A travel trailer with a built-in generator is a great way to bring the comforts of home with you when you answer the call of the open road.

Especially if your ideal RV adventure style calls for a lot of boondocking away from RV parks and campgrounds.

While solar panels and other green energy systems are handy, they are rarely capable of keeping up with a family’s energy demands.

Purchasing a travel trailer that is prepped for a generator is nice, but it is still an additional expense, and it can also leave you wondering if the generator is truly compatible with the travel trailer or if it has the ability to meet your electrical needs. 

If you want to have power at your fingertips when you need it, no matter where you are, then you are probably wondering what are the best travel trailers with a built-in generator?

We started by looking at the Forest River XLR Boost and the Northwoods Arctic Fox 22G. Both are two great camper trailers with a generator on today’s market.

Though they certainly aren’t the only generator-equipped travel trailers worth investing in.

To find the best model to meet any off-the-grid camping needs, we decided to broaden our search.

This included reviewing models that appealed to small families, large families and traveling couples who want to unplug from the grid, but still, be able to turn the lights on.

IN THIS ARTICLE Show

Do Travel Trailers Come With Built-In Generators?

A lot of travel trailers come prepared to connect to a generator of some kind, but only a select number of models come with one built-in.

There are also some RV dealerships that might offer to install a generator as an optional upgrade. 

How Big Of A Generator Does My Travel Trailer Need?

If all you want to do is power some basic electric appliances in your travel trailer and a handful of personal electronics, a generator rated to produce between 2,000 to 3,000 watts will be sufficient.

If you want to run a lot of lights, a large TV, you love to microwave a lot of meals, or you need to run the rooftop air conditioner a lot, then you might want to prioritize a larger generator.

Especially if you like to boondock off the grid for multiple days at a time. 

Do I Need An Inverter To Power My Travel Trailer With A Generator?

An inverter essentially converts the DC power created by a generator into the AC electricity that most RV lights and appliances run on.

A lot of the best travel trailers with a generator built-in come with an inverter included in the unit. 

Many can be set up to work in tandem with the generator to throttle it up when electric demand increases, and throttle it back down again.

What Are The Pros & Cons Of A Travel Trailer With A Built-In Generator

Pros & Cons Of A Travel Trailer With A Built-In Generator?

There are a few benefits and drawbacks to consider before investing in a travel trailer with a built-in generator.

Built-In Generator Pros

  • Wattage Capacity – A lot of built-in generators have high wattage demand, which can seamlessly run your RV lights and appliances without strain. 
  • Running RV Air Conditioner – If you frequently camp in hot humid conditions, a travel trailer with a built-in generator will let you run most rooftop air conditioners for hours on end without tapping into and draining the RV’s house batteries. 
  • Operating On The Move – A travel trailer with a built-in generator is usually engineered to vent and exhaust out of the trailer according to safety specs. This lets you drive down the road with it running, which can be handy if you need to power a traditional refrigerator with a compressor, or you need to charge your RV house batteries to full charge before reaching your next destination. 
  • Easy Operation – With aftermarket generators you often need to use a cumbersome pull-start and you have to provide it with a fair amount of maintenance. Most built-in generators are engineered to be easy to use and typically start with just the press of a button. 

Built-In Generator Cons

  • Higher Repair & Maintenance Costs – Since they are built into the travel trailer and securely mounted in place, most built-in RV generators are hard to access. This ultimately adds to the labor time and cost when they do need to be repaired, adjusted, or routine maintenance.
  • Limited To RV Use – When you buy an aftermarket generator, you can pull it out of the RV when you get home and connect it to your home in case of a power outage. 
  • Potential For Noise – Even a four-stroke generator will still be heard inside the RV itself when it’s built-in. Whereas an aftermarket RV generator can potentially be moved away from the RV, or positioned behind some sort of sound block to give you quiet operation when sleeping. 

4 Of The Best Travel Trailers With A Built-In Generator

There are a lot of travel trailers that come with generator prep, but you have to purchase an aftermarket generator or you pay the dealership markup to have one installed.

Instead, we tried to focus on some of the best travel trailers and toy hauler travel trailers that come with a generator installed in the standard package.

Along the way, we tried to pick out high-quality models of different sizes to meet the needs of families large and small.

Here are 4 of the best camper trailers that come with a with built-in generator.

  • The Northwoods Manufacturing Nash 17K
  • Forest River XLR Boost
  • Northwoods Arctic Fox 22G
  • Forest River XLR Hyperlite 2513 Toy Hauler Travel Trailer

1. The Northwoods Manufacturing Nash 17K

Northwoods Manufacturing Nash 17K
@jnmckamy
  • 2.5 Onan LP Generator
  • Dry weight of 4,177 lbs.
  • Payload capacity of 2,634 lbs.
  • Hitch weight of 589 lbs.
  • GVWR of 7,400 lbs.
  • Fresh water tank capacity of 50 gallons
  • Gray water tank capacity of 35 gallons
  • Black water tank capacity of 36 gallons
  • 11,000 BTU air conditioner

The Northwoods Nash 17K is one of the smaller floorplans in their lineup, yet it is still big on power with a 2.5 Onan LP Generator installed.

It offers a robust 3600 Watts at 2500 RPMs, which is sufficient for powering the 11,000 BTU air conditioner. 

One of the great things about the generator is the fact that it was also designed to run quietly.

