Community Forums

stanleyz · 05-19-2013, 08:34 AM

Hi, I thought I posted this yesterday but can't find it. I am of course new on here and a little lost on the forums. Any how, I have aquired (legally, I might add) an Onan 5.5 gen set. That happens to be the one the factory installs in the front of the Mobile suites. It is gas fueled. I was gonna convert to LPG but the fuel use looks like gas is a better choice. However, I would like to avoid the fireball option. So anyone who has experience with gas genset in a 5er please comment. What type tank and where did you install it?

Also, any help on wiring would be appreciated. I'm thinking some sort of manual A/B switch for the shore power/gen set and a remote start in the bedroom. But, I am open to suggestions so please fell free to suggest.

Thanks in advance for the help. And please don't deluge me with how good the Honda remotes are. I have two of those and I know they come with their own set of agravations.

01zeosix · 05-20-2013, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanleyz

...The one the factory installs in the front of the Mobile suites. It is gas fueled. Also, any help on wiring would be appreciated.

Hi Stanley-

Last year at the IRV National Rally in Tennessee, I had the fortune to park next to a Mobile Suites owner that had a 2004 with a gas Onan generator. I spent a little time with him talking about the installation.

His generator was connected to a "transfer switch" that switched the power based upon what source the unit was using (shore power or generator).

The gas "tank" was located on the curb side of the unit up front next to the genset in an isolated "box". The gasoline filler was on the curbside behine a small door (like your's on the driver's side).

I cannot remember for certain but, I ~think~ the genset exhaust was through the bottom of the unit and out the roadside.

The owner was from Ohio and kept the unit stored in one of those "outside" metal roof covers. Looked brand new. He said he detailed the outside twice a year before his two annual trips.

The owner said he used the genset whenever he would lose power at his S&B, as well as when boondocking. H also said he would turn it on an hour or so before he parked for the night (while traveling) to cool the rig down.

He ran it for me, as I am the curious type and have considered ditching my Honda 3000 sometime. I can say that it was very quiet. He also said the gasoline consumption was very manageable.

Hope this helps with your "Suh-Weet". Love mine.

Pullin' Chocks · 05-20-2013, 05:39 PM

we have a 4kW gasoline Onan mounted mid ship in our 5th wheel. has a 30 gallon ECI tank mounted aft of the gen set. remote start on gen set, auto transfer switch to choose between shore or generator. the ECI tank comes with all the hardware to filter & mount it. ECI Fuel Systems | 30 Gallon Square Gasoline Under Chassis Fuel System

Roam America · 05-20-2013, 07:48 PM

doing what you want requires that the cabinet be lined with metal to retard fire spread and the bottom must be able to flow air thru the cabinet. you will need vents on the cabinet door. If you rig has a generator prep package, all of that may already be there.

you'll also struggle with, what most of us 5er owners with generator struggle with, is the exhaust. yes they do exit on the curb side which usually puts it right under a bedroom window. unless absolutely necessary, I will not run the genny overnight. if I need to, I always carry a larger diameter fence pipe to extend the exhaust another 6 feet from the coach.

jpharley · 05-21-2013, 08:26 AM

We just had a Cummins Onan 5500 propane generator installed in our 5th wheel. It is enclosed and insulated in a generator box. There are several holes that had to be cut through the bottom of the generator compartment because it exhausts that way and that is how you get to the oil filter. Also a transfer switch was installed and we had a remote start/stop switch installed inside the RV. This was a 2.5 day process to have it installed as we did not have any generator prep beforehand. It is surprisingly quiet. Just make sure you have a CO monitor installed in your bedroom because they usually exhaust on the street side below the bedroom area.

stanleyz · 05-23-2013, 08:15 AM

Thanks to y'all for some valuable info. I'm down on the gulf coast right now but should be back home by mid-June. I will then begin working on this project full time (well, between golf games). I think I now have a pretty good idea what I need to do. But, please continue to add comments you think I could use.

Right now my first hurdle will be to determine if I need to reinforce the floor in the basement where the gen-set will be mounted. It feels pretty solid but I do have to cut some pretty big holes in it. Absent any information to the contrary I think I will add a couple side to side L or U shaped steel supports. Thanks again for your help.