Best Portable Generators for RV camping:
Campers need and want one when they’re tired of roughing it. They want a generator to help them with their lights, cooking, heating, and maybe some air conditioning. They might also want a generator to charge their phones, tablets, and laptop computers.
Affordability is a must, especially if you might want the option of taking two or more portable generators to run the AC on an RV and charge your cell phone.
Most campers also want and need a small portable generator that is easy to pack and transport. The best camping generators are the ones that are the quietest.
You don’t want to keep your neighbors and yourself awake all night. You may not have the cables or patience to set up and refill a generator that is fifty feet away.
These are some of the quietest portable generators for camping, whether you are in a campsite, cabin, or RV.
Contents
Quiet Generators For Camping
Budget Camper Guide to Generators That Will Let You Sleep out in the Wild in Near Silence
| Generator | Noise Level | Watts | Weight | Fuel Cap | Run time |
| Wen56200i | 51 DB | 1600 2000 | 48 lbs | 1 Gal | 6 Hrs |
| Generac 6866 IQ 2000 | 53 DB | 1600 2000 | 46 lbs | 1.06 Gal | 5.7 Hrs |
| Champion 73536i | 53 DB | 1700 2000 | 48.5 lbs | 1 Gal | 9 Hrs |
| Honda Eu000i | 59 DB | 900 1000 | 29 lbs | 0.6 Gal | 7 Hrs |
| Yamaha EF 2000isv2 | 51 DB | 1600 2000 | 44 lbs | 1.1 Gal | 10 Hrs |
| Westinghouse Wh2200ixlt | 59 DB | 1800 2200 | 43 lbs | 1.3 Gal | 13 Hrs |
| Atima SD1000i | 54 DB | 900 1000 | 33 lbs | 0.69 Gal | 6 Hrs |
| Homegear 950i | 58 DB | 700 800 | 22.5 lbs | 0.55 Gal | 6 Hrs |
WEN Model 56200i 2000 Watt Inverter Generator
WEN 56200i 2000 Starting Watts Gas Powered Portable Inverter Generator The model 56200i WEN generator will provide 1600 running watts and 2000 starting watts.
It produces “clean” power with less than a 3% distortion, so it is safe for you to recharge your cellphone or laptop. It won’t short out sensitive electronics. You can check it out on Amazon.
The downside of this unit is how difficult it is to add oil and occasionally units that start leaking gas. By buying a long neck funnel it makes adding oil easier and less messy. The same effort of disassembling a side panel is required to check the oil level.
Conversely, WEN is one of the few generator brands to offer high altitude conversion kits for anyone who wants them at a reasonable price.
They also offer an abundance of replacement parts off the shelf. This is one of the quietest generators on the list with a noise level rating of 51 dba which is quieter than a window air conditioner.
The GENERAC 6866 iQ2000
This is another quiet portable generator that you could buy for your camping or tailgating expeditions. It’s a generator packed with a robust mixture of efficiency; reliability; high tech; and performance.
To give you a quietly generated electrical power for your electrical appliances. You can check the prices here on Amazon
Just weighing slightly over 46lbs, it produces a clean, steady 2000 Watts of electrical power at the start, which then lowers to a stable 1600 Watts during running time.
This electrical power lets you connect your favorite electrical devices and appliances such as a sensitive LCD TV or laptop to a very reliable and efficient alternative source of electricity.
Its engine is made with a technology that lets your generator run according to the required workload that your appliances need.
For example, if you need to power up appliances whose total wattage is 900 watts, this generator’s engine will run to produce only 900watts of electrical power.
As such, this generator is fuel-efficient. And should there be the need for more electrical power for, your home. This generator provides its users with the option of connecting it to another generator of the same model in parallel connectivity.
You will then have two powerhouses whose output is twice the output of one GENERAC 6866 iQ2000 quiet portable generator.
The generator is chocked full of electric features that let you know the total wattage of your electrical appliances; their voltage and even the electric current that it’s producing.
Champion Model 73536i 2000 Watt Inverter Generator.
This stackable generator is perfect for stowing away on an RV for use at a campsite or keeping in the garage for power outages.
It is designed to let you stack two of the same model generators on top of each other. It weighs less than fifty pounds, so most people can move it.
This 73536i Champion generator is among the quietest available, putting out only 53 decibels of noise if you put it 20 feet away. Check the price here on Amazon.
Champion has very good customer support and a two-year limited warranty for these generators through some retailers, a three-year warranty if you buy it directly from them.
The challenge can be getting a replacement generator if the new unit won’t start or starts but never puts out the full level it is supposed to be able to produce. This is an issue with economy mode, where it sometimes shifts to that level and never comes back up.
It automatically shuts off when the oil is low. The unit uses a recoil start but is easy to pull.
Honda EU1000i Inverter Generator
This Honda EU1000i generator is quiet even for an inverter generator. At high power, it generates less than 60 decibels and in the economy, mode it may be closer to 50 decibels making it an ideal choice for your power needs during camping. Check the price on Amazon
It puts out a thousand watts, which is sufficient for lights and a few smaller items when camping. The lower power output is offset by its lightweight – it is only thirty pounds.
Honda generators, in general, have a reputation for reliability. Because there are so many Honda generators and other types of heavy equipment out there, finding someone to service it outside of the warranty isn’t difficult.
Changing the oil isn’t easy, but narrow funnels for this purpose cost around $20. If you want DC charging from this generator,
Honda sells the cables for an additional ten to fifteen dollars. Honda’s so common you can also find generic components that advertise their compatibility with Honda generators.
Yamaha Model EF2000iSv2 2000 Watt Inverter Generator
Yamaha EF2000iSv2, 1600 Running Watts 2000 Starting Watts Portable Inverter Generator.
