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Old 07-06-2020, 04:50 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by garysfb View Post
We run the dash A/C until DW says it's getting hot. Then we start the Genny, and we leave the settings where we had them at our last CG. As mentioned before this also cools the rest of the coach down so it's comfortable when we get to our destination.

What we have debated about is whether or not to close the very back door to our closet to either seal in the heat from the Cummins or leave it open to help dissipate it and make the rear unit work harder. We have an F, that may make a difference, and the door isn't affected by the slides. Any thoughts?
Actually, it can't "work harder". The air conditioner compressor may run longer but it is working just as hard as it normally does.
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Old 07-06-2020, 06:32 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by Bigd9 View Post
Actually, it can't "work harder". The air conditioner compressor may run longer but it is working just as hard as it normally does.
Good point. Longer and harder are the same to my feeble mind

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Originally Posted by dave&ginny View Post
If you're running a coach down the road that cost well over $300,000 and you're worried about how much fuel the generator uses, you've made a big mistake. These coaches are made for comfort, not stretching pennies.
Excellent point! But growing up as a kid of depression kids it's sometimes hard to break old habits.
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Old 07-06-2020, 06:54 AM   #17
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So many variables. How hot is the outside temperature, which way is the sun facing? If shining on the windshield, the dash air needs help. The OEM dash AC compressor in the 14 since new barely kept up. After it was changed, it would freeze us out.

We did not purchase any of our DP's not to be comfortable while traveling. If we need to run the roof air, we do. If it cost .5 mile per gallon to go across NV desert and be comfortable, we run the roof air. We normally only run the front air while traveling, then switch the rear airs on 1/2 hour before stopping. Less pull on the generator saves a little fuel.
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Old 07-06-2020, 07:21 AM   #18
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It's the same subject that's been mentioned numerous times in the past. Chassis A/C or coach A/C's while traveling. What's your opinion? I just returned from a short 400+ miles trip. Going out I used the dash A/C, coming home I used the coach A/C's and this is what I found; the dash A/C worked fine in the front few feet but the rest of the coach was "hot" when we stopped to make lunch/coffee. Using the coach A/C coming home kept the entire coach cool but the genny ran the entire trip. Using the genny instead of the dash air didn't seem to have any appreciable effect on fuel mileage. I'm not sure how much diesel the genny used tho... We have come to the conclusion that the coach air and genny is more comfortable. What do you use?
My son has a diesel and he uses his gen while traveling. On our Coach I don not use the gen while traveling. 1 #. I don’t want to hear the noise as it is diesel. . #2. When we come to a rest area and want to fix some lunch, I crank up the generator. When we are ready to leave I shut the gen off and just use the dash air only. When I go back to use the bathroom it is warm but I don’t stay back their long. When we pull into a campground the first thing I do is plug in the electric and turn on the air. It works for us.
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Old 07-06-2020, 07:58 AM   #19
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I think it is a cross between the two. Depends upon what you want comfortable to be and the outside sun level with ambient temps. I have a third option. Run the rear maxxair to 'remove' heat build up from the cummins (less about pushing cold air and more about removing the hot, ala data center air flow ideas) and 'push' cold air from either genny/2(or zone 1 only) front roof AC or, if ambient outside allows, simply dash air. In general you get a front to back push of hot air out the back filled by incoming cool air from the front. I find that tends to make the back of the coach cooler after a long day.
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Old 07-06-2020, 08:03 AM   #20
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If you run the coach air while driving, you'll be much happier after you stop since you won't have a heat load to overcome before the rig cools down.
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Old 07-06-2020, 08:51 AM   #21
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....I just hit the generator stop button and the roof air conditioners go off.
Actually two problems doing that:

* the genny needs to run a bit without a load in order to cool down
* the transfer switch also needs to do its switching without a load
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Old 07-06-2020, 09:06 AM   #22
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The Driver above is on the money. If you read the manual for the Onan published by Onan, it says that you should do two things with the genny.... 1.) let it warm up a bit with no load before putting a load on it and then dont dump it all on at once, and 2.) when shutting down, remove the loads from the genny for several minutes for the genny to cool down with no or little load before shutting it down completely.

