Where do I get a generator? Part 4

Generators are available from local sources, major manufacturers, or the Internet. Hopefully, you have decided what kind of generator you want and how big. If not, you really should back off the purchase and see if you need, what type you need, what size you need and then – what you can afford. Do your homework first; it will be a much more satisfactory purchase as well as being cost effective and at the lowest life cycle cost.

Contractor level generators can be purchased almost everywhere i.e.: Lowes, Home Depot, Sams, Costco, Ace Hardware, Sears, your local small engine shop, etc. These units are very good for temporary home use but make way too much noise for campground type camping.

Portable inverter type generators can be purchased from their respective dealers’ representatives. Look in the yellow pages. There are also advertisements in camping magazines where you can buy off the Internet. Try Honda.com, Onan.com, Yamaha.com or check the ads on the Open Roads Forum for links to other companies.

If your camper needs a built-in generator, I recommend going to the web site of the manufacturer and selecting what you want and then go to a local dealer for the purchase and warranty. Some of the web sites are onan.com, for ONAN brand and guardiangenerators.com for GENERAC brand. These are the two major companies along with Honda that make RV generators.

If you are in the market for a home standby generator, check the yellow pages at ‘generators, electric’. You should get the major manufacturers dealers in your local area. These are probably ONAN, GENERAC, KOHLER and COLEMAN (Yes, Coleman makes ‘big’ generators). Check the local LP and natural gas companies also as they may have gensets and usually offer package deals.

A major part of owning a generator is having someone available who can fix or maintain it. If you buy the genset on the Internet or from a company on the opposite side of the country, make sure there is a local company that will fix it or do warranty work. Bear in mind that local dealers who might charge ten percent more, will put you on the bottom of the list if you bring in a genset purchased from a competing dealer on the opposite coast of the country. Yes, if under warranty, they have to fix it, but the warranty doesn’t state how fast they have to repair it. In the middle of an ice storm, that could become important. If not under warranty, bring money.

Generator Jim