LP 2500 Generator- Cummins Onan

[EnduroRdr]

Originally Posted by SteveJ

I did replace mine, but not with an Onan.


Two big trips in a row the Onan failed.

Strike one:
First time, fuel pump. I re-engineered an after market pump to the outside of the genny.

Strike two:
The regulator failed. This had been a neglected genny, it was on it's third carburetor with only 150 hours on it, from previous owner. I replaced regulator, found the brush ring at the high end for resistance. I didassembled the genny to clean this up. I also replaced a bad ($$$)muffler.

Strike three:
The carburetor was messed up from having to sit without being able to run it for too long. (It had failed a few days into the second three month trip).

Three strikes was enough for me.

95% of the time I have a trailer in tow behind me with a motorcycle in it. I obtained a nice, quiet, and sofar, reliable Champion genny with a key fob for remote start. They run about $800 and are much quieter than that POS Onan ever thought of being. The only hassle, and it's not insignificant, is fueling it. But remember that re-engineered fuel pump for the Onan? I simply wired up a trailer light connector to it for power and picked up enough fuel line to run to the genny that I keep coiled up in the rear storage compartment on the Versatile 200. I also installed a small ball valve toward the end of it and insert a plug to minimize the possibility of a gas leak.

To fill the genny, I extend the fuel hose, plug in the connector, turn on the parking lights then open the ball valve. Yes it's a bit of a hassle but that Onan was a huge hassle, what with the breakdowns. I had almost as much in parts in that Onan as I spent on a new genny with U.S. based support and a wide dealer network. I've had it for about a year and a half or two and it has been trouble free.

Maintenance on this genny is a whole lot easier to access.

I do shut off the fuel and run it dry before I move somewhere else.

I did mount it to one of those receiver hitch carriers for one kinda short trip. It takes about fifteen minutes to move from the trailer to that carrier and strap it down. I can barely hear the genny run with the A/C on and I have the luxury to unhook the trailer and be up to 50' feet from it, but there really is no need. The key fob has an alleged range of "up to" 80'.

As a bonus to all this, the area where the Onan was has been re-purposed as a battery carrier. Room for a lot more battery capacity should I find the need.

The old Onan is currently in Minnesota at a brother's house. He and another brother also own older Roadtreks and still have their(problematic) Onan gennies. The Onan will remain there to be cannibalized as required.


Summing up, yes, there are trade offs but I am glad I went the direction that I did.

Agreed:
I’d do the same thing , and I the process get a quieter generator!!!!!

[camerondsturgess]

The last time I dropped the onan from the airstream I applied dynamat sound deadening and a resonator. Neither helped with the reliability but it did make it notably quieter. Similar to what a Honda sounds like out of the box

According to the onan service rep once onan had very little competition their quality and reliability went down while their price and refusal to honor warranty claims went up. For the same money as an onan you can get some awesome lithium batteries from battle born. Add some solar panels. It’s quiet and free energy that always works.

Or

Try to fix the onan for the Nth time In my case I stopped when N= 3 and said enough.

[Zia]

Dump the Generator.

Had the same issue, and hated the pain of the generator (noise, etc.).

Buy a nice invertor and a few Lithium batteries and you will be fine !

[Joe]

I been blasted in the past for saying this. Onan generators are junk. I have a Class B with an Onan 2800 gasoline gen. If its not one thing its another. I have put over $2000.00 Probibly closer to $3000.00 into it over the years. I run it every month for an hour or so under load. I have put a carberator, full pump, oil sencer switch, windings, stator and others things. My buddy has a Geranac and never does a think to it. It starts and runs fine. Just wrote in for advise a few days ago because having trouble again. Might have worked it out but with an Onan who knows.

[alaskadac]

Not at all impressed with any I have had. Carburetor problems, mother board problems. Hard starting. Etc. Exercised or not. The industry should build motor homes with a lockable compartment for a removable generator. I also had problems with the Champion 3 KW portable I own. Too bad that no one makes a light weight 3 kw unit that will run a roof AC. Don

[hbn7hj]

As I understand it both the Honda and Yamaha 3kw units will run a roof A/C with an EasyStart installed and maybe without.

[KennyG]

FRom what I've seen, Champion also makes dual fuel gas/propane portable inverter generators in the roughly 3KW size, just FYI.

[EnduroRdr]

Originally Posted by hbn7hj

As I understand it both the Honda and Yamaha 3kw units will run a roof A/C with an EasyStart installed and maybe without.

Yes, I can actually run my 15k btu dometic rooftop on Yamaha 2600 (which is not an inverter quiet camp friendly model).

I installed the easy start kit and tried it on my Honda 2000.
It starts ok. But with just my a/c and one interior light on and the 12 converter load built into my power panel, my trailer is pulling right at 13/14 amps on the 115v plug.

So the Honda (which is rated at max 13 point something amps running and 16 amps starting) shuts off after 20 min on overload.
I bet the newer Honda 2200 would work for me or maybe a new Yamaha inverter 2400.

But the heavier Honda 3000 or the much cheaper harbor freight predator 3500 can definitely both run one 15k BTU a/c, and basic lights, tv etc. (you would probably have to shut a/c while using microwave)
They’re just a beast to move around loading/unloading at around 100lbs.