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Old 06-20-2015, 10:28 AM   #1
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Real world use of our Champion 3100w generator

We own the Champion generator and love it. I don't regret buying it at all. I know Honda is the gold standard everyone looks to, but the Champion has been a great unit for us. I wanted to weigh in on the subject. Rather than trying to describe the noise levels I thought a picture might better demonstrate how tolerable the unit is in use. Last Year at a family reunion we dry camped and relied on the generator. lots of people had the "construction" style units and they had to place them quite a distance from the their rvs as well as parking "in the back forty". In this picture the generator is running and people are relatively close having a normal conversation. Inside the trailer it was barely audible.

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Old 06-20-2015, 02:14 PM   #2
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Is that the invertor style? I think those are relatively quiet, aren't they? The Honda 3000i is around 58dB under full load. The Champion 3100 is rated at 58dB. I know the Honda can throttle back if full power isn't needed... but they are pretty closely rated sound wise, the Champion is less than half the price though.


What size AC unit do you have?
Does the 3100 watt inverter give sufficient power to run it?


I have the regular Champion 3500 watt rated at 68dB. It peaks at 4000 watts, so I knew that it would be sufficient enough to power my AC unit, which was my biggest concern. We haven't taken it camping, but we use it to run the fridge and a portable AC unit when we lose power in the house after storms.
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Old 06-23-2015, 02:02 PM   #3
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Sorry for the delay in my response. I was camping all weekend. :-). It is the inverter style and does run my AC. I believe we have the 13500 AC unit. In fact, just for fun I tested it one day and ran our microwave and after the AC was already started. This model Champion also has the "eco" mode and throttles up/down as needed.
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Old 07-28-2015, 09:39 AM   #4
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Does your generator have the 30amp RV style plug right on it? No adapter needed to plug in?
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Old 07-28-2015, 09:57 AM   #5
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I have the same generator and recently ran all night in econ mode set with my 13500btu ac running with no problem. Did this for 3 days in 85+ degrees ~600 feet elevation. I was amazed that it ran for more than 8 hours on one tank of gas.

It does have a 30amp recepticle built in
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Old 07-28-2015, 11:47 AM   #6
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I'm leaving tomorrow for five days of camping and will setup like this again. The forecast is calling for 100 degrees by Sunday. I'm absolutely confident in its ability to handle the AC. It does plug right in.
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Old 07-28-2015, 12:01 PM   #7
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I'm leaving tomorrow for five days of camping and will setup like this again. The forecast is calling for 100 degrees by Sunday. I'm absolutely confident in its ability to handle the AC. It does plug right in.

You DO realize that I have to get one now!
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Old 07-28-2015, 12:15 PM   #8
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You DO realize that I have to get one now!
That's right! Have to keep the matching setup in balance. Lol
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Old 07-28-2015, 01:18 PM   #9
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Just ordered one from Overstock.com for $700 and free shipping. All the good reviews on these forums are what sold me. I could have gotten the 2800 for $100 less, and quite frankly couldn't tell what the difference was except for size and price I think they were rated the same wattage. Anyhow now we are ready to go to some of our favorite more primitive spots, thanks again forum members, so glad I found you.
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Old 08-04-2015, 01:26 PM   #10
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Just back from the long HOT weekend. Triple digit heat every day. We were dry camping in a field while attending a music festival. Zero issues with the generator. It did trip the overload once when the microwave was started while the AC was running. Our trailer was popular with members of our group as heat stroke was a real threat for many. There were so many construction style units in attendance. In fact, we had "neighbors" about 75 feet away and one row behind us that had a small one that literally drowned out our Champion every time they started it.
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Old 08-04-2015, 02:01 PM   #11
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Just back from the long HOT weekend. Triple digit heat every day. We were dry camping in a field while attending a music festival. Zero issues with the generator. It did trip the overload once when the microwave was started while the AC was running. Our trailer was popular with members of our group as heat stroke was a real threat for many. There were so many construction style units in attendance. In fact, we had "neighbors" about 75 feet away and one row behind us that had a small one that literally drowned out our Champion every time they started it.


It's nice having a nice cold trailer, isn't it? lol
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Old 08-04-2015, 03:30 PM   #12
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The real world of my champion is that it now sets at the repair shop!!! Read all the good things about the 3100 and just couldn't resist. Bought it from Costco and was delivered last Tuesday. Took it out of the box on Wed. and oiled & fueled it up. Started on the second pull!! Ran it 1 hour Wed and restarted it Thurs. and ran it on the trailer for 3 hours with the AC working. Ran just great. Decided to change the oil on Friday. Turned on the fuel lever to warm up the engine and the next time I looked there was gas all over the shop floor. Shut the fuel lever off and fuel kept right on running on the floor. Tapped on the carburetor and the fuel finally quit running out the bottom. With both the fuel shut off not working and the float sticking in the carburetor, it became apparent that it needs some shop time. I guess its just my luck. I bought a 2000 Champion and now a 3100 and both needed repairs in the first week of ownership. Time will tell if I made a mistake!!
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Old 08-06-2015, 12:38 PM   #13
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Ela1948,

