Champion 3400 RV Generator Review

Power Production

This Champion generator puts out 3100 watts of continuous power and 3400 watts of surge power. That means it is ideal for a 2500 to 3000 watt base load, since it can only briefly meet the surge requirements as you turn on an air conditioner or other appliance. The surge capacity in the model 100263 generator is due to the inverter built into the generator.

One point in favor of this generator is that it puts out “clean” power. It has less than three percent total harmonic distortion. That allows you to plug in sensitive electronics to the generator and recharge them without worrying about burning out their circuitry.

A neat feature of this RV generator is that you can buy a parallel kit. This allows you to connect two of the same generators into parallel, getting nearly 7000 watts of power. Note that the parallel kit is sold separately. And it is only designed for connecting two 2800 watt or higher generators.

The Champion generator has several power outlets. There is a single 130 amp 120 volt RV power outlet. There are also two 120 volt 20 amp household outlets. You could plug a vacuum cleaner or computer power plug into it. There is a single 12 volt DC outlet. And the generator has two dual USB adapters, so you could connect smart devices that typically charge via a USB cable. 

Fuel

This RV ready generator is dual fuel. That means it can run off either gasoline or propane. It will run nearly eight hours on a full tank of gasoline or a little over fourteen hours off a 20 pound tank of propane, assuming it is in economy mode. You can just hook it up to a propane tank and let it run. The propane tank is included with the generator. Do not use ethanol fuel with this generator. 

Noise Level

The single cylinder engine is relatively quiet. It puts out 59 decibels of noise, if it is twenty feet away from your RV. It is even quieter on economy mode, though it doesn’t put out as much power. 

Environmental Ratings

The Champion model 100263 generator is not just EPA certified. It is a CARB compliant generator. That means you can use it in California and all national parks. 

Features

While it is RV ready, you can keep it mobile with their wheel kit and take it wherever it needs to go. It even has never-flat wheels. It weighs a little under a hundred pounds. The generator comes already assembled with a carry-handle, so the wheel kit may not even be necessary if it rides in your cargo compartment or on a trailer.

The control panel gives you an all-in-one display as to the state of the generator. It has decent safety measures built into it like a low-oil shut-off. The oil tank itself holds 0.6 quarts of oil. However, the unit doesn’t detect gas tank leaks. That is occasionally reported with this model. Another issue is the propane regulator. The unit isn’t smart enough to recognize when the propane regulator is broken. Monitor your fuel lines.

It primarily relies on an electric starter. The unit comes with the battery necessary to run this. One downside of the design is that the battery must be fully charged for it to start. There is also a backup recoil start. Good thing, since that’s a necessity if the battery is low. Nor does this battery charge while the generator is running. The manual recoil start is not easy to use. 

Service

Champion offers a three year limited warranty for their generators. For example, the warranty does not include the carburetor. The warranty is only honored if you take it to one of their service centers. And there is a fair chance you have to do that at your expense, while they may take weeks to get it back to you. The warranty is not transferable if you buy the unit secondhand. They promise free lifetime technical support. 

Summary

This is one of the few decent dual fuel generators on the market designed for RV owners. It is environmentally friendly, cost-effective and has decent safety features. It has few issues, and many of them are addressed by backup features built into the Champion generator.