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California will ban sales of small off-road engines from 2024 and now the RV community is up in arms to legal-battle the bill that will make RV generators disappear.
California passed a bill that will ban the sales of small off-road engines starting with 2024. This means that, in two-year time, you won’t be able to buy any tool that comes with a small petrol engine. This means no lawnmower and no generators for you or your household. Now, the RV community considers this as an attack, as small generators are, apparently, the very essence of this hobby. After all, where is all the fun when you have to camp on a site with pole electricity from now on?
According to Assembly Bill No. 1346, a small off-road engine is a spark-ignition engine that makes 25 HP or less. Of course, this means all portable generators, including RV generators, are considered to be small off-road engines. This is why RV owners are concerned and also why the California Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (CalRVDA) is planning to fight the legislation.
The state of California certainly has a point, as all small engines are known for heavy emissions. According to the California Air Resources Board, the average 3.5 hp generator running at a 1.8kW load for one hour pollutes as much as driving a car for 150 miles. No wonder the state is trying to eliminate all those small engines that make lawnmowers and portable generators do their magic.
That’s not to say the RV aficionados are out of options here, but these options are not always ideal. The said bill suggests replacing petrol generators with “zero-emission generators”. These are huge battery power banks with an inverter and household plugs. They can fit the bill for a short RV trip, but longer journeys mean you will have to recharge them like any other power bank. For that, you will need a plug or, at least, a good solar panel and sunny weather (no problem in California).
Now, the solar panel thing sounds like a good option, until you realize how much it will cost you to feature your RV with one. According to RVshare, a solar setup powerful enough to replace a generator could set you back as much as $10,000. That’s harsh, to say the least.
This leaves the Californians with two other options, but those simply defeat the whole purpose of the bill passed by the state. One is using a used generator, with probably even more pollution than a new one. The other is using a diesel generator, as diesel engines are outside the scope of the bill. The choice is yours.
According to Assembly Bill No. 1346, a small off-road engine is a spark-ignition engine that makes 25 HP or less. Of course, this means all portable generators, including RV generators, are considered to be small off-road engines. This is why RV owners are concerned and also why the California Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (CalRVDA) is planning to fight the legislation.
The state of California certainly has a point, as all small engines are known for heavy emissions. According to the California Air Resources Board, the average 3.5 hp generator running at a 1.8kW load for one hour pollutes as much as driving a car for 150 miles. No wonder the state is trying to eliminate all those small engines that make lawnmowers and portable generators do their magic.
That’s not to say the RV aficionados are out of options here, but these options are not always ideal. The said bill suggests replacing petrol generators with “zero-emission generators”. These are huge battery power banks with an inverter and household plugs. They can fit the bill for a short RV trip, but longer journeys mean you will have to recharge them like any other power bank. For that, you will need a plug or, at least, a good solar panel and sunny weather (no problem in California).
Now, the solar panel thing sounds like a good option, until you realize how much it will cost you to feature your RV with one. According to RVshare, a solar setup powerful enough to replace a generator could set you back as much as $10,000. That’s harsh, to say the least.
This leaves the Californians with two other options, but those simply defeat the whole purpose of the bill passed by the state. One is using a used generator, with probably even more pollution than a new one. The other is using a diesel generator, as diesel engines are outside the scope of the bill. The choice is yours.
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