Top 7 Generators for Food Truck: Best for Food Businesses

Without having a reliable portable generator, you won’t be able to run your food truck business successfully. To power all your appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, grills, and food preparation equipment, you need an external power source, and only a portable generator can fulfill your power needs.

So, if you are going to start your food truck business and want a generator for it, then you are in the right place. Here, we are going to review the seven best food truck generators that will help you in successfully running your food business.

Best Food Truck Generators

1. Westinghouse WGen7500 Portable Generator – Best Overall

Engine and Power Output: If you are looking for the best performing and most comprehensive food truck generator, then it is hard to find the other model than Westinghouse WGen7500. It is equipped with a 420cc Westinghouse 4-stroke OHV air-cooled engine that produces 9500 watts of peak power and 7500 watts of continuous power. This output power is enough to run most of the food trucks.

Weight and Warranty: It is 192 pounds and has a 3-year warranty. Also, it is EPA, CARB, and CSA compliant.

Starting System: It has a push-button electric start system with a remote key fob. Also, you have a recoil start option.

Fuel Tank and Runtime: It features a 6.6-gallon fuel tank that offers 16 hours of runtime at 25% load. There is a built-in fuel gauge that helps you to keep an eye on the fuel level.

Safety Feature: A low oil shutdown feature turns the engine off when the oil levels go seriously down or when it loses its viscosity.

Mobility: Its steel frame has roll bars at the top to protect the fuel tank. You can also use those sturdy bars to lift the unit. There is also a fold-down handle for easy pulling, and its two never-flat tires make transportation easy.

Control Panel: If we move to its control panel, then there are four 120V AC 20A household outlets that are GFCI protected and one 120/240V AC 30A outlet. Other than this, you have a digital hour meter for easy maintenance.

Volume Level: In addition, it is a noisy unit that can produce 73 dBA noise levels from 23 feet away.

2. Honda EU7000iat1 Super Quiet Portable Inverter Generator – Most Expensive

Weight: If you are looking for a powerful portable inverter generator for your food truck then this Honda EU7000iat1 is the perfect choice for you. It only weighs around 52 pounds, and that is why people love inverter generators.

Engine: The unit comes with a 389cc Honda GX390 EFI single-cylinder OHV engine. It features an air-cooled cooling system to prevent overheating.

Power Output: This OHV engine produces a maximum output power of 7000 watts and running power of 5500 watts. The unit provides clean and stable power to your electronics and appliances that you use in your food truck.

Fuel Tank and Runtime: The unit is featured with an electronic fuel injection technology that not only maximizes fuel efficiency but also knocks out carburetor problems. Also, there is an eco-throttle system that plays its part to offer excellent fuel efficiency. Its 5.1-gallon fuel tank offers 18 hours of runtime at 25% load and 6 hours runtime at rated load.

Volume Level: It also operates quietly with a decibel rating of 52 dBA at 25% load and 60 dBA at rated load.

Parallel Connectivity: The unit is also parallel capable. If you need more power to run your food truck, then you can link another generator to meet your additional power needs.

Control Panel: Moving to its control panel, there is a 120/240V twist-lock outlet, one 120V 30A outlet, and two 120V 20A power outlets. Other than power outlets, you have an output indicator, an overload alarm, and an oil alert. Moreover, its iMonitor keeps you updated about wattage, RPM, battery volts, and hours.

3. Pulsar PG10000B16 Dual Fuel Electric Start Portable Generator – Under $1000

Dual Fuel Option: If you want to buy a dual fuel generator for your food truck business that can offer your tremendous power to run many appliances at the same time, then you should buy this Pulsar PG10000B16.

Engine and Power Output: It comes with a powerful 420cc 4-stroke OHV engine that produces 10,000 watts of peak power and 8000 watts of continuous power on gas. But on propane, it generates 9000 peak watts and 7000 rated watts.

Fuel Selector: To deal with your customers in busy hours, you can run your generator on gas to get more power output, and in less busy hours, you can switch to LPG. Its Switch & Go technology allows easy switching between the two fuel sources during operation.

Fuel Tank and Runtime: Its fuel tank size (6.6 gallons) is the same as what we have seen in the Westinghouse Wgen7500. Also, its runtime is quite similar. It offers 12 hours runtime at 50% load. But this runtime is on gasoline, not propane.

Starting System: The unit features both the recoil and electric push start systems. You can use any particular one as per your convenience.

