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03-22-2013, 08:24 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 8
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Diesel Generator Question
I am shopping for a used diesel pusher motor home. I looked at a 2002 Holiday Rambler yesterday with 28000 miles on it. It is very clean inside and outside, but the 7500 watt Onan diesel generator has 2415 hours on it. Is this something that I should be concerned about, or does such a generator have a lot of remaining life. I know that if it were a gasoline powered unit, I would have reservations, but do not have any experience or knowledge about diesel generators. Please share your knowledge and experience with me. Thanks.
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03-22-2013, 08:39 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Country Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,754
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Read in one of the motorhome magazines about a Onan with 25,000 hours on it.
It does seem like a lot of hours for a 11 year old coach with so few miles on it.
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03-22-2013, 08:46 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Freeport, ME
Posts: 4,707
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I would not worry about that few of hours on the generator. Sounds like a motorhome that has been dry camped a lot. NASCAR fans drive to races and park there mh at the track and run their generators all weekend. I drive mine to the drag races and park it in the pits next to the car and run the generator all weekend. Those Onan diesels will run for many hours
__________________
Mike Canter
"Gunner" USN Retired, Airdale
2004 Monaco Signature 44' Conquest. Detroit 60
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03-22-2013, 08:49 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 284
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I would be more concerned if it had too few hours than to many. That Gen should run carefree for thousands of hours as long as it is run regularly and the proper maintenance has been preformed.
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03-22-2013, 08:57 PM
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#5
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Registered User
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Varies Depending on The Weather
Posts: 8,517
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I would trust a generator that has a couple of thousand hours on it versus a couple of hundred hours. If you don't run them or use them, chances are when you really need it, it won't run at all. Then it's off to the Cummins/Onan center for an extensive repair bill.
Dr4Film ----- Richard
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03-22-2013, 10:22 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 162
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From my understanding those hours are equivalent to about 96000 miles. 40 miles per hour. So that's not that bad on a Diesel engine.
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03-22-2013, 10:32 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Rainbow Riding
Posts: 18,574
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Unless my math is fuzzy - the generator has been run an average of 20 hours a month for 10 years. General maintenance requirement is 1 hour run time a month I believe. If properly maintained / serviced I would say it's like new at 2,400 hours and at the same rate of use and proper service will perform for many, many years. Just my guess.
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Steve & Annie (RVM2)
2008 Fleetwood Bounder 38F ~ 325 ISB Turbo ~ Freightliner XC 2014 CR-V ~ Invisibrake / Sterling All Terrain
Sioux Falls, SD (FullTime Since Nov 5th 2014)
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03-22-2013, 11:09 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: St. Augustine, FL
Posts: 3,595
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I would have more concern about the low engine use with only about 2800 miles per year than the hours on the generator.
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KIX
'02 Ultimate Advantage 40J Spartan MM - Cummins ISC
2013 Jeep Rubicon JK Unlimited
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03-23-2013, 06:46 AM
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#9
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Moderator Emeritus
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Bryan, TX when not traveling.
Posts: 22,945
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I would worry more about low hours and non-use of the generator. 2500 hours is not excessive. Just have the dealer pull a full service on the coach changing all fluids and filters.
Ken
__________________
Amateur Radio Operator (KE5DFR)|No Longer Full-Time! - 2023 Cougar 22MLS toted by 2022 F150, 3.5L EcoBoost Tow Max FX4 Lariat Travel with one Standard Schnauzer and one small Timneh African Gray Parrot, retired mechanical engineer
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03-23-2013, 08:19 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Weston, Fl.
Posts: 916
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TXiceman
I would worry more about low hours and non-use of the generator. 2500 hours is not excessive. Just have the dealer pull a full service on the coach changing all fluids and filters.
Ken
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X-2. The generator will not be the problem. As previously stated, the coach is your concern. Do you homework and get ALL the fluids, filters changed, a good chassis inspection and of course, really check the tires if they are getting to end of their useful service life. Good luck
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2003 Newmar Kountry Star 3905, Freightliner XC chassis with CAT 330. Winnie the black lab, pretty Airbus captain wife, retired airline pilot with 11 grandkids. UH-1 pilot (Huey) U.S. Army 1967-1983. RVN 68-69. Northern Idaho my summer home.
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03-23-2013, 12:36 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 1,195
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if you talk to an shop that specializes in generators, they'll tell you the #1 source of rebuilds are low hour generators not run enough and/or not maintained. Pro race teams have generators they run 2-3,000 hours a year and if they rebuild a unit after 15,000 hours or so, it's more of a "heck, I suppose we just ought to over the off season" rather than due to failure.
Steve
__________________
The Green Machine -- 2000 Mountain High Coachworks Summit (Spartan chassis / Cummins ISC)
...and F-Troop: Fearghus, Fiona, and Frankie (Cairn Terriers)
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03-23-2013, 01:39 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 154
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My diesel generator is liquid cooled whereas most gas generators are air cooled, so the diesels run much cooler, plus a diesel just lasts much longer when properly maintained. Keep in mind too that for the most part they are like a tractor engine where they start and run at a constant speed unlike a street engine that has a lot of stop and go and idling. That also contributes to them lasting much longer.
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2013 Thor Palazzo 33.2
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03-23-2013, 04:58 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 371
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It is unlikely you will ever wear it out if properly maintained.
__________________
'92 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager. Tweaked 5.9 Cummins, complete interior makeover (previous owner).
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