If the need and goal is quick and dirty to get to Wisconsin, then all i can say is I RV'd for a couple of years with a little Honda and stopping at places with power for the night. I didn't even have an air conditioner. There is no shame in stopping at a little campground every night, and hooking up to the pole.
If money is the issue, my nephew flew standby from college to home, took few days waiting but cost virtually nothing, and he mailed his stuff home. Figured out the optimum size/weight ratio, and literally mailed all his college stuff cross country... I laughed when I heard about that!
Brian,
I think the trip is more about the "journey" than the cost in this case.
They are building the bus as a dream, but he has stated more than once that the 1st job it will have is to deliver his precious daughter to college. (to me that says it is something they want to do in person very badly!)
Now back to quiet generators the infamous and banned Cody had/has a very very quiet HONDA generator that I personally consider to be " a construction type" in his Eagle and has a box fan plugged into one of the front outlets that runs when the generator does sucking out fumes from the original A/C compressor area in the engine compartment.
Maybe some of you that have better memories than I do could chime in as to what model it was Cody has.

BK
