Best Quiet Camping Generator – 5 Top Picks Simple Buyer’s Guide for 2024

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Last Updated on March 31, 2024 by Jessica Lauren Vine

Camping with a generator blasting in your ears isn’t exactly the heaven you think of when you set out on a camping trip. Finding the best quiet camping generator can make your trip more enjoyable since you can have power and peace at the same time.

Continue reading, and I’ll go over some great generator options for those of you that value less sound and more power.

My Pick for Best Quiet Camping Generator

I’m not going to make you wait until the end of the article to see which generator is my favorite. This bad boy will give you plenty of power, and it’s really quiet for the power it gives you.

My husband went to talk to one of our RV park neighbors for the week. He has hearing issues and was surprised he could hear the guy talking since this Champion generator was running right near them a couple of feet away.

We were looking for the right generator for us that would give us enough power but also be a quiet camping generator. After seeing how easy it was to talk over it and the guy telling us that it gave him plenty of power when he went boondocking, we decided to buy it. Well, not his, but one from a store.

The Champion 3400-watt dual fuel generator has an electric start which will save your arm and your patience. It does have a pull string if you really want to use it that way.

The sound level is 59 dBA, and it has a frequency of 60 Hz. I’m not even going to pretend to know exactly what that means, but I will say that I know from experience that it is quiet enough for us. Not only that, but our friends we boondocked with were surprised to hear how quiet it was.

If you run the generator on propane, you can get about 14.5 hours of run time. Gas will give you about 7.5 hours, and either way, you have plenty of run time.

Another good thing about this generator is that it has a 3-year limited warranty, so you don’t have to worry about any technical issues. If you do have some technical issues and they’re easy to fix, you get lifetime tech support from dedicated experts.

Beginner RVers and seasoned pros alike like this generator because of its features and low sound level.

Why Do You Need a Generator When Camping?

We made it without a generator for quite a while when we first started camping. Honestly, we didn’t have any room for it, and we didn’t see a major need. However, after losing power at an RV spot a couple of times and then wanting to camp off the grid, we were like… “Oh, I guess we might need a generator after all.”

If you worry about losing power at parks or want to camp off the grid, I would say those are two top reasons to look for the best quiet camping generator.

Having a generator will allow you to keep your generator charged, use your electrical outlets, and, my favorite is—use your air conditioner.

Why Is It Important for a Generator to Run Quietly?

When you’re out camping, enjoying nature, do you want to hear a generator? Yeah. Probably not. Neither do your neighbors. Not only that, though, sometimes it’s not allowed to run a generator over a certain sound level. This is especially true if you try to run your generator later in the evening.

How Loud Are Quiet Generators?

When you’re looking for the best quiet camping generator, one of the things that can help you see if they’re a good fit or not is their dB. When you see generators between 50 to 65 dB then you’re looking at a good noise level.

If you’ve ever been around the loud open frame generators, you’ll be able to tell the difference pretty quickly.

What Should I Look for in a High-Quality Quiet Generator for Camping?

Besides the sound level, there are other things you should look for when you’re trying to find the best quiet camping generator. Those things include:

• Fuel Type
• How Easy It Is to Use
• Electronic Fuel Injection (Or Not)
• Fuel Tank Size
• Number of Outlets

If you can get the combination of things you want in one generator, run with it and hope it fits in your budget.

Fuel Type

I personally like having a generator that allows for multiple ways to fuel it. The one we chose allows you to use both gas and propane. This gives you options, and a lot of people feel safer using gas because they’re used to putting it in their cars. However, I liked using propane because it lasted a lot longer and it saved money.

How Easy It Is to Use

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like having to feel like I need to break out an instruction manual every time I want to turn on my generator. Finding a generator that is easy to use and will allow you to have power on demand without feeling all stressed out.

The main thing you need to make sure is easy to do is to start it. After you start your generator, it’s pretty easy after that.

I highly recommend finding a generator that has an electric start vs having to deal with the old-fashioned recoil pull-cord starter.

Electronic Fuel Injection (Or Not)

If you have electronic fuel injection, you don’t have to worry about a carburetor. The generator starts easier, and it’s a lot quieter. Let’s not forget about being easier to start when it is colder and easier maintenance.

Fuel Tank Size

If you don’t want to refuel all of the time, don’t forget to look at the size of the fuel tank. Some generators can run for eight or even nine hours, depending on the load you put on them and the size of the fuel tank.

For those of you that don’t want to use your generator for too long, you might opt for a smaller fuel tank since it will allow you to transport it easier.

Number of Outlets

If you have a limited number of outlets, it can be a pain trying to get everything powered. More isn’t always better, though if you don’t need a bunch of outlets, why would you bother to have them?

