Why Dual Fuel Generators are a Game-Changer for Van Life! 

I live up in California City and I bought the same one a year ago and I use it every single day from 5 to 7 hours and has work perfect with no problems runs my AC in the summertime and my heater in the winter I love it

I have two Champion 2500-watt dual-fuel inverter generators and their combiner box. They use the same engine, the same weight, about the same fuel consumption, same noise (db) level, and for a couple more bux you can generate 500-watts more power each. (because Honda doesn't make a portable dual-fuel generator). Altitude will also slightly derate their max performance, I'm at 4,000ft. I use Propane fuel only since it is cleaner burning and lasts forever. My generators are quick-connected directly to the low-pressure side of my 250-gallon bulk propane tank @ 11"W/C (water column), I also have eight (8) 20-lb tanks of propane for my BBQ I can use as a backup and/or portable fuel. I've also learned that it is much more efficient and cost-effective to use a generator primarily to recharge your storage batteries. For example, I can recharge four (4) 12.8V x 100Ah LifePo4 batteries (5,120 watts) in less than an hour, with a 40amp charger and use less than 1/2 gallon of propane. Imagine how long I can have continuous power (with or without sunlight) using a 250-gallon propane tank.🤠

bob i had a 2500 watt duel fuel genarator (champion ) best $500 iever spent i run that genarator 2 years in the summer 15hrs a day 7 days a week i run a 8,000 btu portable a/c in the winter i run a 1500 watt space heater its been a life saver and guess what i have never had to buy a part because champion will let u work on it if u have the knolage to they sent me parts under warraety for 2 years and this spring it would not run my a/c it would run hot i called champion and they told me to ship it to them when i got it back i had a rebuilt engine and new inverter so champion has been the best genarator i ever owned

Seems even those of us living in sticks & bricks would be wise to have this kind of generator on hand. Plus a small solar powered one too !

And you can use the generator to charge your Ecoflow or Bluetti or Jackery power bank during the rainy days, and then run off of that at night during quiet hours.

We have a 2500w Champion and love it. Light weight, quiet, and combined with 2 ac charging bricks, we can recharge our AC200 max Bluetti in just over an hour. We are in Alaska, where it has rained almost every day this summer. It is also cold, 40's at night. This generator with it's rain shield has kept our Bluetti going. Very happy we also purchased a rain shield.

I have a Firman dual fuel generator that I purchased from Costco a few years ago. Very pleased with it. Only running it on propane - so I only have to lift an empty generator and I don't spill any gasoline trying to fill it. Not using it so much anymore as I finally up-sized my battery bank from 2 x 91 AmpHr AGM batteries to one 300 AmpHr LiFePO4 to make better use of my 1200 watts of solar. Debating whether I'll bring it with me this winter.

I live 100% off grid in a 5th wheel. Over 2 years I found my 2500 champion dual fuel to carry though he cloudy weeks. Its a must have ba😊ck up

I watch another tuber that runs a small harbor freight genny for 7-12 hours a day almost every day and it does very well for him

My wife and I have a similar setup. I love the ability to run on propane, but it is a logistic nightmare for us. We are never close enough to a refill station. Gas is easy to get, propane not so much. If I could solve that hurdle, I would truly be a happy camper. As it is now, if I have sun, and I don’t need A/C, my solar will keep me golden. We are currently up north in North Dakota and sun is a rather rare commodity right now. We have been on the road for two months and have yet been able to make a meaningful amount of solar. So right now I’m listening to my generator hum in the background. As for Star Link I agree it’s a power hog. It uses more power than both of my compressor fridges combined. I think anyone who gets one should consider adding another battery and two hundred watts of solar to compensate for it. I haven’t taken my own advise yet, but maybe this fall I’ll upgrade.

Our 7000W portable propane generator runs our house essentials (oil heat, refrig, cooking, couple lights, tech charging). We run it 2 hours each AM and PM and we can go over a week on a couple 20lb tanks. Plus you can buy propane when the gas stations have no power. So Bobs backup plan makes sense. Peace - John

I've been using a Champion generator 2KW for over 5 years now. It's been great, they stand behind their generators, gave me a new carburetor when I had a problem with mine under warranty ( which they extended a year, free ) I highly recommend the Champion brand inverter generators !

