RV For The Rest Of Us: Review Firman WH03242, Can It Power A 15,000 BTU A/C And Still Make Coffee
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- Опубліковано 18 кві 2022
- There a so many generator inverters out there of various sizes and wattage output. I weighed heavily on less watts and more portability over more watts and increased hernia chances. I go over reasoning, set up, and testing.
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The best thing about this generator is it fits under a tonneau cover.
My husband couldn’t get it started. He came inside, started this video, said a few choice words then went back out, plugged in the battery and it started right up! Thanks!! 😊
😂❤
Mine keeps making weird sound and won’t start
Great video. This was one of the most accurate videos I've seen. 😮
Thanks for the quality content.
I like the update on generators. I learned a lot about generators after we went 7 days without power caused by an ice storm.
Can you do a 2nd review of this generator after owning it for awhile? Pros and cons... nice video by the way keep em coming 🤙🏼
thank for your review on this gen. bought one and already tried it very easy to use love that it has the capability to use gas or propane 👍
I bought that I love it
Thank you
Great review
Thank to you I got my Firman generator running tonight. Somehow I missed the part about plugging in the spark plug to the battery. I was on the verge of hauling it back to Costco but instead I'm sitting in air conditioning. Thank you.
I did the same thing!!!
I bought this unit before I even watched your video and I am glad that I did! I got mine online this morning from Costco, but they did not charge shipping! I had a similar Champion model that was destroyed from hurricane Ian flood waters and it had never been used! I won't make the mistake of leaving it at ground level if we have another storm here in South Florida!
I see it is currently on sale for $599 at Costco starting today.
After a 2+ day outage with a small 800W generator & inverter/5 kWh battery setup assisting, the "not having to count watts" part is important. Had to carefully manage my consumption which meant running in/out a bunch to manually fire it up again and run the generator more than I would've liked. It did the job - I didn't lose any fridge/freezer contents, and had light when needed.. got a 3242 on the way now though. I did have to forego stuff like microwave use and desktop PC use while recharging, but I won't anymore.
We purchased this same gen and LOVE everything about it!! It’s quiet too!!
How long does your generator last on a full tank with normal use in your setup?
I'll repeat Greg's question Just in case you catch the email question. Do you have any kind of accurate numbers on how long this thing will run on a full gas tank?
Another thing to consider is where you plan on using it. Those power output numbers are based on sea level. You lose ~3.5% power output for every 1K feet you go ASL. Firman also offers jetting kits for the carburetor with altitudes starting at 3-6K feet ASL. It also lacks an external fuel level gauge.
Nice. Just yesterday, I ordered the H08051 Duel Fuel model by Firman from Northern Tool (212 pounds). Supposed to arrive next week. We don't camp and I wanted something to connect to my house transfer switch. I'll just use my tractor to lift it, if I take it into my woods.
It's it trifuel? Gasoline, LP or natural gas?
Great review. I just bought the same unit from Costco (was not on sale at the time 😮💨). Have not used it yet, so your video was a very good tutorial. Thanks.
Go back to Costco they will price match to their sale price
Cool video. Love the dual fuel and cost for this unit but seems loud for the size. I didn’t catch if this was an inverter generator.
P= i times e so 120 volts and 3000 watts will give you 25 amps of power. You don’t want to purchase a smaller generator than the one you have given the load of your rv. Great informative video. Thanks
Great video and I too bought the Firman WH03242 for the exact same reasons you did- Including the Kuerig!
Are you able to give any type of semi-accurate info on how many hours this thing will run for on one full gas tank?
@@AndTodaysProjectIs i just ordered one. Will be getting it soon. Supposedly it should run about 9 hours on the 1.8gallon tank at a certain load. I will teat it and get back
I bought the same generator and am very impressed the the design. Longevity is yet to be determined.
I just ran it for 24 hours on propane. No issues and handled the 15,000btu AC .
@@ataleofthreecabins1025 👍nice, another UA-camr posted his Alaska use of his Firman for a season -and it held up. He had some good tips on cold weather operation.
I bought one , starting sequence is important !!!
That metal heat sync is the inverter module. Nice video. I am on the fence. It's great price. Somebody did a video comparing the HF 3500 sound compared to this one and the HF one was a tad quieter. Every 3 db's is an apparent doubling of the sound.
That looks to be an excellent deal on a “quiet” generator for that wattage.