To that point, it only produces 68 dB at half load it also has a fully enclosed muffler.

While you might still hear it a little bit while you are inside the travel trailer, it’s not overly loud to the point where it will make it hard to sleep.

Especially if you are the type of family that likes to sleep with a fan on for a little background white noise. 

2. The Forest River XLR Boost

Forest River XLR Boost
@demontrondrvhouston
  • 5,500 Watt Yamaha Generator
  • Dry weight of 5078 lbs.
  • Payload capacity of 2,772 lbs.
  • Hitch weight of 850 lbs.
  • Fresh water tank capacity of 46 gallons
  • Gray water tank capacity of 38 gallons
  • Black water tank capacity of 38 gallons

There are several floorplans of the Forest River XLR boost. Some come equipped with a 4.0 Generator Powered by Yamaha.

Though it’s arguably better to take the affordable optional upgrade to the 5,500 watts 5.5 Generator Powered by Yamaha.

This travel trailer is also a convenient toy hauler. This means you can take your ATV, UTV, or dirt bikes with you in the rear cargo bay, while still having enough fuel in reserve to run the generator.

There is also the entire cargo bay, the bathroom, and a buffer wall separating the queen bed master suite in the front from the modest amount of noise the generator produces while it’s running. 

3. The Northwoods Arctic Fox 22G

Northwoods Arctic Fox 22G
@teepeerv
  • 2.5 Onan LP Generator
  • Dry weight of 4,936 lbs.
  • Payload capacity of 1,965 lbs.
  • Hitch weight of 599 lbs.
  • GVWR of 7,500 lbs.
  • Fresh water tank capacity of 50 gallons
  • Gray water tank capacity of 42 gallons
  • Black water tank capacity of 35 gallons
  • 11,000 BTU air conditioner (Recommended Optional Extra)

Here again, Northwoods manufacturing proves that they know a thing or two about pairing a high-quality generator with a go-anywhere travel trailer with the Northwoods Arctic Fox 22G.

It comes with a 2.5 Onan LP Generator that generates up to 2,500 watts at maximum output. This is generally enough to run the optional 11K power-saving air conditioner.

One of the great things about this small generator is that it’s also very quiet. You can run it easily with very little background noise.

It always has a strong reputation for being reliable, which gives you some added peace of mind that it’s not going to be a money pit to repair if you need to use it frequently.

If you have high energy demands, or your primary dry camp for days of off the grid boondocking Northwoods does also offer an optional upgrade to the 3.5 Onan generator. 

4. The Forest River XLR Hyperlite 2513 Toy Hauler Travel Trailer

Forest River XLR Hyperlite
  • 5.5 Generator powered by Yamaha
  • Dry weight of 8,118 lbs.
  • Payload capacity of 3,532 lbs.
  • Hitch weight of 1,450 lbs.
  • Fresh water tank capacity of 102 gallons
  • Gray water tank capacity of 60 gallons
  • Black water tank capacity of 30 gallons


The Forest River XLR Hyperlite 2513 was once awarded the prestigious award for being the best “Travel Trailer Toy Hauler of the Year.”

This is due in part to the large cargo bay in the rear as well as a robust generator that can power all the high-demand electrical needs of this toy hauler travel trailer. 

It comes with the 5.5 Generator powered by Yamaha generator as standard.

This gives you a maximum wattage output of up to 5,500-watts, which is what you need for all the appliances and things like electric motors that transform the rear cargo batch from a “Garage” into a lounge or a second bedroom. 

When you also take into account the large fresh and wastewater storage tanks and the quiet, reliable Yamaha generator, the Forest River XLR Hyperlite 2513 might just be the best model on this list for long trips with multiple days of living off the grid. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Built-In Generators More Common On Toy Hauler Travel Trailers?

You typically see more built-in generators on toy hauler travel trailers than you do on standard travel trailers.

This is even more likely to be the case if the toy hauler has an auxiliary fuel tank that lets you refuel dirt bikes, and ATVs, as well as the generator, powering the interior of the travel trailer itself. 

Are Built-In Generators Loud?

Built-in generators with an enclosed muffler are quieter than you might expect.

Though since they are directly installed into the frame of the travel trailer you can’t move them away.

Selecting a model that has buffer walls and an enclosed muffler can reduce the noise to being little more than what you would get from the air conditioner fan running, which is generally not loud enough to cause a problem sleeping. 

Conclusion

While built-in generators are relatively rare in the travel trailer niche, there are nonetheless a few models that come with them.

It takes a lot of the guesswork out of having to worry about things like compatibility or having to eat the extra markup cost of having an RV dealership install one for you.

The travel trailer to best meet your needs will depend a lot on your preferred travel style. 

If you are the type of person who loves to travel with their ATV, for long days of exploring the surrounding area without being plugged into an RV park’s resources, then the Forest River XLR Hyperlite 2513 Toy Hauler Travel Trailer might be the best for you.

It comes with a robust generator that can put out up to 5,500 watts, as well as large water storage tanks to keep you living off the grid for multiple days at a stretch. 

If you are looking for a light compact travel trailer that’s quiet and easy to tow behind a standard half-ton pickup truck then the Northwoods Manufacturing Nash 17K might be the best travel trailer with a generator to meet your needs.

It is nimble, relatively light, and still has large enough water storage tanks to let you camp in remote areas with all the power and water you need for days at a stretch.