I also recently bought one from Costco. Although it's labeled as the 2800 vs the 3100 & is black instead of yellow, all the specs are the same. I was pleased it started on 1 pull. Was quiet ( in my opinion ). However during the 5 hour break in, it ran out of gas. I filled it back up, started it, and NO POWER to the outlets. The GREEN LED that is steady on when power is working, was flashing on & off. Didn't know what that meant, because flashing green LED was not covered in the instruction manual. 1st call to Champion was not fruitful. The phone did get answered & the guy on the other end was polite. He said the flashing green LED meant a loose connection. Directed me to take one end of the generator apart & check connections going to a "computer control board". Being a brand new item, I felt a little put out by this, but what the hell. Dug in there. All the connections are those snap together & lock things you find on cars. There were no loose connections. 2nd call to Champion got me another guy. He felt the "computer control board" was bad. If he sent me a new one, would I be willing to swap them out. Again, this is brand new. I grumbled a bit, but said I'd be willing to give that a try. To his credit, he sweetened the deal a little with a free extension cord they sell ( 25' 10ga beast ). The cord & board arrived about 4 days later. It took about 45 minutes to swap the boards. Had it back together, pulled the starter cord & fired up with 1 pull. Green LED on steady & working great. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

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Old 08-06-2015, 12:55 PM   #14
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Ela1948,

I also recently bought one from Costco. Although it's labeled as the 2800 vs the 3100 & is black instead of yellow, all the specs are the same. I was pleased it started on 1 pull. Was quiet ( in my opinion ). However during the 5 hour break in, it ran out of gas. I filled it back up, started it, and NO POWER to the outlets. The GREEN LED that is steady on when power is working, was flashing on & off. Didn't know what that meant, because flashing green LED was not covered in the instruction manual. 1st call to Champion was not fruitful. The phone did get answered & the guy on the other end was polite. He said the flashing green LED meant a loose connection. Directed me to take one end of the generator apart & check connections going to a "computer control board". Being a brand new item, I felt a little put out by this, but what the hell. Dug in there. All the connections are those snap together & lock things you find on cars. There were no loose connections. 2nd call to Champion got me another guy. He felt the "computer control board" was bad. If he sent me a new one, would I be willing to swap them out. Again, this is brand new. I grumbled a bit, but said I'd be willing to give that a try. To his credit, he sweetened the deal a little with a free extension cord they sell ( 25' 10ga beast ). The cord & board arrived about 4 days later. It took about 45 minutes to swap the boards. Had it back together, pulled the starter cord & fired up with 1 pull. Green LED on steady & working great. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

Tuckerdog1
I agree that they were great on the phone but I didn't want to be tearing a brand new unit a part. Fortunately, there is a certified repair shop about 20 miles from me. Hopefully, I will have a positive out come also.
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Old 08-06-2015, 02:18 PM   #15
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Mine had a faulty carb right out of the box. They were great on the phone and offered to pay for repairs. Unfortunately, i needed mine the upcoming weekend so they overnighted me a new one and I fixed my self. It's worked perfectly ever since. Upon examination the faulty carb had brass shavings in it. Now I have a spare carb.
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Old 08-12-2015, 04:14 PM   #16
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The whole point of getting it from Costco for me was I can return it at any time. If you bought it from Costco, bring it back and get a new one with your refund.
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Old 08-12-2015, 08:45 PM   #17
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The whole point of getting it from Costco for me was I can return it at any time. If you bought it from Costco, bring it back and get a new one with your refund.
That also played into my decision. As well as the excellent price vs the Honda & Yamaha.

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Old 08-12-2015, 08:49 PM   #18
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So, I was curious about how much the generator cost, so I Googled it. The Google results had a link to the genny on Camping World's website, so I clicked on the link. I left the site, then about a 1/2 hour later I received an email from Camping World with details about the genny and other similar options.

How creepy is that? I'm pretty sure I have tracking cookies off and I'm not logged in to Camping World.
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Old 08-13-2015, 06:01 AM   #19
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So, I was curious about how much the generator cost, so I Googled it. The Google results had a link to the genny on Camping World's website, so I clicked on the link. I left the site, then about a 1/2 hour later I received an email from Camping World with details about the genny and other similar options.

How creepy is that? I'm pretty sure I have tracking cookies off and I'm not logged in to Camping World.
That will keep you from sneaking peeks at sex toys when your wife uses the computer
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Old 08-13-2015, 09:48 AM   #20
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So, I was curious about how much the generator cost
I paid $700+tax. If I remember correctly that came to $749 all in. Shipping to the house was free.

I get that tracking stuff all the time. Just check on something ( like you did about a price ), and all of a sudden that very item starts popping up on ads, no matter what site I might be on.

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