Are Harbor Freight's Portable Generators A Good Fit For Camping? Here's What Reviews Say

If you spend a lot of time on the weekends or during the summers camping, chances are you may run into situations where you could use a portable generator, especially if you are camping at a national park campground with minimal amenities or you are trying the new popular camping trend that RVers are absolutely loving called dry camping. Harbor Freight's portable generators may make those camping trips more comfortable. There are two portable models to consider, the Predator 2000 Super Quiet Inverter Generator for $599.99 and the Predator 2500 Super Quiet Inverter Generator that runs $629.99. Both of these models have carrying handles built into the design of the generator and are lighter and easier to move around than other non-portable Predator models, each weighing under 49 pounds.

Features of the Predator portable generator include quieter operation that is no louder than normal conversations, only 58 dBA. Both models offer plenty of power to run small appliances, tools, and electronics like smartphones, TVs, and your laptop. The longer runtimes offer up to 12 hours of power at 25% load each time you fill up. The Predator 2000 includes a 12V DC port and 2 – 120V 5-20R outlets. The Predator 2500 features a high-speed USB-C outlet with 30 watts of power to quickly charge your electronics and includes a 12V, 8A DC outlet and 2- 120V 20A outlets. Lots of features are present on each model but are these portable generators a good fit for camping? Let's find out what reviewers are saying.

The Predator 2000 boasts a 4.6-star rating out of five, with 253 reviews at the time of this writing. More than 93% of the Harbor Freight portable generator customers recommend them. Several reviews on Harbor Freight's website praise the easy start, like reviewer Michael who loves the design of the generator and says "I feel good about buying it, no regrets, just glad to have it." Two reviewers, Tim and Dale, both praise the lighter weight of the generator and its size. Rob, another reviewer says it starts easy and runs well and is happy with the purchase, but feels he should have purchased a larger unit.

Bob used the portable generator on a two-month camping trip successfully to work the coffee maker, microwave, the TV, some fans, and Starlink and recommended it to other customers. He goes on to report that it could not run the AC or water heater due to its smaller size. The Predator 2500 is new and only has two reviewers so far. Johnny praises the 2500, saying it is a nice generator that starts super easy. He does mention that the price is a little higher than the competition but feels like it is a quality generator. Reviewers that did not like the generator were very small in number, only 13 out of 253, and complained most often about the generator running for a few days and then stopping, however, the company responded to unhappy reviewers with the intent to address the problems they had experienced. The next time you visit one of the top national parks for RV camping, either one of these portable generators will fit the bill.  

This assessment is based on a combination of positive reviews on YouTube, reviews from customers that purchased the generator, and the list of features and specifications each generator offers. While they are not designed for high-powered items like RV AC units, they are well suited for small appliances, electronics, TVs, small refrigerators, and the internet. For camping, the light weight of each model 46 and 49 pounds respectively, is good for moving around easily, and the quiet operation makes both of them well-suited for camping.