A lot of the popular inverter generators have two outlets that are 120V 20 amp outlet and a 120/240V 30 amp outlet. If you need more or if you want USB plugins and such, you’re going to have to pay for it.

What Wattage Generator Do I Need?

As mentioned above, one of the important things you need to know is how much power your quiet camping generator needs to have.

If you have a large RV with a lot of appliances, you’ll obviously need more power than someone camping out of a rig like an R-pod.

Most people with even the largest rigs can get by with around 3,500 running watts. This generator size needed calculator can help you figure out how many watts you need, but I like having plenty of power—just in case.

How Much Money Do I Need to Buy a Good Generator?

Depending on the size of generator you need, and your quality standards, pricing is all over the board. You could put out a few hundred dollars or you might be looking at a little over a thousand.

My thought on things is to budget as much as you can without breaking the bank, and if you have some left over, then—awesome.

Keep in mind that extra features can quickly increase the money you spend. Remote start, eco-friendly, etc. all mean more money.

More Great Quiet Camping Generator Picks

This Honda EU3000iS is pretty pricey, but it’s definitely a quiet camping generator that provides a good amount of power

You’ll get 2,800 running watts from this generator, and we’re talking clean and safe energy if you want to plug in your phone, laptop, or other sensitive electronics.

Another thing you’ll like about this generator is that it has an eco-throttle system that keeps it from sucking down fuel like a mad machine.

The noise levels are really good on this generator and stay between 50 and 57 dB depending on how much of a load it is running.

You’ll be able to enjoy power for up to 20 hours since it has a large 3.4-gallon fuel tank. It isn’t dual fuel, so you’ll have to make do with only using gas.

There are some great safety features, like the protected oil alert that shuts the engine off when it detects the oil is low. It also has a CO-Minder safety feature that shuts the generator down if it senses high levels of carbon monoxide.

This WEN 56000i 2,000 watt generator gives you 1,600 running watts and 2,000 starting watts

If you have a lot of sensitive electronics you want to use with a generator then this generator is a good pick. It produces clean power that has less than 3% distortion, which means you don’t have to worry about frying your favorite phone.

Because of its design, there are some annoyances with it, though. You need to perform small miracles for the non-mechanical hands-on people when you want to add more oil to the unit.

The noise level is 53 dB which is nice and quiet and shouldn’t disturb the neighbors too much.

It has an eco-mode that allows the motor to change the fuel consumption automatically. That means it saves you money because it won’t be pulling any more fuel than it needs to.

This generator also has parallel capabilities that let you double your power. Since it’s lightweight and easy to carry, this would allow you to get high running watts without having to lug around a huge generator.

This Yamaha EF2000iSv2 has a super-quiet muffler and a USFS-approved spark arrestor. If you’re running it on 1/4 load, you’ll only be at 51.5 dB which is pretty great on the quietometer.

The Smart Throttle on this generator changes the engine speed depending on the load which helps with fuel consumption and noise reduction.

You get 2,000 watts maximum AC output and 1,600 running watts with this quiet camping generator. It’s powerful, portable, and gets the job done as long as you aren’t trying to power a bunch of things at once in a huge RV.

If you don’t want to carry around a big generator then this is a good pick for you. You can still get a good bit of power and avoid hurting your back. It comes in right below 45 pounds so most people can easily tote it around. Since it doesn’t have a wheel package, you’ll have to be able to carry it or put it on a cart to get it around.

The compact design is another thing people love. It’s especially helpful if you’re in a small RV.

The Oil Watching Warning system keeps you from having engine damage that is caused by low oil. You’ll also get an electrical overload breaker to prevent generator damage if there is an overload.

Many people recognize the brand name as well and that brings a certain amount of confidence. Keep in mind that since it is a well-known name brand, you’ll have to pay for that.

The Westinghouse iGen2200 generator has as low as 52 dB noise output with a 12 hour run time on its 1.2 gallons of gas.

1,800 running watts and 2,200 peak watts at less than 3% THD make it a good buy, but it only weighs 46 pounds, so that sweetens the pot a bit. The price isn’t too bad either, so a lot of people find themselves making their way to purchase this generator.

It’s fuel-efficient as well as quiet, so you can get hours of quiet energy with this generator. Another bonus is that it comes with a 3-year limited service, labor, and parts coverage warranty.

If you need even more energy, you can use its parallel capability. You’ll need a Westinghouse parallel cord and it’s sold separately.

You can easily keep your RV battery charged using this generator, and if you need to move it around, it’s light enough that it shouldn’t break your back.

Quiet Camping Generator Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the main frequently asked questions about quiet camping generators.

Which Quiet Camping Generator Should You Buy?

All of the above quiet camping generator picks are great options. It really depends on how much power you need and what your budget is.

I stand by my pick of the 3,400 watt Champion generator, but another generator might work better for your needs. Check it out and see if it’s the right choice for you.