When we purchased our Aliner Expedition a-frame camper a couple of winters ago, we also picked up a generator as we planned on going to sites and remote locations without power. Two years later I would like to share our experiences as this topic is a recurring one in various forums and I hope this will help others.
We got "a good deal" (half the price of a Red or Blue) on a Powerhouse PH2100pri inverter generator. It has some nice specifications, remote electric start, 2000 watts continuous, "quiet" operation, inverter techonology with throttle control and economy mode. It is significantly larger and heavier than most 2000 watt generators, but that electric start option sounds great and worth the weight, especially when it is below freezing.
It worked well enough on our first trip and we were glad to have it as the campground was undergoing renovations and power was not available. It worked well enough but seemed harder to start than it should be. It took 2-4 attempts and when it did start, it often stalled just when it started generating electricity, requiring repeated starting attempts until it seemed to warm up. I guess it doesn't like cold. It also doesn't like going from low to high (coffee maker) load without stalling! In the middle of summer, we had to turn on our microwave briefly to get the PH2000pri up to speed, kill the microwave, and start the coffee maker. Without that procedure, the Powerhouse would simply stall and die.
Yes indeed, this Powerhouse does not like the cold and even when warm it can be a challenge to start. It coats the spark plugs in oil and carbon which means a new plug just about every trip. Even after a "warranty service" the behaviour did not improve. This "good deal" turned out to be an exercise in frustration and the main goal of winter power was a complete failure.
Two years later, Blues (Yamaha) were on special at the RV show and we considered an EF2000is. The wife is partial to Reds (Honda) due to her vehicle experience, but none were present at the show. I tried to find some information about winter (-20 Celsius/0 Fahrenheit) starting/usage on either one but there was nothing specific other than Honda advertising their cold weather technology which is more about running continuously in cold environments rather than starting in frozen condition.
We have the Yamaha now and I am happy to report that I have a smile on my face every time I pull the starter cord. If I have to pull it more than once, it is likely because I haven't pulled it fast enough (compression release makes it easy to pull but the engine needs speed to start), or I didn't wait a few extra seconds for the carburetor to fill up with fuel, or forgot the choke. I have been able to test it in -20 and it took no more than three pulls. As I now know the quick pull trick (quickly _is_ written in all the starting instructions) it may be a single pull experience all the time. The Yamaha has also never stalled on low to high power transitions.
A few months later at the home show we ran into a Honda generator dealer and chatted a bit. She is one of those rare honest store managers and when we confessed that we purchased a Yamaha, she gave us honest feedback as she has experience with both product lines:
Blue or Red?
Fuel gauge or none?
Pull cord up or to the side?
All controls on one side or side and end?
(It really just comes down to Blue or Red <grin> and that can be just as hard a decision for most of us)
In my experience, I never forget how much I spent on a product that fails to work well, but I quickly forget how much I spent on something that performs at or above expectations. You could get lucky with one of the other manufacturers out there, but so far none have earned the consistent reputation that Blue and Red have. Spend the money and forget how much it cost because it just works. Save money and hope you get a good one. I have already forgotten exactly how much we spent on the Blue Yamaha.
Blue works for me!
Tim