Volume Level: The Pulsar PG10000B16is also noisier as compared to WGen7500. It generates 75 dBA noise levels from 23 feet away.

Control Panel: If we talk about its control panel, then it offers various power outlets. You have a 12V DC outlet, four 120V AC outlets, one 120/240V twist-lock receptacle, and one 50A RV port. Also, there is a smart switch, engine switch, and an hour meter.

4. DuroMax XP12000EH Dual Fuel Electric Start Portable Generator – Most Powerful Food Truck Generator

Engine and Power Output: If more power is required you for your food truck, then buy this DuroMax XP12000EH. It has a more powerful 457cc, 18HP DuroMax OHV engine as compared to Pulsar PG10000B16 dual fuel generator. On gas, it produces 12,000 watts of peak power and 9500 watts of continuous power. And on propane, it generates 11,400 peak watts and 9025 running watts.

Starting System: It offers both electric and recoil start systems and has a dual fuel option.

Fuel Tank and Runtime: If we focus on its gasoline fuel tank size, then it is 8.3 gallons. With this fuel tank, you will get 8.8 hours of runtime at 50% load. But for propane, the suggested tank size is 40 gallons. So, on propane, you will get 7.2 hours at 50% load.

Weight and Mobility: It is quite a heavy unit, weighing about 260 pounds. But thanks to its fold-down handle and two never-flat tires that make transportation easier.

Volume Level: Its all-metal heavy-duty frame provides durability to the unit. There is an oversized muffler that reduces noise during operation. Also, there is an integrated spark arrestor that ensures smooth and safe operation.

Control Panel: Now, move towards its control panel. There are circuit breakers, idle control, voltmeter, and a low-oil indicator along with a DuroMax MX2 switch. This switch allows you to get maximum power from each 120V outlet. If we talk about its power outlets, then there is a 50A outlet, one 120/240V 30A outlet, a 120V 30A twist lock receptacle, and two 120V 20A power outlets.

Warranty: In addition, it comes with a 3-year factory warranty.

5. Yamaha EF4500iSE Gas Powered Portable Generator – Best under $4000

Weight and Certification: This Yamaha EF4500iSE portable inverter generator is ideal for those food truck owners that need less power to run their food trucks. It weighs around 194 pounds and meets the California Air Resources Board Tier III exhaust emission standard.

Inverter Technology with PWD: Its inverter system comes with Pulse Width Modulation that ensures voltage and frequency stability. You can power your sensitive electronics with this generator without any hesitation.

Starting System: The unit features an electric start system, but there is also an option of turning it on with wireless remote control. You can turn on and off your unit from a distance of up to 66 feet. Also, with an automatic choke, the unit starts quickly in chilly weather conditions.

Power Output: The maximum power output it can produce is 4500 watts, but if we talk about its continuous power, then it is 4000 watts.

Engine and Runtime: Its powerful engine runs at a very low speed of 2500 rpm. This running speed saves fuel and offers good runtime. At full rated load, it will offer 7.5 hours of runtime, and at 25% rated load, you will get up to 15.2 hours runtime.

Safety: Its low-oil shutdown sensor senses lower oil levels and turns off the engine to protect it from being damaged.

Volume Level: It also operates very quietly with a noise level between 58 and 60 dBA.

Control Panel: Its control panel has three power outlets. There is also a power meter that shows how much power is available and how much is being used. Moreover, an hour meter shows when the maintenance is due.

6. WEN 56310i-RV Super Quiet Portable Inverter Generator – Least Powerful Food Truck Generator

Weight and Certification: If you are looking for a WEN generator for your small food truck, then buy this 56310i-RV. It only weighs 81.4 pounds and is EPA III and CARB compliant.

Engine and Power Output: The unit is powered by a 212cc 4-stroke OHV engine. This OHV engine generates 3100 watts of peak power and 2800 watts of continuous power.

THD Rating: Thanks to its pure sine wave input that ensures 1.2% of total harmonic distortion to handle your sensitive electronics with care.

Parallel Connectivity: If the output power produced by this generator is insufficient for you, then there is no need to worry. You can connect another WEN 56310i-RV to produce dual output power. But you will need the WEN 56421 parallel connection kit to do so.

