Top 10 Best Inverter Generators for RV Air Conditioners You Can Trust

“I installed this in my 23-foot travel trailer last summer and couldn’t be happier. The installation was straightforward, and I love that it works on both my house battery and when plugged into shore power. It’s noticeably quieter than my old unit, and the auto-swing feature really helps circulate cool air throughout the camper.”

“Perfect upgrade for my Class B van conversion. The slim profile fit perfectly above my bed, and the fact that it heats too means I can use it all year round. Battery draw is minimal thanks to the efficient compressor.”

Customer Review: Was sceptical about a “no name” unit especially with the price of a replacement ac unit if something went wrong. But I read the other reviews and saw some people had some time with these and had no issues so I gave it a go and I’m happy I did. Unit works as it should with absolutely zero issues and installation was easy. I’m no electrician by a long shot, but I’m not completely lost when it comes to it either, I’m a decent handyman let’s say and it took all of 45 minutes to get it installed start to finish including double and triple checking my work just to be sure I had it right. My 15k unit (single ac unit camper) can now run on my normal garage wall outlet when plugged in here at the house and it’s so much quieter when starting up. Not just here on the normal outlet but also at the campground on the full 30 amp circuit. It used to just make a roaring noise when first starting up and every now and then the lights would dim from it drawing so much current suddenly. Now it’s much much quieter and never any massive current draw that seems to drag everything else down with it periodically. It’s especially nice at night! I would definitely give this a go if you’re on the fence about one of these

Customer Review: Product was in great condition. The ends of the wires were tinned which is a plus. I did have to buy male and female blade terminals to make connections but overall it was pretty easy to install. Following the link provided in the product specs for installation instruction depending on which A/C model you have. After install I tested the A/C unit and followed the learning instructions for soft start. The A/C was noticeably quieter and the fan speed remained the same. I used my Westinghouse 2550 dual power inverter generator to power up rv and it worked great after installing soft start. Great product for the price and ease of installation.

Customer Review: I got this generator for two reasons: it’s lightweight and easy to carry around, and it can power the essentials in an electrical outage. And because it’s so small, I can easily store it on a lower shelf in my garage.While it won’t run a whole-house air conditioner, it’ll run a window unit or other room air conditioner, along with some lights, refrigerator, and some outlets. And because it’s an inverter generator, it’s cleaner power than a standard generator, so you can use it to power sensitive electronic devices.Besides wiring it in for temporary power to my house, it’ll also power my 30-amp RV without any problems. The fuel tank is relatively small, but it’ll run several hours on a tank full.The best feature is the dual fuel capability. With a couple of propane tanks, you could run this generator all day.

Customer Review: This is a great generator for the money. I’ve only used it a little so far, but it works very well. It’s very light weight and easy to move where you need it. It’s a little hard to get started, but I attribute that to the engine rings not being seated yet. I’ve run it on both propane and gasoline and I’m quite pleased with how it runs on both. The fuel saver mode also seems to work very well and it’s one of the reasons I purchased this model. It’s also pretty quite if you set it up away from where you are. I purchased this for a backup power source for my home after the ice storm last month. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another one if I need it.

Customer Review: We were in need of a more powerful generator for our newly purchased off grid cabin. We were of course told to go with Honda for quiet operations and efficiencies, but after purchasing the cabin, we only had a limited amount of funds available. Needed to make our investment really pay off. Boy did it ever!After some research, we began to understand that WEN is a very reputable company in this space. After frankly, after seeing a YouTube video showing how this generator can be used for whole house backup, we were sold!So first things first, since we were using this for off grid power through a fully code compliant panel, you will want to UNBOND this generator, placing it into floating neutral. A very easy process and something we learned along the way.We also love the idea of dual fuel options. We will eventually be installing larger, more powerful solar solutions, but for now, needed a way to keep cabin alive. We do have a gas caddy and adequate supply, but that does add up in terms of cost over the weekends. However, using a 40lb propane tank at around $15.00 filled for two (2) full weekends, that was outstanding. Very efficient, and we are capable of running in Eco Mode during the evening and early morning hours.Speaking of Eco Mode, this genny is very quiet. Yes, you do hear it throughout the cabin but move about 100 yards away and the sound fades almost all away. Great for hunting and general game watching activities. Also has no issues running our water pump, which was the main reason we needed to more powerful device when the weather is colder and does not run as efficiently in terms of power production.Yes, this item is heavy. Our use is essentially in a stationary position only moving in and out of the crawl space below the cabin. However, you can easily use this for portable operations with stronger individuals and certainly an able-bodied couple.All in all, extremely satisfied with this product and glad we took the risk of purchasing this brand. Just goes to show, do your research and don’t be afraid to make decisions based upon your needs. Be wary of influencers or paid shives who don’t give you the facts. This is an awesome device, and I would certainly not only recommend it, but also purchase it again!BTW, the only reason we keep pushing solar is not only “free” energy, but also the peace and quiet. But when working and living off grid, you have to do what you have to do given different situations.

