3-year ext warranty ($45 value)
AC power meter ($35 value)
Furnace plug kit for home or cottage ($65 value)
Free shipping ($35 value)
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.
Really like the concept but still trying to find electrician for installation in Stittsville ON area. Will let you know when system installation complete and system tested.
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
I have tested it on my two vehicles. Toyota Yaris has a pretty small alternator so I have to keep the load wattage rather low not drain the battery. Hyundai Santa Fe will output a lot more watts. How to determine that is all well documented in the instructions. The furnace plug kit with ESA technical note for code compliance reference was a nice addition.
Just to see how it worked I tried it with a heat gun. It would run it on low but on high it was too heavy of a draw. It would run a treble light no problem. I believe it will be good to have with a major Power outage
We were out of power for seven consecutive days. I decided to order the Car Generator 1000/2000 watts all weather bundle after three days and I received it two days later. Our last days without power were a breeze as we had the refrigerator, the internet router, our television and our computers all working on the battery of our Ford Edge. I had an issue on the second day and I called for assistance after dinner time on a Friday evening. I received the help I needed right away and resolved the issue minutes afterwards. Wow on the service! We'll have the rest of the kit installed by an electrician soon and will have our furnace ready to go the next time power is out. Car Generator really works! Thank you!!
I own an Airstream travel trailer, so I always have the car with me. This is the perfect solution for those times you don't have shore power, and the weather does not charge the solar panels. Its the insurance policy, that you hope you don't need, but are thrilled to have if you do.
I actually sell critical power for Data Centers yet my own home was vulnerable to outage’s!!!! That has now changed and for the life of me I can not understand why it took me so long! With the crazy world we live in it’s not if but when our Utilities get cyber attacks and we lose power for hours or even days. Great product love the story thank you!
I purchased this unit for emergency power for my travel trailer. Although I haven’t had to use it in an emergency situation, I have tested it. During testing with my trailer is performs well up to 1000W. However it doesn’t seem to provide 2000W for initial startup. The unit trips at about 1000W almost immediately upon reaching that demand. I expected several seconds of additional power on start up. The size and weight of the unit is great. And not having to store or transport gas is really nice. Overall, I think it will work for me.
I purchased a Car Generator to initially Charge my Lion Energy Safari ME Inverter while I was camping in my RV. My RV is a Keystone Cougar Half-ton 5th wheel model # 25RESWE.
This was in place of a generator reason being the truck is quieter. After some investigation I was able to connect to my 50 Amp RV connector using a 50 to 20 Amp dogbone. This enabled me to not only power AC devices in my RV but also charge my Lion Energy Safari UT 1300 batteries.
I made a ground plug to eliminate the no ground signal I was receiving from my Power Watch Dog Surge Protector.
I received outstanding support from Car Generator anytime I contacted them with questions. I highly recommend this product as an alternative to a generator for camping.
I plan on doing a lot of Boondocking in my travel trailer and don’t want to carry a generator any longer. Generator hours and no generator rules limit where we can camp but the CarGenerator has eliminated all those issues.
The CarGenerator performed for all purposes for which the purchase was intended. It came with minor superficial problems which were addressed by the seller in perfectly adequate fashion. I would recommend this product.
I was really curious about CarGenerator when I first heard about it. I am both an RVer and a farm owner and there are occasions when I need power in remote places. I am fortunate to have a Toyota Tundra and this truck combined with the CarGenerator offer a great solution to my remote power needs.
The unit is light, compact, and attractive - well engineered in all aspects!
Received the device and immediately tried it out on my 2018 Honda Crv. Easy 2 minute install and I plugged in a cord into the house. Plugged in a light and it worked fine. I had to figure how to shut off all the car lights-no problem. Next step an electrician to for furnace connection.
