Here's How Harbor Freight's Predator RV Ready Generator Parallel Kit Works

It's great to have a generator handy when you're out on the road in an RV or performing heavy-duty work at a jobsite. Portable power sources mean you don't need to go hunting around for an outlet, and you can run appliances and tools even if you're in a spot without any electrical infrastructure. However, this is all assuming that the generator you have has enough power to support whatever you're doing. If you've got some particularly heavy power needs, a single generator, all on its lonesome, may not be enough.

Normally, there wouldn't be anything you can do about this — you can't plug a single device into two separate outlets or generators, after all. However, Harbor Freight offers a useful generator accessory as part of its Predator generator brand: the RV Ready 30 Amp Inverter Generator Parallel Kit. This small gadget allows you to run two Predator generators in parallel to each other, combining both of their total power capacities into a single, beefy power source.

The Predator Generator Parallel Kit is designed to draw power from two generators simultaneously, combining their total power output and allowing you to hook up more power-hungry appliances, tools, and devices that a single generator may not be able to accommodate. This particular kit is compatible with all inverter generators with an output of up to 2300W; you could technically use any generator, but it's ideal for the Predator brand of generator sold by Harbor Freight. For example, if you hooked up a pair of 2000W Predator Super Quiet generators, you would get 4000W of power output in total.

Rather than plugging into the generators themselves, you can plug up to two devices into the two outlets present on the Parallel Kit itself. These outlets include a standard 120V, 30A RV outlet and a 30A twist-lock outlet. That kind of power generation and plug setup is ideal for various scenarios, particularly RV camping and professional jobsite work. The RV outlet can provide ample power to stationary devices like the main power hookup for an RV, allowing you to run various gadgets and appliances, while the twist-lock outlet is designed to lock in equipment that experiences heavy vibrations like power tools.

According to the owner's manual for the Parallel Kit (PDF), operating it is intended to be as straightforward as possible, which is good, because you might not have access to elaborate wiring equipment if you're out camping.

Before operating the Parallel Kit, the owner's manual suggests taking a few precautions, similar to those you would already take when operating a generator. You should place the Kit and your generators on the ground away from walls and places where people are, and try to space them out from each other as far as possible. Due to the technology that makes up Harbor Freight Generators' CO Secure feature, it is possible for the heat and emissions from one generator to trip another's sensors, so spacing them out is important to keep them operating cleanly. Make sure to inspect both the generators and the Parallel Kit for any damage or frays before operation, and to add oil and fuel to the generators before powering them on.

With all that said, all you need to do to connect the Parallel Kit to the generators is attach the color-coded banana plugs into their respective receptacles on the generators. If you look at your generator's front panel, you should see red and black ports; just plug the red and black plugs into those respective ports. After that, connect the yellow grounding connector to the grounding terminal, also on the generator panel, making sure to firmly tighten the grounding screw. Repeat this for the second generator, and you're ready for action. Start one, then the other, and make sure both their lights are green, and then you can plug stuff into the Kit.