Community Forums

w3ozwizard · 05-13-2015, 06:54 AM

I just purchased a used class C MH. This is the first RV with a built in generator. The meter in the MH says it has 700 hours run time on the generator. Is that considered High, Low, or what?

Bad Bolt · 05-13-2015, 07:08 AM

Gas, propane, diesel?

I base a generator's condition on how well it starts, run, consumes oil. All things you can check. You just never can tell how well the previous owner treated and maintained the unit.

My brother in law is a device killing machine. I mean the guy is just a wrecker of equipment because he just does not have the pride of ownership with things and just thinks it will all be OK...

I have a saying about him. "...he does not use things, he uses things up..."

I've personally witnessed him destroy two riding and one push mower in two years.

Condition if very subjective

If your unit starts every time, does not overheat or burn oil much, you're good for the most part.

anav8or · 05-13-2015, 12:25 PM

What year is the motorhome? That 700 hours doesn't mean much on its own. The thing about generators is that they need to be run under load regularly to keep them happy.

I try to run the Onan diesel Genny on our coach at least once a month.

TCHB · 05-13-2015, 04:12 PM

If the generator is maintained and run at least once a month 700 hours is not big deal. The key is to run it and change the oil. If you do this they will go along time. We have a friend with one over 2500 hours and it still runs great.

JoeT · 05-16-2015, 06:19 AM

My concern would be too few hours rather than to many. Onan maintenance requires the generator to be run under load monthly for two hours. So you're looking at a minimum of 24 hours per year.

Mr. A · 06-23-2015, 06:21 AM

I just picked up a 2003 with 17K and only 80 hrs on the Onan 4K. Cleaned the carb and changed the oil. Runs good, but I agree the more they set the more harder they are to get started. With ethanol blend fuels this will be more of an issue.

twinboat · 06-23-2015, 07:19 AM

I picked up my 1999 MH, last year with 6 hours on the generator.

It now has 275, problem free hours. I did change the oil once.

They say sitting is bad, but with 6 hours, mine sat alot, in 15 years.

Everything is a crap shoot, with this stuff.

w3ozwizard · 06-23-2015, 08:35 PM

Thanks everyone for your reply. I do run it every month and it starts right up and I run it for at lest a half hour. My last MH had a 4K Honda in it and I never had any issues with it for the 9 years we had it. That particular MH did not have a dial to tell me how many hours I had on it, but I used it so much that I am quite sure there were many. Thanks.

cb1000rider · 06-23-2015, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by w3ozwizard

I just purchased a used class C MH. This is the first RV with a built in generator. The meter in the MH says it has 700 hours run time on the generator. Is that considered High, Low, or what?

Meh. For a gas generator, I'd consider that mid-time. Does it start? Make sure it doesn't leak oil and you're good. I assume it's Onan.

The "catch" is that usually around 500 hours, the Onan manual says the head should be removed and de-carboned. That's a lot of maintenance and I've yet run into any gas RV where they had it done. Course, they can obviously run well beyond that without it.

Which generator is it?