Look into the WEN 56200i. It's currently $457.92 from Amazon and Walmart, but it routinely dips to $390 or so on Woot! every 1 or 2 months.
It may not be a Honda, but it's pretty quiet and is much cheaper. No issues so far running ethanol-free gasoline.
Good question, I’ve been looking for the same solution. You could buy power station on Amazon that you can use a solar panel to charge during the day. Like this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D29QNMJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_A5BP5ZKGXB7H7KEH3TR5
It'll probably be cheaper in the long run to add solar to the roof to help charge.
Alternatively, save yourself the gas and the wear on the motor and buy a small generator. You can get a 700W generator from harbor freight for 100 bucks. A gallon of gas will probably run for 8-12 hours, which is far more efficient than running your big ass engine. http://www.harborfreight.com/900-peak700-running-watts-2-hp-63cc-2-cycle-gas-generator-epacarb-60338.html
Alternatively here's a 1600W 4 stroke that doesn't require mixing oil. Supposedly runs pretty quiet. https://www.amazon.com/WEN-56200i-Starting-Generator-Compliant/dp/B00SMNLF4M/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1484762599&sr=1-1&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_browse-bin%3A4827497011
Check around Amazon and you might find something that will better fit your needs or more easily integrate into a skoolie. My major concern would be in trying to get a larger gas tank for running the generator. If you're staying in one spot for a long time, a half gallon tank that runs for 5 hours ain't going to cut it. Just keep in mind that I linked the cheap stuff. Honda makes a 2000W generator that's $1000. The higher wattage and longer running generators can only go up from there. Personally I'd be inclined with the load you're expecting to get the cheapest, quietest regular unleaded generator you can find and figuring out a way to hook up a larger gas tank to it.
I got this battery pack off Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M3S00H0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Pretty small in size and works well for an overnight camping trip with no humidifier.
Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240, 240Wh Backup Lithium Battery, 110V/200W Pure Sine Wave AC Outlet, Solar Generator (Solar Panel Not Included) for Outdoors Camping Travel Hunting Emergency https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D29QNMJ/
I swear by my Jackery 240 ($200), I've had it for 1.5 years and it is rock solid reliable and you will not even use 50% of it in 4-5 days. The Jackery 300 is more future proof with the USB-C jack, but cost $100 more.
Just as a starting point:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D29QNMJ/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PGS2WN8/
This isnt how I would do it, but it gives you a starting point.
What I meant by wire it up is to wire an outlet. An electrician to wire an outlet will likely cost less than the two items I pasted.
Thanks for your response! Do you think it would be better to just keep a camping power station on hand? Maybe something like this? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FYJVFNK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_DK2CN9M3PJA3ZK159R91
Unfortunately, I have to do a lot of things online nowadays, school and my job. So I’m just trying to make sure I’m able to continue doing those things when the power inevitably goes out.
Can someone recommend a good power bank for charging electronics when the power is out? It seems there are battery powered ones, solar powered ones...not sure which is the best. I was just looking for a simple inexpensive cell charger but went down the rabbit hole on amazon and am now seeing stuff like this. This is way overkill right? That seems crazy expensive.
I'm also looking into battery powered fans in case the power goes out for a long time in the middle of summer. Not sure what else could be done to keep your home cool with no power, but if anyone has ideas let me know.
I had a Honda EU2000i for years, I highly recommend against it. It has an inherent flaw that is a fucking pain in the ass. It was quiet though I'll tell ya that.
The fuel shut off is also the kill switch.
What does that mean?
It means, the carb stays full of fuel that evaporates and leaves shit that clogs the jet. Every god damn time I went to use it, I had to pull the carb, clean the jet, otherwise the RPMs would surge up and down.
Could I have modified the factory fuel switch so it wouldn't shut off the engine? Could i have installed a fuel petcock? Sure, but for $1000 I was pissed and sold it.
When the need arises I'm just going to Amazon Prime a Wen 2000 which is a Yamaha clone for $450. For $450 I have no problem modifying it.
Thanks for that meme. Perfect description.
I suggest getting a jackery solar generator. I have the 160. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FYJVFNK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fab_MmPDFb92P0453 Got for $105 at the time. I have a 100w solar panel for it that can fully charge it in about 3 hours (I'd suggest at least a 50w panel if you get this model) I also have a few battery banks (5 of various sizes). These are my favorite. I have 2 of them https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B8R1TL6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fab_.lPDFbV28T2F0. I recharge these with the small foldable portable solar panels.
Agreed on the digital library. I know there is somewhere you can download all of wikipedia at a reasonable size. I wanna do that too. Also all of my favorite music and movies shows, books on some external hard drives as well as some smaller stuff on large flash drives/micro usbs. Also a lot of good maps too.
Maybe something like this https://www.amazon.com/Jackery-Portable-Generator-Explorer-Emergency/dp/B07FYJVFNK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=large+battery+bank&qid=1597182189&sr=8-3
You would still have to recharge it eventually.. The power has to come from somewhere!
Thats unrealistic. We all need to charge our electronics. And we are all using the same public outlets now. The pandemic changed everything. You are now responsible for your own electricity. Especially for something like a CPAP machine. You need a Jackery. It will charge your CPAP and a lot more.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FYJVFNK/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_RDK8MM2DZG0P7XFVFKMA
As everyone else said, the cat is a terrible idea. Don't do that, for both your sake and the cat's.
Otherwise, you may know that the back of an Outback (a 2019, at least) with the back seat folded down is exactly the size of a twin mattress. I have a $90 mattress from IKEA that I use for camping. If I were going to live in it I might consider getting a better one.