Tested the Car Generator using my 2017 Subaru Outback for 9.5 hours. Ran the furnace flawlessly. The gasoline consumption was 0.182 gallons per hour a little better than expected. To keep the voltage above 12.3 and around 14.1, I found there are three ways: 1) headlights on dim, 2) fan speed set at one notch below maximum, or 3) using rear-defroster. For option 3 be sure it is set for "Continuously", the default is "15 minutes". To change the setting for the rear-defroster on the Audio Navigation System Display > Home > Settings > scroll right > Vehicle Customization > Defogger > select "Continuously". The value is automatically saved. Checked with a Subaru technician, and he recommended option 3 since less distracting than turning the headlights on and less mechanical wear-and-tear than running the fan. Jonathan Schloo provided prompt, excellent service. Very pleased with purchase.
What a great invention! Everything you need for an install is included and the self-contained unit is completely rain proof. I installed CarGenerator on my wife's car. I recently got to use it for an extended time. It rained heavy when the power went out and the unit ran flawlessly. I immediately added another Quick Connect Kit to my car, so it can be run from there too.
Just received our CarGenerator and are looking forward to using it when we start camping in May. As older adults, we love the portability/easy access this unit brings.
We have periodic power outages, so are glad to have this ready to go!
needed for my truck camper when boondocking. I originally ordered the 1000 watt but found out I was under powered for what I have. with awesome help from the service department, i was able to figure out my needs and they help in returning the 1000 and upgraded to the 2000 which now work with my camper!
Jonathan provided superb support. Does exactly what I wanted it to do. Highly recommend.
Great service and product! Will write more after installed annd used. Thank you!
Ever since the 2021 heat dome in B.C. resulted in record temperature of 47C, I'm sold on the idea of climate change. Although the Car Generator can't power an A.C. in an emergency but it comes in handy during winter. It is more than enough to power the furnace so you're pretty much covered for three seasons. Sure, a standby generator will cover everything but it's not suitable for everyone especially when properties are so close with each other like in Vancouver. The noise; air pollution and bylaw complaints are just too much hassle. Never mind the cost of having one setup.
The idea of hooking up your vehicle to your house as a power resource in an emergency is a brilliant idea. Every household already own part of a generator but not knowing how to connect the dot. This is where Car Generator shine and it definitely solved my backup generator need.
We start with an inverter, kind of like the ones in your local hardware store or home depot for around $299. Ours is a high quality commercial grade pure sine wave unit, essential to safely power your furnace, fridge, etc.
Then we add custom manufactured booster-style cables made of oxygen free pure copper, super heavy duty to handle the power, and made of a special heat proof material that can withstand the intense heat of your engine.
Then we add an adjusting strap and rubberized backing so you can safely hang it on the front of your vehicle. Plus a power meter with instructions so you know exactly how much power you can get from your vehicle safely and without damaging it.
THIS… is our CarGenerator DRY unit, $460 This tiny 9 pound gadget will power the essentials in your home during a power outage, for 50-70 hours on a typical car gas tank.
BUT THEN… we add our magic touch and wrap it all in a custom engineered rainproof ice/snow/weatherproof and highly ventilated housing to get our flagship product, CarGenerator All weather, ultralight at just 11 pounds, $695. No maintenance ever, zero hassle, no messy dangerous gas cans to wrangle, ultra low emissions, and as smooth and quiet as your car purring away idling.
Unless you own a wind farm or a giant solar array, when the power goes out, there are only two ways of generating backup power; 1) Producing power from backup batteries, which will only last a few hours at best, or 2) producing power from an internal combustion engine. Like a traditional gas generator, with CarGenerator, a gas motor provides the power, turning fuel into electricity. Where CarGenerator is different is that it has a much larger gas tank, so 50-70 hours of runtime is possible instead of 5-8, and it’s only 16 pounds, because you are using your car’s engine instead of one that’s permanently coupled to a generator. Thanks to the superior emissions control systems of modern vehicle, CarGenerator is actually more environmentally-friendly as well.
