Champion 3800-Watt Dual Fuel RV Ready Portable Generator with Electric Start

Model 76533 dual fuel 3800 watt Champion generator from Amazon. Unpacked generator, assembled it easily, read the Owner’s Manual, hooked it to an LP tank, and started it with just one pull of the recoil starter rather than using the electric starter just to see how easy or hard it would start. Very pleased to say the least! The same result when I switched to using gasoline. The electric start also worked very well when started using each of the fuels. The Owner’s Manual is very well done; much above average. Then I tried it with our RV trailer and it handled everything including the air conditioner beautifully. This is a very well made generator and I expect it to last trouble free for a very long time. The LP running is totally separate from the gasoline so no 12v electricity is needed to start or run this generator when using propane. Neither the Power battery switch nor the Main ignition switch even need to be on when starting or running using LP, even if using the recoil starter. Great redundancy if you have propane available! NOT this way with gasoline though; read my second paragraph below. Many reviewers have complained about the location of the engine oil drain plug and the mess the oil makes when draining it for an oil change. I did my 5 hour oil change without losing a single drop or making a mess. How? The supplied oil funnel does work both ways; oil in and oil out! Just use it under the drain plug and have it run into a container like the size of a plastic Cool Whip container. I did raise the generator up on a couple of wood 4x4’s to give the clearance needed. Big deal! The following you NEED to know though: A replacement battery, if one should be needed, is NOT readily available at this time due to its size and configuration, at least that I could find, That will probably change before too long though. If it should fail you can always use jumper cables from your vehicle or trailer battery if you need to run it on gasoline rather than LP. For safety reasons it CANNOT be started using recoil starting when using gasoline unless there is 12v power, so having a good battery is very important. For that reason I feel this generator should have had a voltmeter installed in it to easily keep track of the battery, but it does not. I did install a digital one wired to the load (on) side of the power switch so it would be off unless the power switch is turned on. Then it lights up and tells me the current voltage of the installed battery. After starting the generator, either by electric starter or recoil, it then tells me the running (charging) voltage which is also very important. The voltmeter cost just three dollars and took less than an hour to install and wire to the power switch. Now I will always know the state of the battery and also the charging system which will give me plenty of warning for finding and obtaining a replacement battery. Being able to start this generator using recoil start rather than with just the 12v electric start motor when using either gasoline or propane is very important to us. Batteries can get weak or just plain fail fairly fast sometimes!

I bought this model in March 2020, and it's been 33 months. I got it with the 50' NEMA L5-30P extension cord, and an adapter to 3x NEMA 5-15Rs. I prefer the locking fully-inserted plug to the RV-style that can get loose, fall out, or arc. PROS: Since this is intended for standby/emergency use, it has been on a battery tender (NOCO Genius 1) and always cranks strong and starts once the fuel hits the cylinder. Champion recommends stopping the running motor by starving it of fuel and not by turning off the power. While this will prolong the life of the generator by not having fuel sitting and rotting in the cylinders or fuel lines, this means starting can take up to 15 seconds. My personal preference is to crank for 5 seconds, and if no start, wait a bit for starter motor to cool and retry. In August 2022 I decided to take it off the battery tender, and see how long the battery could provide starting power. The generator is run at regular intervals, and while I started at 30 days, I lowered it to 14 for testing the battery, then slowly raised it up... and January 2023 it started fine after 45 days. I usually wheel it out, start it up, run 15 min with no load, verify voltage on the display (the first couple of times I verified accuracy with a DVM and a load), and then give it 30 minutes to cool before stowing away. No oil has needed to be added. I suspect somewhere in the next 3-6 months it will need an oil change and a new battery. By then I plan to replace the SLA battery with a LiFePo. LiFePo cells don't charge below 32°F (0°C) but that's not an issue here in southern Arizona -- just bringing it up in case someone else thinks "Hey that's a great idea" and then finds out it doesn't charge in a snowstorm. The frequency (which Champion calls "Hertz") is a solid 60Hz. For European users, I looked but am unable to find where the frequency can be changed to 50Hz. The voltage sits at 122VAC with no load, and reduces to around 119VAC with decent loads (2x 10-12A power tools). The engine does not appear to strain to support that load. Fuel consumption ... well I filled it up almost three years ago and the gasoline can is still sitting around to refill it again, but my roughly 33 tests of 15 minutes each should have just about emptied the tank... and yet it keeps running. CONS: It really isn't quiet. 68dB at 25ft is a good metric if you have a spare 25ft from anyone else, but if you don't, that works out to approximately 74dB at 12.5ft or 80dB at 6ft. That's REALLY NOISY when you're there starting it up, and VERY NOISY in the house 6ft away. Why 6ft away? Champion recommends 5ft from anything else, and this thing weighs A LOT. Their own figures show 122lbs, but add in half a quart of oil (3lbs) and half a gallon of gasoline (4lbs) and you're at the 130lbs mark, more than you want to pull behind you and have it bump into you, or push in front. Honestly, they should have put four wheels on this thing. There is no indication of fuel level so if you want to calibrate a dipstick you can do it that way. There is no indication of oil pressure or temperature so the only way to know oil breakdown/particulates is to sample it and pretend you know what the color means ;) OVERALL: I would recommend this to others. I would recommend this to family members and friends. I would buy this again ... say for an RV (but not in an RV park because of the noise). I would recommend Champion and buy from them again. E Tucson, Arizona, US

