a lot more for in the higher end generators. Tj |
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+1 on a Watt meter...... I have pulled about 2,200 thru mine (Watt meter confirmed) without a hitch as well. I've only used the 120V / 20 amp single plug on the far right so far. The RV plug shows good for up to 30 amps (3,600 ??) - I guess your converter would be at least good for 15 or 20 amps? I'll try more of a load thru multiple outlets and see what mine does. (Need to buy some plug converters though!) If it's not an overload - sounds like the AVR - which Champion will get to you ASAP after a bit of diagnostics on the phone. Should be easy to replace. Hope you get it squared away quick. |
I don't know what the watt rating tolerances are on generators. I've yet to read specification even on Honda or Yamaha. I have read many threads on the topic claiming variances as high as 10-20%. Most manufacturers recommend a continuous load of 50%. Keep in mind, though typically its not much but looking at how close you are testing, the wires you use both length and thickness/gage will have some impact due to resistance. I had a 5hp air compressor (Sears) that flat out wouldn't work on an extension cord but would directly plugged into the socket and I was using high amperage short extension cord. BTW, Though the real test of a gen is running the stuff you need it to run and the watt meter best for sizing to know that what you need to run can be ran, this is a neat thread and a neat thing you're trying. Its a comforting thought to know your gen will run what you need it too but awfully good information to know what the max is you could run if needed. Tj |
I'm betting on this being the problem also. |