Greengear LPG Generators UK: 3kW vs 5kW vs 7kW for Mobile Catering 2026

Last updated: May 2026

In 30 seconds:

• 3kW Greengear — low-draw coffee trailers and crepe stands
• 5kW Greengear — most single-trader food vans (one fryer or one griddle plus lights)
• 7kW Greengear — busy hot-food trailers running several appliances at once

Not sure which? Try our LPG generator sizing calculator. It takes 2 minutes and saves you buying the wrong size. Why Greengear? Greengear is the only “dedicated LPG” generator brand sold in the UK. Every other LPG generator is a petrol engine with an LPG kit added. Greengear builds the engine for propane from the start. The brand is made in Brescia, Italy by the Cavagna Group. Cavagna has been making LPG parts — valves, regulators, hoses — for 70 years. Greengear is their generator brand. So you are buying from a real LPG company, not a petrol firm that bolted on an LPG kit. Two more trust signals worth knowing:

• Greengear partnered with the United Nations on clean-fuel projects
• Greengear sent LPG generators to Brazilian hospitals during the 2020 COVID response

The honest summary Most mobile caterers buy the wrong size. They look at the kW number and stop there. This guide tells you what each Greengear actually runs, what it weighs in your trailer, and how to pick one without guessing.

The full Greengear range at a glance

All three Greengear generators share the same core architecture: OHV single-cylinder, 4-stroke, forced-air cooled, with the dedicated ENERKIT BASIC propane carburettor (this is a factory-fitted LPG system — not a bolt-on conversion kit). Inlet pressure is the same across the range (1.0–2.5 BAR), so the same regulator and hose work on all three. What changes is engine size, fuel burn, weight, and how many appliances they can carry.

Three things worth flagging from that table that most spec sheets bury. First, the larger engines burn fewer grams of propane per kWh — the 7kW is actually the most fuel-efficient per unit of power produced (318 g/kWh vs 441 g/kWh on the 3kW). If you’re going to be at high load all day, the bigger unit can work out cheaper to run per kW used. Second, electric start is standard across the UK range — no recoil-only models in this lineup. Third, the 7kW is lighter than the 5kW (89 kg vs 93 kg) because of a slightly tighter frame design, which matters if you’re lifting it in and out of a trailer single-handed.

Greengear 3kW — for coffee trailers and low-draw setups

Quick specs

• Power: 2.8 kW continuous · 3.1 kW peak
• Engine: GG3GN, 212cc, single-cylinder OHV
• Weight: 49 kg — one-person lift
• Price: from £649
• View the 3kW product page →

Best for Coffee trailers, crepe stands, and small market stalls. Low continuous draw, no heavy heating elements. What it runs (all at once)

• A coffee machine on standby (e.g. Fracino Cherub)
• A small grinder
• LED lighting
• A fridge
• Card terminal
• Bluetooth speaker

Total draw lands around 1.8–2.2 kW. That leaves room for a kettle — but not at the same time as pulling espresso shots. Don’t use it for

• A 3 kW kettle at full draw
• A panini grill or electric griddle
• A commercial water boiler
• An electric fryer

Any of those will overload it. Run time A standard 13 kg propane cylinder at half load gives you 8–10 hours. That is a full market day with margin to spare.

Greengear 5kW — the workhorse for single-trader food vans

Quick specs

• Power: 5.0 kW continuous · 5.5 kW peak
• Engine: GG4GN, 389cc, single-cylinder OHV
• Weight: 93 kg — two-person lift
• Rated current: 21.7 A
• Voltage: 115V / 230V (dual output)
• Price: from £949
• View the 5kW product page →

Best for Most single-trader food vans. Burger vans, hot-dog trailers, and any setup with one cooker plus auxiliaries. What it runs (all at once)

• An LPG fridge or fridge-freezer (electric component ~150 W)
• An extraction fan
• LED lighting
• An electric griddle on its lowest setting (~2 kW)
• A kettle for tea between rushes
• Card terminal, music, phone charging

The 5kW carries all of that without flinching. The 21.7 A rated current feeds either a 16 A or a 32 A pitch socket through a splitter. The trade-off At 93 kg it is a two-person lift. Most caterers leave it permanently mounted in a vented compartment in the trailer rather than moving it daily. This is the most popular Greengear sale on MobCater. If you are picking blind and your van runs one cooker plus the usual auxiliaries, start here.

