Benchmark 4500W Inverter Generator Review: My Two-Unit Ownership Update

If you’re looking at a Benchmark 4500W for your RV, I can tell you what it was actually like to live with one—not just read off the box. We owned two gasoline-only units. I liked the power and remote start, and I appreciated the help we got when things broke. After the latest problem in September 2026, though, my recommendation is more cautious than it used to be.

Which Benchmark 4500W did I own?

Ours was the gasoline-only BG4500i, bought from Home Hardware (item 5210-239). We did not own or test the dual-fuel version. That distinction matters: readers have asked about propane hoses in the comments, but our unit did not run on propane and did not come with a propane hose or adapter. We received oil with ours.

The BG4500i manual gives the model’s published figures. These are manufacturer specifications, not measurements I took at the campground.

Unboxing and the first start

I remember opening the first unit and being pleasantly surprised by how straightforward the package felt. Alongside the generator were the manual, a small toolkit and a remote-start key fob. The manual was readable, with clear instructions for adding oil and getting started. The controls on the housing were labelled well enough that I wasn’t hunting around for every basic function.

The first one had a banged-up casing and a faulty fuel shut-off valve that flooded the carburetor, so it was hardly a perfect introduction. Home Hardware dealt with the warranty, and a replacement arrived at no cost within about a week. That quick response left a good impression of the retailer even though the machine had let us down.

What using it at the campsite was like

Once the replacement was running, the remote start was my favourite feature. On a cold morning it was nice to start it without going through the usual pull-cord routine. The electric button and recoil handle gave us other starting options. I found the recoil smooth when the generator was in working condition—an observation that obviously changed after the later no-turn incident.

That convenience never changes generator placement: it must run outside, well away from RV doors, windows and vents. Follow the manual, use working carbon-monoxide alarms, and respect campground generator hours.

It ran our RV air conditioner without the stutter I feared, along with lights and smaller appliances. My two-slot toaster worked well too; my older Polaris 3000W had struggled with that one. I also tried an electric water-heater load, but I may have left the propane switch active, so I cannot call that a clean test or promise it will run another trailer’s heater.

Noise was noticeable but, to my ears, more tolerable than the old Polaris in our surroundings. In a 2024 comment I compared it with a Honda 2200 and Polaris 3000 I had used; that was a personal impression, not a same-place decibel test. The manual lists 61–70 dBA under its stated conditions. Don’t assume a generator is allowed at a particular campground just because someone describes it as quiet.

I previously wrote that I saw 10–16 hours from a tank depending on eco mode and load, and roughly 12 hours with standard RV gear. Those were my informal impressions, not logged, controlled tests. Benchmark’s manual states five hours at full load. Your actual runtime will change substantially with demand and setting.

Where the ownership story changed

Here’s the part I would want to know before relying on one for a longer off-grid stretch. I liked the machine while it worked, but the two-unit history matters more than a list of features.

First unit

Warranty replacement

The damaged casing and faulty shut-off valve led to a flooded carburetor. Home Hardware arranged the replacement promptly. I was grateful for that service; it still meant our first generator was not trouble-free.

Replacement unit

Cracked base and loose handle

Months later, the base cracked from vibration and the handle assembly loosened. A local small-engine shop had difficulty with the warranty claim, so I contacted Midland Power directly. Their representative was excellent: after a few emails, we agreed they’d ship the necessary parts for free and I’d do the repair. They followed through. I filmed the work so another owner could see the actual fix.

Watch my full cracked-base repair video. It shows this repair, not a solution to the later no-turn problem.

September 2026 update

It would not turn over after storage

After our latest camping season and the replacement of those parts, we gave the generator to a friend to store. We were no longer living full time in the RV and had no real use for it. It sat roughly a year with its battery connected. While I was on the phone with our friend and a prospective buyer on September 8, the electric start would not crank, the recoil cord would not pull and the starter became hot. On September 10 I was told the recoil still would not move with the spark plug removed, while the electric start clicked. I wasn’t physically there for those checks.

We have not confirmed whether the recoil, starter drive, engine or generator head is locked. The plug-out result makes a simple cylinder hydrolock less likely, but it is not a diagnosis. The unit is non-running as I work on selling it because our RV use has changed. I would disclose the condition to a buyer, not call it “just a dead battery.”

Maintenance, support and the tradeoff

Routine oil checks, filter care, clean fuel and the manual’s storage procedure are worth following with any gasoline generator. I had originally called this one low-maintenance and said it was performing strongly after the cracked-base repair. That described an earlier period, not its present condition. I cannot tell whether we had two lemons, a broader product issue, or a storage-related fault.

Questions readers have asked

Already own the BG4500i? Keep the official manual handy. For a quick look at mine while it was working, watch my one-minute first-impressions video. The September 2026 update above is the current verdict.