Nothing compares to a quiet, professional grade, diesel powered generator such as an Engine Power Source unit built into your RV or bus conversion, that can power everything in the bus under a full load, and is designed to run thousands of care-free hours. But there are times when a small portable gas generator is nice to carry with you as a backup, especially if you are a full-timer.

For anyone who carries a small portable generator either as a primary generator, such as for a van or small travel trailer, or for a backup if their larger generator fails, or if you need a small portable generator for off-site use, is there is a difference in these popular generators, besides the price?

Below, I’ve posted an interesting video showing what you get when you spend more money on a good Honda generator than a generator from a discount store such as Harbor Freight. 

Is it worth it?  Well, that depends on how often and how long you plan to run it, how long you plan to keep it, how well you intend to maintain it, and what you plan to use it for. But they are not designed to run an entire bus or large truck conversion for extended periods of time like the larger professional grade generators.

Post by: windtrader

Noise alone is worth it to every other person in the park. Get those noisy, rattling cheap ones if you want to be hated.  Could you not ask me how I know?  My massive generator purrs like a kitty. 

Post by: BusNit 

I bought a new Predator generator from Harbor Freight two years ago as a backup to our 17.5 kW bus unit. I had taken our coach out during a cross-country trip and the inverter failed after the first day. The onboard generator did not start. The Predator came out and ran, but it was not putting out any power. I only had one cord plugged in for a toaster oven to heat our food. When we returned from our 3-week trip, the Harbor Freight generator was returned to the store, and I bought a new Honda 2200 unit.

It’s been worth the money in peace of mind. I have since replaced the inverter and added solar to the bus. The generator did need some relays. All is well. Last year, we made another 2-week trip with no issues and not a drop of oil use/leak. We got this thing dialed in! 

Post by: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM

My top concern is noise, too.  Many of the generators which people are buying for boondocking are cheaper commercial-grade generators, built to generate a lot of power for a short amount of time and then crap out after a few hundred or thousands of hours. 

My professional grade generator is built to run for 30,000 hours with regular maintenance, and small Honda generators may last quite a while too.  But nothing is worse than listening to a noisy generator when you are out boondocking and trying to enjoy the sounds of nature.

My generator is installed in a soundproof bay. However, I still installed a pretty extensive solar array and eight lithium batteries in my bus so I would not have to listen to my own generator running any more than necessary, and for my neighbor's benefit, too. Since I did that, my neighbors are talking to me again. LOL!

I work full-time in my rig, and I grew up on 100 acres in the country, so I grew accustomed to a quiet environment. I don’t care much for noisy places or noisy generators.

Post by: luvrbus

Generators are why I don't like rallies, but they are occasionally necessary.  I get a lot of visitors at my place, and they all know where the 50A and 30A services are, even with their solar and $8,000 to $10,000 worth of lithium batteries.

Post by: windtrader 

Clifford, let's be fair and balanced. Yes, even the best and most powerful solar/lithium rigs can need extra juice from a generator or off the pole.  I've been on the beach in Mexico for a month and never needed anything except what solar is delivering and what the batteries are storing.

Over the past several years, I have needed external power only once, when I sat in a California fog bank in Monterey for nearly a week. Some days, the sun never came out, and others, some sun peeked through for a few hours. There was not enough sun to keep me powered up.

Keeping an 8 kW Generac in the bay costs nothing, and pulling it takes labor that I don't need to expend. I could easily eliminate it and gain a half-bay of space I don't need. I could replace it with a small, quiet Honda for those rare times I need to power up the batteries, but common sense tells me to leave things as they are. 

Post by: luvrbus

Don, folks with total electric coaches sometimes struggle. Even here in AZ, it can be overcast for three or four days in a row. The ones with propane for cooking, refrigerators, hot water, and heat seem to do better. What’s the joy of camping when you need to find spots for more solar power and calculate your power use for a day?

I see people parked in the sun with trees all around and the AC set at 82 degrees in 110-degree weather. In colder weather, an Aqua-Hot and Webasto will draw some power from a battery bank. Some of it makes no sense: people with generators and solar systems with batteries, chargers, and inverters that cost more than the bus is worth.

Gary Hatt has a good system, but he will plug in or use his generator for a few hours a day.  You can buy a lot of fuel for $10,000 or more and be comfortable, too. It is whatever “flips your switch” when it comes to RV’ing. 

I like parking on the rivers in Idaho under the shade of trees with hot springs nearby.  Using the generator to top off the AGM batteries costs us about three bucks a day.  Where we park at Lowman on the river, the closest RV spot is over 150 feet away, and my generator is quiet, so it didn't bother the neighbors.  This is not like it is at bus rallies where buses are all parked in a tight space, only ten to twenty feet apart.

Post by: lvmci 

I think most intercity bus conversions stay on payment, use pole power, and only on special occasions, usually planned in advance, use their generators to power up while boondocking. I have used mine on interstate trips where we parked for an overnight stop on the way somewhere and, on a few occasions, used the generator to power the bus when the RV park lost power. It is great to know the generator is there.

Post by: Jim Blackwood

I always figured the best approach was to be as versatile as was financially reasonable and provide power for my needs from various sources that are flexible in use and replenishment. To that end, to get heat, I can use diesel, propane, or electric power. For hot water, I can use propane or electric. For cooking, I can use propane, electricity, or, if need be, wood and charcoal. I can get electricity from batteries, shore power, or propane generators. I can add a gasoline generator quite easily if needed, and someday, I can see adding solar to the mix. I am still waiting to see how the flexible membrane solar cells develop, as those look like a great option for a bus roof once they become more affordable.

But I always keep the bottom line in view. I'm not about to add $10,000 of solar to a bus I paid $5,000 for in the first place, no matter how much its current worth may be, unless that formula changes drastically.

Post by: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM

How about this 2200W Honda Generator for only $59.98?  Yay, or Nay?

Post by: dtcerrato

SCAM!

Post by: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM

What was your first clue?    

Post by: Luvrbus

Yep about like the $1000 tool boxes for $39 with free shipping. I know a guy who bought one. All he got was cheap CV-19 mask from China.

Post by: epretot 

Solar doesn't have to be expensive, and you can add more capacity over time. I chose to buy batteries, but you can build them for cheap. Solar panels are about $1.15 a watt, and you can also get those used.

Plus, you can set them up on the ground if you don't want to drill holes and fasten them to your roof. When I started this project, I wasn't going to install solar, but I quickly realized what a mistake that would be. I have an on-demand propane water heater, dryer, and stove. I can heat with wood and do so often. My dehumidifier is the killer.

I have a 10 kW Onan quiet diesel to install into the bus. It may weigh 700 lbs. That should top off the batteries and run the air conditioning.  In my opinion, water is much harder to come by.