Best Generator For Travel Trailer

Are you a travel geek who likes to go camping and exploration adventures? Well, adventures don’t come easy particularly when you are out there in there wild where there is no access to grid power.

So, what should be done there? Is abandoning the utility power and facing the nomadic life for a few days will be the solution? Or finding yourself a good secondary power source like that or an RV generator? 

Well, certainly anyone of you here would go with the RV generators rather than spend any extra minute without electricity.

But what actually matters is that would you be able to find yourself a great RV generator that is worth the time and money. The answer lies in the attention you give to buying the generator. 

You should go through our review article to know the basics of consideration before buying the generator for a travel trailer so that you can have a worthy one for you.

So, without any further ado, let’s head straight for our comprehensive guide on the Best Generator for Travel Trailers.

Comparison Table Of The 10 Best Generator For Travel Trailers

Image	Product	Features	Price
Best Runtime	Champion Power Equipment 100302 81.6 Lbs. Weight 17 Hrs. Runtime At 25% Load 64 dBA Noise Level	10	Check Price
Best Engine Noise	Honda Power Equipment EU3000IS 144 Lbs. Weight 20 Hrs. Runtime At 25% Load 49-58 dBA Noise Level	10	Check Price
Best Versatility	Generac Gp2200I 46.6 Lbs. Weight 10.75 Hrs. Runtime At 25% Load 53 dBA Noise Level	10	Check Price
Best Budget	Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240 6.6 Lbs. Weight 240 Wh Battery Capacity 5 X Outlets	10	Check Price
Best Performance	WEN 56200i 48 Lbs. Weight 6 Hrs. Runtime At 25% Load 53 dBA Noise Level	9.5	Check Price
Best Portability	SereneLife Portable Generator 3.49 Lbs. Weight 155 Wh Battery Capacity 8 X Outlets	9.5	Check Price
Best Dual-Fuel	Westinghouse WGen3600v 98.8 Lbs. Weight 14 Hrs. Runtime At 25% Load 58 dBA Noise Level	9.5	Check Price
Best Ultralight	A-iPower SUA2000iV 48 Lbs. Weight 4 Hrs. Runtime At 50% Load 52 dBA Noise Level	9	Check Price
Best Shelled Body	Briggs & Stratton P2400 1 Lb. Weight 4 Hrs. Runtime At 25% Load 49 dBA Noise Level	9	Check Price
Top Pick	Champion Power Equipment 76533 122 Lbs. Weight 14 Hrs. Runtime At 25% Load 53 dBA Noise Level	9	Check Price

Given below are the top 10 generators for a travel trailer that are selected after careful testing and review of the best generator for a travel trailer. Let us dig deep into their detailed account to see which one is your apple pie. 

Champion power equipment is a versatile generator that is leading the charts with its multi-functional performance and powerful engines.

These generators are mostly portable devices that don’t restrict heavy-duty tasks like a commercial power supply or home backup power. 

Features:

This Champion Power is a mid-range portable generator that is specifically designed for travel trailers or RVs.

This is a 4000 watts generator with its peak wattage while the running wattage with its 3% lesser THD is 3500 which is a good conservation value of running watts indicating the amazing power of this amazing RV generator. 

The runtime of this engine is pretty good or we can say better than most residential home standby generators available on the market.

You can use this generator for a good enough whole 17 hours on gasoline fuel at 25% load. By decreasing the load even further, the runtime will be proportionally increased to even more hours.

But you don’t have to worry about lowering the load for increasing the runtime as you can do so by running your generator in economy mode. 

This Champion Power Equipment 100302 generator features an (economy) ECO Mode for fuel-saving by lowering the consumption level of the engine and increasing the runtime.

The runtime is increased due to a decrease in the engine speed (RPM) and the fuel consumption ratings.

One is speed is lowered engine won’t charge much power and thus generator can run longer hours just like the power-saving mode where background application activity is restricted to enhance battery life. 

Verdict:

Honda power equipment generators are the brand-name devices that are the golden goose in the market and are highly trusted and reputed in the market.

Honda is infamous for its costly yet dependable merchandise and these Honda generators truly stand for their name and prestige with their long-lasting and efficient performance. 

