Mega Portable Generator Comparison – The Results from Caravan & Motorhome Magazine

Okay all you Caravan folk, you'll want to read this; Caravan & Motorhome On Tour Magazine's Mega Portable Generator Comparison has revealed the ultimate winners when it comes to portable power. Here we share the best caravan generator as judged by one of the most respected Caravan publications in the market...

[2020 update note: this content still holds true today with the main Caravan Generator considerations being covered in this article. The main update being that some more generator models have been released in recent years which can be seen in this link here: GENERATORS FOR CARAVANS ] ...

As you may know, Caravan & Motorhome On Tour Magazine is the preeminent monthly publication for Australian Caravan and RV enthusiasts - these guys cover everything to do with your travelling adventures on the road, and live the creed; home is where you park it!

In the much anticipated August 2014 edition, they undertook an extensive test on portable caravan generator suitable for your Caravan or Motorhome travels. The generator comparisons tested 13 portable generators across six brands: Genquip, Honda, Jack Hardy, Lectron, Omega (LPG powered) and Yamaha. The gensets were put through their paces in nine grueling tests:

• Value for money
• Warranty
• Weight efficiency
• AC output
• DC output
• Ease of starting
• Noise
• Fuel consumption
• And finally, running an RV air conditioner

The Winner

There were actually two winners: the Yamaha EF2400iS and the Honda EU30i:

Meet the Yamaha EF2400iS... This inverter caravan generator boasts 2000W continuous output and 2400W peak output, which is sufficient for most caravanning needs. It features a continuous ECO mode, parallel running (TwinTech) capability and dual 15A AC outlets.

Meet the Honda EU30i... the EU30i delivers 2600W continuous and 3000W peak output, making it slightly larger than its co-champion. It's also equipped with switchable ECO running, dual 15A AC outlets and parallel running capability. The extra power comes at a price of around $1,000 more than the co-winning Yamaha.

So, How did the Yamaha EF2400iS and Honda EU30i win?

• When it came to the fuel efficiency test, the Yamaha EF2400iS was the one petrol caravan generator in the comparison that lasted the longest under the same load on one tank of fuel. The Honda EU30i was also one of the best performing in terms of fuel consumption.
• Another test was the AC output. The caravan generator were tested in terms of whether the generated output was indistinguishable from mains power in voltage and frequency. Here, again, the Yamaha EF2400iS was the clear winner with AC output extremely close to nominal. It also got very close on the DC output test.
• On noise, the Yamaha EF2400iS came second only to the Honda EU10i (a much smaller generator).
• When it came to powering an RV/Caravan air conditioner, essentially all the units above 2000 watts coped well. As you would expect, the smaller generators would cut out when the air-con compressor kicked in.

One test where the two winning models didn't come out on top was with weight - this wasn't surprising as they both are at the more powerful end of the testing range. The winners in terms of the weight efficiency test were the Yamaha EF2000iS and the Jack Hardy 2000i.

When it came to warranty, it's no surprise that Honda and Yamaha came out on top, both offering the longest warranties at an impressive 48 months.

For comprehensive information and data on the Comparison Test, we encourage you to visit the Caravan & Motorhome On Tour Magazine website, where detailed specifics of how each caravan generator faired can be viewed.

Overall, one of the biggest considerations when choosing a caravan generator is whether to opt for the premium brand or the value for money option - this video here addresses this question:

For more details on some of the generator units within the comparison, visit My Generator and Caravan & Motorhome On Tour Magazine. You might also find these related articles helpful:

• Selecting a Generator for your Caravan

• Portable Generator Reviews: Camping Generators

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DISCLAIMER* Please note, this advice is general in nature and we strongly recommend consulting the product manual and where relevant, a professional installer.