Updated in 2022: Good luck finding a replacement battery when the original goes out. Yes, mine is now 7 years old, and still starts fine. Two things to note now. 1. They no longer manufacture the battery for the electric start. I had to modify (as in extend) the wires to the battery for electric start, since the only battery I could find to fit in the battery shelf has negative and positive on the opposite ends. The "elastic" strap that holds the battery in also died, but it has spent 7 years now in the garage, first in south Florida, now 3 years in Phoenix. 2. The o-ring seal for the gas cap deteriorated and started crumbling. Basically, I'm very happy they include a strainer for the gas tank, otherwise the tank would be full of plastic bits from the o-ring. I used gasoline once in this in 2015 just to verify everything was working, now 7 years later I took off the gas cap and discovered it had started disintegrating. The generator still starts easily on propane after I replaced the battery, I haven't tried gasoline in 7 years. Older review follows: I just got this two days ago as prep for the "hurricane" Erika that was headed to Florida. Started right up on propane, switched to gasoline and also started right up. Ran it just enough to do the first oil change (5 hours, and yes it has a run hours on the meter). So far so good, runs a 10,000 BTU window unit and fridge. Unit arrived in 2 days in pristine condition, some assembly is required (wheel kit, handle, battery hook up). Unlike some of the larger units, I can actually pick this one up, weighs about 100 pounds. Update, one year later (2016) after hurricane Matthew: 1. Propane stores without having to worry about it going bad, get one of the 30 lb bottles on Amazon like I did, JUST IN CASE! 2. If you're like me, you don't start it up and run it often enough to keep the battery for starting charged. This unit seems to start easier on propane, and only took me two pulls. I have found that it starts easier with 3/4 choke rather than full choke, I assume that could be adjusted somewhere. 3. Still extremely satisfied with this purchase, it runs a 10,000 BTU window unit, the fridge, and plenty left over to run the TV, modem, lights, router, etc. 4. Get a small battery trickle charger, I can recommend the "NOCO Genius G1100 6V/12V 1.1A UltraSafe Smart Battery Charger" on Amazon, it charged the starter battery no problem in about 5 hours from totally dead. You can use it on car batteries too! Bottom line, it "just works" for me, and I couldn't be happier with this product. The dual fuel aspect is a real selling point, no need to worry how old your gasoline is.

We purchased this for safety power outages by PG&E in California, where the power was turned off for about 48 hours due to weather conditions conducive to fires. There is also the chance of more of these extended outages. The generator is very heavy, but once we attached the wheels and pull bar it was pretty easy to move around. There is also a rest bar across the front end to keep it sitting evenly. The assembly (attaching the wheels, connecting the battery, adding oil, etc.) and usage instructions were easy and straightforward except for the instructions on draining the oil. After the first 5 hour break in period of running the generator at about 50% capacity, the oil needs to be changed. There is only one drawing, viewed from the side, showing a screw on nut to remove to drain the oil. It appears that the nut is directly below the oil cap, but it is actually below and to the left of it. There’s another nut facing to the side which is closer to the oil cap so there was some confusion over which one to remove. It isn’t easy to get to the nut and required a long handled torque wrench. Additionally, you need to set the generator on a couple of blocks of wood to get it high enough to put a pan or something underneath to catch the oil. Because the generator is very heavy, it isn’t that easy to get it onto the blocks. The generator can run on either gas or propane. We used a 20 lb canister of propane, the type we use for our gas grill. The hose and connectors are included with the generator and it was simple to connect. Then it was just a matter of turning on the propane tank, turning on the propane switch on the generator, turning on the generator’s battery, then setting the choke switch to the middle position for a few seconds while pushing the auto start switch, the moving the choke switch to the right. 20 pounds (5 gallons) of propane lasted us close to 10 hours. Since we had different things plugged in at different times and turned it off some of the time inbetween, it’s hard to give you an accurate idea of how far a canister will go. We had a couple extras on hand in case we ran out. The generator is about as noisy as an gas lawnmower. Our neighbors said they couldn’t hear it very much with their doors and windows closed, but of course could hear it if they opened their doors. But since there were several generators going in the neighborhood, it wasn’t much of a problem. We could hear it since it was about 15 feet from our back door. We were able to power our refrigerator, Keurig coffee maker and electric tea pots, a couple lamps and a small space heater which actually used more voltage than even the refrigerator. We could have plugged more things into it, but with extension cords running all over the place we opted for just those things we really needed. You need to add up the voltage of the devices you’re running to stay under the 3800 watts. All in all, we’re happy with it’s performance, but wish we didn’t need to have to spend the money on it to begin with. But it does give us peace of mind knowing we have it and it’s available.

