2008 Voyage Onan 5500 generator

[willowmoss]

I tried to check gen oil, but found need to remove exterior panel door to open generator cover. Can this be true?

Do you clean spark diffuser every 50 hours? Thanks.

[Indy Itasca]

What is your coach model number? On my 2007 Sunrise (sister of Voyage) you do have to unlock and open the compartment door to remove the gen cover and check the oil. You don't have to remove the outer door.

[willowmoss]

I have a 2008 33ft winnbago voyage.

[Indy Itasca]

Well I am at a loss. I don't know of any Winnie that you have to remove a door to get to the gen. Mine has a regular compartment door with a latch and I jsut open it and then pull the cover of the Onan to check the oil. Is there not latch or hinges on the door?

[willowmoss]

The RV bin cover opens fine, but the generator cover is extends beyond the RV cover opening, so can't open the generator cover (the length of the generator cover is longer than the RV compartment opening) without taking apart the RV. I tried today to take apart the RV but gave up. I can open the generator cover on one side, but other side is blocked by the RV opening

I also could not locate the spark arrestor, which seems to require cleaning every 50 hours. I am guessing that it is behind the cover also, but manual seems to suggest it can be accessed at bottom of the generator.

I feel that I am stupid as must be making it harder than it needs to be. Surely it is me, but I can't fiqure it out. My last resort is to take it to the dealer to have them service the generator. Hate to do this, but not sure what else to do. If they have to do what I think, it could take an effort to just open the generator cover.

Does anyone have a 2008 33ft Winnebago Voyage with a Onan 5500 HJAB model generator? Any insight would be appreciated. Will know next time when purchasing an RV to check ability to open generator cover. Who would have thought? Thanks.

[Indy Itasca]

Well hopefully someone with a 33 will come along here with words of wisdom. We have the 5500 Onan and the cover is a tight fit in the compartment. I have to pull the right side of the cover first and sort of pry the left off. It is just held by 2 spring catches. Our old coach the gen had two small levers that unlatched the cover. This one the cover just pulls off.
If your dealer isn't too far away I would take the coach over there and ask him to show you how to remove it. It should have been covered in their PDI with you at delivery time. I changed the oil and filter after 50 hrs but have never cleaned the spark arrest. Oil and filter are a snap to do. (Once you get the cover off)

[willowmoss]

I followed your reply and got the cover off!! Oil was fine. I also cleaned the spark arrestor after buying a "eight point" socket.

Am now moving on checking the leveler fluid, which is hard to locate. (turns out to be on the driver side and I could check the fluid, but would be hard to fill, if needed.

I got a set of RV quick shades last week and am headed to Florida next week to see impact of the oil blowout on the Emerald Coast, so want to inspect things before leaving. How that my rig is going on 3 years old, am more sensitive to checking fluids and pressures.

Thanks for your advice.

[Indy Itasca]

On ours the easiest way to check lever fluid is to put the living room slide out with the jacks in the up position. You can get to the reservoir tank. Do NOT check the level with jacks down and do not over fill the reservoir or you will have a mess to clean up. Don't ask how I know.

[willowmoss]

Thanks for the insight. My fluids were good and you suggestion was appreciated.

Hope you don't mind me asking, but do you have a tire pressure monitoring system? I have been reading about blow-outs. I put one in my toad which I can monitor in the coach, but now thinking about a system for the RV. My tires are dated 0107 and I have about 18000 miles criss-crossing Texas. After trip to Florida this month, am headed on our longest trek to S. Dakota. Tires and batteries seem to be ripe for many threads on forum.

Looks like we have the same toad. I have enjoyed mine, thus far. Glad I got a braking system installed - another safety issue. Also glad to have a camera to keep an eye on it while traveling. The only downside is that things break over time. Am getting used to throwing money at the RV and its gas tank.