1995 BOUNDER M36 with ONAN MARQUIS 7000 generator , HOW LONG/HOW MANY HOURS can I expect the generator to last?

[bediphrent]

hello, as the title says, id like to know how many hours I can expect it to last?

the generator meter on the dash currently reads 977 hours, BUT there is this VAGUE sticker underneath it with "1000" printed on it.... which tells me it was put there to notify the driver something is significant about it hitting 1000 hours, CAN ANYONE tell me what that significance may be?

ive yet to find the answer.


we just bought it today or planning to, at least...

 

[johnhicks]

Decades.

 

[bediphrent]

Decades.

really? wow. great to know. are you serious though? haha.

any idea why theres a sticker emphasizing "1000" hours under it? what is that warning me of?

taking a pic right now then ill show you what I mean,

 

[bediphrent]

this! wtf is that "1000" indicating?

 

[Larry N.]

A typical RV generator can certainly last for at least a couple of thousand hours (likely more) before needing major maintenance.

That "1000" looks like tape that a previous owner put on there for his own purpose. Since your Hobbs meter shows it's getting close to 1000 hours on the genny, that label may have indicated when the previous owner (PO) wanted to do an oil change, as one possibility. It's definitely not factory, so we can only guess about its significance.

 

[bediphrent]

A typical RV generator can certainly last for at least a couple of thousand hours (likely more) before needing major maintenance.

That "1000" looks like tape that a previous owner put on there for his own purpose. Since your Hobbs meter shows it's getting close to 1000 hours on the genny, that label may have indicated when the previous owner (PO) wanted to do an oil change, as one possibility. It's definitely not factory, so we can only guess about its significance.

thank you so much for your reply!

the generator runs beautifully, quiet & smooth. starts up fast, as well.

I was sweating thinking that maybe at 1000 hours it would need to be replaced? couldnt be that, right? haha.

because the person I got it from doesnt know why thats there, & they got it from a dealer. so who knows.. but as long as theres nothing to stress about, ima remove that damn sticker. haha.

 

[Isaac-1]

I am not sure about your specific model, but many Onan generators have a list of specific maintenance that should be done every 500 or 1,000 hours, things like adjusting valve lash, or changing the spark plugs. The thousand hour note may be a reminder to do such maintenance and not just a reminder to do an oil change which should be done ever 125-150 hours. As to the life expectancy with proper maintenance a I would expect 3,000 - 5,000 hours is fairly common for a Marquis 7000

 

[bediphrent]

I am not sure about your specific model, but many Onan generators have a list of specific maintenance that should be done every 500 or 1,000 hours, things like adjusting valve lash, or changing the spark plugs. The thousand hour note may be a reminder to do such maintenance and not just a reminder to do an oil change which should be done ever 125-150 hours. As to the life expectancy with proper maintenance a I would expect 3,000 - 5,000 hours is fairly common for a Marquis 7000

1st off, thank you so much for your reply!

the specific model is the Onan Marquis 7000 model number; 7nhmfa26106f are you familiar?

I ultimately figured that & hearing it from you now makes me feel better! im planning on taking it to the RV mechanic their nearest date available.

also, since I have your attention, the air in the cab is blowing, but blowing warm, not cold air... could it be due to sitting idle so the freon hasn't moved through the system entirely? or what can it be? any ideas?

the RV was being used prior as a home for its amenities didnt drive it much. but..
everything else works great & only has 50k miles. what should I ask the mechanics to check or do in terms of the generator & AC? new to this RV world & dont want to sound dumb. lol

 

[Heli_av8tor]

Could be 1000 plus the reading making it have 19xx hours run time.

 

[Kirk]

Only 50k miles on a 26 year old RV is exceptionally low. I would plan to have all fluids replaced before you do any long distance driving and also have all rubber parts checked. Flush the radiator and don't forget the brake fluid.

If you go to the Cummons/Onan website you can get a copy of the owner's manual as well as a service manual.

RV Generator Manuals | Cummins Inc.

