Paulr, I agree with your setup. I have several inverters to charge up 15-min rechargeable NiMh batteries and run a light bulb and a small TV directly intermittantly from my car. It doesn't make sense to spend a lot of money in my crowded urban setting for a generator and worry about stockpiling large amounts of fuel, fuel stabilization, maintenance and possible mechanical faillure. Generators require .5 to 1 gal per hour - thats a lot of fuel to store. With two cars, I already own two built-in generators with 10+ gallons of gas each, though not the most efficient power source, it'll do in an emergency, since the car generators don't run constantly.

For a last ditch power source I have a solar battery charger for my Nimhs.

Generators make sense for rural folks with lots of room and less of a safety problemfor fuel storage .