Fuel Tank and Runtime: Its fuel tank capacity is only 1.85 gallons. But with this tank size, you will get 7.5-hour runtime at a 50% load. Thanks to its Eco-Mode that maximizes the fuel efficiency of the generator. When you turn on this Eco-Mode, the motor becomes more active and automatically adjusts its fuel consumption. This automatic adjustment gives more runtime, as well as your engine life, gets doubled.

Volume Level: It also doesn’t make a noise during operation. With a decibel rating of only 57 dBA, it works quietly.

Control Panel: If we focus on its control panel, then there is a 12V DC outlet, two 5V USB ports, two 120V AC outlets, and a 120V 30A RV outlet. Other than this, there are indicator lights, a 3-in-1 switch, and AC & DC circuit breakers.

7. Briggs & Stratton Q6500 Inverter Generator – Best under $1500

Weight: The last food truck generator in our list is the Briggs & Stratton Q6500 inverter generator. It is not a heavyweight unit, weighing only 135 pounds.

Mobility: Its never-flat tires of 8 inch and a luggage-style telescoping handle make it easy to move from one place to another.

Engine and Power Capacity: The unit is powered by a 306cc Briggs & Stratton OHV engine fuel-efficient. It generates 6500 watts of peak power and 5000 watts of continuous power.

Fuel Tank and Runtime: Its 5-gallon fuel tank gives 14 hours of runtime at a 25% load. But that runtime will decrease when you increase the load.

Volume Level: The generator also makes less noise. Thanks to its QuietPower Series inverter technology that ensures a noise level not more than 66 dBA at a 25% load. Also, its plastic shell that covers the whole generator helps in reducing noise.

Inverter System: You cannot only power your appliances in your food truck but also power your sensitive electronics. The generator provides clean and consistent power to all your products and equipment.

Safety: The unit is also featured with an automatic voltage regulator, a low-oil shutdown feature, and overload protection with circuit breaker protection to keep your appliances and generator safe.

Control Panel: Its control panel has four 120V 20A outlets that are GFCI protected. Also, there is a 120/240V 30A twist-lock outlet and two USB ports.

Certification and Warranty: It is also an EPA-approved product and is backed by a 2-year limited consumer warranty.

Buyer’s Guide

In this buyer’s guide section, we are going to cover each and everything about the food truck generator to help you in getting the best unit for your food business.

Generator Type

First of all, decide whether you need an inverter or a conventional generator for your food truck business.

We all know that an inverter generator produces more clean and consistent power. It turns AC power into DC and then backs to AC, that results in the cleanest power to run your appliances and sensitive electronics. Also, it is more fuel-efficient and makes less noise.

On the other hand, a conventional generator fails to provide clean and consistent power, but it gives more output power. Also, it is less expensive than an inverter generator.

Fuel Options

You can either go for a single fuel or a dual fuel generator for your food truck. But it is always better to select a dual fuel generator.

Gasoline gives more output power, but it is expensive. So, a single fuel generator may make you spend more money on fuel. On the other hand, propane doesn’t give more power output, but it is cheaper to use.

So, an advantage of using a dual fuel generator is that you can use propane to save your money when you need less power, and you can also meet your additional power needs through gasoline.

Power Output

It is also necessary to focus on the peak and rated watts your generator’s engine can produce. First, you should focus on engine power. A powerful engine has a higher number of cc than a less powerful engine. So, the higher the number of cc of the engine, the more power it will produce.

It all depends on your needs, how much power you require to make your food truck fully functional. If you have a big food truck with different appliances to run, then you should have to buy a generator with more power, but if it is a small truck then a small portable inverter generator will be ideal.

Fuel Tank Size and Runtime

A generator with a large fuel tank offers longer runtime than a generator with a smaller tank. If you need longer runtime, then find a generator having a large fuel tank. And if you only work 5 to 6 hours a day then a small tank size can give this runtime to you.

But here one thing you should keep in mind that runtime also depends on the load applied. A generator will offer different runtime at 25% load than 50% and 100% load. Also, fuel-efficient generators help you to get more extended runtime.

Power Outlets

It is also necessary to make sure that the number and types of outlets present in the control panel of your selected generator are according to your needs. Also, the control panel must have USB ports to support your electronics.

Noise Level

Noise level is also essential to consider as you are going to serve your customers so they must have a friendly and less noisy environment around your food truck. Make sure that your unit is the quietest in the market, but if it is not, then avoid going further than 76 dBA. Louder than 76 dBA decibel rating, you will surely start losing your customers.