Greengear 7kW — for high-draw and multi-appliance setups

Quick specs

• Power: 7.0 kW continuous · 7.5 kW peak
• Engine: GG6GN, 420cc, single-cylinder OHV (9.0:1 compression)
• Weight: 96 kg
• Rated current: 30 A (drives a 32 A pitch socket directly, no throttling)
• Fuel efficiency: 318 g/kWh — better than the 5kW’s 398 g/kWh
• Price: from £1,249
• View the 7kW product page →

Best for Hot-food trailers running several appliances at once. Event catering where the load is not always predictable. What it runs (all at once)

• An LPG bain marie (electric heating element, ~1.5 kW)
• A panini press
• An electric coffee machine (3 kW peak)
• Under-counter fridge
• Full LED lighting rig
• Sound system
• Chest freezer

That is a busy event-catering setup. The 7kW handles it without dropping voltage when the fridge compressor kicks in. Two advantages over the 5kW

• Better fuel efficiency under load. 318 g/kWh vs the 5kW’s 398 g/kWh. If you trade at high load all day, propane costs are lower per pound of revenue earned.
• Drives a 32 A pitch socket directly — no splitter required.

Don’t buy it if you don’t need it The 7kW is overkill for a coffee trailer or a single-fryer burger van. If your continuous draw is under 4 kW, you are paying for capacity you never use.

How to pick the right size — the load calculation that matters

The honest way to size a generator is to add up every appliance you’ll run at the same time, then add 30% headroom for start-up surge on motors and compressors. Worked example for a typical burger van:

• Electric griddle (low setting): 2,000 W
• Bain marie warming tray: 800 W
• Under-counter fridge: 150 W (but ~600 W startup surge)
• LED lighting: 60 W
• Extraction fan: 200 W
• Card machine + phone charger: 30 W
• Music: 50 W
• Continuous total: 3,290 W
• With 30% headroom: 4,277 W

That sits comfortably inside the 5kW Greengear’s 5.0 kW rated output. If you added a panini press (1,800 W) to the same setup, total would push to 5,090 W continuous — which is the point you step up to the 7kW. The mistake most beginners make is sizing for what they currently use without thinking about appliance start-up surge. A fridge compressor draws 3–5x its running wattage for the first second or two of every cycle. A small generator that “should be enough” on paper will trip every time the fridge kicks in.

Running costs — what propane actually costs per trading day

Working off a 13 kg propane cylinder priced around £35 at typical UK trade rates (April 2026), here’s what you can expect to spend on fuel:

Compared to running an equivalent petrol generator, propane usually saves around 30–40% on fuel cost per kWh produced. The difference compounds quickly over a trading season.

Why propane (not butane) — and why this matters for you

All three Greengears are rated for propane only, never butane. This isn’t a marketing preference — it’s physics. Butane stops vaporising below around 2°C. The UK trades outdoors. By April or October, butane in a cylinder simply won’t deliver enough vapour pressure to keep a generator engine running, and the engine will starve and stall halfway through service. Propane vaporises down to about –42°C, so it works in a frosty market car park in February. This is also why the Greengear’s ENERKIT BASIC carburettor is set up for propane at the 1.0–2.5 BAR inlet range only. If you’re on the leasing side and looking at second-hand trailers that came with butane systems, factor in the cost of a propane regulator and hose (about £25–£35) plus a switch to propane cylinders. Don’t try to run a propane-rated generator on butane — it’ll work for an hour, then fail you on the second cylinder.

What’s in the box — and what you’ll need to buy separately

Every Greengear ships with: the generator itself, hose, regulator, a multi-tool kit (1 funnel, 2 spanners, 1 plug spanner, 1 plug spanner lever, 1 Allen key), 2 wheels with axle hardware, 2 fold-down handles with brackets, 2 rubber feet with bolts, and the operator’s manual. Wheel and handle assembly is required out of the box but takes about 15 minutes with the supplied tools. What you’ll usually want to buy on top:

• A second propane cylinder (so you can swap mid-day without downtime)
• A 1,000-hour service kit (oil, filter, spark plug — recommended at the first major service)
• A 32A-to-2x16A splitter if you’re feeding two trailer circuits
• An MCB (miniature circuit breaker) inline if your trailer wiring doesn’t already have one

The barista kit, water system, or specific catering equipment you need depends on your trade — start with our wider LPG generator range if you want to compare against other models.

