Is an RV generator worth it?

BFL13 wrote:
Measure carefully. Our C has a side compartment meant for a built-in gen, but was not fitted with one. (original owner decision I guess) I tried to put our Honda EU3000is in there and it was too tall by about an inch.

I could have removed the bars used as "feet" from the gen, but there was no way to get it in and out easily- very awkward and heavy. The handles on the gen just made it in for size.

However, I can fit one 2200 gen in there no problem plus a gas can for it, or two 2200s but no gas can. The compartment door just manages to close with the gen front showing so two can go in, so again, it is all about careful measuring. One longer one can go in with the side towards the door, but then no room for two or a gas can.

They are not all the same size or shape, so you need to measure.
EDIT--also note where the pull starter is wrt the operating control panel and the receptacles. Running it in the compartment, you might have to choose between getting at the pull starter or getting at the controls and receptacles.

You do not get double the power with two! False advertising on most of their sites. You get 3000 with two 2200s in parallel, eg, with one brand's. There is a variety of "parallel kits" among brands as to what will do what for power in various combinations. It seems to depend on the receptacle limit of the kit and the size of the smaller gen in the combo. Not much info on all that. Needs more detective work to learn what all the choices are and what power you can get.

With ours, the gen makes too much noise inside the RV if it is left running in the side compartment. Way better to place it outside on the ground, and even better to move it away on a longer extension cord.

It is obviously easier to have a built in gen, that uses RV fuel, that can run your air conditioner, that you can start from inside the RV, and use at rest stops without having to do a bunch of work.

If you want cleaner power for something, you can just use your actual PSW inverter to run that, and then recharge the batteries with a charger powered by the non-inverter gen.

I see the portable gen thing as a work around for when your RV does not have a built- in gen.

BF ... a great summary above in support of a built-in generator!

The argument in favor of high-wattage portable inverter generators because they're not as noisey as the built-in Onans is really showing it's age and lack of knowledge on what is really going on.

The only time portable inverter generators that are out in the open (as they usually are) are less noisey than Onan generators built into RV compartments is only when the inverter generators are used at low power levels. Try rev'ing them up to match the Onan's constant on-tap output capabilities and then see how quiet the inverter generators are. In fact, inverter generators turn at RPM levels well in excess of 3600 RPM when they're called upon to deliver full power -> and then their noise can get real irritating.

If the compartment in which a built-in generator is in has insulation added to it's sidewalls and ceiling - relatively easy to do - then it's sound level can be reduced even further. In fact, I've walked up right beside a Class A motorhome with it's built-in generator running and could hardly hear it running at all ... which was due to how it was installed in it's compartment.

There is no substitute for a built-in genny's convenience in providing high power immediately on tap ... at all altitudes and outside temperatures ... day or night ... for 4 minutes of microwave or 40 hours or air conditioning ... and fueled right from the main tank.

But I guess I should provide full discloser: We also pack along in our RV a 650 watt portable generator for battery charging that runs at full power at a noise level of only 54 db.