Based on 96 reviews
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I haven’t had a chance to try it, but it looks well made and the instructions are very straight forward. Delivery was fast and it was well packaged.
Very well constructed device, and tested out well. Should fit the bill for temporary backup power. Order was delayed 7 days, since it was out of stock.
Unit arrived today. Looked like a brand new unit. Did a preliminary test and used the supplied watt meter. Tried a 5 hp shop vac. The unit powered the vac. Did not leave it plugged in for more than 15 seconds as the power draw was over 1 kw. Voltage drop went down to 13.1 V DC under this load. Static voltage with no load was 13.8 - 13.7 V DC. Plugged in a fluorescent trouble light with two separately switched bulbs. Under this load, the drop in the DC side was 13.7 V DC. Power consumption from 1 to two bulbs went from 9 to 25 watts. Vehicle is a 2020 Chevy Silverado 3 liter Diesel.
For it's intended purpose I'd say it's a pretty snazzy unit. I would suggest a glorified cup or eye hook to hold the S hook on the end of the strap instead of that thin screw. The S hook is not as secure as I would like it to be. I believe this is important because the strap is for all intents and purposes the lid that holds the jumper cables in place when they are stowed.
What a nice change from a smelly, heavy, expensive gas generator! As a fulltime RVer, this is a great product to keep my RV battery charged when boondocking...or during extended power outages, which is why I purchased it.
While researching generators as backup for my travel trailer a found the Cargenerator. No need to carry gas cans, monthly exercise and very lightweight. I purchased the 1500/3000w unit to be able to run microwave, toaster and coffeemaker while boonbocking. Tried the unit when it first arrived and it preformed beyond my expectations. Very easy to install and setup. I can also use the Cargenerator as a backup to my house during power failures.
I had some difficulty at first because the inverter on my RV had a wrong setting. I called CarGenerator Support. They were very friendly and helpful. They helped me diagnose the problem and told me how fix it. Since then, the CarGenerator has performed perfectly at charging my two 100ah lithium batteries and since my car is almost silent when idling, I don’t bother or upset anyone while charging!
I’m very glad I bought this generator.
Works as advertised. Great addition to my boondocking arsenal of 550W solar, 300AH Lithium Batteries, 3000W Victron Inverter,
Champion 2000W generator, etc. Tested it out yesterday and will charge my batteries and powers my inverter which in turn powers my hole 25’ AS Globetrotter. Only will plan to use it if it rains/cloudy for several days and my solar is running behind in keeping my batteries charged. I highly recommend a CarGenerator and Jonathan was very helpful.
I decided to look into CarGenerator since our need was to recharge my lithium batteries and occasionally run a microwave when boon docking. Our generator worked well but was loud, weighed 100 lbs, and took a lot space in the truck bed. We purchased the 1000/1500 watt model which turned out to be slightly underpowered for our Progressive Dynamics Converter. Fortunately, our Chevy 2500HD’s alternator could support 1550/3000 watt model which worked perfectly. Jonathan, the owner of CarGenerator, was extremely helpful in answering my questions. He called to confirm the installation went well and identified that I needed to activate fast idle on the truck to increase to alternator output. Unbelievable service for a great product.
Jonathan was great getting my special ordered 1500W Airstream Special Edition CarGenerator unit shipped to me on time for my trip. It is a new model they will be introducing soon as their current AS model is only offered in 1000W series.
I received the CarGenerator in good time and as I opened the shipping box I was immediately impressed with the quality of this product. I am hoping for many years of peace of mind and electrical service for my cabin in the woods.
Call me one happy old lady!!! This Cargenerator is amazing. I am doing a test run as I type this. The refrigerator is humming, my iPad is charging, a lamp is blazing, the tv is on and I haven’t even come close to using all the power available.
The first time I tried it was quite a challenge. The fault was with with my car though, not the generator. Now that I have figured out car hookup, it took 10 minutes to get it up and running. It took longer to get the extension cords run inside the house than the generator.
I am a 90 lb. old lady with a bad back. If I can do it, anyone can. I hope I don’t need to use it but have piece of mind just in case. Sort of like insurance, you don’t want to use it but are so very happy to have it if you do!
We have a 20 year old 34 ft Airstream Travel trailer. Recently we went to Horseneck Beach State Park, MA. and camped for 2 weeks right on the edge of Buzzard's Bay. We have been going there for nany years. There are no service hookup on the water sites, This year they have banned generators. The Car Generator was a site saver. "No fuss, No muss", We charged our batteries in 2 hours and they lasted 4 days with enough power to bring in the slide-out and adjust the Hensley hitch for hook-up. It weighs 16 pounds and stores easily. The most important factor about this product is the support. We had a question and called on a Sunday and got the owner personally who walked us through our concern. I have alway been able to communicate directly with him every time I have called. The Horsenck Beack ruling on generators, I believe is a harbinger of things to come. It's a great investment for all RVers.