Customer Review: Very nice inverter. I was looking for a generator to power my fifth wheel. Wanted an inverter. Wanted to run both AC’s. bought the WEN 6800-Watt Dual Fuel RV-Ready Electric Start Portable Inverter Generator with Fuel Shut Off . Nephew recommended WEN and I have been very pleased. I have around 30 hours on it, all running on propane. I don’t think I will put gas in it. electric start, not remote, works great. I have lifted it in my bed of my truck but its not for the weak. It is short enough that it does not interfer with the fifth wheel. Dual fuel. Quiet. Love it.

Customer Review: EDIT:I installed this item one week ago today. It has worked as advertised.While returning from running errands this morning I received a notification on my phone that the power was out at the house. The first real world opportunity to see if this piece of kit is worthy of the cheddar. I arrived home in about 10 minutes and confirmed much of the neighborhood was out. It’s hot, DAMNED HOT, outside today and this will never do! It took about 15 minutes total time to get the gennie up and running and arrive at the moment of truth. I flipped the breaker for the gennie and powered the panel, then energized the furnace circuit (Ecobee thermostat controls), then energized the A/C circuit and waited. It took right at 2 minutes for the Ecobee to come online (wifi is on UPS) and call for cool. The fan on the A/C started first, seconds later the compressor started, the gennie shouldered the load like a CHAMP, and the A/C was running! I energized the rest of the circuits according to my emergency power plan and monitored cycle performance in cool air conditioned comfort.”I love it when a plan comes together!”, Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith.Purchase with confidence!OE Review…Meets and exceeds expectations. Simple, straightforward four wire installation. Easy enough for a handy DIYer. They even have a short YouTube instruction video!I purchased this so I could have AC when the power goes out.I have a 4 ton HVAC that drew 106a inrush before installation. Too much for a modest portable generator in a power outage. After 6 learning cycles it only pulls 26.xxa! A bona fide 75% reduction in startup draw! It’s also much quieter now too.I highly recommend!

Customer Review: I purchased this to reduce the starting load from my AC unit so I can run my house on my backup generator. I’m a very technical/handy person and found the installation instructions very easy to understand. I don’t think you need to be very technical/handy to install this device. The installation was quick. The product works GREAT. Prior to install, my AC would not start on generator power. Now it all starts and I’m ready for the next storm. Great product!