Power: I have a Jackery Power Station that charges from the car (when it's driving) or from solar, which I use for power when the car is off.
Keeping cool: Stretchy elastic screens that I put over the rear-door windows so that I can open those windows and not let the bugs in. Something to block the other windows to keep the sun out; I use reflective bubble wrap insulation stuff that I cannibalized from a "disposable" cooler bag, backed with cardboard.
As weird as this sounds, get a doormat or something to step on outside the car, so that you can avoid tracking the outdoors into your bed.
Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 300, 293Wh Backup Lithium Battery, 110V/300W Pure Sine Wave AC Outlet, Solar Generator (Solar Panel Not Included) for Outdoors Camping Travel Hunting Blackout https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B082TMBYR6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_CP1RRPBJTTXAP2RM4PJ8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240, 240Wh Backup Lithium Battery, 110V/200W Pure Sine Wave AC Outlet, Solar Generator (Solar Panel Not Included) for Outdoors Camping Travel Hunting Emergency https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D29QNMJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_8HHQ5E9BN90PSX7XM5RJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I use this battery plus the 12V cord for my CPAP. The charge only drops about 15-18% a night. Whatever you end up getting, make sure to try it out at home first.
I use this battery plus the 12V cord for my CPAP. The charge only drops about 15-18% a night.
You could keep something like this charged up:
> https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07SM5HBK1/
Basically a small battery and inverter combined. It has a wall charger and maybe one of the smaller panels could charge it directly in an extended blackout with some rewiring.
If you want to skip building it yourself, this seems like a pretty sweet deal. I believe you can get it down to $200 with hobo techs code. Add a 100 watt panel and you'll be good to go
You can use standard DJ equipment and just power it using a portable generator.
We just bought a Model 3 and at the moment I'm charging it overnight in my garage using the 'mobile charger' plugged into a standard 15-amp outlet. I got a quote from a friend (a friend I trust) that it would cost approx. $2,500 to upgrade my home's ancient fuse box, run the conduit & cable and install a 50-amp outlet. As we'll be moving when we retire in a few years, I'd prefer to save my pennies now and spend those dollars on our next (& final) house.
In the meantime, I'm wondering if a portable power station, such as this Jackery unit, or an alternative, may be able to provide a faster charge than the wall outlet. The Jackery (or alternative) would be plugged in all the time, with the Tesla plugged overnight as needed. Would it or an alternative unit be able to provide a quicker charge?
A second benefit to having a portable unit like the Jackery is that it could be used on camping trips. Not just to charge the car (or provide a top up) but charge cell phones, etc.
A third benefit is it could taken on long trips and potentially used as an emergency charging station, in the event that we're running low and either not near a permanent charging station, or there is one but all the stations are occupied.
Does anyone have experience using a portable power station to charge their car?
Maybe it depends on the Volcano model. In the hybrid manual it says the heating element uses 270w while the pump only uses 10w. I'm guessing you would need something like a 300w+ inverter for your 12v cig outlet in your car. Or something like a Jackery 500.
Anker Powerhouse 200, 213Wh/57600mAh Portable Rechargeable Generator Clean & Silent 110V AC Outlet/USB-C Power Delivery/USB/12V Car Outlets, for Fast Charging, Camping, Emergencies, CPAP, and More https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DDHC5MV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_lZOZFb1RSTKGY
Personally I got this battery a few months ago and I love it. There's a couple other clones of it on amazon that may be cheaper. I use it for my Sirius mount and laptop. I've never had it run out of charge during a night of imaging.
Go on Amazon and you can get a 160wh unit for $170 and it WILL charge from solar with no "firmware" issues. Goal Zero isn't the best, they just have the best marketing.
https://www.amazon.com/Jackery-Portable-Generator-Explorer-Emergency/dp/B07FYJVFNK/
This might be what you're looking for. It can only power things that are less than 1000W but would be great for an emergency.
I posted about my setup a couple weeks ago. Here is my Battery:
Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240, 240Wh Backup Lithium Battery, 110V/200W Pure Sine Wave AC Outlet, Solar Generator (Solar Panel Not Included) for Outdoors Camping Travel Hunting Emergency https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D29QNMJ/
Here is my 12 Volt charger:
KFD Car Charger DC Adapter for Resmed S10 Series,ResMed Airsense 10 Air Sense S10 AirCurve 10 Series CPAP and BiPAP Machines,90W Resmed S10 370001 Replacement Vehicle Power Supply Cord Cable Charger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P6H994Q/
To keep my nose lubed up I did use NasoGel and one shot of Afrin in each nostril. I didn’t wake up dry or congested. I think a little water in the chamber helps too since the air blows through there.
Over 2 nights I was able to run my CPAP (Resmed Airsense 10) w/a little water in the chamber and all heating turned off. Turned on Airplane Mode, turned off humidity and temperature settings. I was also able to charge my iPhone and Apple Watch (also on Airplane Mode too) each night to full power.
After 2 nights I still had 25% battery life left in the battery! So maybe I could have gotten a 3rd night? But I did have to get the Cub Scouts home.
I used to be a huge Goal Zero fan... I now recommend Jackery battery packs. They come in various wattages / price points. I own several sizes...
Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240, 240Wh Backup Lithium Battery, 110V/200W Pure Sine Wave AC Outlet, Solar Generator (Solar Panel Not Included) for Outdoors Camping Travel Hunting Emergency https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D29QNMJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_mhcuFbS37WK9G