The 6 Best RV Generators

1. How We Picked

An RV generator has a narrower job than a home backup generator. It has to start and run a rooftop air conditioner, it has to be quiet enough for a campground, and it has to connect to the RV's shore power cord without improvised wiring. A generator that fails any one of those is a poor RV generator however many watts it makes.

We built this list from manufacturer specification sheets and retailer listings from Westinghouse, Champion, Honda, Yamaha's distributor Koshin, Cummins, Camping World, Tractor Supply and Lowe's. We did not run these generators ourselves. We compared them on running watts, the RV outlet they carry, listed noise, fuel options, runtime and weight, and we say where sources disagree.

Most of the picks are inverter generators. An inverter produces cleaner power for an RV's electronics, throttles down at light loads to save fuel and cut noise, and is quieter than an open-frame generator of the same size. Our best inverter generator guide covers the category more broadly, including home backup use.

We did not include open-frame contractor generators, even though some carry a 50-amp RV outlet. They are usually too loud for campgrounds with noise limits, and the money saved tends to be spent again on a quieter generator after the first complaint from a neighboring site.

2. 30-Amp vs 50-Amp RVs

Start with the plug on your RV's shore power cord. A 30-amp RV uses a three-prong TT-30 plug and a single 120-volt leg, so its whole electrical system can draw at most 3,600 watts. A 50-amp RV uses a four-prong 14-50 plug with two 120-volt legs of 50 amps each, for up to 12,000 watts. Those numbers set the ceiling on what a generator ever needs to supply.

For a 30-amp trailer, a generator with around 3,000 to 3,700 running watts and a TT-30R outlet covers nearly everything, including one rooftop air conditioner, as long as you do not run the microwave and the air conditioner at the same moment. Generators around 2,000 rated watts can work with careful load management or a soft-start device, which is where the Yamaha EF2400iSHC and Honda EU3200i fit.

A 50-amp coach with two air conditioners needs much more. Two rooftop units running together, plus a refrigerator and a water heater element, can push past 6,000 watts. The realistic choices are a large inverter with a 50-amp outlet, such as the Champion 8500, or two inverters linked by a parallel kit with a 50-amp outlet on the kit.

You can plug a 50-amp RV into a 30-amp generator with a dogbone adapter, and many owners do. It works, but the RV will only have about 3,600 watts available, so you can run one air conditioner at most. Our generator wattage chart lists typical running and starting watts if you want to add up your own loads.

3. Our 6 Picks

We researched these from manufacturer specifications and retailer listings that repeat them, and we note where sources disagree. We did not lab-test them. Noise figures are the manufacturers' listed ratings, which are measured under different loads and distances, so compare them loosely.

1

Best Overall for 30-Amp RVsWestinghouse iGen4500 Inverter Generator

Gas Inverter, 3,700 Running Watts, TT-30R

Best Overall for 30-Amp RVs

The iGen4500 is the size most 30-amp trailers actually need, with an outlet that plugs straight into the RV cord. Westinghouse's spec sheet lists 3,700 running watts and 4,500 peak watts on gasoline, a 30-amp TT-30R RV outlet on its own breaker, a 20-amp duplex and two USB ports. That running figure leaves room for a 13,500 BTU rooftop air conditioner plus a refrigerator, lights and a phone charger, which is the load that defeats smaller inverters. A retailer listing gives a noise rating of 52 dBA and another seller says 53; like most manufacturers' figures, that reflects a light load, and our separate inverter generator guide notes it is noticeably louder under a heavy household load. Run time differs between spec sheet versions, at 16 or 18 hours at 25 percent load on the 3.4-gallon tank. The trade-off is bulk: it is a rolling generator, not one you lift into a truck bed alone.

Pros

• Westinghouse lists 3,700 running and 4,500 peak watts
• 30A TT-30R RV outlet with its own breaker
• Listed at 52 dBA by one retailer
• 16 to 18 hours at 25% load on a 3.4 gal tank, depending on spec sheet version

Cons

• Heavy; rolls rather than carries
• Gasoline only
• Louder under heavy loads than the listed rating suggests

The Bottom Line

The right size and outlet for a 30-amp trailer with one air conditioner, at a lower listed noise level than most.

Check Price →

4. Starting the Air Conditioner

The rooftop air conditioner is the load that decides which generator you need. A typical 13,500 BTU unit draws somewhere around 1,300 to 1,700 watts while running, but the compressor needs a short surge several times higher to start. That starting surge, not the running load, is what trips small generators and makes owners think the generator is faulty.

A soft-start device, fitted to the air conditioner, ramps the compressor up gradually and cuts that surge sharply. With one fitted, a generator around 2,000 to 2,800 rated watts can often start a 13,500 BTU unit that it otherwise could not. Fitting a soft start is usually a cheaper fix than buying a bigger generator, and it also reduces the strain on campground pedestals.

Without a soft start, plan on a generator with roughly 3,000 running watts or more for one 13,500 BTU unit, which is why the Westinghouse iGen4500 and the Champion 4500 dual fuel sit at the top of this list for 30-amp trailers. Yamaha's EF2400iSHC is the exception, because Yamaha designed it specifically to start most 13,500 BTU units despite its 2,000-watt rating.

Manage loads in the order they start. Let the air conditioner start and settle before turning on the microwave, coffee maker or hair dryer, and set the refrigerator to propane if it can run on both. On a 50-amp coach, start the two air conditioners a minute or so apart. Our guide to what size generator you need explains starting and running watts in more detail.