Features:

This generator is more of a cozy and compact choice and is suitable for camping and tailgating, even home backup power, and for using it in wildlife adventures.

This compact generator is a portable device with a weight of 144 pounds that is good for an RV generator with 3000 surge watts.

The 3000 surge watts produce a running wattage of 2800 which is much higher than those 3800 watts generators with 4800 peak watts. 

This popular Honda generator is a very versatile option and will be like an all-rounder that can fulfill all of your needs to a certain extent.

Such as you can take Honda Power Equipment EU3000IS along on an overnight trip to a nearby campsite as the secondary power source.

You can keep it as your parallel kit generator for your travel trailer to use to run your home under power outages.

2800 watts are sufficient for running almost all mini and heavy-duty appliances in a mid-sized home including a 13,000 BTU AC. 

This generator is not only versatile in its functioning but is also very quiet and buzz-free. With its 49 to 58 dBA sound level at different modes of generator operation, you can surely enjoy a super-quiet travel trailer generator that is rather difficult to attain with cheap generators abundant in the market.  

Verdict:

If you are out there in the market looking for a generator for god knows what reason you must have heard the name Generac. Generac is a prestigious and well-established brand that almost all generator users and owners have long desired.

Generac generators are powerful, versatile, super-quiet, and durable units that give you the best generator experience but definitely ask you to break your banks with their skyrocketed price tags. 

Features:

This Generac generator is a mid-range portable generator that is designed specifically for camping and tailgating.

This generator is not used alone in travel trailers because with its 2200 watts peak wattage you can’t really power most of your electric appliances like your 12,000 or 15,000 BTU AC system. 

Therefore, Generac has launched parallel functioning in all of its portable units to allow for multiple connections of portable generators to increase the wattage.

The parallel functioning of Generac Gp2200I allows you to connect two or more generators together with either similar wattage or varying wattages to have their surge power combined for running your heavy-duty appliances. 

Suppose you want to power your 15,000 BTU AC unit with this Generac GP2200i, but you won’t be able to do so because the surge wattage is lower than those required by the AC system.

Therefore, you can try hooking up two Generac GP2200I generators to have 4400 peak watts. These 4400 peak watts are more than enough for running your 15,000 BTU AC system. 

Verdict:

If you are looking for portable power stations to carry along with you in your adventures and exploration journeys then you shouldn’t definitely need to give Jackery a try.

Jackery franchise is the world-renowned power-station lineup that is famous for their small 100, 200, and even 1000s watts generator series for charging mini-electric tools 

Features:

Jackery portable generators are solar chargers that drive energy from the sun’s rays and convert it to electric power for recharging your smartphones and laptops.

The Jackery Explorer series is world-famous among campers and tailgaters who like to have a specific solar charger with them for recharging their smart tools.

The Jackery Explorer series has 100 watts to onward wattage and you can go as higher as 2000 in the explorer series for portable inverter power. 

This Jackery Explorer 240 gives you 240 watts of electric power for charging your road trip essentials.

You can use the solar saga panel that is not included in the package for recharging the portable power station or you can hook it up to the car outlet for DC charging.

There are three fundamental ways to charge your Jackery Explorer 240 generator that include wall socket (AC), 12V DC, and solar charging. Each type has a different charging time ranging from 3.5 hours to 6.5 hours. 

 The battery capacity of this solar power station is 240 WH and this lithium-ion battery is quick to recharge and doesn’t have exceeding drainage making it long-lasting.

You cannot use an electric grill, refrigerator, blender, or microwave with this Jackery Explorer 240 generator. 

Verdict:

WEN generators are suitable for all those travel trailer owners who are in need of a portable yet durable product that can stand the test of time and be by your side for a long time.

This WEN generator is a gas-powered unit that is featuring advanced inverter technology for better and more efficient performance. 

Features: 

WEN generator is a 2000 watts gas-powered generator that is running on the latest inverter technology for a super-quiet and efficient engine operation. 

This is a 48 pounds only generator that is coming in a black and orange outlook with a compact and trendy design.

With its telescopic handle at the top, the ease to carry it around is enhanced and you can smoothly port it to places without exerting much effort. 

