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RV Backup Power That Travels With You

Are you using your tow vehicle to its full potential? What if, after getting to your destination, rather than just sitting until it’s time to leave, your tow vehicle transformed into a generator?

CarGenerator with 30-amp RV plug installed
CarGenerator transforms your tow vehicle into a backup RV power source.

We all have a tow vehicle whether it’s a sedan or a one-ton truck to get our RV wherever we are going. Now, thanks to one innovative company, your tow vehicle can power your RV, home, or cottage – whenever, wherever you need backup power!

For years, noisy, smelly, gas generators were the only solution to non-powered campsites, and for solar backup power for RVers. That has changed and thanks to CarGenerator there is a cleaner, quieter source of power that’s super lightweight and requires no maintenance!

The CarGenerator Story

Being able to use your tow vehicle as a generator is the challenge one RV enthusiast and entrepreneur took on and knocked out of the park! The vision was to utilize the engine and fuel tank in a tow vehicle to provide backup RV power.

Jonathan Schloo realized that when he purchased his current vehicle, he had gotten more than just a mode of transportation. He had also bought a high-tech engine with a large fuel tank perfect for producing clean power. The missing link was a connection between the vehicle’s engine and the RV that could transfer the vehicle’s DC power to usable AC power.

CarGenerator is that missing link that gives you the freedom of having power anywhere you go! The key to any generator is making the power they generate usable for household items. This comes in the form of an inverter which completes the switch from DC to AC power.

What makes a car inverter generator like CarGenerator special is the way it combines its 3 main components:

  1. An industrial pure sine wave inverter
  2. High-heat booster-style cables
  3. A patented weatherproof case

Carefully engineered to work safely with any vehicle, CarGenerator transforms your vehicle into the ultimate backup power source.

Linking your vehicle to your RV or home takes the right components to complete a safe transfer of power. Doing this in wet or snowy weather which is often what brings the need for backup power, makes it a real challenge.

CarGenerator successfully took on this challenge with industry-changing results. The world’s lightest generator that’s quiet, green, and can be stored behind your driver’s seat!

How The Magic Happens With a Car Inverter Generator

The concept is actually pretty simple and this is one thing that makes this such a great product! Today’s vehicle engines are efficient and full of emissions technology giving them a huge advantage over the very basic engines used in gas generators.

Simply put, vehicle engines spin alternators that charge the vehicle’s batteries. The key component in a vehicle’s charging system, the alternator, keeps all your vehicle’s accessories running. This is an important factor in CarGenerator’s success and the answer to a common question. How can my car’s battery and charging system run a furnace, sump pump, coffee maker, or other RV and residential appliances?

The answer? The draw of these standard RV and household items is no more than a vehicle with multiple accessories running. Your vehicle’s charging system is designed to operate in this nature without adding excessive strain to the system. With your vehicle idling, the alternator is spinning and keeping the battery charged and ready to release power to the accessories that need it.

With CarGenerator connected to your vehicle, the battery power released travels through the inverter and instead of powering headlights, wipers, and defrosters, it’s powering your RV or household items! As simple as the concept is, the engineering and components used are not so basic.

Providing clean power to RV and household appliances while protecting both the vehicle and your home or RV takes some special pieces.

Industrial Pure Sine Wave Inverter

CarGenerator’s main component is the inverter and this is what makes all that engine power usable. The inverter takes the 12-volt DC power from the engine alternator, processes it, and sends it to your RV or home as AC power.

An often overlooked fact is that not all inverters are designed for use with household items and sensitive electronics. Cell phones, laptops, and many other common household items require clean steady power. For this reason, pure sine wave inverters are the only safe choice when it comes to powering your RV or home.

In the case of CarGenerator, it’s not only your home or RV that needs to be protected from the potential problems a cheap inverter can cause but also your vehicle. CarGenerator’s design-specific pure sine wave inverter safeguards both the power needs of your home or RV and protects your vehicle from being damaged.

Only the best pure sine wave inverter with the ability to monitor incoming and outgoing power can be trusted for vehicle-to-home power transfer. Add in wet weather high engine temperatures and a cheap big box store inverter doesn’t stand a chance.

CarGenerator’s inverter was designed to do all these things continually and has proven to be up to the job!

Patented Weatherproof Case

Emergency backup and off-grid RV power can often be linked to bad weather and environmental challenges. Power outages most often occur during periods of high wind, rain, and snow.

To protect the inverter, CarGenerator had to design a weatherproof case that would hold up during the worst weather. This is a truly unique component of CarGenerator and what makes it so versatile and robust.

Simply enclosing the inverter in an airtight case wasn’t the answer as the inverter needs to be vented as well as have easy-to-access power cables. The patented case design does all of these things as well as doubles as an ergonomic carrying handle!

The multipurpose case does more than just protect the inverter enclosed, it also protects your vehicle. The materials used had to be rugged enough to withstand sun, ice, rain, and the wide range of temperatures that come with both. The tough exterior includes a rubber layer on the back to protect your vehicle from scratches while being securely held in place with an adjustable strap.

