About the generator...

[labontefan]

JonesFamilyJayco asked a question about my Kawasaki generator in his flagpole thread. Rather than hijack the flagpole thread to talk about generators, I thought I'd start a new topic. Maybe some of you can offer some advice also!

Now....about the generator. It's a Kawasaki 2900. I sort of lucked into it. When I bought the PU, the dealer had the generator for sale also. It belonged to a customer and he was selling it for him. Based on the research I had done online, the price sounded pretty good ($800), so I took it. The dealer showed me how to start it, and I thought it was pretty quiet compared to others I've heard. I e-mailed Kawasaki asking about an owner's manual and they sent me an order form. It was only about $6, so I ordered it and got it rather promptly.

I also researched the generator online and decided I had gotten a pretty good deal on it based on the prices I saw ($1200-$1400). And it seems to do the job.

The first couple of times I used it, I just plugged into the standard 120 volt outlet. It has a 20-amp locking plug so I got an adapter from the dealer, and used that plug for awhile. I tried running the AC with it last August at Bristol and it promptly knocked the breaker on the generator so I gave up on that.

It actually seemed to get more power from the 120V plug than the 20-amp plug so I started using that one again.

As JFJ knows, it was pretty hot in Charlotte last week (around 90 most days). Sometime around the first of the week, I decided to see if the generator would run the AC if I used the 120V plug instead of the 20-amp. It did! It definitely sounded like it was having to work at it, but it ran it!

Now the problem! Looking back, I probably should have cut the AC off and let the generator run for awhile longer. However, we cut the AC off and then turned the generator off right away. It backfired when we cut it off. The next day when I tried to start it, it fired right up. But after running a few seconds, it almost died. Then it caught back up, ran for a few more seconds, almost died, caught back up, etc. It did this about 5 or 6 times and then died completely. And it wouldn't start again. I checked the oil level and it was a little low, so I added some oil. Added some gas also since it was almost dry. Still wouldn't start. Decided the next thing to check would be the spark plug. No spark plug wrench! I got the model number of the spark plug from the manual and headed for Lowe's to get a spark plug and a wrench. They didn't have a spark plug with that number but they did have a wrench. They told me to bring the spark plug in and they would try to cross-match it. Got back with the wrench and tried to take out the spark plug...wrench was too small. *sigh*   :rolleyes:

Next day I went back to Lowe's and exchanged the spark plug wrench. This one worked and I was able to get the spark plug out. It was pretty well fouled. I tried cleaning it with a nail file, but the generator still wouldn't start. In the meantime, the battery ran down since all we had was DC power!  :banghead:

Took the dirty spark plug and headed for AutoZone. They were able to crossmatch it and find one for me. While I was there, I bought another battery--a Class 27 this time. (The one I had was a Class 24.)

Put the new spark plug in the generator and...it still wouldn't start.  

I got the names of several places in the area that worked on generators, but the idea of trying to lift it into the back of the Durango (it weighs 108 lbs empty and the gas tank was full) didn't sound like fun. I decided we could get by on battery power for the rest of the trip with the new battery.

The new battery ran down the next to last day. I had a battery charger but needed to find some place to plug it in. Finally went to Wal-Mart and bought an inverter. I connected it to the battery in the Durango, fired up the Durango, and used the inverter to power the battery charger and recharge the Class 24 battery! Whew! But by the time we left for the race Sunday evening, it was almost completely recharged--enough to run the Endless Breeze fan to keep my dog cool while we were gone, and enough to give us power for the lights and the water pump.

But back to the generator...while I was trying to find a spark plug at Lowe's, I saw several Troy-Built generators there. Prices ranged from around $500 to $1100. According to the info on the tags, even the lower priced ones can run a window AC along with other household appliances. And starting with the mid-priced ones, they have a 30-amp locking plug. I'm wondering if I might not be better off with one of them. I'm a little hesitant because the price is so much lower than the Kawasaki and some of the others (Honda, etc.). However, Troy-Built is a name I'm familiar with so I don't feel like it's an "off brand". I'm pretty sure it won't be as quiet as the Kawasaki, but as byrdr1 mentioned, noisy generators at a race track are pretty common. (I don't run it late at night or early in the morning anyway.)

Any suggestions on what might be wrong with my current generator? Any comments on the Troy-Builts?