Warranty, service, and back-to-base reality

The Greengear range comes with 12 months manufacturer warranty or 1,000 hours of running, whichever comes first. The warranty is conditional on following the maintenance schedule in the operator’s manual — that’s mostly oil changes at 50 hours, then every 100 hours, plus annual filter and spark plug replacement. One thing to be straight about: warranty work is back-to-base only. There are no engineer site visits for these units. If something goes wrong inside the warranty period, the generator returns to the workshop for assessment. Collection is the customer’s responsibility — typically £95 collection plus £115 return delivery, or you can drop it in yourself if you’re nearby. This is standard for commercial LPG generators in the UK and doesn’t change much between brands. Practical takeaway: keep your service records (oil change dates, hours run) so any future warranty claim isn’t disputed. The 1,000-hour service kit available with the unit is the easiest way to keep that schedule on track.

Greengear vs the rest of the LPG generator market

Greengear sits at the price-led end of the commercial LPG generator market in the UK. To put that in context (April 2026 pricing, equivalent kW class):

The Greengear isn’t the quietest generator on the market (Honda EU-series and Greenpower Low Noise are both quieter at higher pricing). It isn’t the most refined inverter-class unit either. What it is, is reliably good value for purpose-built commercial LPG generation — proper Italian-engineered ENERKIT carburettor, electric start, 12-month warranty, all the practical kit you need to run a mobile catering business without paying premium-brand prices.

Frequently asked questions

Which Greengear generator do I need for a mobile coffee trailer?

For most single-machine mobile coffee setups (one espresso machine, grinder, fridge, lighting, card terminal), the 3kW Greengear from £649 is the right size. If you’re running a dual-fuel coffee machine like the Fracino Contempo at full electric load, step up to the 5kW from £949 — you’ll need the 5.0 kW continuous rating to handle the boiler and grouphead heating elements together.

Can I run a Fracino LPG coffee machine and an electric griddle off the same Greengear?

Yes — but only on the 5kW or 7kW. Fracino LPG coffee machines use propane for the boiler, but their grouphead heating elements are electric (typically ~2 kW peak). Add an electric griddle (2 kW) and a fridge, and you’re already at 4 kW continuous. The 5kW handles this with a small margin; the 7kW handles it comfortably with headroom for additional appliances.

How long will a Greengear run on one propane cylinder?

It depends on cylinder size and load. As a guide, a standard 13 kg propane cylinder at 50% load runs the 3kW for around 9–10 hours, the 5kW for 6–7 hours, and the 7kW for 5–6 hours. A 47 kg cylinder roughly triples those run times. Most caterers carry a spare cylinder so they can swap mid-trading without downtime.

Why can’t I use butane in a Greengear instead of propane?

Butane stops vaporising below around 2°C and won’t deliver enough gas pressure to run a generator engine in UK outdoor conditions for most of the year. The Greengear ENERKIT BASIC carburettor is set up for propane at 1.0–2.5 BAR — propane vaporises down to –42°C, so it’s reliable through winter trading. Mobile catering in the UK uses propane only; butane is for indoor and patio use.

Does the Greengear need a service every year?

The maintenance schedule is hours-based, not calendar-based. First oil change at 50 running hours, then every 100 hours. Annual replacement of spark plug and air filter is recommended even if you’re under 100 hours. The 1,000-hour service kit covers a major service due once a year for typical mobile catering use. Keeping records is essential for warranty validity.

What’s the noise level of a Greengear generator?

The 7kW Greengear runs at around 72 dB at 7 metres — typical for a commercial frame-type LPG generator. The 3kW and 5kW are slightly quieter due to smaller engines. If your trading pitch has strict noise restrictions (e.g. wedding venues, residential markets), look at inverter-class generators like the Honda EU70is or Greenpower Low Noise range, which run 53–66 dB but cost three to four times more.

Does the Greengear come with a warranty?

Yes — 12 months or 1,000 running hours, whichever comes first. Warranty is back-to-base only (no engineer site visits) and is conditional on following the maintenance schedule in the operator’s manual. Collection cost is the customer’s responsibility — typically £95 collection plus £115 return delivery, or you can deliver it to the workshop yourself. This is standard for commercial LPG generators in the UK.