I'll throw out another issue with the contractor generators, especially when it comes to how the OP is planning on using it. When you take a noisy generator and use it in the bed of a truck, you almost double the noise. A 3500 contractor generator in the bed of a pick up will be brutal. It's not going to work under a toneau cover due to heat and exhaust issues and it will be too big to lift out of the truck on a regular basis. That forces the thing to typically be sitting toward the front of the campsite where the truck is parked.
Many years ago, while camping in Yosemite Valley during Thanksgiving week, there was an inconsiderate knucklehead who ran his contractor generator in the bed of his truck, all day on Thanksgiving Day. The campground wanted to tar and feather him. I finally told him it had to be turned off during the dinner hour. You couldn't have a normal level conversation, several campsites away.
I understand your financial issues and this is not a rich vs poor issue, but you need to be considerate of other campers. Buy what generator you want, but be polite enough to only use it when it doesn't IMPACT others.
Yosemite use to have an 8am - 8pm run your generator sparingly rule, but due to inconsiderate users, it's now 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening. Some always ruin it for others.