I bought the gasoline version Champion 2000 watt inverter generator last month and I love it. I broke it in per instructions and it starts and runs great. I got it to back up my Bluetti AC200P in my van in case of overcast days so I can still run my window ac unit. Later, I am going to add a hitch mounted cargo carrier where I can mount the generator and have it running while I am driving and use my window ac unit instead of my van's engine powered ac. I can't believe how quiet this generator is. It is awesome.

I have the exact same Champion generator only the 2500 watt up rated one. It is truly awesome. I run it only on propane. It's a great to charge batts on a cloudy day or run an AC unit. 1 20 lbs BBQ sized propane tank will run a small 5k btu A/C for 4 nights or a RV 13.5BTU almost 2 nights. It is quiet and running on propane saves smelly messes and carburator clogs in storage. Fantastic generator ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have the bigger model I bought a couple years ago. Mainly just use it on Eco mode. Love how quiet it is and easy to start. When running fuel in it I only use Ethanol Free Gas. Best when storing to run all the fuel out of it. I was carrying mine in a Dodge Grand Caravan to use a heater when camping in colder areas.

Also using generators with your Victron MultiPlus inverter/converter/charger you can actually set your incoming amp limit to assist your battery bank when you use a microwave or other high draw appliances for a short period then go back to charging your battery bank when done. Super feature when moochdocking at family or friends houses with a standard AC outside outlet. Love Victron!!

Always for generator's wouldn't go without one .

Keep that oil bottle and fill it up with oil from another bottle. Then you always have a small and easy bottle to bring with the generator. Thanks for the review!

People need to know that the continuous watts are rated at sea level and for every 1000' in elevation you will subtract 3% of the running watts. So at 5000' you will have lost 15% of your running watts. In Leadville, Colorado you need to subtract 30% of your running watts. This factor is something that a lot of people overlook when buying a generator.

I live full-time in my truck camper. I have a Jackery 1000, Bluetti eb3a, and of course my Champion 2500 which I only run on propane. Champion is for my AC which the others have no hope of running. Really reliable. I change the oil quote a bit plus plug and clean the air filter.

This type of generator is a great buy for almost anyone at that price. I use mine quite often. Easily pays for itself the first time you don’t loose a freezer of food, deal with one night of no power or it comes in handy for a job or task you need to accomplish.

I bought a 2500w Champion dual-fuel. Glad to be rid of the gasoline. It's so quiet & also small enough to take on the road with me. Cost a bit more but worth it.

Propane is a great option for RV use. Remember that high altitude will cause a substantial generator capacity loss. About 3.5 % per thousand feet.above sea level This might be enough to cause the generator to overload and trip. You can get high altitude kits if you are at high altitudes often but everything usually works well enough if you aren't trying to draw max power from your gen. A gen with a 2000 watt surge (1520 watt run) will be down to 1200 watts continuous at 6000 feet (1071 at 8000 feet).

I have owned a Champion generator and switched over to a Honda Eu2200i. The internal components are similar in design but far from similar quality. The Champion died during an extended home power outage with only 3 hours on it since new. We tore down the engine to see if it was an easy fix. The internal components of the engine were inferior quality. The point of failure was a poorly designed part and evident of "cost cutting". Another issue is the propane quick release located inches from the AC outlet. A small propane leak and a small spark from a plug and kaboom. Propane quick connects are prone to leak as they age. You get what you pay for! Keep up the great videos though...we do enjoy them!

You are absolutely hilarious and the best that I have seen in the RV world. Keep it up, young man. 84 here and hope to someday meet you before I'm 107.

I bought a propane conversion kit for my Honda generator. Very easy to install and works great. Generator works with both gasoline and propane now. I only use it for winter camping now, but it is also a great backup when power goes out.