Frankly, I never did that on my Anthem and never had a problem. I have now started to do it on this Cornerstone simply because I had re-read the manual and noted their recommendation. The shutdown process of removing the loads I have to do by going inside and manually turning off the AC units. On the start side, it is not as much of a problem as if you have the VegaTouch system, the VegaTouch sequences the AC starts so there is a reasonable delay between each AC unit start so the load does not hit all at once.

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Old 07-06-2020, 09:15 AM   #23
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It depends on if you only have dash air or have dash + a back OTR air. Our current coach which we have owned for ten years has a dash air plus another over the road air conditioning system in the back. Our previous coach only had dash air. Our experience is that with the two systems 99% of the time that is sufficient. With dash only you mostly have to turn on generator and house air.

I prefer just using OTR air as it is quieter and less mechanical parts running.
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Old 07-06-2020, 09:29 AM   #24
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The Driver above is on the money. If you read the manual for the Onan published by Onan, it says that you should do two things with the genny.... 1.) let it warm up a bit with no load before putting a load on it and then dont dump it all on at once, and 2.) when shutting down, remove the loads from the genny for several minutes for the genny to cool down with no or little load before shutting it down completely.

Frankly, I never did that on my Anthem and never had a problem. I have now started to do it on this Cornerstone simply because I had re-read the manual and noted their recommendation. The shutdown process of removing the loads I have to do by going inside and manually turning off the AC units. On the start side, it is not as much of a problem as if you have the VegaTouch system, the VegaTouch sequences the AC starts so there is a reasonable delay between each AC unit start so the load does not hit all at once.

Gary
Gary you are correct about the recommendation to run generator for a few minutes at idle load before and after running the AC. However, the AGS system on my coach does not do that. Apparently somebody involved with the AGS implementation thinks it unnecessary to follow these procedures, which leaves me scratching my head. Although I generally follow the idle procedures, I have occasionally shut down the generator with AC's running, with no apparent ill effects. But I am bothered by this discrepancy.
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Old 07-06-2020, 11:39 AM   #25
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Marc....

I never did the delay with the Anthem in 3 years and never had a problem... However, after reading this specifically in the manual, I wanted to be able to answer a question honestly from Onan if I ever experience a problem.

I also dont understand the discrepancy..

I let my air cooled zero-turn radius lawn mower run with no load on it for ~ a minute or two after a John Deere mechanic, while in a general discussion, said something like "You know Gary, if people would just let their engines idle for a couple minutes before shutting them down, I'd have half the engine repairs I have now. They just don't" I heard him and changed my behavior. This might be similar.

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Old 07-06-2020, 06:15 PM   #26
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What I have done when driving in hot weather, and needing support from the coach A/C units is to use the 12V switch on the driver side panel to cut the 12V power, which will turn off the A/C units, then turn off the generator after letting it run for a few minutes, then turn the 12V back on.

If I need to turn the AC's back on to help the dash air, I just hit the 12V switch to the off position, start the Generator and let it run a few minutes, and flip back on the 12V power switch. The coach AC thermostat stays in the "on" position, and will only run if the generator is running while traveling.

This allows me to turn on and off the generator as needed for AC while traveling, and give 2-3 minutes the generator suggests before and after the AC is needed regarding load.

Not sure about the other loads on the generator while it is running while driving, and turning it on and off. My inverter in on while traveling to keep the refrigerator working mainly, so not sure if that load, and the chargers load on the generator is a problem?
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Old 07-06-2020, 06:32 PM   #27
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VERY creative, mwoodofd!
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Old 07-06-2020, 06:39 PM   #28
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When I had my boat, it did NOT have an automatic transfer switch. It DID have a manual transfer switch. So the procedure was, turn off all A/C units; turn on generator and allow to warm up; manually switch to ship power; turn on A/C units. My boat's A/Cs did not have a wall t-stat, just knobs on the A/Cs to regulate temperature. Of course, my MH has the auto transfer switch and a wall t-stat. I do follow the same basic procedure though... allow the genny to warm up and then switch on A/Cs. And reverse the methodology when switching to shore power.
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