It's not quiet. 😆 It is a good generator tho, but not good for camping, too heavy and too loud.
*100% best **Generater.Systems** I have used. A test for hurricane prep here in Louisiana: three AC units, 5000, 5000 & 8000, 3 fridges, 2 device power setups, 4 flat screens....AND I had 40% of the power meter to spare.*
500 x the cost per gallon in your area.
Doubt it
Sounds to good to be true. 3 ac units and 3 fridges??? Its takes about 1400w starting watts for one fridge to start.
Im in a tent and i bought this just to run a coffee pot 😂
Stop judging me 😂 ❤
Bought the exact same generator around the same time as you. Have about 75 hours on it now and this weekend the spark arrestor was completely clogged to where the generator wouldn't run reliably. I cleaned it out with a wire brush and runs perfect again.
Good to know that it was easily fixed! Would you say you used it with mostly gasoline or propane?
@@shojus 100% Gas. Not sure if propane would have had the same issue.
@@TheCandidCritic I was just curious as I am planning to use this generator with propane about 95% of it's life, and only gasoline if absolutely needed. Hopefully running JUST propane won't have any bad effects on this unit. Thanks 4 the reply!
@@shojus Yea, I'm not positive but I'd imagine running on propane would reduce the chance of clogging the spark arrestor. But it was a super easy fix and I still recommend the generator. Plus they're on sale right now at Costco :)
Pick up a second spark arrestor screen and swap them out, clean the one you took out, always have a clean spare...
Good video. I've been using a Yamaha 2400 for years. I can run the air.. but If I made a hot cup of coffee, it wouldn't do it. Did you ever move this trailer around your property with your tractor? Sorry If I missed that video.
Just want to say that you did a great job with the review. Im looking at this same generator for my RV and at the home for hurricane season backup power. You can get it certified Factory Refurb for $303 right now. Still has a 2 yr warranty so I dont see an issue. How has it been treating you these past 2 years? Any trouble. I will likely go months at a time without using it so I like the electric start feature.
Good review, I purchased same gen at costco but have not unboxed yet, so this was helpful for me. Also just bought a TT and was trying to figure out mounting options for rear bumper. Have you looked at mounting/running it from trailer or truck?
We just returned from a 6000 mile trip. With record heat out west we needed it for the A/C . I didn’t look into any mounting, as our bunks fold down and made of canvas . Just kept it in the back of the pickup.
Thanks for the helpful video on the exact generator we want for our small travel trailer. We have a hard-wired EMS, do you know what kind of grounding plug we will need to get the generator to work?
We use an Rv surge protector. It show open ground but still works fine. If your EMS denies power you could try a neutral grounding plug. I made my own. Our plug-in hybrid would not charge on a generator our large power station unless we used a neutral grounding plug.
If you want to get real fancy, install a wired remote control, with solenoid to activate the choke! I should do a how to….
Great video. Just order one as a supplement to our solar that I installed last year. i love your rolling work table! What is it or where did you get it?
Costco
Great video! We're looking at one ourselves but I can't find whether it can be hooked up in parallel with another unit?
It certainly can be paralleled.
I really like that workbench you were working on could you tell me where you got it?
Home Depot
How long do these generators work? I have been looking at one of these or a generac unit. Are there quality differences?
Can you do a video on oil change? I'm not getting it? Doe schism use all 18oz?
Thank you for your video I missed attaching the battery.
One more comment. I believe a full propane take will last you about 10 hours depending on the load plus you can always use the tank for cooking. Maybe propane is the way to go?
👍
Has anyone added an extended run cap to this generator to get it to run longer on an external fuel tank? I can't seem to find a cap that fits it.
A few solar panels on the roof would also really help.
Oh! Your gonna need a Soft Start.
Just bought mine from lowes open box 500 . It's very moody lol I live offgrid I charge my solar gen off it a few hours then shut it off. The co2 sensor is super sensitive and the muffler screen filled with carbon fast. I've had starting issues the last 3 days where it turns over runs a few minutes then just dies .
Yes, my CO sensor is sensitive too. It would shut down the generator when I leave it in my truck bed wit the cover on, but gate open. Wind blowing just right would blow CO back into the. sensor. Out in the open no issues.
No offense intended toward your physical fitness or age but you can get a ramp for unloading from your truck. JD can load it. I think you made a good choice with the Firman.
