How rentals charge for generator time
Most rental RVs have an hour meter on the generator. Cruise America charges $3.50 per hour1; in its US fleet, the Compact, Standard and Large RVs have generators; the Travel Trailer and Ultra Compact do not1. On marketplaces the owner decides: Outdoorsy says listings typically include a base allowance of miles and generator hours, then charge for extra use2.
The cheapest generator hour is the one you do not run. Cruise America’s own advice: save by staying where there are electrical hookups and not leaving the generator running1.
When national parks let you run a generator
| Park | Generator rule | Hookups |
|---|---|---|
| Yosemite | generators only 7–9 am, noon–2 pm and 5–7 pm3 | no hookups of any kind in Yosemite campsites3 |
| Rocky Mountain | quiet hours, including generators, 10 p.m.–6 a.m.4 | Electric sites are offered (see campground costs). |
| Great Smoky Mountains | generator quiet hours 8:00 pm–8:00 am5 | only some Look Rock sites have electric and water hookups5 |
| Yellowstone | Check the campground table on the park’s page. | Fishing Bridge RV Park is the only Yellowstone campground with water, sewer and 50-amp electric hookups6 |
Put your expected hours per night and your rental’s rate into the calculator. If you will stay at sites with electric hookups, enter fewer hours.
Work out your own trip: open the RV rental calculator. It starts with sourced defaults and leaves the rest for your quote.
Sources
- Cruise America, RV Rental FAQs. Checked October 31, 2026.
- Outdoorsy Help Center, What are mileage and generator fees?. Checked October 31, 2026.
- NPS, Yosemite campgrounds. Checked October 31, 2026.
- NPS, Rocky Mountain campgrounds. Checked October 31, 2026.
- NPS, Great Smoky Mountains frontcountry camping. Checked October 31, 2026.
- NPS, Yellowstone camping. Checked October 31, 2026.