Bottom Line up front, I am pleased so far. My Champion Generator arrived in a damaged box (common in amazon reviews). I was optimistic however since the damage was on the side opposite the control panel. I believe Champion may want to consider a piece of 0.25 inch luan on the sides of their box. Yes it costs a tad more, but will save you in the long run on warranty costs. The engine mount bracket / stabilizer added to my apprehension when it was loose in the box. Plenty of stickers / warnings / alerts AND a well written instruction manual that I barely spent 5 seconds on. Removing the warnings for the engine mounts and the parts and gently pulling on the recoil starter, I was happy; it moved within normal limits. At this point I referred to the quick start page that was well laid out. Feeling confident, I went to greet my wife who handed me the once again well written instruction manual and my favorite beverage. She is taking this generator seriously! Harvey got our attention and then went down on the priority list with repairs ongoing. SnowMagedon 2021 on the Texas beach MADE her a believer! 6 days with no power. I read the manual and quickly determined that my plan was solid. Step one now was to add oil. I grabbed a disposable shot glass and introduced the correctly measured oil into the crankcase using the supplied funnel. Minor inconvenience that the bolt head is partially obscured, but honestly still easy to access. At this point I connected my LP hose to the generator and the supplied fitting to a 30 pound bottle. Take my advice here. At this point go get a drink or bathroom break and come back and check everything one last time. Use the supplied quick start guide. I applied the choke as indicated, turned on propane at bottle, opened valve at generator, turned master switch on, and pressed start with positive results. It started and quickly died. Hmm, touchy choke. I restarted unit with choke at half, then immediately opened the choke. Ran like a dream. Voltage was 119. Frequency was 61-62 on the supplied display. I confirmed that with some attenuation and my frequency counter. Voltage was also confirmed with voltmeter. I went through start and stop procedures a few times to get it right. At this point I had about 15 minutes of run time on the unit and ran it for its' 5 hours with a 2000 watt load. Very pleased at this point. Oil drain was a snap again with a Weber brand grease tray from my grill. no mess, no muss, no fuss. I refilled the crankcase with the recommended synthetic for my ambient temp. Restarted it again, ran it about 10 minutes to get the new oil worked through. Again, I am pleased. Two things I would do if I were the CEO: 1. Add two pieces of luan to shipping box. 2. Move the crankcase drain bolt (if feasible). We used to have a saying in the Infantry, "Anybody can soldier in the barracks, the question is can you soldier when we hit combat?" I haven't lost power yet and needed it. I have run it 15 minutes every two weeks and am well prepared. We will see how well it works when it is needed.