I'm 26 and fairly ripped and I still use ramps to load my generators. Everyone should
At any age this thing is stout. I used to muscle stuff around and after 2 bicep surgeries it's not worth it.
Hello, thank you for this review. I just bought this same generator. Not sure about the type of a/c unit your RV uses. Do you think this generator can run a 2,000W window a/c unit? I know it has enough watts, but I am not sure about the compressor, etc. Thank you.
I would think. My Rv A/C peaks around 3000 watts and operates around 2000.
@@ataleofthreecabins1025 thank you!
How much gas did it use while you had it running?
why wouldnt the battery charge just being hooked up? i mean it does in every other generator right?
How is the noises level on this generator. Could you kindly share please. Because I’m contemplating between firman or solar generator thanks.
The decibel level is below requirements in campgrounds. We have a hybrid with canvas bunks. We’re able to watch TV and carry on conversations.
I have a larger generator and the trouble I had was when using the microwave,
Stumbled across this video after buying one of these a few days ago. It’s supposed to aria e this Friday 4/7/23.
Fellow RV’r myself. Wanted some thing that would power the trailer as well as somethings in the house. Mainly furnace and fridge.
One question I have tho, how often can I expect to charge the battery. Obviously it will be sitting a lot. Was curious how the electric start would work after sitting a while.
Great video. Nice job.
Once every six months without use.
I’m keeping mine in pickup all the time is that ok you think
I did a good part of the time on our trip out west (several videos on that). Occasionally the CO sensor shut the generator down depending on air flow.
I'm new to travel trailers. I plug directly into my generator (Firman WHO3342), but when I turn on my AC unit, it will trip the 20A breaker inside the trailer. Are you familiar with this issue? Is there a fix?
You missed an important issue: easy to connect the battery cable, finding it is another issue.
I've been a long time firman propoent. This model and the similar ones are absolute junk imho. I like their non inverter gens like the 1500w and something like the T07374 ( like 9000w ). They've been good to me. This model.lasted a week of using it 2hrs a day. An hr at a time. Sometimes it'll work fine. Usually it runs for 5 to.10 mins and shuts off.
I just ran it for 24hrs straight on a large propane tank few days ago. The only time I've had it shut down is if the CO sensor triggers which is usually caused in a somewhat confined area like on my tailgate.
exactly , they act as if they work for a while then starts doing intermittent problems , then firman wants you to be phone slave with them, playing hoop jump corporate games and also tries to get more money out of you , its like a complete corporate scam.
How many watts can it put out in eco mode ?
Do you still like it after a year? We just purchased this model and are curious about it's longevity. Thanks!
Any update.
Can this power a jumper for parties?
I think all generators have that ground thing. But nobody ever uses it. Thats what i saw in another video
1500 watt Ac running on this with a full tank of gas how many hours would you get?
It mostly depends on the outside temps and how often the compressor turns on, but 8 to 12 hours.
How did it handle the microwave?
We did overload it by using the fireplace and microwave at the same time. Using AC and making coffee OK, Microwave OK, but not all 3.
What name surge protector and cost of the surge protector?
amzn.to/3dacnIV
How is that Firman generator you bought holding up? Have you tried running it on propane? The reason that I'm asking is that Costco is offering the same deal, $599 starting March 3, 2024. I had previously bought a dual fuel Westinghouse generator from Walmart but had to return it because it kept shutting down for no reason. My guess is that a faulty carbon monoxide sensor was to blame.
Still going strong. I used it on propane last spring to run my RV as we were rebuilding a home. No issues.
Just bought it at Costco today!! Been waiting for it to go on sale.
Can it be converted to run on natural gas?
The do sell Tri- fuel units that include natural gas. They also have carb jets for high elevation. Worth looking into.
Did your RV surge protector indicate a floating neutral when using the generator? I ended up bonding my floating neutral on my rv generator because I’m switching the neutral on my automatic transfer switch. You should bond the neutral
It does.
Does your AC have a soft start installed? My exact same generator won’t start my Coleman Mach 13500 btu AC.
No soft start, but we make sure nothing else is running until it starts up. Works on gas or propane.
@@ataleofthreecabins1025 thank you! My Firman bogs down and shuts off when I try to run my Coleman Mach 13,500 btu AC on propane. Trying to figure out why when running on propane.
