Generator question

Noise aside (inverter generators tend to be quieter due to more sound insulation and the ability to run at low RPMs), there are three general types of generators:

1: The cheapies. These will have a motor with a shaft spinning at 3600-3800 RPM, a generator head with two poles, and a circuit breaker so the whole thing doesn't fly to pieces if overloaded. Attach a load, engine slows down, and the frequency/voltage takes a brief hit. Take a load off, get a voltage spike. I've seen on Youtube the $100 ET800 clones get up to 160 volts in a burst. Not good for anything more delicate than an incandescent light bulb.

2: The good open-framed models. These have some voltage and frequency regulation built in so it will cut the circuit off when powering down, and try to keep voltage within a reasonable range. A Champion 4000 watt is a good (although quite audible) example of this.

3: The inverter models. In general, they will product 120 volts or 0 volts, although sometimes they can overload and give fewer volts for a short time (A/C compressor locked rotor amps for example.)

I would never buy any generator model from the #1 category (which mainly consists of no name generators.) If one wants a decent open-framed model, buy a Champion. They have very good customer support, and even though their stuff comes from China, they always have parts available. Of course, for camping, the best are inverter generators.

As a rule of thumb, generators work best when they are halfway loaded, so if one runs an A/C mainly, a 3000-4000 watt model would be ideal, or two paired 2000 watt generators.

bcarroll wrote:
This might be a dumb question but...what is the difference between a regular generator and an inverter generator?
Would you connect them to a trailer differently?
I mean, as far as I understand, a regular generator will provide AC to the trailer and charge the battery, but an inverter will take DC power and turn it into AC.
So is an inverter generator simply both a regular generator plus an inverter? or...?

You will get better technical answers soon. The inverter generator produces a cleaner power, less likely to fry computer or damage TVs etc. A stand along inverter will allow you to run 110 household items using battery reserve capacity. I have inverter generator by Yamaha and don't use any battery energy, except to run my 12 volt systems. Generator provides clean reliable power to run my entire trailer and recharge batteries!