Customer Review: I finally decided I needed to add softstart to my RV AC when I decided to move to a solar generator instead of my pair of Honda 2000’s in parallel that I used to lug around when dry camping. I could never get a single Honda 2000 to start my AC and would need both… I wonder if this softstart would let me do that? But doesn’t matter – I switched to an Ecoflow that probably could handle the startup surge, but why stress it?This softstart was pretty easy to install. I had to lookup my particular AC model (Dometic something) and the instructions tell you where to run all the wires, jumpers, etc. Just make sure to double-check everything. I had done some of it and realized I’d done the wrong wire on one part (I read the letters from the AC incorrectly at first), so I’m glad I checked again before starting it up. That was my fault for not being more thorough, no fault of the instructions which were correct.After getting the wiring correct and finding a good spot to mount it, well… that was it, I was done. I flipped the breaker back on, went inside and started it up, and wow, it was SO much nicer when starting. Before, the AC would “clunk” when starting up and was pretty loud during that startup phase. Now, it starts up nice and calm, the clunk is gone, and that “hum” I’d hear for the first couple seconds when the compressor and fan were starting up had all but disappeared. I mean, there’s still the noise of the fan and compressor, but you get to skip the other noise. Which is great if you have this running on and off at night because those clunks and hums are distracting.There are more expensive softstarts out there but this one, I think, is a good value. There are also cheaper ones out there and I’m kind of skeptical of those. This one seems solidly built, works great, and the manufacturer has been around for a while so I feel like they’ll stand behind the product.As far as how it works to reduce the initial amp draw, I didn’t do any direct measurements to get the peak current before/after install. Other people have done exactly that, so you can refer to them. I do know that my single Honda 2000 inverter generator couldn’t start up previously (I’ll have to try that at some point now), so the startup current definitely exceeded what that could handle. I even had trouble getting the AC to start if I was using a 15A circuit to power my RV… it would trip the breaker (it’s a 30A trailer, but using the adapter to just keep it plugged in at home to keep batteries charged, etc… I tried getting the AC to start while nothing else was running, and the breaker would always trip).Now with the softstart and using the energy monitor on my Ecoflow, I could see that it ramps up nicely and my AC averages between 7-8 A (at 120V) which is far less than I imagined it would use. With that in mind, assuming the softstart lets it gently ramp up to that 7-8A (or could be up to 13A for a 15A circuit), I bet I could use a single generator or a 15A circuit to run *just* the AC to start it up, and a couple other low current things. My converter, for example, is a 55A converter. If it decides it needs to charge my batteries, it could be using 5-6A of 120V all by itself.Anyway, all that other stuff aside, this unit does exactly what it says, the price is decent, easy enough to install, etc. Worth the price and effort it takes to install it.

Customer Review: I have a 2003 Roadtrek 190 Versatile RV, fitted with a Dometic Cool Cat 10,500 BTU Heat Pump Air Conditioner.I wanted to be able to run the air conditioner using my Pulsar PG2300iS 18000watt running (23000watt peak) Portable Gas-Powered Quiet Inverter Generator. Unfortunately, when I turned the air conditioner on the generator would stall every time.Then I decided to get a SoftStart unit. The first task was figuring out where the wiring was hidden in the air conditioner. It turned out to be easy enough. I had to remove the roof cover and unscrew two lockdown screws at the rear of the air conditioner to be able to move the a/c backward. I also removed two screws from inside the RV to take off the front cover. I found that I could push the a/c back and rotate it slightly to get at the wiring compartment cover, held in place with two more screws. The a/c heat pump circuit diagram was attached to the inside of the cover.I went to the SoftStart website to look for a wiring diagram that matched my diagram. Unfortunately, none of the available examples matched mine. So, I put in a ticket request for help and they answered the same evening with a quick diagram to get me started, and with a promise that a professionally designed diagram for the Cool Cat was being processed. Armed with the rough diagram I was able to work out all but one of the connections. Installation was easy. Mainly cutting and splicing five wires into the circuit wiring. The step by step directions that came with the unit were excellent. I did have an issue with the Blue wire. It was shown directly connected to R on the compressor. I tried that and it didn’t work. Because my unit is a heat pump there is a Cold Control also connected to R. I solved the problem by removing the White wire, going to the Cold Control, at the Run Capacitor, and connecting the Blue wire to the White wire. Problem solved!Now, the Pulsar 1800watt generator starts the a/c unit every time.The SoftStart unit is amazing. It is so gentle and quiet that it is hard to believe that the a/c unit is running. The cool air certainly proves that it is.The SoftStart’s online help was impressive. They not only responded quickly via email but they had also attempted to contact me by phone several times to give me wire by wire directions. I live in a black hole for cell phone signals and was not getting their calls. So they sent further emails asking me to contact them.I do have previous a/c experience as well as an electronics background so I was able to work out the final part of the puzzle myself, but they were 100% there trying to help. Please DO NOT attempt to install a SoftStart unit based on my review. Always contact SoftStart and they will advise you to step by step with their phone assistance.All in all, I highly recommend the SoftStart unit. It is amazing, and if you have a basic air conditioner unit then you will be able to make use of the online information and excellent included installation notes, and live phone call assistance if necessary to do the installation. If you don’t feel comfortable doing the installation then do contact an electrician to have the work done. Capacitors can hold a dangerous charge even after the power has been disconnected and electricity is potentially lethal so don’t take any unnecessary risksI think that the SoftStart unit is worth every penny.

