It depends. We have an external generator that we carry in the truck. We consider the peace of mind and flexibility that it gives us as worth the extra weight. That said, we like to wander around in the boonies without reservations. We do use it a few times on every long trip. This summer we were caught in New Brunswick when Hurricane Arthur hit. We also found a nice unserviced campground in Nova Scotia where we wanted to stay a few days. The back of our truck is packed with all kinds of stuff including the generator. So far nothing has been bothered. lizzie