Having a portable generator is a boon on any camping trip because it helps you keep your devices powered and keep you connected to the world even when you are relaxing in the lap of nature! If you are planning an RV trip around the country or plan on going for a camping and hiking trip, you should definitely think of investing in one.
Portable generators are an easy solution and can be carried along with you on your trips, without too much difficulty. They are created in a compact and lightweight design, but pack all the power that a normal generator or inverter would! You can easily keep smartphones, laptops, A/Cs, heaters and many such devices powered on for a long time.
How to choose a generator?
When choosing a generator look for its fuel efficiency and see whether it matches what you require. For longer use, you will have to choose a generator that can hold more fuel, and will also have to consider the watt generation. Secondly, determine whether it has a transfer switch for quick and safe connectivity to the appliances. Thirdly, consider the smart features that the inverter is equipped with. What sets it apart from the other models and what makes it better than the rest.
For portability, consider how easy it is to carry around, whether it has wheels and handles and how heavy it is to take on trips. Check how much sound the generator makes when switched on, so there isn’t any disturbance on your trip later on.
What are the types of generators?
When talking about the types of generators available in the market, they are divided into 3 main groups – portable generator, stationary generator and solar generator.
Portable generators are smaller in size and can have an output of 3000 to 8500 watts. They are easy to carry around and are best used for camping trips and RV motor trips. Stationary generators on the other hand are better as generators for the house and that don’t need to be moved due to their heavy design. Solar generators turn solar energy to electricity so they are perfect for those sunny camping trips as well.
Here’s our list of the top portable generators, inverter generators and solar generators 2016, for your next RV motorhome trip, camping trip or simply a home power outage.
Portable Generators
The Champion Power Equipment 46539 Gas Powered Portable Generator gives users dependable and portable power with 4000 watts max output. It is great for powering 2-3 powerful devices at the same time and features a Champion 196cc OHV engine, which has a cast iron sleeve, and the generator can work for about 12 hours on a full tank and 50% load. It can be started using an electric remote from up to 80' away and has EPA/CARB approval, overload protection, low oil sensor and intelligauge for operating data.
The DuroMax XP4400E Gas Powered Portable Generator has a 4400 watt surge and 3500 Watt continuous power. It features electric key start that is convenient to use and comes with a battery, and a wheel kit for easy movability. This EPA approved generator has a 4 gallon gas tank that will give users a good 8 hour run time, and also features automatic low oil shut off.
The Champion Power Equipment DUAL FUEL Portable Generator is a 3800 watts rated and 4750 watts max output powering solution for your RV. It features various outlets – a 120V duplex outlet, a TT30 amp RV outlet and a 120V Twistlock. It operates on dual fuel and can work with LP/Propane or Gasoline, and is powered by a Champion 224cc OHV engine, which has a cast iron sleeve. CARB approved, it can work for over 8 hours on a 3.4 Gal full tank of gas or 5.5 hours on a 5 gal propane tank at 50% load. It also comes with a 2 year limited warranty.
The PowerPro 56101 2-Stroke Generator comes with a 1-year limited warranty and is CARB and EPA compliant. It features an easy to carry design with a carrying handle and 4 rubber pads for stabilization. It can work on oil or gas, so it doesn’t need oil changes and the inverter can run for about 5 hours at half load. It has a quiet exhaust system with spark arrestor, and has a 1000 Watts starting power and 900 Watts running power.
The DuroStar DS4400 Gas Powered Generator is portable and comes with a wheel kit for movability. It has an AC output of 3500-watt and surge of 4400-watt, along with a low oil shutoff sensor to keep the engine protected. It is a super quiet exhaust, and a durable 7hp air-cooled EPA and CARB approved engine.
The All Power America APG3014 Gas Powered Portable Generator runs at 2000 Watts surge and 1400 Watts continuous power. It is equipped with a 3 HP 4 stroke engine, offers dual AC outlets and a single DC outlet, and has a low noise at 68dB. It has a run time of about 9.5 hours at 50% load, but is not CARB compliant.
