6500-Watt RV Ready Portable Inverter Generator with CO Shield

I had one issue that turned out to be a small thing. I had just finished doing the break in and was preparing to set it up for the coming hurricane. I did one more start because I wanted to drain the last of the gas out. I pulled the pull cord twice, maybe a little too quickly, then the cord lost all resistance and wasn't engaging with the motor. This was a Saturday. I called the support number and was on hold for 60 minutes. Eventually I got someone that did try really hard to find a solution, but of course, he couldn't. Eventually I asked for a number for local warranty service and he gave me one. For the next two days I was kicking myself that I'd spent money for this and was likely to loose power with a generator sitting in the garage since it was too late to get it serviced. I thought about taking it apart, but didn't want to void the warranty. On Monday after the hurricane hit and the power went out, I looked at it one more time, just pulled the cord very quickly and releasing it quickly about 3 times, and it caught the engine. Hopefully, that never happens again.One other thing I experienced during break in, was that it stalled a couple of times with no to very low load on ECO mode. ECO mode will make the motor sometimes run a little roughly with no load, because the desired RPM is relatively low. But, I wasn't putting much gas in it and part of that might just have been gas starvation. Anyway, after running for a couple of hours, it never stalled again.So, I ran this for most of the next 7 days. Without issue. I ran it at between 20% to 40% load with short peeks into 60% when we used the microwave. It holds 4 gallons and I consistently had 10+ hours of runtime. I only let it run out of gas accidentally one time and am not sure exactly how long it ran that time, but it might have been near 12 hours. All other times I ran it until the gauge showed that it was near out and refueled.During the hurricane, I changed oil twice at around 60 to 70 hours each. It holds 22 ounces and both times it had probably used 3 to 4 ounces of oil. This appears to be common with air-cooled generators. At the 2nd oil change during the hurricane, I also cleaned the air filter and spark arrestor. Neither really seemed dirty. I have not checked the spark plug yet.Some really nice features the unit has is that it displays runtime for the current session total runtime forever, frequency, and has a 5-level load indicator along with a CO2 monitor.It also has all of the normal AC connections.No gas generator can be said to be quiet. But, this is much quieter than the non-inverter open-frame generators. Your neighbors won't get as upset with you. It's probably near the noise of a gas lawn mower.The quality if the power seems very good. LED lights are just as steady as with normal line power. I've used a non-invertor generator and some LED lights would pulse a little. Not this one.It has a 100-hour maintenance item listed in the manual that has no instructions and says should be done by someone with experience. This is cleaning the fuel filter. I looked around on the internet and this appears to be fairly simple, so I think they should have just included the instructions, but that didn't.It also has two 250-hour items with no instructions and again says someone should do this who knows what they are doing. Cleaning the combustion chamber and check/adjust the valve clearance.There's a 3-year item for replacing the fuel line.You can download both the owner and parts manuals if you want to look at them before purchase.Then, you have to be careful how you store it in order to prevent gas from turning to varnish in the unit and preventing it from running. The manual has procedures for different storage intervals.So, there are a number of maintenance considerations if you want to make sure it works when you need it, but that's a common thing with all generators.Overall, I'm very happy with the features and price point. I wish it also had an electric start, but generators with similar features and an electric start cost quite a bit more.

--ONLY MODIFY AT YOUR OWN RISK. IF DONE INCORRECTLY, IT WILL BREAK ALL FUNCTIONS--After five months of ownership and 30 hours of usage, this generator has been performing well overall, though I did have to make a few modifications. One common issue I encountered, and others have reported it too, is that it sometimes shuts off unexpectedly, even in a well-ventilated, open area. This happened to me a few times while it was under a big load, which isn’t ideal, as generators typically need a cool-down period under no load for about five minutes before turning off the fuel supply.To address this, I examined the wiring schematic and researched potential fixes. I found that cutting the main black wire from the CO Shield (which connects to the ignition and main switch) prevents the CO Shield from shorting to ground and shutting down the engine. Since making this modification, I’ve logged another 10 hours with a 30-amp load, and it hasn't shut off since. Be aware, though, this adjustment likely voids the warranty, but I found the CO Shield more of a hassle than a help. Additionally, I replaced both GFCI outlets with heavy-duty NEMA L5-20P 20-amp plugs. I use the generator as backup power for a small server rack, and the server power supplies and PDUs tend to be slightly leaky, so this was a necessary change.I also labeled all the outlets to indicate which 20-amp circuit they connect to, to avoid accidentally overloading one side. In my first photo, I used large decals to clearly mark circuits A and B.For safe operation, I always keep the generator well away from open windows to prevent any risk of fumes drifting indoors. For maintenance, I use 10W-40 Yamalube oil, which is suited to my hot climate. I never used the included oil as I trust Yamalube from years of experience with dirt bikes and ATVs. Also, I swapped the spark plug for a high-quality NGK one (NGK 5534 Spark Plug - BPR7ES).To prevent issues during long storage periods, I use fuel with a stabilizer. It’s also a good habit to start the generator monthly to make sure it’s ready to go when needed.Update 2-26-2025: So far the modification I made has been working perfectly. I run the generator on a 60% load for a 5 hours every month to make sure it will run when I need it. And so far so good.Update 8-24-2025: I'm still running it for 5 hours on the first of every month with zero issues, it feels like a normal generator now. i changed the oil again at 50 hours and always check the dip stick level prior to starting. lucky I haven't needed to use it for an emergency power situation yet, still just in standby mode.

Great product, very quiet, and powers everything we need it to. Easy pull start, but getting the oil added to proper level and the placement to add it is a little challenging. Overall this is a great product, let's see how it handles the test of time.

Why did you pick this product vs others?:I have purchased Champion generators in the past and have found them to be reliable.The generator's CO Shield component has been cutting off the power even when the generator is operating outdoors in open space with no wind. I believe this indicates a need to replace the CO Shield component. Other than that, works fine. Build quality:Great except the CO Shield Noise level:Very QuietEase of movement:Very Portable

Easy to start on one or two pulls. Very quiet compared to previous models. Has a great feature which is a switch that allows for the carburetor to clear of all fuel before you turn the generator off. It's also nice that it has wheels.

CO shutoff is way too sensative. A little bit of wind and it'll shut off. I definitely regret my purchase.

"Excellent product and good quality. I would buy it again."