Best picks
Three compact central vacuums for RVs, boats, garages and workshops, ranked on size, published suction, what ships in the box and warranty.
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InterVac Design
An 8 lb, 414 air watt unit that fits an 11 x 6 x 6 in cutout, runs on 110 or 220 V, and comes as a full kit with a 35 ft stretch hose; 2-year warranty that names Amazon.
Dirt Devil Central (H-P Products)
501 air watts and 120 in water lift with a 35 ft stretch hose, tools, 3 bags and one inlet valve in the box; the CV1500 is H-P Products' compact unit, part number 9880.
InterVac Design
660 air watts and 134 in sealed water lift in a wall unit 7.6 in deep with a built-in exhaust filter, rated for 3,000 sq ft.
An RV or garage unit is judged differently from a house unit. We ranked these three on size and weight first, then on published air watts and water lift, what ships in the box (because most buyers want a complete kit), filtration, and warranty terms that actually cover a marketplace purchase. All three plug into a standard 120 V outlet; none is hardwired by default. Where a figure comes only from a retailer we say so, and both InterVac units have conflicting numbers between their product pages and manuals, which we list.
| Unit | Air watts | Water lift | CFM | Noise | Bag | Weight | In the box |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| InterVac RoadVac CS-8 | 414 | 92 in sealed | 107 | 74.6 dB | 0.5 gal (Y10) | 8 lb (manual: 5.5) | Unit, cord; full kit adds 35 ft hose and tools |
| Dirt Devil CV1500 (9880) | 501 (retailer) | 120 in (retailer) | 100 | Not published | 1 gal | 14 lb (retailer) | Unit, 35 ft hose, wand, tools, 3 bags, 1 inlet |
| InterVac IVD660H | 660 | 134 in sealed | 121 | 70 dB | 2 gal (Y20) | 14 lb (manual: 11) | Unit, cord, bag, filters, bracket |
The RoadVac is the only unit here designed from the start for a vehicle. It is 11.75 x 6 x 6.75 in, fits an 11 x 6 x 6 in cutout, weighs 8 lb per the product page (5.5 lb per the manual), and publishes 414 air watts, 92 in sealed water lift (52 in working), 107 CFM max, 1,200 W and 74.6 dB, rated for up to 900 sq ft. It is sold in 110 V and 220 V variants, and the manual says the CS-8 can be corded or hardwired; the Amazon listing is the corded kit. Collection is a 0.5 gal HEPA-type sealed Y10 bag with a Y22 motor filter.
The full-kit variant adds the TK-104 tool kit: a 35 ft stretch hose, extension wand, crevice tool, dust brush, upholstery tool and a combination rug and floor tool. The unit is not a 2-inch pipe system by default; the hose plugs straight in. Warranty is 2 years on the unit and 30 days on accessories, and InterVac’s policy covers purchases from authorized retailers including Amazon, with registration before a claim.
Published amps conflict (12 A on the page, 10 A in the manual), and the AS-61 exhaust fitting for ducting out of the cabinet is sold separately.
Skip it if you want more than a half-gallon bag or need to clean more than a small RV; the CV1500 has more capacity and suction.
The CV1500 is H-P Products’ compact unit for a garage, RV, yacht or boat. The retailer spec gives 501 air watts, 120 in water lift, 100 CFM, 11.7 A and 14 lb, with a 1 gal disposable bag and a thermal overload protector that resets automatically. What makes it the garage pick is the box: a 35 ft stretch hose that stores at 7 ft, a telescopic wand, a 10 in combination floor tool, crevice tool, dusting brush, upholstery tool, a mesh tool bag, 3 bags and one inlet valve with installation material. Mount it, run one short pipe to the inlet, and you are cleaning.
Specs come from a retailer and the Amazon listing rather than a manufacturer page; the Dirt Devil central vacuum sites were unreachable and vacuflo.com lists no CV1500 manual. The retailer states a 5-year manufacturer warranty; H-P Products’ lifetime warranty on its main Dirt Devil lines is not confirmed for this model. Square-foot rating and noise are not published, and the Amazon weight of 21 lb is likely the shipping weight.
Skip it if you want a manufacturer-published spec sheet, or you plan more than one or two inlets.
For a detached shop or a large garage with a wall to hang it on, the CondoVac gives the most suction of the three: 660 air watts, 134 in sealed water lift and 121 CFM, rated for 3,000 sq ft, in a unit 19.44 in tall, 10.5 in wide and 7.625 in deep. An exhaust filter is standard, so it can run inside, and the optional K-365 cover lets you vent out. The 2 gal HEPA-type Y20 bag holds four times what the RoadVac does. Warranty is 2 years on the unit and 30 days on accessories, covering authorized retailers including Amazon.
It is 70 dB, low-voltage inlet control only, and does not come with a hose or tools. The product page and manual disagree on amps (15.2 versus 12.5 A) and weight (14 versus 11 lb). InterVac’s warranty is void if you use non-genuine bags or filters, which matters in a shop where you may be tempted by generic bags. Keep sawdust from drywall or cement out of any of these units; fine mineral dust is hard on motors and voids some warranties.
Skip it if you need a kit in one box, or you are mounting in a vehicle.
If the garage is attached to a house with a central vacuum, read planning inlet locations first; a garage inlet off the existing system may be all you need. For a stand-alone install, see DIY installation and our hoses roundup for a 35 or 50 ft garage hose. For a vehicle, measure the cabinet before you order.
Size, capacity and how it connects. RV units like the InterVac RoadVac are built to sit inside a cabinet, hold a half-gallon bag, and work with a stretch hose plugged straight into the unit or one inlet, rather than a network of 2-inch pipe. They publish around 400 to 500 air watts against 550 to 750 for house units.
Yes, and if the garage is attached to a house that already has a system, a garage inlet off the existing pipe is simpler than a second unit. A separate compact unit makes sense for a detached garage or shop, or when you want to keep sawdust out of the house system.
They can run without it. The RoadVac can be ducted out of its cabinet with the optional AS-61 fitting; the InterVac CondoVac has an exhaust filter standard and an optional outside cover; the Dirt Devil CV1500 does not state a venting requirement. Venting out is still quieter and cleaner where you can do it.
None of these do. The RoadVac is 110 V or 220 V AC depending on variant, the CV1500 is 120 V, and the CondoVac is 120 V. You need shore power, a generator or an inverter.
Yes. 9880 is the H-P Products part number for the Dirt Devil CV1500 with attachment set. It is a compact garage, RV and boat unit, not one of the whole-house Dirt Devil CV models. H-P Products also makes Vacuflo.
Written by Editorial team, Editor · Reviewed by Technical reviewer, Central vacuum installer
Published October 17, 2026 · Updated October 17, 2026