[aw738]

I don't know how a Kawasaki engine is designed but if it is anything like a Brigg&Stratton you may have sheared the flywheel key. (This might sound redundant.) If you are not familiar with them they are a soft piece of metal that fits into a slot in the crankshaft and a corisponding slot in the flywheel. The key positions the flywheel to the crankshaft to time the engine. In the event of a rough shock load to the crankshaft (ie. hitting a rock with your mower) it is designed to sheer off to keep from damaging either the crankshaft or flywheel. If this is the case most shops that work on small engines cound repair this if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself.

[mike4947]

Can't remember who builds the Troy built's but they are a contractor grade genset. Very reliable but also very noisy. On a par with Onan and Generic contractor grade genset.

As for the Kow, when you tried restarting it did the plug get wet? If it didn't most likely the carb is fouled up. If it did then spark is the place to start looking.

[topcat7736]

Yamaha generators are the way to go. Lightweight, quiet and they run for a long time on a tank of fuel. The EF2800I or YG2800I (almost identical) will take care of powering your popup or TT in and out of state parks.

Hondas are good too, but have very short run times (they rate them at 1/4 load). No sense getting up in the middle of the night 3x to refill & restart the generator. Sleep soundly with a Yamaha.

Southwest

Northwest

USA Light

[copcarguy]

topcat7736 - I agree with you 100%!

I have two generators:

The "big one" is a Yamaha YG2800i that runs and starts a 13500 DuoTherm A/C just fine on my TT- with power to spare. In fact, when it's running the A/C the fridge will automatically switch over to AC power from LP. It is also very quiet, I can have a normal conversation near it without shouting. I bring this dry camping and have never had a complaint while running it. It's not too heavy, (64 pounds) and I usually put it in the truck bed and run it in there. I bought it from lightinglightingman on eBay, they are one of the biggest authorized Yamaha dealers in the country. They have a special going on right now on eBay, you get the RV adapter for free, and free shipping! Click here to check it out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...item=3816436325

If you're not an eBayer their "real" website is: http://www.yamahagenerators.com/

The RV adapter lets you plug in your 30A connector on the PU directly to the "big plug" on the generator - this is how it can start the A/C. If you just plugged it into one of the "normal" outlets, it won't start it. I highly recommend this product and seller. BTW, Yamaha also makes an almost identical gen called the EF2800i - it's the "civilian" version and the chassis is not as nice and stout as the "contractor" YG series.

The "little one" is a Coleman Powermate 1350 - it's basically a 4hp Briggs & Stratton lawnmower engine with 2 outlets on the bottom. It is VERY loud, and like previously posted, it sounds like a lawn mower next to the PU. I wouldn't think of bringing this to a campground. I got this on eBay too (where else?) :p for $159.

I hope this helped!!

[byrdr1]

labontefan,

That generator is a Troy-built at Lowes and it has a 30amp circuit on it and it will run a RV A/C and a house without power.

BUT if I remember right is made BY GENERACK, that company makes 75% or more of all generators in the world. It has Briggs engine with oil pressure and filter on it. Meaning that if the oil gets low it will cut itself off so that it doesn't blow up the motor.

I have a friend who has one he has run his house during our ice storms last year. It is quieter than mine but not a HONDA or others with real quiet mufflers on them. Mine is one of the firsts LOWES had and it has the Lowes name on it and it has Tecumseh engine on it. It runs rough all the time, but it will run my AC on the camper. I have used it twice at races. YES I do turn it off at night but if it was 90 degrees at night I don

[labontefan]

It has Briggs engine with oil pressure and filter on it. Meaning that if the oil gets low it will cut itself off so that it doesn't blow up the motor.

I'm about positive the Troy-Builts I looked at did have Briggs & Stratton engines. I remember because it was another name I recognized.

The Kawasaki also cuts off/won't start if the oil pressure gets too low. That's why I checked the oil and added some when it wouldn't start last week.

I'm thinking seriously about having the Kawasaki fixed (hopefully it's something fairly simple that won't cost too much), selling it for about half what I paid for it, and buying a new one with more power and a 30-amp plug. The next racing trip will be Bristol in August and AC would definitely be a good thing!!

[aw738]

I was just looking at the Troy-Built generators at Lowe's. The 5500 watt model has a 10hp Briggs&Stratton engine. They also include a power cord.