^^^ ) Also if it's hot we'll turn on the generator and A/C about 30 minutes before we stop for the night.NY_Dutch said:Absolutely! We do it whenever we need it for additional A/C cooling, etc.
Absolutely, Yesterday I was at the tire dealer getting new tires on the front. As soon as I was out of the bay I started the generator and turned on the roof AC.rachpyne said:We have a MH, can we run generator while we are driving?
Mine too. I think we have the same coach 37F, except Winnebago slapped Itasca on yours as it went out the door.JoelP said:Not only can you, run it while driving, but some RVs like mine have an extra switch to start it and stop it up front that you can reach while driving.
JoelP said:Not only can you, run it while driving, but some RVs like mine have an extra switch to start it and stop it up front that you can reach while driving. While it is essential to start it for 20-30 minutes each month to keep the brushes in condition it is also a good idea to not start it for a few minutes and turn it off before running it a while. I have read that this puts wear and tear on the generator more than running it until it is well warmed up.
kdbgoat said:The manual for mine (Onan 4kw KY model) recommends running 2 hours under at least half load every month. Also it is a good idea to turn off your main breaker to allow the generator to warm up a couple of minutes before loading, and then allow it to cool down a couple of minutes with no load before you shut it down.
This spring when I was at the FMCA rally in Chandler AZ. I was talking to the Cummins/Onan reps about that. There reply was that they had increased the "exercise" time under at least 1/2 load to 2 hours monthly because of the gas that has ethanol (on gas units) and to be shure to get moisture out of the windings on the generator. They also commented that as many as 70% of the units that came in for repair the problem could be attributed to not exercising the unit properly.JoelP said:I once had to replace the brushes because I was lax in running it each month. It was explained to me that an oxide formed on the carbon that needed to be scrubbed. While I can imaging that 30 minutes would service this purpose I have to wonder why Onan would recommend as much as 2 hours. Any thoughts on that? IN 30 minutes I have to think that every part of the generator will be at the same temperature as it would be in an hour or longer.
To further add to the info posted by WILDEBILL308 concerning ethanol, our previous mh was gas and had the Onan gas genie so we can relate to the potential ethanol issue. About halfway through each camping season, I would add (3) 16oz cans of "Sea Foam" fuel additive/conditioner to the 75 gal tank. I then added same amount to the tank a second time and before shutting down for the winter,drove 20-30 miles with the genie running so it would mix with the gas. Never has a problem and it started right up in the spring. Also use this stuff in all of our lawn/garden motors and boats when I had them.WILDEBILL308 said:This spring when I was at the FMCA rally in Chandler AZ. I was talking to the Cummins/Onan reps about that. There reply was that they had increased the "exercise" time under at least 1/2 load to 2 hours monthly because of the gas that has ethanol (on gas units) and to be shure to get moisture out of the windings on the generator. They also commented that as many as 70% of the units that came in for repair the problem could be attributed to not exercising the unit properly.
Bill
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rachpyne said:That's good to know!! We will be passing through Needles soon! :-[
Thank you!!