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Old 02-21-2019, 05:27 PM   #57
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I have always had a generator in any RV that I owned. When I went through Needles California in the middle of the summer and had to stop for a problem with the RV, the electricity in town was out. I guess it was so hot everybody was using their swamp coolers and blew circuits or something. Anyway I had my generator and my air conditioner in my RV and I may have been the only comfortable person in town. Carolyn
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Old 02-21-2019, 06:24 PM   #58
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If you are a do-it-yourselfer, check the error code and google it. You can buy a new fuel pump on Amazon for 40 bucks and it might take 10 minutes to R&R it. The fuel pump contains an internal switch, forgot what they call it, that when it heats up it cuts off the pump. Don't be fooled by it pumping fuel into a jar when cold. This happened to me so I took it to a local RV and big truck repair shop. He warned me at the start that his rate was $137 per hour working on RV's. I agreed to it. When I picked it up he said that they had let it run nearly all day to be sure it was OK. Then presented me with a $900+ bill. Guess he had a floor sweeper sitting in a chair all day listening to the generator run at $137/hr.. I had already priced the pump on-line and the only thing they found wrong was the PUMP!. Materials were.....$40.
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Old 02-21-2019, 06:31 PM   #59
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Is an RV generator worth it?

If your generator will only run with the start button held down check the units voltage regulator. I had the same problem I replaced the regulator problem fixed!
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Old 02-21-2019, 06:41 PM   #60
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Is an RV generator worth it?

I don't know how handy you are with tools but, it's not that hard to drop a generator, a few bolts, gas line, It might be that you can drop it down and look for damaged wires yourself. I used to have trouble with a generator in my last class A, I went and bought a Yamaha 3600 electric start generator. The Yamaha guy gave me a good price on it because a race team came into town over the weekend prior and he loaned them about 3 generators, he does that every year, and then marks them down for sale. So that said, I can run everything on my RV with it. You can usually find a similar generator for half that price at a Harbor Freight store. they have some that are comparable to the Honda brand.
All that is just for you to consider. I see your name is related to Biker so I assume you ride bikes. Do you do your own oil changes etc on them? There's not a lot of difference other than where it's mounted. ON my class A I can get under the RV and almost sit up under it in some places. If you get a helper, you should be able to get a floor jack or transmission hack under the generator, loosen the bolts and lower it down. There is a possibility you could just get under it and crawl around and look for any damaged or disconnected wires. It might be a simple fix. Hope I gave you some sort of help.
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Old 02-21-2019, 08:08 PM   #61
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Tough decision

Quote:
Originally Posted by bikerv1369 View Post
My RV has an Onan Microlite 4000 generator that has been well maintained. It now starts but stops running as soon as I release the Start button. My mechanic identifies the problem as electrical and mostly likely due to wires being chewed by a rat or mouse. To fix the problem he says he'll need to drop the generator out of the RV to get access to all the wiring and check for other damage, and I suspect the work won't be fast or cheap.

In the interim, I can run my inverter with the RV engine idling and get the same power I get from the generator. At idle, my Ford E350 Triton V10 burns about 0.7gph, while running the generator burns about 0.5gph. At $3/gallon for gas, that extra 0.2 gallons costs me 60 cents per hour. BUT... for every 150 hours of generator usage I pay Camping World $150 for a generator service - which means NOT running the generator saves me $1 per hour in maintenance. In other words, looking only at these factors, it is 40 cents an hour cheaper for me to run the inverter with the engine idling than it is to run the generator. And for what it's worth, the RV engine runs quieter than the generator, and its exhaust is less of a nuisance. So my question is:

IS AN RV GENERATOR WORTH IT?

The replacement cost for my generator is over $3,000. And if the RV didn't have a working generator it would lose a lot of resale value, so that alone justifies going forward with repairs. But other than that, once it's repaired:

WHY RUN THE GENERATOR IF RUNNING THE INVERTER WITH THE ENGINE IDLING COSTS LESS PER HOUR?

One response I'd expect is that running the engine has a maintenance cost too, but at $75 per WalMart oil change every 3 months or 3,000 miles regardless, I'm not sure the incremental wear and tear would even be measurable.

WHAT AM I MISSING HERE?
You’re not missing anything. It’s a perfectly honest question to ask given the accessibility and efficiency of let’s say a Honda 2000 generator. Weighs a lot less than your Onan and even with the extended tank w/fuel - you would still be ahead of the game.

To illustrate my point, we have a 1999 Bigfoot 3000 with just about everything you can imagine including a propane generator. The generator has 11 hours on it and it is a 1999 model. In my mind it was well worth the additional monies to have it on the OEM. Obviously we haven’t used it much in the ensuing 20 years. I did however purchase a Honda 2000 and take it everywhere I go. It’s quieter, allows for the propane to run the heater and stove, when I need them and has been flawless in its operation. So too has the Onan generator, I really don’t have a defense for not having a generator on board. Sometimes it’s just inconvenient to pull out the external generator for that quick lunch, dinner, whatever you do when you pull off the side of the road. To that end, I have always over built, over planned, and always have back ups-you might want to factor that into this discussion. I have never been anywhere, experienced any difficulty, that I have not been prepared well in advance.

We are in the process of looking at a View 24D, with the propane generator, and I really don’t know what the reason for the generator, other than as you say resale value. Obviously we don’t need it/didn’t need it with the BigFoot. The diesel generator, which I was set to buy on the recommendation of the sales folks, affected both my wife’s lungs and mine. Therefore it would’ve become a boat anchor in very short order. Hence the fall back to the propane generator (LP). One additional point, as we get older-it may not be convenient to lug around a 75 to 100 pound generator, rather than having an onboard generator which you can start up with a button. Everything has a trade off.

