Do we need a generator?

Pretty simple... if you are planning on boondocking, rustic camping, or staying overnight in parking lots and/or rest stops, get a generator. If you will be going from campground to campground, you don't need one.

A generator is a good thing to have....but it IS another motor to take care of and sometimes they are a problem.

But...IMO, the good outweighs the bad. Get it!

T18skyguy wrote:
We have the built in Onan genny and and wouldn't want to be without it. 120 volt AC on demand anywhere so convenient. Our favorite place to use it is during the rest stops. Fire it up and microwave a frozen dinner for lunch. So many plus'es you won't regret it.

This ^^^, we use ours mostly on the ride to get there. Rest stop lunches, fresh hot coffee, etc etc. Also when you're at the Walmart for the evening. We might use the built in Onan only 2-3 hours on a 7 day trip but I couldn't imagine not having it.

We have the built in Onan genny and and wouldn't want to be without it. 120 volt AC on demand anywhere so convenient. Our favorite place to use it is during the rest stops. Fire it up and microwave a frozen dinner for lunch. So many plus'es you won't regret it.

Well, we now have generators. After going on a southwest trip and having the power knocked out, we bought a pair of Hondas. Partly, we travel with some medical needs that require power and the A.C. at the time was a must, even in February. We have even used them at home a couple of times to run things during outages, once in a snowstorm. We were the only house around with a working furnace. We have used it to power the AC when we go into places, like the zoo or a museum, and cannot take the dogs.

we use the generator quite a lot.
- If we stop for lunch on a hot day..turn on the air conditioner.
- We reheat items in the microwave when on the road
- When boondocking we use the generator to run the toaster,
heat oatmeal in the microwave, make coffee.
- On a really hot day you can run the generator to power the
the house air conditioner when traveling.

I would really miss not having it.

It depends on how you plan to use the motorhome.

You won't have battery issues while driving and with conservative use and long enough drives your coach battery will be recharged to a degree. A small quiet inverter generator is one option but solar would be better. Generally one solar watt for each battery amp hour. Sure you can hook up to electricty every night...and pass on all the beautiful federal and state parks the West has to offer.

If you have one, you may find that you do not use it much. If you do not have one, you will have a couple of occasions where you really wish that you had it.

in the end, I think you will see that having a generator is good to have. :)
yes, you can rent an rv site with elec every night, but you might find a really great campground or campsite with no hookups and wish you could stay there for the night.
or it might get really hot and you will wish you had one to power your a/c when you are going down the road.
or you will find that using your tv, computer, etc will drain your batteries quickly and you can't use your microwave without a generator.
but take your time and buy one big enough for your needs, but one that runs quietly (the campers around you will be grateful :)