Champion 2500-Watt Ultralight Portable Inverter Generator with Quiet Technology and CO Shield®

Champion's 2500-watt inverter generator features CO Shield® carbon monoxide auto shutoff system and is one of the lightest in the industry, making portable power easier than ever. Rely on the 80cc engine with a quiet 53 dBA for up to 11.5 hours of run time. The Parallel Kit (sold separately) with RV Ready outlet doubles your output.

Specifications

• Output. Gasoline: 2,500 W starting / 1,850 W running.
• Engine. 80cc.
• Fuel and run time. 1.05 gal tank, 11.5 hours at 1/4 load.
• Sound. 53 dB(A) at 23 feet.
• Starting. Recoil.
• Outlets. (1) 120V Duplex (5-20R); (1) 12V DC Automotive; Parallel.
• CO Shield®. Carbon monoxide auto shutoff — the unit shuts itself down if CO builds up around it.
• Size and weight. 17.6 in. L x 12.6 in. W x 18.1 in. H, 39.7 lb.
• Warranty. 3-year limited warranty.
• Emissions. EPA Certified; PGMA Compliant G300-2018 (CARB status not published on product page).

Altitude — this matters more than the sticker suggests

Champion's own operator's manual for this machine states that engine power and generator output are reduced by about 3.5% for every 1,000 ft of elevation above sea level. That sentence is in the manual, not on the product page, and it is the number that decides whether this generator does what you bought it for.

• Denver, ~5,280 ft: about 18% off — roughly 1,508 W instead of 1,850 W.
• Colorado Springs, ~6,035 ft: about 21% off — roughly 1,459 W instead of 1,850 W.
• Monument / Palmer Divide, ~7,000 ft: about 24% off — roughly 1,397 W instead of 1,850 W.
• Leadville / high passes, ~9,000 ft: about 32% off — roughly 1,267 W instead of 1,850 W.

It needs a high-altitude jet here, and we can get it. Champion makes a high-altitude carburetor main jet for this model covering 6000 ft. (1829 m) — part 16161-000086, for carburetor code 16100-000072. Colorado Springs is 6,035 ft, so on the Front Range this is not optional if you want the machine to run properly. Champion does not sell these jets on the shelf — the manual tells you to contact their technical support. Buy the generator from us and we will sort the jet out with it, matched to the carburetor code stamped on your actual unit.

One warning worth repeating. Champion is explicit that a high-altitude jet must not be run below its minimum altitude — “Operation using the alternative main jet at elevations lower than the recommended minimum altitude can damage the engine. For operation at lower elevations, the originally supplied standard main jet must be used.” If you take the machine back down to sea level, the standard jet goes back in.

Manual. Champion publishes the full operator’s manual for this model, including the high-altitude section quoted above: 201317 operator’s manual (PDF).