I still question why people look at RVs and worry about the resale value. Once it goes off the lot, take off at immediate 50%. We kept our last one for 20 years, and our next RV will be our last RV-because I’ll be dead and won’t care about resale value. Let the attorney deal with that nonsense. Unless Cindy finds a new boyfriend, she’s not gonna want to drive it around. There’s that boyfriend factor though, who knows what young ladies think, she just said “do like Dixie chicks and drive around with my girlfriends“ - go figure. That’s reason enough for the 24D.

Do what you want that will fulfill whatever requirements You have. One way or another you’re going to need external power, and sometimes the inverter just won’t hack it. Personally I wouldn’t go anywhere without an extra generator, but then I like going off grid. There are many more experts on this board that will offer you more “educated” opinions. With experience comes education, and perhaps you would want to weigh that in your decision.

Enjoy the process of making a decision. Your thought process seems to be driven by cost factor rather than convenience. If that’s the case, why are you in an RV? These are just as boats, basically a hole that you throw money into. Do what you can afford comfortably and not a nickel more. Do not go into debt, do not eliminate your retirement, do not put yourself in financial distress just because you want an RV. If you cannot afford it, don’t do it. If you can, go drive the heck out of the RV, go wherever you want and have a great time! !
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Old 02-21-2019, 08:29 PM   #62
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EdInArk View Post
I almost wish the generator did not use the RV fuel system for gas for this reason. All my other carbureted equipment gets ethanol-free fuel, but it's just not practical to use it in the RV. I do run the generator an hour or so every month trying to keep it from jelling on us.
I have heard the term 'gelling' - associated with diesel fuel. For gasoline (especially with ethanol added) - you are more likely to have 'varnishing' of tiny orifices and limited clearance items in a carburetor. As you said - starting and running the generator every month is a great way to keep it running properly. Putting in fuel additives is cheap insurance. Adding fuel stabilizer is another.

I had a small portable generator that had not be run for 1 year...and it didn't want to run. I drained the gas and filled it with fresh gas - and added 'Mechanic in a Bottle' to the gas tank. Then I turned it over and got it running by spraying ether in the carburetor. After getting it to run ...roughly at first, and gas started flowing from the tank, it 'smoothed out'. I let it run for 2 hours under load - then shut the gas supply valve off and let the engine shutdown on loss of fuel. The next time I tried to start it...a month later - it started right up.
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Old 02-22-2019, 06:33 AM   #63
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Yep = get another opinion - or a third - doesn't sound like wiring.
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Old 02-22-2019, 07:03 AM   #64
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RV generator

Yes it’s worth having a Generator you might want to look around for a new mechanic. My first MH was a gas coach i was told that it was going to take 7-8 hr to remove the Generator plus the repairs after talking to a friend that works on RV’s I had the Generator out in 45 minutes and the part to repair was about 6.00 so look around you might save your self a lot of money.
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Old 02-22-2019, 07:45 AM   #65
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Check for a ceramic resistor near the coil, if it's open that is the problem.
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Old 02-22-2019, 07:57 AM   #66
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Generator

One of the reason of owning a RV is to have a generator. The generator is your power supply when you lose utility power like in a hurricane. The RV is your mobile generator. The generator in your rv is your insurance policy if things get rough due to weather or other issues. The generator runs a air conditioner if your house system goes down, the list of ways to use the generator is long. Learn to repair your rv yourself, it is not that difficult. Generators originally were not attached to every safety feature known to man, you had low oil and overheat safety and that was it. Find away to bypass starting switch in RV and start gen set right at the generator. Always know how to start your generator outside of the system built into the RV, look at it like it separate engine that does not require a key to start. I was from a commercial fishing family and we had multi generators on our boats many could be started from the bridge but if that went down we knew how to start those generators at the generator. Good luck.
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Old 02-22-2019, 08:02 AM   #67
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I think you either need another mechanic...or go through YOU TUBE or surely plenty of trouble shooting guides on line for that symptom. A flash light and peeking around may identify your problem. I Would see if your getting any spark.....if so spray a very small amount of Starting fluid near the intake filter. If it wants to fire or start then???? You may have a fuel issue....low oil pressure switch issue. Another thing with Generators is...they won't start or run...if your fuel tank is below 1/2 or 1/4 full. It is designed that way were your generator does not use all the fuel in your RV tank and strand you in the boon docks. Good Luck! Just follow the standard Trouble Shooting charts....you will say....That is not to bad. I saw a you tube video...where a guy replaced starter switch...carburetor....starter and Electric control panel, Then bought a harbor Frieght Generator. LITTLE DID HE KNOW....??? His problem was not enough full in his fuel tank.
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Old 02-22-2019, 08:11 AM   #68
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alpenlite29 View Post
Another thing with Generators is...they won't start or run...if your fuel tank is below 1/2 or 1/4 full. It is designed that way were your generator does not use all the fuel in your RV tank and strand you in the boon docks.
I forgot all about that. And so did my FIL, or he never knew it, and the gasoline gen set in his new to him Class C shut off. MIL was NOT happy.
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Old 02-22-2019, 08:15 AM   #69
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Genny only draws fuel down to a quarter tank. So if tank gets close to that, it may shut down a little sooner or later. But good to be aware.
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Old 02-22-2019, 11:05 AM   #70
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We boondock a lot, 90% of the time. Nat'l/State Parks more often then not there's no shore power so count on our genset to keep batteries up.....30-45 minute run a day. Fortunate in that although our Winnie's a diesel, gen runs on propane & is very economical in that regard. Would go solar but frequently are in shaded areas so gen's a must. Swear buy a generator & when it comes to resale it's a negative to not have n operable one.
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