It has less power on propane
3:12 No, not radiator. It's inverter module
Will this run two 15,000 watt acs simultaneously?
I don’t think so, unless you have soft starts on them.
Have you ever tried running it just on a full 20 lb propane tank to see how long it actually runs on that tank while using the A/C full-time?
No I haven't. They are currently on sale right now at Costco for $599.
I just bought one and ran it back feeding my 3500 square foot house in Houston for 3.5 days on propane. Consumption was 1.21 pounds of propane per hour on a at least 50% load FYI. Each of my 8 propane tanks (six 20 lb tanks) and two 30lb tanks were weighed in on a digital scale before each was used and after it was pulled... Then logged against the hours used on the meter. Now I wish someone had a run time on gasoline just so I can know the difference.. I prefer not to put gasoline through mine right now personally because I don't want to have to deal with the carburetor lol
Decent generator but the Firman generators have one fatal flaw... their CO2 sensors are HYPER sensitive and constantly shut down the generator if there is any wind whatsoever! VERY frustrating! I eventually had to open up the housing and bypass the sensor.
Have you tried letting it run during rain?
Yes, but under my tailgate. Got wet, but not directly letting rain fall on it.
Which on is quite champion or fireman ???
The Champion is probably a little quieter, but lower in output wattage.
Does it have remote start?
No, not this version.
Dont lose your options they say you can tie two 2000 watt generators together for higher wattage. Or carry one in one hand and the other in the other hand.
15000 btu ac say average start up is 3500 watts with 1500 running. 3200 running and 4000 start from that generator is on the margin to me. I rather have at least 3500 running to be comfortable on the warranty but im never going to get a 15000 btu ac for my van so whatever is fine for you maybe ok.
Are you still using this ?? How you like it
Yes. Still going strong. I used if for several week straight not to long ago with a 100 pound propane tank while rebuilding a hunting cabin.
To loud man those quiet or super quiet units out there are way to go
I can purchase this as EBay-reburbished (2 year warranty), free shipping for about $350.00. Any thoughts (from anyone)?
I have had a lot of good luck with eBay refurbished products. You will see in the eBay comments for this product that it is often showing up looking scratched up and used for some people and often does not have the AC battery charger. It's about half the price of the lowest price new unit, but I think the biggest concern is how the previous owner broke it in.
Do you have a soft start on ac?
No. 15,000 btus, works on gas or propane. Most of my use elevation was not a factor.
Just don’t try to use at high altitude without changing jets and the company line on how easy that is to do is not true.
Does that go for the gasoline and propane side. Or is one better at higher altitudes than the other? I would tend to think the gasoline side would be better.
@@ataleofthreecabins1025 Both have an issue, as it is the lack of oxygen that causes the problem.
And a YEAR later, (as of Oct 9, 2023), this is NOW $100.00 more at Costco…🤦🏼😑
It did go on sale for $599 last May.
Respectfully, I'd buy two Honda 2000W generators and wire them together. Much easier to move for especially elderly people and much quieter for your camping neighbors. These are loud and heavy and not really a camping generator IMO. I have both setups btw and the fireman is great for emergencies and back up power but no way I'm lugging a huge generator (I have the trifuel 9500w version) camping and I'm only 40. Also worth noting that these genate really "dirty" power that can damage slightly sensitive electronics. A Honda or Yamaha is sine wave and much cleaner power distribution. On a brand new camper, that's a risky game. It will also likely void the fine print of your warranty.
"Since it is an inverter generator, it produces a pure sine wave and has less than 3% Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). " For some reason, I can find the Honda's rating. HUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!
FYI - your 9500w weights TWICE as much as this one. Plus, I am 67 and have no problem "lugging" this generator around. Maybe you should grab your Honda's in each hand and do some squats, or something, being only 41 and unable to lift 100 lbs! LOL I will run mine with clean running propane that is much safer to carry around rather than dirty gas and all the issues associated with a gas powered engine.
@@JohnSmith-zk5pq who hurt you?
@@allaboutroofing2 Huh??? Never mind. Typical response from someone spewing erroneous BS on something they are obviously clueless about. I feel sorry for you. Sad!!
@@JohnSmith-zk5pq Honda EU2200i produces a pure sine wave with
You think running two generators at the same time is any quieter.
Made in CHINA ?
Way tooooo loud!When are these companies gonna figure out how to put a muffler on these things??? Nobody wants to listen to that for hours!