I am tempted to get one of these and run it off of propane. My wife and I have a Camry with a tow hitch and we have a 5' x 8' utility trailer for hauling the riding mower and leaves and such. My plan is to make an over head frame out of PVC tubing that all slides into each piece and have it in a bag. Have mosquito netting to go over the frame and on all sides of the trailer, and then a tarp thrown over the top to provide shade and stake it out to the sides to shed any rain, with the netting to keep bugs out but let the wind flow through from all directions. We'll be off the ground and have the 4' metal ramp as a walkway/porch. I want to carry a 20" floor fan (industrial size) that puts out a lot of air that runs on 110. If I can run a fan, and charge the cell phones and maybe have a plug in cooler in addition to the ice cooler we'd be happy as we could be. We have a place to camp for up to 2 weeks at a time for free. There are covered picnic tables, parking places, camping places, restrooms with showers, a nice swimming areas on the lake with a sandy beach, and great shore and dock fishing spots all right there. I think it will make for some cheap and relatively comfy camping. For times we do not want to pull the trailer we can mount the utility hitch carrier and put the big truck tool box in it and the generator and propane in it, and the tent and cots in the back seat and still have a great set up. Thank you for the great video.

After trying to decide on what "rv" would be best for my future, I finally settled on a class c. It's a 2001 23ft rear kitchen model. I'm gonna add some sort of solar set up in addition to the existing 4000watt generator. You've been very helpful in my journey to educate myself on products, services and general advice. Thanks!

I bought me a champion last weekend . They are very quit .. and a portable a/c. . My best purchase so far

I had a Sportsman 1000 for a few years and it never let me down. Treated the fuel with ethanol stabilizer and switched to synthetic oil after following the break-in. Ran like a little beast until I sold it. Upgraded to a Pulsar PG2300IS and it does everything like a 5000btu window ac or 6 gallon air compressor with no problem. Almost went with a Predator but the higher price and 90 day warranty pushed me away after thinking about it.

Just bought the Champion 2500 dual fuel yesterday, $631 out the door. Tomorrow gonna break it in nice and easy, only 50% load maximum the 1st 5 hours. So happy to have a dual fuel😃

I watched a video where a fellow had his solar panels on a tiltable mounts. He also had an app on his phone that showed the amount of wattage generated by the solar panels. He would tilt the panels on his roof to absorb the most energy from the sun. It was amazing how much of a difference it makes to point your panels toward the sun. Perhaps if you had panels that tilt, you could generate enough energy even on a rainy winter day.

Inverter generators only. I have been a generator guy for years. With a good battery bank a generator only needs to run a few min each day. I have been using my Yamaha EF2800i since they came out quite a few years ago. 4 or 5 years ago I bought a U S Carburation propane/natural gas/gasoline conversion kit and since then I have always used propane. Youre goimg to LOVE boondocking/ offgrid camping with a generator.

I bought a Champion 2000 W gas only 4 & a half years ago for $399 that I got Alot of use out of. At least 1,000 hours or more. I installed a fuel filter in line to save wear on the carb. With it in Eco mode, when new, I'd get 18 hours per gallon! Last winter the low oil senser failed and the motor seized, but still I'd recommend the brand!

I realize I am coming to the show late! But!! the last four days we have had a terrible cold snap, east wind, and then freezing rain. My Champion 2kw duel fuel (propane) was up to tthe task. ran the pellet stove, TV, and off and on the frig. Very quiet and my electronics loved the inverter power.

We added the Hutch Mountain tri-fuel conversion to our two Honda EU2200i generators. You are right - this is a game changer. We have two 30-gal aluminum propane tanks on our trailer, and we can run the generators for about 60 hours on 1/2 load. Great advice.

Hutch Mountain makes a conversion kit for Honda generators that allow it to use gasoline, propane or natural gas. Not cheap but opens up a lot of options for defendable power. Easy to install and have used mine for 3 years camping, the last being full time.

I've been powering a van or RV with solar and a generator for years. I Started with a regular, small, 3600RPM non inverter generator. I was used to dumping 15 gallons or so a month of near constant day use. I bought a cheap inverter generator, And I went from 15 gallons a month to less than 5! Inverter generators are a godsend! And the price has never been better. Even the cheap ones are extremely reliable.

Bobs a Rock Star!

I feel like I just got a lesson from my Boy Scout leader on how to set up a generator. Thanks!

