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Bought my unit a year ago to use with my Airstream travel trailer and had not had a need to use it until now. I went to a 4 day music festival with only dry camping options and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try out the Cargenerator. Set it all up and something was wrong. Not having familiarized myself with the operation as well as I should have before leaving home I was a loss as to why I wasn't getting any charge back in to my battery bank.
Since I was in the hills of southern Tennessee the internet connection was not great and I couldn't research possible fixes to my problem. So, I was able to put in a call to the company as a long shot to hopefully get some help. It was incredible to me that the owner of the company answered the call and was able and wiling to help me diagnose the problem. Customer service, for the products we buy on the internet, is so often lacking or not existent but this has been a wonderful experience that I could have never imagined. Jonathan helped me figure out that my problem was not the Cargenerator, which worked flawlessly, but instead was actually my Smartplug 50 amp to 20 amp adapter. After he diagnosed the issue and helped me find a work around, he contacted Smartplug and got me in contact with the right person at the company to get a new adapter that will work for my application.
Wow! Thank you Jonathan. Great product and top notch customer care.
It can power my house with the jeep wrangler hybrid,got to gently close the hood for the jeep to let you use the hybrid mode and disconnect the door wire for the jeep to run more than 30 minutes.the 1500 watts car generator run my vitamix blender and a 100w fridge at the same time.plus lights
The mark of Character
Good Character in business and life is everything. Jonathan’s quick response and gracious attention to a customer speaks volumes for the character of him and this business. Oh, by the way the product is wonderful. Works as described.
Such a simple elegant solution to back-up power - you’ll be using it in minutes.
I set up the unit for a test run with our RV. Instructions were good/helpful, but I am unsure that it will provide enough wattage to keep my bay of house batteries charged when dry camping/boondocking.
I purchased this to use on my 2019 Chev truck for camping. I easily connected to the battery, started the truck and then pulled a controlled 900Watts easily out of the inverter and used this power to charge an EcoFlow power station. It will do 1000Watts but wanted to keep it just under the max. This works perfectly for my camping and remote needs and the Dry use is well built into the accompanying case including very well built cables. I look forward to further using this in the coming weeks camping and all summer and year. Dave C. Thank you.
After I submitted my first review I was contacted by Car Generator to let me know the furnace plug was on its way. Received it today. Thanks for the great customer service.
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 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.