5. Noise and Campground Rules

Noise limits are the rule RVers run into most often. National parks are a common example: federal rules for the National Park Service set a limit of 60 decibels measured at 50 feet for generators and other motorized equipment, and individual parks and campgrounds set their own generator hours. Private campgrounds often have stricter rules, and some ban generators entirely in certain loops.

Manufacturers' decibel ratings help, but they are not directly comparable. Most portable generators are rated at 23 feet, often at a light or quarter load, while some built-in sets are listed at 10 feet. A generator listed at 52 dBA at a quarter load will be louder when it is running an air conditioner. Use the ratings to compare similar machines, not as a promise of what a neighbor will hear.

Placement matters as much as the machine. Point the exhaust away from your site and your neighbors, keep the generator on the ground rather than in a pickup bed where the bed amplifies noise, and use a longer cord to get it farther from the camper. Never box a generator in to quiet it; it needs airflow to cool and to keep exhaust from building up.

If you boondock where there are no neighbors, noise matters less than fuel and weight. If you camp mostly in developed campgrounds, put noise near the top of your list, and check each campground's generator hours before you arrive.

6. Parallel Kits

Many inverter generators can be linked to a second identical or compatible unit with a parallel kit, which combines their output. Two smaller inverters can then supply what one large generator would, and each one is light enough to lift on its own. Champion's 4500-watt dual fuel accepts a parallel kit, which Champion sells with a 50-amp RV outlet on some versions.

Paralleling has real advantages for RVers. You can take one generator on short trips and both on hot-weather trips, and if one needs service, you still have the other. Two machines at light load can also be quieter than one large machine working harder.

The costs are a second generator, a kit, and two engines to maintain. Parallel kits generally only work between specific models, usually the same brand and series, so check the manufacturer's compatibility list before buying a second unit. Our best dual fuel inverter generator guide notes which models parallel.

If you already own one 2,000- to 3,500-watt inverter, adding a matching second unit and a kit is often the cheapest route to running a second air conditioner. If you are starting from scratch with a 50-amp coach, a single large inverter like the Champion 8500 is simpler.

7. Gas, Propane and Runtime

Most RVs already carry propane for cooking and heating, which makes a dual-fuel generator appealing: one fuel to buy and store, and propane does not go stale or gum up a carburetor the way stored gasoline can. Champion lists its 4500 dual fuel at about 3,150 running watts on propane against 3,500 on gasoline, which illustrates the usual trade: propane delivers somewhat less power.

Runtime figures are always quoted at a light load, usually 25 percent. Running an air conditioner pushes a generator well above that, and runtime falls sharply. Honda lists the EU3200i at 8.6 hours at a quarter load but 3.3 hours at its rated load; plan your refueling around the heavier figure on hot days.

Carry fuel safely. Store gasoline in approved containers outside the living area, and do not refuel a running or hot generator. If you run on propane from the RV's own tanks, make sure the connection is designed for it, and remember that running a generator and the furnace from the same tanks uses propane faster than you might expect.

For long stays at one site, a larger fuel tank or a propane connection to a big external tank can matter more than raw output. Our guide to how long a generator can run continuously covers runtime and maintenance intervals.

8. Emissions, Spark Arrestors and Safety

Not every generator is sold in every state. California's air resources board sets its own rules for small engines, and some models or versions are listed as not for sale there; one retailer lists that restriction on a Champion 4500 dual fuel version. If you live in or travel through California, check the specific model's status before buying.

Many public lands, including national forests, require a spark arrestor on generators to reduce fire risk. Most inverter generators sold for RV use include one, but check before camping on public land in dry seasons, and keep the screen clean, because a clogged arrestor also restricts the engine.

Carbon monoxide is the serious hazard. Run the generator outdoors only, with the exhaust pointed away from your RV and your neighbors' windows, vents and awnings. Never run it inside a toy hauler garage, under an awning or in an enclosed space. Keep the RV's carbon monoxide alarm working and test it at the start of every trip.

Some newer generators include carbon monoxide shutoff, such as Champion's CO Shield on the 201319 and Honda's CO shutdown feature on current EU3200i listings. These are worthwhile, but they are a backstop. Placement and a working alarm are still what keeps people safe.

9. Portable vs Built-In

Motorhomes and some toy haulers have a generator bay, and a built-in set like the Cummins Onan QG 2800i starts from a switch inside, draws from the coach fuel tank and never needs setting up. For owners who move often and run a generator daily, that convenience is worth a lot.

Portable inverters cost less, can be moved away from the RV to reduce noise, and can come into the house during a power outage. That last point matters to many owners: a 3,500- to 4,500-watt inverter that runs a trailer in summer can also keep a refrigerator and lights going at home. Our best portable generator guide covers home backup options, and if you ever want to connect one to the house properly, see our best manual transfer switch guide.

Replacing an existing built-in generator is usually best done with a like-for-like or manufacturer-approved replacement, installed by an RV service center, because the bay, exhaust routing, fuel line and wiring were designed around a specific unit. Fitting a built-in where none existed is a larger job.

If your RV has a 30-amp service and no generator bay, a portable inverter is almost always the better buy. If your coach has a bay and a 50-amp service, compare the built-in options your manufacturer approves against a large portable, and weigh the convenience against the cost.