CarGenerator attached to the front of a small SUV on a rainy day

High Heat Pure Copper Battery Cables

The inverter and weatherproof case are the stars of the package, however, there is one last critical component. The booster-style cables that connect CarGenerator to your vehicle’s battery allow the power of your engine to pass to the inverter safely.

Just like the rugged case, these cables have multiple challenges to deal with. Cheap booster cables, like the ones most of us have in our trunks, simply won’t last. The insulation on the cables won’t handle the heat from the engine compartment and over time and the clamps will inevitably begin to corrode.

CarGenerator spared no cost when making this important connection between the inverter and your vehicle’s battery. Industrial booster cables constructed with oxygen-free copper and high-heat cables were the only solution to making this connection.

Cheap booster cables often use copper-clad jaws that are designed for a quick boost every now and then. The continued power transfer in CarGenerator’s situation demands oxygen-free copper that won’t corrode in wet weather over time.

Making a secure connection to your vehicle battery is a critical factor in the operation of the CarGenerator. There was no room for cheap lightweight components at this point and CarGenerator delivered again with top quality pieces.

Car Inverter Generator vs Gas Generators For RV Backup Power

Gas generators are loud, smell like gas, and due to lack of maintenance as well as infrequent use are notoriously unreliable. They are more at home on a construction site than in a campground. We’ve all been camped beside the RV with a generator screaming first thing in the morning.

The technology behind portable gas generators hasn’t changed much over the years. Basic engines with little or no noise or emissions controls, and small fuel tanks.

The need for backup power can vary depending on your situation but often times it is sporadic with long periods in between. This presents a host of issues for traditional gas generators from stale gas, to fouled spark plugs and difficulty starting.

Gas generators, although necessary for some applications, have many faults when it comes to RV use. The first comes with the commitment to purchase one knowing it will be stored away more than it’s used. Next, as a result of sitting, reliability issues begin to arise often at the worst possible time!

If you are a car or SUV owner transporting a gas generator means the smell of gas in your vehicle. Due to the small fuel tanks on portable generators, it is necessary to carry and store extra fuel in jerry cans. This is not only inconvenient but can be dangerous as well.

Then there is the storage and handling of gas generators. Both at your home and while traveling with your RV gas generators require valuable space. Many of these models also require a second set of hands to load and unload due to either weight or size.

CarGenerator solves all these problems by using a large fuel tank and a modern engine in your vehicle. Your vehicle is used and maintained regularly so there is no worry about it starting and running efficiently when you need it.

At 11 pounds CarGenerator is easy for anyone to use and it can be stored in your trunk, under an RV bed, or hanging on the wall in your garage.

The Perfect Solar Backup Power Source

Solar is a great alternative to gas generators and many RVers and homeowners have made the switch. Solar provides a greener alternative to gas generators and eliminates the noise and smell as well.

Both the beauty and downfall of solar are that it uses the sun. Powering your home or RV using the power of the sun is a fantastic concept that certainly has a place. However, putting mother nature in charge of your power source does come with limits.

The idea behind solar is to harness the sun’s energy, store it, and use it as needed. For both RV and homeowners, the deciding factor is often the cost of switching to solar. To have a solar system capable of sustaining you through extended periods of bad weather includes a substantial investment.

This investment may not make sense for many RVers who are weekend warriors or take short trips. Solar storage requires heavy, expensive batteries that for most RVers aren’t worth the cost, extra weight, and space required.

For full-time RVers, solar makes more sense but still requires a backup source of power for certain situations. A solar system with drained batteries while the rain is still falling is as useful as a gas generator that won’t start.

Bad weather happens and when it does having the backup power necessary is critical. Solar can limit your choice of location as well as you are required to have full sun for your panels. This might mean passing on that great wooded site.

CarGenerator, combined with a solar setup is a green way to supply all of your RV power needs.

Airstream RV in a wooded campsite with a truck and CarGeneratror beside it - backup RV power

Power Your RV And Your Home!

Although CarGenerator’s roots began in the RV world its benefits quickly reached into residential applications. If it could power RV appliances and accessories why not have it power residential appliances and accessories?

It didn’t take long for CarGenerator to become the newest emergency backup power source for homeowners. Digging out your unused gas generator from the garage and trying to get it started during a power outage is never fun.

With CarGenerator, the minute the power goes out you simply start your car connect the booster cables and you have power. At the cottage? As long as your vehicle is there you will always have power.

Emergency backup power for homeowners is critical to protect your family and home. Sump pumps, furnaces, and refrigerators are the key appliances that will support you through power outages. CarGenerator is more than capable of powering these items for extended periods thanks to the run time offered by vehicles.

Many vehicles can idle for 50 – 70 hours resulting in no fuel top-ups and no shutting down and restarting of a generator. Monitoring a gas generator with a 4-hour run time throughout the night just adds to the stress of a power outage.

We all know having a backup power source is a smart investment whether it’s saving a camping trip or saving the pipes in your house from freezing. Unfortunately, many people go without due to the cost and the inconveniences of gas generators.

CarGenerator has made the decision to have a backup power source a no-brainer. An 11-pound unit that requires no fuel, no maintenance, and is going to work every time! You can’t afford to not have CarGenerator in your vehicle!

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