This generator has a continuous load of 1600 watts and puts out 2000 watts when it starts up. You can get more reviews and check the price for Amazon here
The Yamaha EF2000iSv2 generator is eco-friendly so it can even be sold in California. The unit is available in brown camo and blue.
The unit is relatively quiet, and when on a quarter load, its 51-decibel noise level makes it one of the quietest generators on the market. This makes it an excellent choice when you are out looking for a camping generator.
One of the downsides of this unit is that after using it for a few hundred hours, its oil consumption rate goes up and stays up.
When this happens, you have to add oil to it when you refill the gas tank.
Arranging service can be difficult since there aren’t many authorized repair centers that accept the warranty. But it is Yamaha, so there are many shops that can fix it if you don’t care about getting it done under warranty.
If you live in Canada, no one honors the warranty.
Westinghouse 2200 Watt Inverter Generator, Model WH2200iXLT
Westinghouse WH2200iXLT Portable Inverter Generator is an affordable, compact generator.
The Westinghouse WH2200iXLT inverter generator puts out 1800 watts continuously, 2200 watts when demand peaks.
You can enjoy the quiet at only 59 decibels without creating any disturbances at the campsite.
One of the main benefits of model WH2200iXLT is its low price. Check out the price here on Amazon. It can also be connected with other WH2200iXLT or WH series Westinghouse generators to produce more power.
You will need to use the company’s connecting cables. If you own any of their larger generators, they sell the cables to connect them together.
Westinghouse has been in business for more than a century, which has been a major selling point for customers today.
Westinghouse’s service for its generators has declined to the point it can be hard to reach customer service, and you may be asked to send the generator to one of the few repair centers under warranty.
Since the company has been in business so long and sells everything from generators for emergency use by homeowners when storms hit to industrial power generators.
It is easy to find repair people who can fix these generators and there is an excellent supplier network for every type of part they need, new or used.
Some units experience carburetor problems after the first few uses. You can reduce the odds of it failing by completely draining it with gas before storing it or using a stabilizer in it.
Homegear Model 950i Generator
Homegear 950i Digital 950 Watts Portable Gas Inverter Power generator puts out 700 watts continuously. It has a maximum output of 800 watts but cannot sustain this.
This is strong enough to power a small heater or power tools, but it won’t run air conditioners.
It does have a DC outlet plug and it is good enough to recharge cell phones and laptop computers.
It comes with the basic low oil level, overload, and pilot lights, and it automatically shuts down when the oil is too low. To get more information or check the prices on Amazon click here.
You pull the cord to start it, but that doesn’t take much effort. The 58-decibel noise level (at 20 feet) is about the same for most portable generators.
If you need a basic small generator that runs a few lights or small appliances while camping, the low price, and 20-pound weight make it ideal for camp-outs.
The unit runs for about six hours at half power, but less if you’re using all 700 watts. The manufacturer recommends only using 93 octane gas (or better known as premium fuel). Conversely, you can use almost any type of oil.
While it is an inverter generator, the manufacturer doesn’t seem to offer cables to connect more than one of these cheap little generators together to power a heater or AC for your camper.
Atima SD1000i 1000 Watt Inverter Generator
Atima SD1000i is a 1,000 Watt 4-Stroke Gas-Powered Quiet Portable Inverter Generator.
The Altima brand isn’t as famous as Honda or Yamaha, but it is a quality Japanese brand.
The Atima SD1000i generator is so efficient that it can even be sold in California. You can check the price on Amazon here
The unit is compact and lightweight; it only weighs 33 pounds. This can be perfect for your camping needs and is easy to stow in the trunk of your car or the storage compartment in your RV.
It provides 900 running watts, 1000 peak watts. You will find the noise level rating is at 54 dB standing 7 meters away from the generator when is working at 1/4 load.
These are acceptable noise levels allowed by most campsites.
The price you pay for the small size and lightweight comes if you’re going to use it for any heavy loads or extended periods of time. The fuel tank only holds seven-tenths of a gallon.
The manufacturer says that will run for six hours on a quarter load. At full load, it is not enough to run your AC but you can run your heater for two hours.
It comes with two AC plugs and one 12 volt DC socket, enough to plug the minimum number of items in.
Buy this for, short-term power disruptions, or for camping in your RV and at tailgate parties.
One of the challenges people face is finding service for it. The manuals for them say to contact service but often it doesn’t include a phone number.
You may be able to find a service with a power equipment repair service, but unlike Westinghouse, Yamaha, and Honda, there isn’t a service network for this brand of generators.
Read More: How To quiet Camping Generator?
Summary:
The generators listed here are some of the quietest models that are available on the market.
The WEN portable generator is the best choice for anyone who lives in Colorado or other high altitude locations or wants to be able to maintain it as necessary without relying on service centers.
The GENERAC 6866 iQ2000 It’s a generator packed with a robust mixture of efficiency; reliability; high tech; and performance.
The Champion generator is ideal when you want to stack two or more in one corner to scale up the power for your campsite or cabin.
The Honda generator is not only efficient and lightweight it can be easily serviced by almost anyone.
The Yamaha generator is eco-friendly and quiet, I wouldn’t buy it if you want to get it serviced under the warranty.
Westinghouse has a reputation for quality, but the service has deteriorated over time. However, the WH2200iXLT Westinghouse generator is an excellent choice for compatibility with almost every other Westinghouse generator.
The Altima is small, compact, and lightweight – just don’t plan on using it for more than short periods.
The Homegear generator its biggest attraction is its price. It is good enough to run some lights, a radio and other small items when out camping. Without all of the noise, the big boys put out whether or not they are powering an AC unit.