The noise level of this generator is much lower than the standard 2000 surge watts generator and the 53-only dBA is a great rating for a buzz-free experience.

You might be considering that Honda and Generac generators feature 43 to 48 dBA values for a 48-pound generator but the difference between a 48 and 53 dBA generator with increased wattage at a much-reduced price is definitely worth the effort. 

The pure sine wave AC outlet supply provides clean and stable power that is suitable for sensitive appliances like smartphones and adapters.

This WEN 56200i Generator is EPA III certified and also CARB compliant. With its small compact size and portable body, it is very suitable for campgrounds, and tailgates and can also be used at home in power outages.  

Verdict:

Serene Life is a relatively lesser-known brand compared to Generac and Westinghouse but if you are looking for the consumer market for affordable generators and effective performance then serene life products may be leading the market charts.

These generators are extremely portable that can be carried by anyone even your kids due to their extremely lightweight bodies.

Despite their ultralight build, the serene life generators are durable and will be worth your bucks and the efforts invested in buying them. 

Features:

This serene life generator is a battery-powered powerhouse that has multiple power outlets including AC, DC, and USB ports for convenient charging and recharging.

You can simultaneously charge the generator battery and your smart appliances without minding change and recharge technology.

This SereneLife Portable Generator can be quickly charged on your road trips using the solar saga 100 panels that are not included in the package. 

If you don’t want to go with additional purchases like that of solar panels, you can use other ways of charging this battery-driven portable power station.

You can use the AC wall socket while at home for charging the generator battery or use the 12V DC Car outlet when on the road. 

The wall plug is the fastest way of charging the battery and it takes 8 hours for a full charge from 0 to 100% with this AC power supply.

The time taken for recharge increases with the solar panels and even further with the 12V DC outlet. 

There are plenty of sockets that include:

• 3 X 12V DC ports (180 W) (with an additional Cigarette socket cable 
• 3 X USB ports (5V)
• 2 X AC outlet (110V, 100W) 

These 8 receptacles in total allow for 8 devices to be charged simultaneously with one DC outlet used for charging external batteries like that of your vehicle. 

Verdict:

Westinghouse generators are sturdy and durable units that are multi-functional and widely used in commercial buildings for extensive and heavy-duty power requirements.

These generators are mostly designed in line with commercial requirements in mind and due to this reason, even the residential units have to add feature-laden packages that are immensely popular with campers, tailgaters, and even RV owners. 

Features:

This WGEN generator is offering you the second-best wattage rating in our selection of the best generator for a travel trailer.

This is a 3600 watts running generator with 4650 peak wattage and 30-ampere stand power output. This generator is a dual fuel-powered unit that is running on gas or LPG fuel. 

The 3600 running watts are good enough for powering most of your medium-sized appliances and you can conveniently use this generator in your travel trailers, campers, and RVs.

The Westinghouse WGen3600v is an RV-ready unit that doesn’t need complex assemblage and arrangement you just have to hook the unit up with a 30-ampere extension cord and plug it into your travel trailer’s main supply line.

This Westinghouse generator is certified with EPA III and is CARB compliant which makes it approved for use in 50-plus states including California. 

The runtime of this generator is better than most home standby units and with its 12 hours long runtime per tank, you are good to enjoy an overnight trip in the full comfort of your home in the travel trailer.

There are duplex household receptacles, in addition to the AC and 12V DC outlets. For added safety, all power outlets have rubber covers as protection from moisture and wet weather.

Verdict:

A-iPower generators are portable inverter generators that are suitable for travel trailers due to their portability and lightweight bodies.

These generators have powerful engines for efficient performance and coupled with the latest inverter technology they produce a very quiet engine operation that is desired by almost all generator owners. 

Features:

For all those users who want to have a portable power station at hand for charging mini appliances and gadgets, this SUV generator is the best bet.

This is a small generator that can be carried along anywhere and you don’t have to buy specific power banks for all your smart appliances like your smartphones, laptops, cameras, and other similar tools. 

This is a 2000 watts generator with only 50 pounds of weight and a carrying handle that allows you to transport it to places without straining your muscles.

