Dual fuel generators are efficient beasts, and whenever you want to get in the RV and go off grid, they can supply you with electricity, and keep supplying it, right until you run out of fuel.
Or you can use them on a job site as a portable electricity supply, or as a backup generator if you have a power outage at home.
Dual fuel generators offer more power and longer runtimes than their gas generator counterparts. They’re also cheaper to run because the propane it uses is more affordable than if you were going with just gas alone. It ignites more easily in the cold too.
There’s no getting away from it though, dual fuel generators are expensive. So you want to be sure that you’re getting a good one before your part with your hard earned cash.
That’s where we come in. We’ve had a look at some of the best dual fuel generators that are out on the market today. And after some deliberation we came up with our top 5, and we’re going to show you our reviews on those very shortly.
After that we’ve also got a handy buying guide for you which walks you through everything you might want to think about before you buy.
Then we top that off with a brief section where we answer some of your most frequently asked questions.
Top 5 Best Dual Fuel Generators
OUR TOP PICK
Now, this dual fuel generator is a great all rounder - you can use it for both your RV, and as a backup generator for your house.
This is because it has one 120V 30A RV outlet, two 120V 20A household outlets, and an 120V 30A locking outlet.
We also love its intelligauge. It keeps track of the power output, providing measurements of hertz and voltage. And then from this, it can calculate the remaining run time based on those levels, so you know how long you’ve got before you’re going to need more fuel.
And speaking of run times, it will run for up to 9 hours on gasoline or little longer on propane, coming in at 10.5 hours.
It has a good fuel capacity, and is able to hold 3.4 gallons of gasoline.
There’s a battery included, through which you can power the generator up with an electric start, once you’ve connected your gas or propane (or both).
Although it’s a little heavy, coming in at over 100 pounds, it’s actually very portable, thanks to its nobby wheels, which don’t go flat. You can just drag it out from storage by the handle, and then this handle folds back down when you want to put it back in storage.
You can use it right out of the box, there’s no set up to worry about. When the box arrives, you’ll also find an LPG hose with a regulator included, all in the price. If you also need a generator cord, you can buy a 25 foot one, which is sold separately.
It’s not too loud either - it runs at just 68 dBA, which is at about the sound level of a normal conversation.
It works like a dream. You don’t have to take our word for it though. If you follow the link to Amazon, you’ll see that over three quarters of customers rated it at 5 stars out 5.
It comes complete with a 3 year warranty, which is very reassuring. But better yet, there’s also lifetime tech support, which is completely free of charge.
Pros
Use for RV or home
Good run times
Not too loud, 68 dBA
Lifetime tech support
Cons
Some customers find it too loud
EDITORS CHOICE
This dual fuel generator is great for use on building sites.
It features two GFCI 5-20R 120V household Duplex outlets and one L14-30R 120/240V 30A twist-lock outlet.
The reason we think it’s a particularly good choice for use on job sites is because of the remote start fob. You can get the machine going without having to drop what you’re doing and going all the way over to it. The fob will work from distances going up to a staggering 109 yards.
What really brings it into the 21st century though is that it even features 2 USB ports, so you can even charge your smartphone up while on site too.
The control panel is very intuitive and easy to use. There’s a handy little toggle to switch from gas to propane, or vice versa.
It’s easy to get it going to, you simply press the button for an electric startup.
It has a nice, long maximum run time, coming in at a full 16 hours. It also has a very large 6.6 gallon fuel capacity for the gasoline, which goes some way to explaining how it can last for so long.
Though it’s a heavy beast, at almost 200 pounds in weight, it’s easy to drag around on it’s all terrain wheels.
There is a little bit of assembling to do when the box arrives, but it’s minimal, and you get a user’s manual included which explains everything.
You also get the oil, an oil funnel, and even a tool kit included in the price.
This generator comes with a 3 year warranty which includes both parts and labor.
Pros
Remote start fob
Features 2 USB ports
Very long run time
Great warranty
Cons
People find it loud
BEST VALUE
This is a great little generator for RVs, tailgating, campsites and cabins.
Not just because of how portable it is (it's small and weighs less than 100 pounds), but also, and this really impressed us, because of just how quietly it runs.
The noise level when it’s in operation comes in at 59 dBA, which comes somewhere in between the noise of a refrigerator, which is really quiet, and a quiet office.
You could also use it as a backup generator for your home too. Because as well as being RV ready with a 120V 30A RV outlet, it also has two 120V 20A household outlets, and, because it’s also an inverter generator, a 12V DC outlet with dual USB adapter.
It has decent run times, specifically up to 7.5 hours on a full tank of gas, or almost double that at 14.5 hours on a 20 pound propane tank. And you can always keep an eye on how much run time you have left, thanks to the hour meter.
The control panel is straightforward. It’s easy to start up, simply press the button.
It's portable, with wheels and a handle, so you can just drag it around. And it’s light too, coming in at just under 100 pounds in weight.
We also love the economy mode function, because it means that you can save on your fuel, and at the same time, prolong the machine’s engine life.
If you like you can also buy a parallel kit for it, which can double your power output. That’s sold separately. Other accessories you can buy for it include storage covers for protection from the elements. What is included though is the propane hose.
It comes with quite a hefty price tag, but even so, customers are very positive about it, with 80% of its Amazon customers scoring it at 5 stars out of 5. We largely put this significant customer approval down to just how ultra quiet it is. No one expects a generator to be this quiet.
It comes complete with a 3 year warranty, which is very reassuring. But better yet, there’s also lifetime tech support, which is completely free of charge.
