Selecting a generator for your Airstream or RV can be overwhelming. For us, deciding on the right generator solution came down to five key points: power, weight, fuel type, noise, and price.
We wanted enough power to run at least one air conditioner in our Airstream. We wanted to be able to easily lift the generator in and out of the truck. We wanted a unit that would run on propane – we did not want to haul gasoline. We wanted a fairly quiet generator. And, we wanted something affordable.
A couple of notes before we dig in. Running a generator on propane results in some power loss, as propane has fewer BTUs than gasoline. In other words, gasoline provides a higher wattage output.
We will be discussing inverter generators, which are relatively quiet. They are not open-frame, noisy units that make fellow campers angry!
Honda Generators
You will likely hear that Hondas are the best generators. That’s probably true. We’re not going to debate that with anyone. However, they are expensive.
You can, under most circumstances, run your Airstream’s air conditioner on one Honda EU2200i with an EasyStart installed. The EasyStart from Micro-Air allows the air conditioner to start with less power than it would otherwise require.
Honda also has a regular model that when coupled with the Companion can be run together to provide higher wattage output.
The Honda EU2200i Companion will cost you around $1,200 dollars. The Micro-Air EasyStart runs around $350 plus installation. You can save some money by installing the EasyStart yourself.
If you prefer to run on propane, as we did, you can buy a propane conversion kit for the Honda generators from Genconnex for an additional $400, or you can buy an already converted unit for around $1,600.
Since I’m not particularly excited about going up on the roof and tinkering with the electronics of my air conditioner, I wasn’t too eager to pursue the Micro-Air EasyStart option. Plus, the price of the entire setup was more than we were willing to spend.
Overall the Hondas are reliable, easy to maneuver, and quiet. Each weighs in at about 40 lbs.
More Honda Options
Honda also makes a 2,000-watt generator. The Honda EU2000i is a very popular and reliable workhorse that can also achieve specific goals in terms of producing off-grid power. Most are opting for the newer EU2200i these days.
Of course, the EU3000i would be a fantastic unit to have when boondocking. But, at a weight of 144 pounds, it would be a bear to move. The gas model is priced at $2,200 at Camping World. The Genconnex website offers the propane converted EU3000i priced at $2,949.
Yamaha
We are not going to delve into the Yamaha too deeply as their generators and options are very similar to Honda’s. Yamaha is also a fantastic and reliable machine – a true rival to the Honda.
Yamaha also makes several different sized inverter generators that can most likely be converted to run on propane for an additional cost.
Champion Generators
The Champion 2500 Dual-Fuel Generator hit all the sweet spots for us. We purchased two. Here the points that sold us:
- At just 39 pounds each we both can lift and easily move them in and out of the truck.
- They are rated at 53 decibels, which is fairly quiet.
- They are dual fuel and run on propane right out of the box.
- Two of them in tandem will run one of our conditioners – no Easy Start needed.
- We were able to buy two of them for the price of one Honda.
The Champion dual fuel generators came with everything needed to run them. The propane hoses, oil for the machines, and a few other accessories.
We bought a Champion parallel kit so we can run the generators together. Running on propane together they will generate 3,330 watts (1665 x 2) and 27.8 amps (13.9 x 2). This is enough to start and run one air conditioner while running other items in our Airstream.
You can view the specifications for the models we selected here.
You can buy a Champion 2500 dual fuel for approximately $630, or $1,260 for a pair.
Champion also makes a 3400-watt dual fuel generator that gets excellent reviews and would have been a great purchase for us, except for the weight. We just didn’t want to be lifting that much weight in and out of our truck. Otherwise, we may have purchased one.
Conclusion
There are many inverter generators available. When selecting, we recommend you consider weight, watt/amperage output, and fuel when deciding what to buy. You can even elect to have options such as remote and/or electric start.
For us, we wanted to keep the price down, and after breaking in both Champions earlier today, I’d say we made a good purchase.
Respectfully,
MajorAirhead
Please note that prices in this post are subject to change. Please click the links for current pricing information.
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