I bought this generator to serve as an emergency back up for my off grid solar and wind system. I live in the Colorado mountains, above 8000'. My plan was to connect this unit to an automatic control system (battery charge monitor) and automatically start the generator when/if battery voltage fell below 12v. I travel alot for work. Sometimes the weather doesn't want to be kind to us who are off the grid. A standby system is absolutely necessary if I am to be away from home for more than 2 or 3 days in a row. The automatic control system worked great...however, starting was an issue. NO automatic choke control seemed to be available. Champion Power Equipment tech's had no suggestions, and I found none in the aftermarket (something may exist, I never found it). That was in late 2016. After many ideas and trials, this week was the "I can't believe I didn't think of that" moment. With less than $20 an automatic, solenoid operated choke assembly was born. I have used Champion generators for many years and rate their performance as excellent. My only complaint is that they tend to have leak prone oil seals. With the Model 76533 unit in place, I can now leave home, in the winter months for more than a few days at a time, with complete confidence. 01-19-2020 UPDATE: I now have 950 hours on this unit. I change oil every 75-100 hours using 0-30 full synthetic w/ a "slick 50" clone additive (1 to 4). I have yet not replaced the spark plug. The unit starts with 100% reliability (so far) in less than 3 seconds on the first try, even in below 0 temperatures. It's power output is constant at 119-120 volts. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! FYI: Even the leak prone gaskets are holding well... no issues so far. 04-26-2021 UPDATE: The generator now has 2,018 hrs., and continues to operate nearly oil leak free...a little seepage at the valve cover..I've ordered new gaskets. I have replaced the spark plug @ 1,100. Changing the oil every 80-100 hrs. I replaced the battery with small automotive battery. It has functioned flawlessly with the auto-start controls I designed...even through the coldest periods. I'm at 8000+ ft in the Colorado mountains. Trust me, it gets cold! Just bought another one as a spare, when they dropped the price to $596. 09-06-2023 The generator continues to function flawlessly. I never use the "pull start" function, however, it has become noisy, and the rope @ the handle has worn through and the pull handle has dropped off. The oil seals continue to hold, with only slight weeping. I continue to change oil @ 75-100 hr. NO addition services with the generator have been required, although I have updated and modified the auto start controls. FRANKLY, this generator continues to impress me.

I never considered a generator until our local power company (PG&E) instituted a program of turning off power as a fire prevention measure. This means more frequent outages than in the past. Considering the cost of losing food, not to mention the inconvenience, a generator made sense. After doing a lot of online comparative shopping about specifications and price, I chose the Champion Dual Fuel 76533. I have not yet had to use it in an outage, but did run it for 5 hours to break it in under varying load conditions. It performed as expected, powering refrigerators, electronics, computers, coffee maker, etc. with no problems. I like the looks of this unit - the bright yellow is very nice, and in the dark is easy to see. And while it weighs around 120 lbs, the wheels make it easy to move. The instructions for setup and operation are very clear. The electric start makes it easy to get this up and running. I like the fact it runs on both gas and propane, but I will use gas since it produces more watts with gasoline and the rate of consumption is less than with propane. The only thing I don't like is the noise and the smell of the exhaust, but for less that $500 these are acceptable trade-offs. Overall, I am very impressed with this generator and can highly recommend it to others.

Powered up and loaded. Breaking it in. Need to make sure it can live up to expectations. Added the oil, connected the propane hose and tank and BOOM, it started with probably two turns of the starter. Very pleased. The instructions say to change the break-in oil after 5 hours of operation. Oil and oil funnel, battery and propane hose are included. Wanted to put a load on it since it was running for 5 hours. Started at 4:40 and shut it off at 9:40. Connected the 30 AMP, 25 foot long cable with 3/120 volt outlets I bought separately, so I could test the generator and outlet connectors. I connected a large pedestal fan, a 19” box fan and the 5 CF Freezer to the 30 AMP extension. I connected my 100 foot extension and used my 8 AMP chain saw to cut some small logs. Also used my 12 amp leaf blower/vacuum/mulcher with the 100 foot extension. Everything went great. Never noticed any change in the sound of the engine during the whole run. It is loud up close but not in the workshop. Hardly hear it inside the house. It’s a keeper. Explanation of the INTELGUAGE would be helpful. Received the generator 5 days after order. Read the instruction book first makes unpacking, assembly and startup so easy. To install the wheels, use the shipping box as a pad and tilt the generator on it’s BACK. This gives easy access to the wheel mount brackets, the front support leg and the lifting handle. This is much easier than tilting to the side. I store the generator in my workshop so I saved the plastic bag that came with the generator and use it as a dust cover while in storage. I wrote a reminder on my email calendar to remind me to run the generator every 3 months. The specifications do not show the propane hose is included, or I missed seeing it, but found the hose mentioned in a customer review. Tilting to the side helps add the oil without flooding the funnel. I saved the 6 OZ, engine oil container and refilled it with new 10W-30 to have it ready for the next oil change. Changing the engine oil is a bit of a hassle. I used the funnel to direct the used oil into and empty oil container for easy transport to the local auto dealer for recycling. I ordered an oil drain valve to make future oil changes easier.