Community Forums

raysheppard1 · 10-31-2018, 12:10 AM

hi ,sorry i am new to the forum ,i have just brought a Chevrolet Itasca 1997 .the hand book i have is hard to understand,i am trying to start the generator but im having trouble .could you help thanks ray

yeloduster · 10-31-2018, 08:19 AM

Hello Ray, welcome to the world of RVing and to IRV2.

You didn't say if the generator won't start or that you can't find the start button. If you can't find the start switch the link below might help.

This link will take you to a webpage where you can download a manual for your specific motorhome.

Winnebago Industries Operator Manuals

I'm presuming that this is a more comprehensive manual then the one you already have.

My Onan generator needs to be PRIMED if it has not been used for a while. Mine primes by pressing on the STOP button for the generator for 30 sec. Yours may be different.

If you have found the start switch and using the switch doesn't start the generator then other things may be going on. First you need find your generator. It will be in a bay accessible from outside your coach. Once you have found it you can determine the brand and model. A search online for operator's manual for that brand and model should get you to a manual that will have starting instructions.

Hopefully this will get you started down the road to getting generator running.

MSHappyCampers · 10-31-2018, 02:01 PM

Hi !

Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Congrats on the new rig! I'm not familiar with the unit so can't help with the genny. Have fun and keep her between the ditches!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

raysheppard1 · 11-04-2018, 01:22 AM

hi ,thank you for your help ,but i think the generator has had it,my truck only gets power to it when i plugin the mains electrics,i dont understand the starting of the generator is it by 12volts also does it run on gas ,i first need to get the 12volts sorted out.

i think its a fuse in the engine bay but i haven't found the fuse board ,ive check the box with the solenoid and the is ok, thanks again ray.

yeloduster · 11-04-2018, 06:59 AM

Good morning Ray,

A little information first:

Think of your motorhome as 2 distinct things that are hooked together. One is a truck that has all the required elements of a truck such as engine transmission...etc including a battery just like your car. The other is a house and like the house you live in it has its own source of energy, the generator OR hooking to 120V AC with the power cord. Electrically, where the motorhome house differs from you home is that it has batteries to provide lighting and electricity for other uses.

Your generator set has a gasoline engine that turns an electric generator to provide 120V AC power to your motorhome.

With the a few exceptions such as Roof Air Conditioners and the Microwave oven everything in the motorhome runs on 12V DC. When you run your generator or plug into outside 120V AC that power is converted to 12V DC by a unit called a converter. It has 120V AC input and 12V DC output.

Your motorhome has two battery systems. One for the truck and another for the house. These systems are separate entities.

I presume that the truck part of your motorhome starts and runs OK. This indicates that the truck battery is there and getting charged.

For the generator to start you need house batteries that are charged. Your motorhome probably has 2 batteries that connect together to provide 12V DC.

Let's start with a question, if the motorhome is not connected to an outside power source with the 120V AC power cord and the truck engine is not running, do the interior lights work?

Figure that out then get back to us and we can proceed depending upon the answer to the question.

bigchick · 11-04-2018, 08:30 AM

when you say it does not start, what does not start? by that i mean if you press the start switch does the generator motor turn over (like it is trying to start) or is it silent? you made a statement that you can only get power to it when hooked up to shore power. that would imply that the power that gets to the generator is being supplied by the converter and not from the batteries. but it would also imply that you do not have a fuse problem as power goes from the converter to the battery posts to the generator. but the converter may not be supplying enough amps to actually start the generator. based on this it sounds as if the batteries are dead (or real low). is there any way to take a voltage measurement of the batteries to see where they are?

Mr_D · 11-04-2018, 08:37 AM

Looks like you have gotten some good troubleshooting info to get you started (no pun intended). Please let us know your progress.

Solo_RV_Guy · 11-04-2018, 08:57 AM

Hi Ray, and welcome to the IRV2 forums; lots of helpful folks here.

I understand your frustration and troubleshooting 12v problems in an RV are like auto electrical - so simple in concept but somehow turned into diabolical, impossible to fathom problems when things don't work. That's the bad news. The good news is the folks here who can help!

First it helps if you can provide as much information as you can - the model of your Itasca, the brand and model of your generator (genny), whether or not any of your other 12v stuff works in the 'house' (the interior lights are an easy thing to check with) when not plugged into the 'shore power'.

As others have asked, what do you mean by "won't start?" The genny cranks but won't run? Nothing at all happens? Those problems have different causes. In the former, it means you have a fuel or ignition problem and if your Itasca hasn't been used for a few months one of the possible problems is a gummed up carburetor (with many Onan generators that means replacing the carb, around $300, more or less depending on the model). Some models can be successfully rebuilt for less $$. Other possibilities include low gas tank level - the pick up tube for the genny doesn't go to the bottom of your gas tank (about 1/4 from the bottom is typical) so you can't run the tank dry and not be able to drive your RV; another is a clogged genny fuel filter.

If the generator motor doesn't crank at all - it's a 12v electrical problem as in most RV designs the genny starter is powered by the "house" 12v system. If those batteries are dead or failing you won't have lights inside the house, the generator won't crank, and your RV refrigerator won't work (the controls run on 12v even if the cooling is on propane or 120v). If you leave your Itasca plugged into shore power over night, then disconnect it, do you still have interior house lights working or do they quit when you unplug? If the latter, it means either your house batteries are bad or your convertor/charger is bad. We can help with that once we know how things behave.

So to help you further we'll need to know about the status of the 12v house battery system and what symptoms of "won't start" you're referring to.

Tha_Rooster · 11-04-2018, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raysheppard1

hi ,thank you for your help ,but i think the generator has had it,my truck only gets power to it when i plugin the mains electrics,i dont understand the starting of the generator is it by 12volts also does it run on gas ,i first need to get the 12volts sorted out.

i think its a fuse in the engine bay but i haven't found the fuse board ,ive check the box with the solenoid and the is ok, thanks again ray.

Mine had batteries under steps, and yes it runs on the same gas the 454 runs on. It also needs at least 1/4 tank of gas to start.

bigchick · 11-05-2018, 05:56 AM

yes, your generator needs 12 volts both to start and to continue running. typically the batteries would provide power to start it and run it for the first couple of minutes. once it start making 110 vc output power this would feed the converter which will recharge the batteries as they continue to provide 12vdc that the generator needs to continue running.

i doubt that there is a fuse involved. more than likely a resettable 12 circuit breaker. mine is 100 amp as the amperage needed to start the generator is pretty large.

one thing you could do is to use a set of jumper cables between the 12 volt terminals on the generator and a car battery. this would provide 12 volt power to the generator. if it starts under this set up it says the generator is ok and your problem is indeed the 12 system.