A typical vehicle can provide power for 50+ hours up to 80+ hours on a tank. Compare this to a typical portable gas generator that needs attention every 4-5 hours because of its tiny little gas tank. Prove this to yourself, get an OBD vehicle scanner connect it to your vehicle and watch the “fuel rate” number and you will see with your own vehicle how minimal fuel is consumed at idle.
Nope. Not even one tiny bit… Once your motor is running, your battery isn’t even necessary in the equation (true fact, ask your mechanic). Power for the car’s electrical system (or your house or RV) actually comes from the alternator. Batteries are there just to start the car and get the motor running, so your battery won’t even notice CarGenerator being attached.
Nope, not unless you were planning on hooking up CarGenerator to a ’59 Studebaker. Modern cars are designed to handle all kinds of operating conditions, and at idle, the car’s computer makes sure its engine is adequately cooled and lubricated. Police vehicles and ambulances are typically idled all the time, and usually enter their second service lives at 100,000+ miles. If you need CarGenerator more than a handful of times per year, you’d likely be better off with a natural-gas-powered, hard-wired permanent generator at a cost of $11,000+ dollars. For everyone else, rest assured that your car is operating well within its design limits.
Nope. Not a chance…. Once you start your engine, just lock your doors with a spare key (see our instruction manual), and depending on your location you can put a steering wheel lock on for additional protection (about $12 at Wal-Mart) which makes it almost impossible to steal the vehicle. If you’re still worried, or you live in a neighborhood with a lot of chalk outlines on the sidewalk, CarGenerator can supply you with a wheel boot, to make theft impossible without a trailer or an angle grinder. If a thief brings a trailer to steal your car, it won’t matter if the key is in it or not. If they bring an angle grinder, you will definitely hear them, and should probably call the police. In any event you would know immediately because your power would go out! Six years in market with thousands of customers coast to coast, not one theft or problem.
Three words: Reliable. Ultralight. Run-time.
RELIABLE – the #1 problem with traditional generators? F.T.S. – fail to start. When you need it most they don’t start up because of old gas or no maintenance. If your car starts, you have power.
ULTRALIGHT – CarGenerator is just 16 pounds, versus typical generators that are 60 – 160 pound beasts.
RUN-TIME – CarGenerator has a run-time of 50-80+ hours, where typical generators need to be refilled every 4-5 hours.
Its actually more environmentally friendly because typical vehicles already have thousands of dollars worth of emissions controls systems in place; computers, oxygen sensors, and catalytic converters. In some cities, a ULEV (like a Toyota Prius) actually puts out less pollution than there is in the ambient air! Gross, right? A standard generator is basically a glorified lawn mower, with no emissions equipment at all!
Totally an option. If you want to jerry-rig an inverter in a waterproof container, you certainly could, but if you want to plug in any sensitive electronics (like your furnace, laptop, or medical device) you’ll need pure-sine wave power to avoid damage and ensure good performance. A 1000 watt, pure sine wave inverter can be purchased from Walmart for about $400. Then you need a set of heat-proof booster cables for prolonged use under the hood (about $100), and finally, you need a weather-proof housing that also allows for ventilation. If you’re an industrious, DIY-er who loves saving money above all else, you could definitely build your own CarGenerator; you’ll save about $150, providing your time isn’t worth anything. For the rest of us, who value our time and want an easy, proven solution, CarGenerator is simply the best possible option for worry-free, temporary power.
1000 watts is not a lot, however consider the following:
- To run your gas or oil furnace and heat your entire house, only requires between 200-300 watts on average.
- To run a fridge only requires 200-300 watts typically
- The number one identified problem with gas generator is….? F.T.S. = Fail to start. CarGenerator is always ready.
- Keeping a good supply of gas cans stored, and keeping them all fresh every few months, is a nuisance and a fire safety hazard.
- If you need lots of backup power for all your house appliances and big draw items like a hot tub, wine cellar, Air Conditioning, or if you often need backup power, then you’re better off with a traditional gas generator.
- If your need for backup power is occasional and modest, then a CarGenerator is a better choice.
