If you already own a 2000 watt inverter generator and need more power to run your RV, paralleling it with another generator would be your best bet. Paralleling generators works great when one unit is not enough to run more demanding equipment such as a large air conditioner. In the following article, we’re going to talk about what paralleling is, why it is often a better choice than getting a single larger generator and what are some of the best paralleling kits available out there.
What is Paralleling Generators?
In a nutshell, paralleling is simply connecting two generators to each other via a dedicated parallel cable or kit. This allows the two generators to join their forces and produce more power.
Eg. if you already own an inverter generator with 2000 starting and 1800 running watts, paralleling it with another similar inverter would give you 4000 starting and 2000 running watts.
Note that not all generators can be paralleled. Only the good quality inverters offer such capability. Honda EU2200i is one of them. A much cheaper yet good alternative is WEN 56200i.
Usually, both inverter generators need to have the same wattage to make paralleling possible. However, in the case of some manufacturers, this is not always a strict requirement. It depends a lot on how the generator engines and parallel kits are built.
Is Running Generators in Parallel a Better Choice than Buying a Large Generator?
In most of the circumstances getting two inverter generators and paralleling them together is a better choice than investing in one individual large generator.
First, in case one of the generators fails you are still left with the other to provide the badly needed power.
Second, you have more flexibility in terms of how you use the generators. If your power needs aren’t high at a specific time then one inverter generator should do the job just fine.
It goes without saying that it’s always a better idea to use two inverters in parallel rather than one open frame generator.
That’s because the inverters produce a clean sine wave, making them suitable for running sensitive portable electronics. This is not the case with the large open frame gens. Small inverters are also much quieter and much easier to carry around than bulky portable generators. This is the big selling point for RV and camping. You will certainly find it much more convenient to walk around with two Honda 2000-watt generators rather than having to push one bulky unit around the campsite.
On the other hand, nowadays you can find the medium-sized 3000-watt inverter generators that are ideal for RVs. They should run all your RV equipment (including a 13,500 BTU AC) without having to parallel them with another generator.
One such inverter generator is Champion 3400 Dual Fuel Inverter. It is a good dual fuel inverter and an extremely popular choice for RV.
The even better news is that you can also parallel this unit with another Champion 3000 watt inverter generator too.
So if for example, your friend gets this generator for their RV, you can connect them together and have a great uninterrupted power supply to run pretty much everything in both of your travel trailers.
Can you parallel two different brand generators?
Usually yes, but both generators should ideally have the same wattage.
What’s more, the frequency and voltage of connection should be the same too.
For example, a lot of users reported paralleling Honda EU2000i with WEN56200i successfully.
The same goes for WEN56200i paralleled with Yamaha EF2000iSv2.
If in doubt, I’d suggest asking this question at your generator’s listing page on Amazon.
You’ll probably find other users who will be happy to share their experiences with paralleling this specific generator with another brand.
Most Popular Generator Paralleling Kits
Champion 50-Amp RV Ready Parallel Kit
Champion generators are our personal favorites for RV. For most of the RV enthusiasts, a single Champion 3400 dual fuel inverter would be sufficient enough to power everything they need in their travel trailer. However, for those who need more power, paralleling two of such Champion generators can be an excellent solution giving you even more than 5000 running watts at your disposal.
This kit is specifically designed for 2800-watt or higher Champion generators such as 75537i.
The control panel houses a 120V 30 amp locking outlet and a 120V 50 amp RV outlet. It also comes with 30 amp and 50 circuit breakers.
WEN 30-Amp Parallel Kit
WEN inverter generators are universally loved for being reliable and cheap. We’ve reviewed several of their inverters on our site and found them to be excellent alternatives to more expensive gensets.
This kit is suitable for use with WEN 2000 watt inverter generators – 56125i, 56200i, 56202i, and 56225i.
It comes with 1 x 120V RV outlet and 1 x twist-lock 120V L5-30 outlet.
If you already have a WEN generator and want to purchase another one to run in parallel – that’s the kit you need to make it happen.
Westinghouse Parallel Cord
Westinghouse generators are among our favorites for numerous reasons. They are extremely reliable, affordable and super quiet, making them fantastic choices for RV and camping. This parallel cord is a versatile one since you can use it along with several models Westinghouse inverters. It’s compatible with:
- iGen1200
- iGen2200
- iGen2500
- WH2200iXLT
- WH2400i
You can use them in either combination. Eg. You can run an iGen1200 with WH2200iXLT in parallel without a problem with this kit.
Pulsar Parallel Kit
Pulsar generators are another popular brand of inverters you can find in the US market. Their flagship product is Pulsar 2000iS – a good and affordable 2000 watt inverter generator suitable for camping and RVs.
This parallel kit allows you to connect two of such generators doubling your total power output to 4000 starting and 3600 running watts.
The kit comes with a 120V 30 amp RV cable port making it easy to directly plug it into your travel trailer.
Generac Parallel Kit
If you need a parallel kit to use alongside the Generac IQ2000 than this is the right one for you. The kit features an L5 30 amp RV receptacle that you can use to plug it directly to your camper van. You can also connect it to a 30 amp generator cord. Thanks to this kit you can double the total power output provided by your IQ2000 inverters up to 4000 starting and 3200 running watts. This is more than enough to run all that you need in a typical RV, including an air conditioner.
Firman Parallel Kit
This parallel kit is compatible with Firman inverter generators. These include the W03081, W03082 and W03083 inverters. The great thing about this kit is that it allows you to run two Firman inverters of different wattages. It comes with 120V 30 amp and 120V 50 amp outlets.
Those who use Predator generators will be happy to know that you can also use this kit to run Predator 2000 and 3500 inverter generators in parallel too.
Parallel Kit for Briggs & Stratton generators
This kit is specifically designed to be used with Briggs & Stratton inverter generators – the P2200 and P3000 (LINK HERE). These are some of the most popular inverters out there. This is for a variety of reasons.
First, brand Briggs & Stratton is among the most established ones in the US market. Second, their generators usually sell for much cheaper than the expensive Honda or Yamaha generators. From the economical point of view, it clearly makes sense to purchase two Briggs & Stratton inverters and use them in parallel.
The parallel kit has got a dedicated 120V 30-Amp RV outlet. It also features a 120V 30 Amp twist lock AC output. The control panel is as simple as it gets, featuring also two reset buttons.