FANTASTIC ! 👏👏👏👏 Encore! 👏👏👏 that was great 👍 I’ve watched this channel for years and that was right up there, maybe 🤔 top of the list 👏👏👏👏 Bottom line is that this video has inspired me to go get my Onan generator serviced! I haven’t used it for 3yrs! ( I’m bad) I never thought I would use it because it’s loud and smelly and LOUD and I prefer hearing the birds!…. It’s all part of the system in this class B rv I just chose not to use it… so THANK YOU for this inspirational lesson….for I certainly do not want to be lost in a storm ⛈️ on a dark rainy night ⚡️ 👏👏👏👏 well done!

For most nomads carrying around a generator is a challenge in terms of space. They are large and heavy and you need the gas tank. Most of the year you don't need it provided you have solar. Instead of getting a generator for the fees days of the year, I think most would do better installing a DC to DC charger from your car or van. Idle you engine for an hour a day when you have a stretch of bad weather to keep your battery system with enough charge. Remember you car's alternator is a generator. Of course a separate generator has a lot of uses and advantages, but if it's just to help with power during a longer stretch of clouds, using the car's engine to generate power is probably the simpler solution

I have the 2500 watt version. I was dismayed that I'm propane it only puts out 1650, I had to figure out how to put the microwave on medium, but it works. And it could be useful to charge batteries on a cloudy day.

“… dark and stormy night …” OK Snoopy! 😂🤣

If it’s nice and quiet, I’ll recommend it to the folks parked next to me! 😜

If you'll be doing a long term test, I would be grateful for two particular tests. How long will it run your AC unit with your 20 or 40 gallon tank and how long would the fridge run. Each of those tests being done individually with nothing else connected to it. Great video as always! Thanks.

Love the effects!

Thanks Bob. I believe this is the best video I've seen you make on a very helpful nomad product. You are a good story teller too. I might consider trying to get one of these for several reasons. And I love yellow! See you on your next video

You've taught & continue to teach me many tricks of the on the road trade. I hope to meet you one day. Planning my transition to R/V life now. It'll take 15 months, which gives me plenty of time to prepare. Quartzite will be my first adventure. We'll see ?

Hey Bob...good review. You should also consider a wind generator from AZ wind and solar in Flagstaff, for those dark weeks of no sun. Chances are it's windy tho....

I would have liked to have you turn this on and provide a DB reading so we can hear how loud it is

I have the ipower generator works fine very quiet

Looking slim Bob 👍

You don’t need a generator with a big inverter. You HAVE a big inverter. You just need the ability to replenish your existing battery bank when there’s no sun. Great video as usual though. I ❤ David Letterman. 😂

We live in bricks and sticks in a suburb of a major metropolitan area but our power goes out several times a year, usually just for a day but sometimes as long as 3-4 days. We have a backup battery system that will power our fridge and microwave for three days. We have three 400 W solar panels to recharge that battery system, and we have this exact Champion dual fuel generator as a backup for stretches with no sun.

KEY 🔑 TIP! People running lithium batteries can double their charging speed by running a second converter charger in parallel. For example, the progressive dynamics brand converter chargers are listed to be safe to run in parallel to double the charging amps. I did this on my pleasure way motor home, and the charging time while running the generator went from six hours to three hours total. That’s half the amount of generator noise I have to endure to fully charge my lithium batteries.

Definitely getting

I was hoping we could hear it running. Seriously thinking of buying one!!! Thank you

You could also use that generator with a battery charger, and change your solar batteries.

I have a Honda EU2000. They are pricey, but last and last. Mine is gasoline only, so I bought some quart size MSR aluminum camping fuel bottles.(the kind that backpackers use to carry liquid stove fuel). These bottles eliminate cheap, plastic gas cans. The Honda is extremely quiet and produces full sine wave (very "clean") power so TVs and laptops are not an issue. Thanks for the great vid Bob!❤

I have a Champion 2500 , but the gas only version. We use it for electric heat and A/C. We don't use it that often. It's been a great unit, no issues.

Batteries don’t care where the watts come from, they’ll store from both solar and mechanical, they compliment each other and work great together…always have a backup in time of need…

Your vehicle can be used as generator as well. My alternator charges my house battery, if you wired your system up like that you could have just turned on your vehicle to charge your batteries. I enjoy solar, wind, and a good generator as well. Best to run redundant energy systems in an RV situation.