The Sportsman GEN4000LP Propane Powered Portable Generator features a 4000 Watt Surge and 3250 watt continuous power, with a run time of 10 hour at 50% load. It features a propane fuel hose comes with an included regulator. It also has an auto fuel shut-off safety valve, a recoil start system, circuit protection, and an auto low oil shut down mechanism to completely protect the generator. EPA approved, the generator uses 2 120V AC outlets and 1 12V DC outlet to charge with its 7 HP, 4 stroke, OHV engine.
DuroStar DS4000S Gas Powered Portable Generator has 4000 Watt surge and 3300 watt continuous power providing capabilities, along with an automatic low oil shutoff sensor to keep the engine protected. It is EPA Approved and features an EZ-Pull recoil start, 2 completely protected 120V outlets and a 120V twist-lock outlet. It provides users with an 8 hour run time on a 4 Gallon full gas tank and is equipped with a super quiet muffler that helps in reducing engine noise.
The Champion Power Equipment 41135 4-Stroke Gas Powered Portable Generator a 5500 watts rated and 68000 watts max output powering solution for your RV. It features various outlets – two 120V duplex outlets and a 120/240V Twistlock, and is powered by a Champion 338cc OHV engine, which has a cast iron sleeve. It is CARB approved, features an easy-pull recoil start and can work for over 11 hours on a full tank of gas at 50% load and comes with engine oil included.
Inverter Generators
The Honda EU2000I Super Quiet Inverter Generator produces only 53 to 59 decibels of sound when running and uses a powerful Honda GX100 engine that has a fuel tank capacity of 0.95-gallon. It can run fir up to 8.1 hours on a full fuel tank, and is easy to operate and extremely portable. Users can use this Honda inverter in tandem with other identical generator s to get double the power. It also features circuit protection to avert overloading, and Honda Oil Alert that switches off the generator when the oil level reaches low.
The WEN 56200i Gas-Powered Portable Inverter Generator is EPA III and CARB Compliant and features very quiet operation with its 79.7 cc 4-stroke OHV engine that has the ability to produce 2000 surge watts and 1600 rated watts power. The generator is equipped with 2 3-prong 120V receptacles, 1 12V DC receptacle and 1 5V USB port, and produces clean power.
The Champion 73536i Inverter Generator 4-Stroke Gas Powered Equipment is great for use at campsites, RVs and cabins and can be easily carried with you due to its lightweight design of just 48-pounds and an easy to hold carry handle. It is CARB Compliant and produces only 53 Dba of sound, making it very quiet. The Inverter Technology features an Economy Mode, where the engine will automatically idle lower when the electrical load is reduced, to help save fuel and engine usage.
Yamaha EF2000iS Portable Inverter Generator uses a 79cc OHV 4-stroke engine that is gas powered and has a run time of about 10.5 hours. It features 1600 watt rated AC output and 2000 watt maximum AC output, and is equipped with an USFS-approved spark arrestor for super-quiet operational noise. It also provides better fuel usage with the smart Throttle that varies engine speed depending on the load. It is CARB Compliant and uses Inverter system with Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) control.
Solar Generators
The Goal Zero 22004 Yeti 150 Watt Solar Generator has enough power to keep your laptops, lights and smartphones working at any time due to its built-in AC inverter. It features a convenient pop-up handle and has an easy to store stackable shape that makes it easy to carry around with you. It can very quickly be refueled using a wall charger, car charger or even a solar charger, but car and solar charger need to be bought separately.
Goal Zero 23000 Yeti 400 Solar Generator features built-in AC inverters to power lights, CPAP machines, TVs and other such appliances and devices. It can very quickly be refueled using a wall charger, car charger or even a solar charger, but car and solar charger need to be bought separately, and users can get another Goal Zero Yeti 400 as they are chainable together for longer use. it is equipped with a 1.5 ampere USB outlet, and a 12 volts outlet.