This A-iPower SUA2000iV generator has added all safety features for a certified RV and indoor generator operation.

Other than the lack of a CO minding system, you can have almost all fundamental safety requirements fulfilled in this generator. 

The powerful 79CC OHV 4-Stroke engine doesn’t only give a versatile and fuel-efficient performance but also a very quiet operation that is well worth your bucks. 

There are also small rubber feet at the bottom of this generator for reducing vibrational noise.

For cutting down on airborne noise by the passing of exhaust gasses, the built-in mufflers are of utmost importance. 

Verdict:

If you are looking forward to getting yourself a heavy-duty and powerful generator by a prestigious brand then nothing can be better than a Briggs and Stratton product.

This fuel-efficient generator is the well-hyped product desired by millions of travel trailer users who want an efficient and powerful generator for a smooth sailing generator experience with their RVs. 

Features:

This generator is coming in an aesthetically appealing body that entices the users with its first glimpse and gives the buyers a view of its versatile and powerful performance.

This generator has a smart monitoring system featured on its front panel that allows you to control the operation of the generator. 

You can power the ON or OFF generator besides putting it on standby and Eco mode from the control panel.

This display panel also showcases LED indicator lights for low oil levels, overload alerts, and CO levels.

With various color changes in these LED indications, you can have an idea about the upcoming dangers of using your generator in extreme conditions. 

The highlight of this Briggs & Stratton P2400 generator is its CO minder system that alarms you of the carbon monoxide levels in the air and automatically shut down the engine once a specific range of CO in the air is reached.

This CO shutdown is necessary for all indoor generators and the travel trailer units for preventing any damage to life due to generator smoke.  

Verdict:

For all those users who are fans of Champion power equipment generators but want to have a higher wattage than the aforementioned 4000 surge watts generator, this champion power equipment with 4750 peak watts may be the ideal choice for your travel trailer.

This generator is the best generator for travel trailers and has many cool and advanced features for a power-packed performance. 

Features:

The champion power equipment is a proponent of the dual-fuel series and this portable conventional generator is featuring gasoline and LPG support for a fuel-efficient dual-fuel operation. 

This unit is the generator with the highest wattage in our selection of the best generator for travel trailers.

With its 4750 surge watts and 3800 peak watts, this generator is good enough for a medium-sized home. 

This champion generator with its high power output is a standalone unit for your travel trailers but the champion power brand has added parallel support for increasing the power output to your desired values.

Despite its conventional open-frame steel body, this generator has an electric start that makes it laced with all the latest technologies in the standard generator body. 

For flexible connectivity, this Champion Power Equipment 76533 generator has multiple outlets that include both AC and DC ports and even a USB Type C.

You also have an RV adapter for making this generator an RV-ready unit that only needs to be taken out and coupled with an extension cord for running your RV. 

Click here for a full review.

Verdict:

Best Generator For Travel Trailer: A Comprehensive Buyer’s Guide

Are you confused by the overwhelming choices for travel trailer generators available in the market? Don’t know which one to buy and which one to pass?

Don’t worry! We are here to help you sort your queries and get them answered.

We have come up with this detailed buyer’s guide after a careful review of the product description of the best and most trusted generators in the market.

You should give it a must-read for minding the essential features and specs before finalizing your purchase.  

How To Determine Which Generator Is Best For Your Travel Trailer? 

There are plenty of necessary features that determine the worth of a generator in a particular situation and you need to find a suitable generator not just the most affordable one.

Suppose you have a home standby generator with over 500 pounds weight that doesn’t have a mobility kit or wheels. 

What should you do if you want to put that generator in your travel trailer?

Can your travel trailer or RV have enough space to accommodate that big buddy or can you have enough technical help at hand to manually carry that sturdy body in your vehicle?

Well, both of these questions don’t make sense as you wouldn’t have to put your home standby generator in your RV if it doesn’t have sufficient portability and compact design. 

Therefore, one needs to have a suitable generator for the task the generator is supposed to perform.

A good travel trailer generator needs to be a foremost necessity, a portable one that can be taken out at convenience and requirement before any other necessity like a powerful and versatile engine. 

Let us now discuss these essential features in detail to know which things should be considered before buying the best travel trailer generators. 