I’ve been using my generator and air conditioner in my van for nine years. I had no problem.😊

This channel is a God send for guidance and help in van life .

Such a funny story telling 😂 Great review ❤

When I was in HD a while back, someone tried to interest me in a tesla power wall. It was 6000 dollars. The vendor was touting it would run my house for 2 days. Had no interest in it and less so dealing with a pushy vendor. So I had fun. Mentioned HD also sold Generacs. Mentioned you can always get natural gas regardless of the power going out, and said it was 3500 dollars ( made up the price )." Uhhhhhh, have a nice day" was the only response.

Just love you your so funny God Bless Bob

Great info video! Thanks Bob. 🌸🌺

Biggest advantage to propane is no gumming up of the fuel system. Even if you think you have run the gasoline dry some remains. After running a larger Honda clone dry, after 2 years idle it wouldn't start. Gas tank was all gummed up and rusty. The fuel line was completely lacquered up. Fuel petcock valve ruined. Carburetor had completely lacquered fuel attached to the float, it was ruined. Our local power equipment shop (mowers, all small engines) said at least $350-$400 to repair, and they don't usually work on Chinese items. Since I paid $600 that was silly. Took it all apart, Google searched model numbers on petcock valve and carburetor. A supplier in Hong Kong had other parts in stock (eBay). I paid $22 and free freight to me. The rubber fuel lines were less than $2 on eBay, and I cut them to size. Took about 2 weeks to arrive. It started right up and ran perfectly after replacing the parts. 2 lessons learned. 1) Always run a dual fuel generator off propane to avoid these issues. 2) I am in the wrong business if they can charge $400+ for $24 of parts and less than an hours work.

For the cost of some of the small Gensets around there a no brainer

Been eye balling them, wish they made a smaller electric start with split phase capability but most are just 120 volt.

Good video. Amazon had the Champion 2500 for $414.42 this past weekend.

Excellent presentation!! I have the dinkiest harbor freight generator (I found a deal about a year ago for $100 including shipping), it uses mix fuel. If I need to step up I'm going to remember this! Thank you sir 😃👍

Definitely wise & good looking. 🙍‍♀️🇺🇸

I live off grid outside of Seattle. Just recently bought a Champion 4550 dual fuel generator to run my A/C unit with. I love it. Gas here is like $5.18 right now but propane is only roughly $3 gallon. So I run this on propane only. I run a smaller 2000 watt generator when I don't need A/C which is gas but I can run it for 12+ hours on a gallon, roughly.

With the price of gas and driving a van long distance to avoid several days of 100 degree temperatures a $500 propane generator and a $300 air conditioner hoked up to run in a van window with duct tape start looking pretty good. A 30 amp dc/dc charger for your van costs only $250, is a fairly easy DIY install and it can provide 168 watts at idle, 200 watts driving and 360 watts with the pedal to the metal. That isn't AC type of power but it's Starlink type of power. The dream solution is a second alternator (Nations 280 amp I'm looking at you) but it costs maybe $2,500 plus install (it was hard to get a real price on this) but provides 1,560 watts at idle, 2,400 watts driving and 3,360 watts with the pedal to the medal (I had to do the math so this too might have some plus or minus to it). A second alternator is AC type of power yet can be run at any campground or Walmart parking lot. If the total total price of the dream second alternator was $3,600 that would be $300 saved per month for 12 months which is something I plan on doing after everything is built and there is an adequate emergency fund. Until then a Champion duel fuel is the way to go. One odd thing though is that on Amazon the 2,500 watt version is a bit cheaper than the 2,000 watt version, it weights the same 39 pounds yet delivers 135 more running watts using propane (for a total of 1,665 watts) and has the same 34 hours of advertised running time. I am thinking how heavy it is and the running time might be copy/paste errors in the Amazon listing, but the slightly cheaper price for more power is real.

The good thing about propane is it doesn’t go off like gasoline does, if I was to buy one I would buy a dual fuel. At the moment when we do camp I borrow my son’s Honda inverter generator which has a 30 amp outlet and is very quiet. We dry camp with our fifth wheel which has four 12 volt lead acid batteries.