Pros
Ultra quiet
Hour meter
Economy mode
Lifetime tech support
Cons
Premium product at a premium price
RUNNER UP
This is the more affordable generator in our top 5 picks, so those of you who have to be budget conscious, this is perhaps the one you should look into first.
Like the Westinghouse WGen7500DF we showed you earlier, this beauty can also be used, either as a power source for your RV trips, or as an emergency backup generator, if you were to have a power outage at home.
In terms of receptacles, you’ve got an RV-Ready TT-30R 30 Amp Outlet, a 5-20R 120V Duplex Outlet and an L5-30R 30 Amp Outlet.
And it has a maximum run time of 18 hours, and a fuel tank capacity of 4 gallons.
Other than that, it has quite a lot in common with the Westinghouse WGen7500DF, just with a lower peak wattage. For example, it’s got the remote start key fob, and it comes with all the same accessories. It also has an easy-to-use control panel, and a one-touch electric start.
This generator comes with a 3 year warranty which includes both parts and labor.
If you want to go for a Westinghouse dual fuel generator, and this one meets your needs, then you should pick this over the other one if you want to save yourself a tonne of money.
Pros
Affordability
Great warranty
Cons
There’s not much in the way of tech support if you need a little help troubleshooting
RUNNER UP
We love just how compact this generator is. It’s a more appropriate size for taking away with you on vacation, whether it's in your RV or in some nice cabin out in the woods.
The outlets available include 2 120v 20A household outlets, plus a 120/240v 30A twist lock outlet. And you get 12V DC charging posts for charging external batteries. You will be able to plug it into an RV, but you will need a male twist lock to standard RV 30 amp female plug adapter.
Being so compact and with it’s wheels and handles, it's very easy to maneuver around.
It has a powerful engine, coming in at 208cc. A decent maximum fuel capacity, coming in at just under 4 gallons. And a very reasonable noise level, coming in at 69 dBA, which is at about the sound level of a normal conversation.
But what we really like about it is just how much stuff you get in the box when it arrives: Oil Funnel, Spark Plug Wrench, DC Charging Cables, Owner's Manual, Tool Set, and a Wheel & Handle Kit.
Please note there are a number of different generators on the Amazon page, if you decide to buy one, please make sure that you’re careful about selecting which one you want.
Pros
Very compact & portable
Comes with several tools
Reasonable noise level
Cons
You may have to approach the manufacturer if you want to get a warranty
Best Dual Fuel Generators Buying Guide
Now, we’ll just go through a few different things that you might want to think about before you buy.
Power Output
Your first concern should be whether the generator has sufficient power output for what you need. If you want to use the generator to power electricity in your RV, or to run just the essential appliances in your home, then about 3,600 watts should cover it.
For a larger household however, or for use on a job site, then you may need 10,000 watts or more.
Receptacles
We also strongly recommend that you check whether the generator you’re looking at as the right type of receptacles that you need, and that it has enough of these receptacles.
Most models come with a couple of standard 120V outlets, which is enough for most household appliances. But, some RVs may require 240V outlets or automotive 12V DC terminals.
Fuel Capacity
The higher the fuel capacity of your generator’s tank, the longer the generator can go without needing to be refilled.
That goes for both the gas tank and the propane tank.
Noise Level
Depending on where you want to set up your dual fuel generator, you might want to think about how noisy it will be.
You don’t want to disturb any neighbours if you don’t have to. The noise of the machine can’t be avoided altogether, but you can look out for one that’s not too loud.
Budget
If you’ve been studying the prices as you’ve made your way through this article, you’ll have noticed that dual fuel generators can vary quite considerably in price, even amongst the same brand.
It’s not for us to say how much you should spend on your dual fuel generator, it depends on how much money you have to spare and how much power you need from it, or whether you’re just after a small one for the RV rather than for a backup generator for your home.
When we were deciding which generators to put as our top 5 picks, we noticed that there were some really great deals on some of them. However prices can change, so we can’t publish the prices on our site. But if you’re looking for a good deal, we strongly recommend that you click through and see if there is one now.
Brand
If you’ve been paying close attention you’ll have noticed that some brands came up in our top 5 picks twice. That was not an accident.
When it comes to dual fuel generators, there are a handful of brands that dominate the market. In particular we can recommend Champion and Westinghouse. They manufacture good quality generators that sell really well, and, more importantly, customers love them.
Portability
If the purpose of your dual fuel generator is to take it with you on vacation or to use it on various job sites, then you will need it to be somewhat portable. Even portable ones can be quite bulky however. And heavy.
If you need your generator to be portable then your best bet might be to go for one that has wheels, so you can drag it along the ground.
Customer Reviews
When you’re thinking about buying a product, whatever it is, we always recommend checking out customer reviews first, and getting a feel for what other people are saying about it.
Warranty
It’s so much more reassuring when a product comes with a warranty, isn’t it. Especially when you’re spending hundreds of dollars. These days most good quality dual fuel generators offer a parts warranty for about 3 years. But this doesn’t always cover labor as well.
Lifetime tech support is not to be sniffed at either. Troubleshooting on your own can be hard if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who makes the best dual fuel generator?
To be honest, this is kinda a tricky question to answer.
But if we had to pick just one manufacturer it would have to be Champion.
Should I get a dual fuel generator?
There are some notable advantages with dual fuel generators compared to their gas generator counterparts.
They offer more power and longer runtimes. And, they’re also cheaper to run because the propane it uses is more affordable than if you were going with just gas alone. It ignites more easily in the cold too.
