How to Use a Generator with a Bowlus | Honda 2200 Watt Setup Explained
Thinking of using a generator with your Bowlus?
Founder and CEO, Geneva Long, walks through when and how to use a generator with a Bowlus. Every Bowlus is built for off grid travel with lithium iron phosphate batteries and the signature Bowlus power management system, so a generator is only needed in rare circumstances.
What you will see in this video
- When a generator actually makes sense: extended off grid trips with no solar absorption, multiple days of consistently stormy weather, running air conditioning continuously in very hot climates, or topping the battery back up after extended off grid use
- Why the Honda 2200 watt generator is the Bowlus recommendation: quiet, lightweight, easy to carry by hand, and small enough to store without taking over your space
- Why most other RVs require a much larger 30 amp generator and why a Bowlus does not
- How to physically connect the generator to your Bowlus using the shore power cord and a 15 to 30 amp adapter
Why a Bowlus only needs a small generator Every appliance in a Bowlus, including the air conditioner, can run off 15 amp, which is the same as a standard household outlet. That means you can plug into a small Honda 2200 watt generator using a simple adapter, rather than needing the heavy 30 amp generators that most RVs require. The result is a generator that is light, quiet, and easy to live with on the rare days you actually need it.
The connection setup Plug your shore power cord into the standard shore power inlet on the Bowlus, then plug the other end into the Honda 2200 watt generator using the 15 to 30 amp adapter. The 15 amp side of the adapter looks just like a standard household outlet, which is the same connection you would use if plugging into shore power at a home. Start the generator outside and you are running.
The Bowlus approach This is what off grid by design looks like. A purpose built power management system, holistic appliance selection, and a battery that handles the vast majority of your travel without a generator at all. When you do need one, it is small enough to carry yourself.
Generator: https://www.amazon.com/shop/bowlusluxuryrvs
FAQs
Video Transcript
Hi, I’m Geneva Long, CEO of Bowlus, and today we’re talking about how to use a generator with your Bowlus. Now, first of all, I need to mention that the Bowlus is built for off-grid travel, and so that means where you’re not connected to shore power. So, the only time that you’re using a generator is in very unique circumstances, but I’ll get to that in a second. Every Bowlus comes equipped with lithium iron phosphate batteries and the signature Bowlus Power Management System.
So, when are you using a generator? Think if you’re going to be off-grid for extended periods of time and don’t have any solar absorption—so maybe you have consistently stormy weather, or you’re going to be camping in very hot climates with the air conditioner running continuously for multiple days. In those circumstances, you’re going to want to find a generator that works well with the Bowlus, and our recommendation is the Honda 2200-watt. It’s quiet, it’s lightweight—so I can even carry it myself—and it doesn’t take up a lot of space. All of these things are important when selecting a generator, and I’ll show you how to connect that to your Bowlus in a second.
Now, this is different from most RVs. With most RVs, you need a really big generator, usually something that can take 30 amps, and that’s because all of your appliances require that to operate. Now, with a Bowlus, because all of the appliances can be run off 15-amp—which is just a regular household outlet—you can plug into a smaller generator like the one I’m about to demonstrate. And so again, the generator is great for stormy weather, extended air conditioning over multiple days running that continuously, or charging up your battery after you’ve been off-grid for a really long time running all of those large appliances.
Let me turn this camera around and show you how it looks. So, I’m over here by the shore power plug, and here is where you would plug the shore power cord into your Bowlus if you’re going to be running a generator. So, I’ve got that shore power plug, and then I have it over into that Honda 2200-watt generator which I have over here. Now, I’m not going to turn this on because, of course, we’re inside and this is just a demo, but I’m going to show you what it looks like here.
We have the Honda 2200-watt generator. We’ve got the other side of the 30-amp cord, which you can see right there, and then we also have the 15-to-30-amp adapter. And so that’s just a normal household outlet as you can see—and you can see it right there too, just a normal household outlet. And so that’s plugging into there, and then you’re plugging your shore power in, and then you’re turning on your generator (of course, when you’re outside). That would be exactly the same plug that I would use as if I was just plugging into a simple outlet, actually, like the one right next to us over here.
So, that sums up how to use a generator with a Bowlus. Again, you’re only using this in really rare and unique circumstances; otherwise, you’re enjoying off-grid adventure. Let us know if you have any other questions in the comments!