My basement was flooded during a hurricane because there was no electricity to keep my sump pump running.. To prevent a future disaster like this, I bought a 1500/3000 watt all weather Cargenerator.for emergency power. Although I haven‘t encountered a prolonged power outage, yet, I have tested Cargnerator on my 2014 Honda Accord V6. The result is that my Liberty sewer sump pump was able to keep running. So I have concluded that Cargenerator can work in my situation. My decision to purchase Cargenerator would not be possible without Jonathan’s answering my many questions. Jonathan is such a patient businessman in that he explained in detail some very basic knowledge of how a car alternator works. (By V. Lo, Brooklyn, NY)
Got the Car Generator for an emergency supplement to our Lew Farber installed solar panels and lithium batteries. Due to time and logistical issues I was only able to test the generator on items at my home and not directly on my Airstream. About 3 weeks into our 3 month travels I needed to top off my batteries. Hooked up the generator, it started, then shut off. After several attempts I left a message with airstream life (air gear) for assistance. Somewhat under 2 hours latter Jonathan Schloo, the inventor of the generator called me. Airstream life had got my message and forwarded my problem to Jonathan. He had some questions clarifying my setup and within a short time identified the source of my problems to my Victron solar control panel which was set at the normal 30 amp setting. This setting was asking for too much amperage and the generator automatically shut down. Turning the setting on the Victron to its minimum - 8 amps - allowed the generator to do what it do! Only had to use the generator a couple of times but it served my purpose of avoiding a gas powered device and quickly recharged my batteries during some long rainy cloudy stretches.
Kudos to Jonathan Schloo, Airstream Life, (and yes, Lew Farber and his son, solar panel gurus) for a fine product and that all important service backing they provided.
L Covington
Used for first time while overnight camping in Walmart. Was great to face the microwave, and Nespresso machine functional
I received my cargenerator one day before Ian hit Florida. My friend lost power and had no generator, so we unboxed Cargenerator and had it up and running in 5 minutes. It worked flawlessly, providing power to his refrigerator, fans and other appliances. I own a Honda 6500 generator and a smaller generator as well. I think I will sell them and get another cargenerator for my other car. I will have about 3000 watts of power instead of 6500 but I don't need 6500. Cargenerator can be set up easily. I will have no generator noise and fumes. Nor will I have all the hassle of setting it up and providing fuel. Instead I can just drive to the gas station and fill my car. Done. This is a very nicely engineered product that deals with all the devilish details of the environment that it has to work in. I thought about building my own, but I am very happy that I did not. I would not have made anything as easy and quick to use, and I would have saved little. I could not be happier with this product and highly recommend it. I would suggest calling the owner Jonathon to discuss your situation. He was very helpful to me.
I have owned this unit for about a month and have used it both to maintain my home during a power outage and on a camping trip to charge computers, phones, etc. and to run lights. My kids bought a Jackery 1000 watt unit to keep their refrigerator going during power outages. It only lasted about a day and then they had to drive to friends homes to recharge it. Ii is much better than a gas generator for the reasons presented by the sell. During the blackout, I was able to power the refrigerator, furnace, tankless hot water heater (gas, but with electric controls), a TV, router, two laptops and charge a phone. This was stretching the capacity of this unit so I avoided running the furnace and the frig at the same time. I used both a 2004 and a 2005 Honda to power the unit. Both provided >14.1 amps. It should be noted that my appliances are fairly new and do not draw a lot of power. Older appliances will draw more, in some cases, a lot more. As an example, while testing the unit, we connected a fairly new box fan which drew about 40 watts. We then connected a second, older box fan which drew about 140 watts. I highly recommend this unit. The kids with the Jackery are going to buy one too.
I bought the cargenerator to run my refrigerator, during a power failure, to preserve my medications. With some medications (insulin), their expiration clock starts when they reach room temperature. So even if power should later be restored in a day or two, if the medications had already reached room temperature, you may be directed to toss them before you wish. (Also, your drug insurance company may not be very accommodating.)
I have had the cargenerator for almost two years and fortunately have not had to use it yet -- I have tested it thoroughly. The cargenerator just hangs on my garage wall ready to use. If I had chosen a traditional gas generator instead of the cargenerator, I would periodically have had to run it, test it, change its oil, and store the generator and its gas in my garage. The cargenerator is much easier -- just connect it to my car when needed.
I can use the cargenerator to power more than just my refrigerator. I am also very pleased with the company's support.
Excited to use it. Haven’t yet but will be testing it out next week when we’re camping. I’ll let you know what we think.
The CarGenerator was tested and performed as advertised. Indeed, you are selling a most impressive product, one we wished was available when we had a travel trailer. Today we are more interested in a backup electric power supply for key home functions in an emergency. CarGenerator meets our requirement. It is comforting to have it available.
However, most impressive has been your followup to ensure customer satisfaction with your product. Bravo and thanks again.
We certainly have recommended CarGenerator to family and friends and will continue to do so.
A great backup system especially in the event of a storm. I sold my gas generator after 15 years of maintenance and storage . No regrets.
I must speak about the owner of the company as Johnathon answered all questions relating to furnace installation which turned out to be basic.
Highly recommend this product as it will be to late when you are in the dark and cold.
Thanks
Rick F
I sold my gas generator
