Sportsman GEN4000LP, 3250 Running Watts/4000 Starting Watts, Propane Powered Portable Generator

On the positive side this generator provides enough power to run my trailer's air conditioner. I did have to run the refrigerator on LP though. I like not messing with gasoline and simply carry a spar canister of propane or off the propane bottles mounted on the trailer. It is only marginally quieter than the gasoline generator it replaced (a 4000 watt Champion). The propane burns cleaner and I don't have to worry about a carburetor float letting gasoline drip out when I forget to close the valve. On this Sportsman you turn it off by shutting off the fuel. So,operation is simpler.I did buy some rubber feet to protect the bottom of the frame. These installed without a problem as there are pre-drilled holes for mounting them.Now the negative, it has been hard to start. Once it got going it was a solid performer. But I now know why it has been hard to start. The hose between the on/off valve and the intake was crimped because Sportsman installed too short a hose and caused it to bend too sharply. See the photo. This wasn't a difficult fix and once done I've not had any problems getting it to start.

Although louder than the more expensive gas generators, I have hooked this up when I go dry-camping to a bank of 3-4 LP tanks. It will literally run for 2 days on 4 tanks. Watching my friends using their gas gennys, out their refueling them after a couple of hours in the rain, and having to run up and grab 5-15 gals of gas when they run out ever day, makes me SO GLAD that I bought this one. Again, use a bottle tree for multiple LP tanks and it has run non-stop for a weekend with absolutely no issues. GREAT BUY and a GREAT PRICE!

I have used this generator for the past 4 months to build an off-grid tiny house in Prescott, AZ. A 20 lb propane tank lasts into a second day of work while running almost non-stop. The noise level of the generator is maybe slightly higher than some of the other reviews and people that have answered questions. I would equate it to being in the backyard while a lawnmower is running. The land that I am building on is sloped and when the oil level ran slightly low on the generator there was an automatic shut-off function. It was my fault for not having it on level ground, but I thought I would let anyone reading this know what to expect. I ran heavy power tools with great success, but I did adjust the idle slightly by a screw located near the throttle. Another way is to slightly choke it while running heavy tools. I bought a 30 lb propane tank from Costco to increase my work time between refills or tank changes. Anyway, great product that I would recommend.

I have had this generator since June 15, 2015. only problem i had with it was the rope broke on 3rd pull, clearly factory defect. Amazon took care of it. in the mean time i pulled the cover holding the rope on and used a drill with a socket to start the genset. worked great, ran great. I use it on and off maybe once a year or every 2 years to power the electric pole saw to trim trees. always starts right up, never a problem. during power outages it ran about 6 hours an a 20lbs propane tank with a fridge, freezer, couple fans, lights, tv and phone charger. I loaned it to relatives after the hurricane that hit Louisiana in 2020 and they too power several freezers with it and love it. NOTE: propane is easier to find than gas or diesel and propane does not require electricity to fill 20lbs tanks, just a hose off the bottom of big tank and a screw driver. So it is easier to find as most people do not have propane generator. as far as not powering a RV A/C... Yes it will power an rv A/C.. IF you turn the RV off, start generator, plug camper into Generator, turn A/C to fan on, then turn on to cool. and you have to have your breaker to your electric water heater OFF, it cannot power the electric water heater fridge and A/c, you may have to turn of the breaker or unplug the DC Charger near the electric box while you run the A/C. too much load in RV and it will not run all, definitely cannot start all up at once.

First off, I have owned many gas generators and even with stabil and draining them sooner or later they get hard to start or will not start at all. With propane you don't need to ever worry about any of that. I start mine every few months and let it run for a little while just to move the oil around. All you have to do is hoop up the propane tank, turn the choke on and pull it once or twice and away it goes. Shut the choke off and your ready to go. I have a transfer switch on my breaker panel in the house. Although I cannot run central air, I can run the furnace, fridge and all the lights all at once. I have a portable air conditioner that I can use to cool most of the main floor if it is hot out. There is nothing that makes you grin more than watching a movie with surround sound in your living room while the rest of the neighborhood is black because of a power outage. I did put this generator on a $40 wheel kit and although picking it up is a team effort, wheeling it out of the garage and hooking it up is a snap. If you only use a generator once in a while this is the way to go and for the price you cannot beat it.

So far, so good for this generator. We have only used this so far for one day of camping but I have been really impressed. Out of the box I was pleased that the generator was not as heavy as I had feared. The size and plethora of good handholds make it fairly easy to throw around. I can load this in and out of my truck without feeling like I am putting any stress on my back. That being said I am 30 and fairly active so I could see this being more of a problem for other folks. I added the oil and after 4 pulls the generator fired right up. I ran it for about 2 hours in the evening and 2 more hours in the morning. I was pleased with how the generator did especially considering the nighttime temperature was around 10 F.The generator I received has a dedicated RV plug which was important since I plan to primarily use this for camping. Also the noise was much quitter than I expected.The only drawback so far is the battery charging cables are thin, short, and weak.