Generators have their time and place in the caravan world. While some people rely on them for medical equipment or as a budget-friendly alternative to solar, others (like me) prefer the peace and quiet of nature.
I’m not the biggest fan of freedom camping near someone who runs a generator all day—it ruins the serenity. But, at the end of the day, everyone has their reasons, and as long as they’re being considerate, we just have to respect that.
Despite having a solid solar and battery setup, we do carry a generator in the back of the ute. Why?
✅ For emergencies – The one time a year we might need it.
✅ For comfort – If we’re alone in the middle of nowhere and it’s 50°C, we can crank up the aircon guilt-free.
Knowing what I know now, it’s probably overkill. Especially considering:
But hey, ask me again when I’m sweating buckets in the Outback with the aircon running—I might change my mind. 😆
After loads of research, I found that most nomads swear by either Honda or Yamaha.
🔹 They’re lightweight
🔹 They’re quiet
🔹 They’re powerful enough for caravanning needs
A 2kVA generator, like the Honda EU2000i, is enough to run most caravan aircon units—which is usually the biggest power draw you’ll have. But, the price tag? Around $1,600+. Ouch.
Considering how infrequently we use a generator, forking out that kind of cash wasn’t appealing. So, being the mechanic that I am, we went with a Genpower 3.2kVA generator instead.
💰 Price: $700 (half the cost of a Honda)
🔋 More grunt than a Honda (extra power never hurts)
📏 Similar size & weight
🔊 Comparable noise levels
We don’t use it much, but it does exactly what we need. Plus, it stays tied down in the back of the ute permanently—so I never have to lift it. The remote start means I can fire it up without even touching it. I just leave the canopy doors open to vent the fumes, and we’re good to go.
Now for a Lazza classic mistake…
The generator has remote start, key start, and pull start, but one day I flattened its battery. No big deal, right? I figured I’d charge it from the ute.
🚨 Mistake: I took the generator’s battery out, placed it on the bull bar… and forgot about it.
Later that day, I drove off, and the battery yeeted itself onto the road. That was the end of its life. 💀
The fix? I wired it up to start directly from the AGM battery in the ute—no more standalone battery to forget about!
I’m happy with the Genpower generator, but since I barely use it, I can’t claim to be an expert reviewer.
If you’re after a cheap, reliable generator, I can say this one does the job.
📊 Fun Fact: From factory new, our generator had 2.5 hours runtime. It now has… 3.39 hours total. Yeah, we really don’t use it much. 😆
TL;DR: If you think you’ll use a generator regularly, get a Honda or Yamaha. If you’re like me and just want an emergency backup, a cheaper option like Genpower will do the trick.
And if you remove the battery… maybe don’t forget it on your bull bar. 😅
Prices stated in blog post are correct at time of publishing and will not be updated unless re verified
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