Have you considered micro turbins? When the wind is blowing & the sun isn't out, even at night when you are asleep, it helps trickle charge your batteries. You need an inverter that does both solar & wind or a separate charging system. I'm running solar& generator at our house & our RV but moving toward wind as a third power source.

Thanks again for all your content...working on my trailer...hope I get to run in to. you out there at some point.. Cheers sir.

I like this idea very much. I have had a Honda generator for years, but I don't take it with me on the road, because I don't want to have to carry gas. It has been more of a backup plan for power outages at home. Not being out west, I am rarely in full sun. Solar doesn't seem practical. Though I do use my solar power station and a solar panel, I don't charge it from solar that often. This just might work for me and be the most cost-effective solution. I will look forward to seeing your updates.

Thanks for the info!!!

You are Awesome Bob! Thank you!🎉

I got a Crafstman generator for 200 bucks practically new from my brother in law, he bought it for his RV but it didn't really work for having the ac plus all the electric stuff during hot summer days. I do a lot of remote tent camping so for me it is perfect.

I just had an idea bob you should do a red green knock off I think it would be hilarious

I have a built-in genny in my camper van. Been a battery 'lifesaver' many times.

An easy way to avoid hauling around gas cans is using a small battery operated transfer pump and pumping out of your vehicles fuel tank as needed. Another option would be a small syphon hose.

Honda 2000 inverter gen is great, but I went with Yamaha because they have fuel shutoff and fuel gauge . Just shut off fuel and let is stall out . No carb issues. Inverter gen will only idle fast enough to fulfill power needs. Not running wide open all the time. I have ran a welder with my Yamaha. Can also run a 5hp vacuum cleaner. Very impressive.

I have an Onan 5K, 1,800 RPM tri-fuel, electric start, air cooled gen set that I have for standby power for my house that I am running on natural gas, so my constant power output is reduced to 4k. With load management I can operate everything in the house.

It would be nice if the generator has a switch in order to switch off the 110V inverter when the inverter is not in use , this will save on fuel .

Great video Mr Bob

Great video, I think these are underrated. I will take the little maintenance with the ease and convenience the generator offers. Plus like many people watching this don’t live in the tree filled mountains so this would work better for me

Very suspenseful, Bob! Well done! I wonder how effective horizontal wind power could be also can help keep solar panels cooler. Better yet a hybrid-solar power unit (all self built in thatta way)!

I just replaced the battery in my electric start dual fuel generator. It's fine for land living here in FL, but it's pretty huge for when I hit the road this fall. The one you're reviewing might be just the ticket-so much smaller (also less than half the power, too). Thanks!

What a great lesson on generators! I can see how useful it would be to have one.

Bob, you crack me up .

WoW TY for this so Much

I did get something out of this video, Bob - that you are, indeed, a wise and handsome fellow. 😊 Because... You ARE the man! Is love to have one (or 2) of these just in case. Can't beat that price. Thanks for the video Bob!

I enjoy watching your videos, I wanted to buy EB 70 BLUETTI until you showed AC180 BLUETTI and I ended it buying this one AC180 BLUETTI with a 350 watt solar panel and I also bought a Alpicool car refrigerator because I’m a diabetic, and I have to keep my insulin cold. So I would like to Thank you for everything you do. Thanks again

I have a couple of the genarac 2200 one took a dump a few months ago and lost all compression I first bought a champion 1800 but I can’t use my skill saw with it you can pull the trigger and let it off a second doing this a couple of times you can get the saw running without killing the generator so I got the generac 2200i but the valves have to be adjusted around every 200 hours or it starts running Badly plus I’ve had to replace the pull ropes on both of them in the last 2 years they are very quiet though about 4 month ago like I said one lost compression and the champion duel fuel 2500 came out and I grabbed it it puts out around 10% more power weight is around 20 pounds less and it’s a lot quieter than the generac it’s also easier to pull start with our power usage our batteries are low around 6-9 o’clock so we use the generator about 3 hours a night to keep the fridge and lights working we’re getting a month on about 30 pounds of propane as apposed to around 15 gallons of gas on the other generators and the oil looks a lot cleaner when changing after 50 or more hours of running