Bounder: Generator barely turns over, Aux battery?

[Ronmocking]

We're working on restoring our family's 1990 bounder, and the generator is the project du jour. I replaced the chassis battery and spent plenty of time on the engine and everything is working fine there.

After the coach has been running and you shut it off, trying to start the generator leads to it turning over for a few seconds then it won't crank, it just has that dead battery sound.

My understanding is the generator is started off of the Aux battery. If I were to replace that, is there any particular battery I should get or is a good solid standard car/truck battery sufficient?

[Ronmocking]

It was definitely the Aux battery, pulled it to have it tested, it was 100% dead.

Replaced it, turns over fine but won't start. Probably need to replace the filter after sitting 10 years.

[wa8yxm]

The AUX batteries are the house batteries.. Now if all you have is one small one (Say a group 24) you basically do not have a battery worth replacing.

But if you have 2 or room for two Group 24's but a bit taller..I'd go with Golf Car Battries. GC-2. Six volt, two in series = 12 volts at 220 amp hours give or take a bit.. that's the "Standard" house battry for RV's designd to last overnight on battery.

While thy are DEEP cycle, not starting, the load the generator places on 'em when starting is .. well... Not much (Well within their ability)

heck considering my main 8.1L Vortec only uses a 78 Amp hour battery.. a "200%C/20" load on the starting battery = about a 50% C/20 on the house battries.

And that is a lot more engine than your generator has.
(C/20 refers to the amp hour capacity at the 20 hour rate).

In testing I suck 450 amps off my 220 amp hour GC-2s (the most I can suck) and they shrug it off.... That much current and the wires to your generator would flame on. I have to use my Ove Glove to handle the tester in fact. (yes it gets HOT).

[Gary RVRoamer]

If the genset hasn't been run in years, most likely the carb is gummed up with evaporated fuel residue.

Another common problem with old gensets is that the fuel line is cracked or collapsed with age. Sucks air or gets no fuel.

[Skip426]

To add to the above posts , the gen set , if gas or diesel , won't draw fuel from the tank if there is less than 1/4> 1/3 tank of fuel.
How much fuel is in the tank?

[mojoracing]

guarantee the carb is gummed. Easiest way is just getting a new carb. Very hard to get the old ones back up to snuff.