After 1 year on a contractor style (open frame) hand-me-down generator we bit the bullet and sprung for a Honda eu3000is. That contractor generator was just too loud!
I knew a 2000 watt unit was going to be a bit small for our single AC unit, so wanted something a bit bigger and a lot quieter. We've not had any regrets since. Granted, it's bigger and heavier than the suitcase style generators, but ease of use and peace of mind have been worth it to us. I put it on a dolly when at home to move around and my wife and I can lift it together and move it if necessary at the campsite, but usually it stays int he back of the truck and I run it there. It's also come in handy as an emergency home generator during years when we have the occasional power outage.
Recently I've considered the idea of getting two of the Honda 2000 and use one for times when the AC isn't needed and pigtail the two for 4000 watts when the AC is needed, but am in no hurry to do that as the eu3000is is still going strong. It would be nice to be able to store them in the TT hold though, which I think I could do with the 2000.
PS - Honda and Yamaha used to rule the market, but in recent years there have been a lot more of the quieter inverter style generators being produced by other manufactures. A friend of mine just got a 4k unit from Costco that reportedly produces something like 62 decibels and was considerably cheaper. It's not as quiet as our Honda, but still better than than the previous alternative. And, you can still hear the Honda if you're in the next campsite over, not loud, but audible. I have yet to hear his generator run, but at some point this summer I plan to hear how it compares.