Customer Review: Purchased for my campervan. Great way for me to have AC without having to make modifications to my van and still have my window nearly closed. Love it!

Customer Review: The media could not be loaded. Tested the unit and it cools pretty good. Its quiet and the fan is quiet enough. It did not throw any breakers. However i gave it 4 stars becuz i didnt receive enough screws and gaskets. The hardware was thrown about in the box instead of neatly bagged. I will just go to ace hardward and buy some myself but disappointed in that. Install is easy enough. Im making modifications becuz my rv windows either pushes out or slides horizontally. But i was aware this would be needed prior to buying and have no issues with that. Definitely works best with vertical sliding windows. Overall so far so good. Now the real test is when summer hits.Update screws needed were 25 bucks.

Customer Review: Hi, I live on Gorgeous Vancouver Island , British Columbia, Canada , Born here .I received my new 12 Volt AC two stage unit on time . This is for my new 2024 Truck camper .The install was super easy , about 1.5 hours . I have 500 Amp of Lithium batteries . But I can run this on just 100 amps .This AC work fist time turned on . The controls are easy and and accurate. This AC heats my camper very fast and cools it very fast . On low fan it’s very quiet . It has 5 fan settings. The only problem is that the remote turns my camper radio on or off when I use the AC remote .But I love my new RV AC . No more sweeting hot sleepless night in my RV .

Customer Review: Hi, I live on Gorgeous Vancouver Island , British Columbia, Canada , Born here .I received my new 12 Volt AC two stage unit on time . This is for my new 2024 Truck camper .The install was super easy , about 1.5 hours . I have 500 Amp of Lithium batteries . But I can run this on just 100 amps .This AC work fist time turned on . The controls are easy and and accurate. This AC heats my camper very fast and cools it very fast . On low fan it’s very quiet . It has 5 fan settings. The only problem is that the remote turns my camper radio on or off when I use the AC remote .But I love my new RV AC . No more sweeting hot sleepless night in my RV . Read more

Customer Review: Installed it , its pretty straight forward. It works no problem with my 12v 300 ah battery,supposedly it’ll run at 50 amps so my system will run it for hours.I had an issue with it ( probably my fault) but the guy over the email (which i needed an order #) helped me pretty quickly. Its got a strong fan motor, and while I had the issue (the fan wouldn’t turn off) it still heated and cooled just didn’t turn off if plugged into the solar system. For a DIY this is great

Customer Review: Ordered this for the bedroom in my 5th wheel, cools down my bedroom in no time we were testing it in 100* weather, have it running on 3 100w solar panels & 2 humsienk 12v 100ah battery & mppt charge controller. It is pretty quiet, easy installation, strong power, it is a very low profile on the top of the 5th wheel. I purchased it on prime day it was a very good price for what you get. Will get another one when my original ac goes out.

Customer Review: Awesome product for my 30 amp RV. Prior to installation, my generator/inverter would shut down when the a/c turned on. My a/c unit would also throw the breaker when I plugged it into the house 120v-20amp outlet. We have no problems whatsoever now. Works as advertised. Easy starts and reduced amperage usage. We did have to call customer service for assistance because not every a/c unit is the same. That assistance was exceptional. Because I was hesitant to make a mistake, the service rep even used FaceTime and gave us step by step instructions to help during the installation. We appreciated the personal attention given to make sure we were able to use their product. Very happy with the product and will add one of these for each of our home units.

Customer Review: Was easy to install on 12 year old Dometic AC units. Worked great on both units.Only one issue- compressor on one ac was drawing normal 12-13 amps before install and 17 amps after. Removing easy start unit didn’t change amp draw, still high. Reinstalled the Easy-Start and amp draw remained high.Possible the compressor is about to fail. Fortunately it’s simple to remove the Easy-Start and reinstall on a new unit, but in the meantime that AC seems to be running well.