Portable RV Generators – What To Look For In A Generator

For anyone with an RV or even people considering getting an RV, one thing that you will find very handy is a portable RV generator. When your out on your travels you may find that you are stopping for the night in an area with no grid power to plug into. You don't want to run the RV engines so you can use a generator to give you power. When it comes to a portable RV generator there are a few things to consider. This article will touch on these things and a few more so that you know what to look out for.

To cut to the chase, you need to consider the size and the type of fuel that the generator uses. It's as simple as that.

So what is the size all about. Well, the size is actually the capacity of the generator to output wattage. Small generators are rated at around 1500 – 200 watts. Larger units are rated at 5000 and up to around 10000 watts. The size may also consist of the physical dimensions of the unit. Although this is not such a big consideration, people with little storage space should definitely factor this into their thoughts.

Don't plump for the largest generator you can find. The larger the capacity the greater the cost. So if you want to save a bit of cash and get the best fit for your needs, you need to measure the amount of power you will use on a daily basis. The best way to do this is to measure over an extended period – say a month or even longer if possible. Divide the total by 30 or however many days you are testing and you will get you daily usage. This is your guide for getting the portable RV generator with the ideal capacity.

When it comes to the physical size of the generator, you will find that most brands are pretty much similar in size. Make sure you have room to store the generator when not in use. This is about the only consideration in this respect.

With that out of the way, you should now consider the type of fuel your generator should use. The three main types of fuel are gas, diesel and propane gas. Depending on where you live or plan to be traveling, the availability of these fuels maybe a consideration. Also the price of each maybe a consideration. Diesel is very expensive where I'm from whereas propane gas is not too bad. If all things are even, you may simply go for the same fuel type as is used by your RV so that you can used fuel from each should one run out and it would be more convenient to fill your generator up.

Another factor to work into the buying equation is the noise made when the generator is operating. If you are a light sleeper and your generator will be running at night you may want to go for a quiet option. These are around but more expensive.

For ease of use you may also consider a push button starter rather than a rip cord. At the end of a long day you don't want to be messing around with a cord, although this is not a huge problem.