Size And Portability:

The first and foremost thing travel trailer owners should consider when buying a generator is its portability.

Your camper or RV can only accommodate a portable generator as you would have to frequently take it out and put it back in place when arranging your campsite.

A portable generator will be convenient to move around while a heavyweight body wouldn’t be pushed from its place without physical effort. 

You should ensure a lightweight and compact body for easy storage in your RV.

A recreational vehicle like your travel trailer or camper is a compact and cozy place with numerous appliances and furniture to accommodate, therefore, you naturally won’t have much storage space left for your generator.

A compact body that takes barely a few inches will be the best thing one can ask for. 

Emissions:

One critical thing recreational vehicles need to ensure is the safety features for the generator mounted along with the stuff in your travel trailer.

Since travel trailers are more inclined toward portable generators, inverter technology is surpassing conventional and regular generators due to their portability and super-quiet engine performance.

Therefore, these portable inverter generators have certain safety emissions standards for being categorized as fit for your travel trailers. 

These inverter generators have advanced engine throttle systems that are termed ECO-Throttle systems for environment-friendly emissions.

This ECO Throttle system creates lesser pollution due to low fuel consumption and fewer exhaust emissions.

Thus travel trailer owners should choose inverter generators with ECO throttle systems that can reduce emission levels and protect the environment from the dangers of air pollution and CO intoxication. 

Noise Level:

One choosing your RV generator, nothing is more demanding than the noise level and this is because when on the run on the road, you would have to power your AC or heating system depending on the weather.

If the generator is running in your RV and creating a loud buzz, you would rather endure the harsh weather than hear such annoying noise.

Therefore, to avoid such a perplexing situation where you are tasked to choose between comfort and loud engine operation, you should rather go with the best of both worlds. 

The inverter generator with advanced noise-reducing technologies has many dedicated RV generators that have noise levels of 42 to 58 dBA levels.

This generator noise is considered bearable and won’t be much trouble. Therefore, before heading for the purchase of your generator, be mindful of its noise level and choose the one with the least noise level. 

Parallel Support:

RV generators are rigorous in their demands and don’t have another way around, for example, you can choose a portable or heavy-duty standby generator for your home backup power but when you are planning to buy the generator for your travel trailer, the flexibility in choices is limited as you have to ensure the portability at all costs, compact size, limited noise level, inverter technology and so on.

But a generator with these complex requirements doesn’t necessarily have powerful engines to give your 10kw or more wattage. 

Although you don’t exactly need 10 kW power in your recreational vehicles a good-sized travel trailer with a sufficient number of appliances will require you to have somewhere between 4000 to 5000 surge watts.

Therefore, you need to have such generators that can be hooked to increase the wattage while maintaining the portability and all the rigorous requirements. 

Most RV generators in the market have parallel capabilities that allow them to be in connection with other generators.

In this way, you can add the surge watts of two or more generators to have higher wattage and power your heavy-duty appliances like your 16,000 BTU Units and similar appliances. 

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What Size Generator Do I Need For My Travel Trailer?

The size of the generator depends upon your need for wattage from it. A travel trailer on average needs 2400 or more watts for the optimum running of all-electric appliances in your vehicle.

But if you have plenty of tools and gadgets installed in your travel trailer then you should consider increasing the running watts to 4000 or more. 

How Many Watts Do You Need To Power A Travel Trailer?

You can calculate the watts requirements of your travel trailer generator by multiplying Volts with amperes being in use.

Most standard electric appliances and gadgets are running on 120V Voltage and the standard amperage is either 30 or 50 amps. You can multiply 30 X 120 to have a 3600 watts power supply in your RV. 

How Do You Hook Up A Portable Generator To A Travel Trailer?

You can hook up your generator with the travel trailer or your camper using the 30 amp extension cord.

You just need to power your generator on, turn off its choke button and trigger the quick pull start.

Keep in mind to put your generator about 5 to 10 feet away from your travel trailer to let its exhaust safely vent out. 

Conclusion:

See More:

Best Generators For Hurricanes
Best Welder Generator To Power A House

Video Help:

If you want to know more then watch the below video.