You can find copies of some of our most popular RV generator manuals below, free and downloadable. Other manuals: Cummins Commercial Mobile generator manuals EC-AGS+ manual Generator warranty information

www.cummins.com

 

[NY_Dutch]

My former truck shop has service trucks with Onan Marquis 7000's on board that have run 12-13,000 hours without major overhauls. They do get scheduled maintenance as required of course. At accident/recovery scenes, those generators sometimes run 3-4 days non-stop powering lights and tools.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

A/C blowing hot air almost always means it's low on money. After you add a few thousand bucks into it you'll get cold air again.

In all seriousness, any 20+ year old A/C system will need some work, and none of it cheap. Guaranteed it's "low on freon" but the question will be why, and the secondary damage/issues that results from it. It's a slippery slope, to adequately address the issues of failing seals, fittings and hoses you're looking at an expensive refit. You can take it to an A/C guy for a review and maybe a charge and test but there's no turning back the clock on the soft parts. So decide what dash A/C is worth to you, with something this old it's worth "a lot".

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[johnhicks]

My Onan is 28 years old.

Run it an hour under load every two weeks or a couple of hours every month. Running keeps the brushes and slip rings clean and shiny; otherwise it will fail to generate. Generators love to run.

Keep up with oil and filter changes. Your spec is probably 150 hours. It's very easy to do that service yourself.

I strongly suggest that the only mechanic to touch it is a Cummins/Onan service center, not an ordinary mechanic or rv shop unless you're fully confident that they won't screw it up.

You also have a long list of things on a rig that old that need to be replaced so you don't end up sitting on the roadside. You need to find a competent truck shop or mobile mechanic, not an rv shop.

 

[johnhicks]

As for your a/c, there's lots of plastic vacuum hoses that are probably broken or crumbled away. However, a freon charge isn't really expensive and worth a try.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Could be 1000 plus the reading making it have 19xx hours run time.

That seems doubtful, since a Hobbs meter like that can record up to 9999 hours before rolling over to zero.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

what should I ask the mechanics to check or do in terms of the generator & AC? new to this RV world & dont want to sound dumb. lol

The rooftop a/c units aren't designed to be serviceable like residential systems. If anything other than a fan dies, it's replacement time unless you can do it all yourself. The dashbaord a/c system is a standard automotive-style system, probably an Evans-Tempcon system. Any automotive a/c shop can service it if it needs anything. Typically they develop small leaks and need "freon", or the water valve for the heat/cool control gets stuck and heat overwhelms the cooling.

The generator needs typical small air-cooled engine maintenance, i.e. spark plugs and air & fuel filters. That and regular exercise under load to keep moisture from building up in the wire coils of the stator. See the Onan Generator Handbook for advice.

https://mart.cummins.com/imagelibrary/data/assetfiles/0056746.pdf

 

[bediphrent]

Could be 1000 plus the reading making it have 19xx hours run time.

that doesnt make any sense at all since the meter can easily clock more than that. & given the vehicle's history, it wouldnt make sense.

 

[bediphrent]

That seems doubtful, since a Hobbs meter like that can record up to 9999 hours before rolling over to zero.

agreed.

 

[bediphrent]

A/C blowing hot air almost always means it's low on money. After you add a few thousand bucks into it you'll get cold air again.

In all seriousness, any 20+ year old A/C system will need some work, and none of it cheap. Guaranteed it's "low on freon" but the question will be why, and the secondary damage/issues that results from it. It's a slippery slope, to adequately address the issues of failing seals, fittings and hoses you're looking at an expensive refit. You can take it to an A/C guy for a review and maybe a charge and test but there's no turning back the clock on the soft parts. So decide what dash A/C is worth to you, with something this old it's worth "a lot".

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

was that supposed to be funny? lol.

I dont care about price. I have money to blow. so thats not a problem for me.
the 2 a/c units blow out powerful , cold air.. so the cab AC can be put on the back burner for a while.. but I dont mind fixing it if I happen to get a good quote from someone that can do it.

 

[bediphrent]

Only 50k miles on a 26 year old RV is exceptionally low. I would plan to have all fluids replaced before you do any long distance driving and also have all rubber parts checked. Flush the radiator and don't forget the brake fluid.

If you go to the Cummons/Onan website you can get a copy of the owner's manual as well as a service manual.

RV Generator Manuals | Cummins Inc.

You can find copies of some of our most popular RV generator manuals below, free and downloadable. Other manuals: Cummins Commercial Mobile generator manuals EC-AGS+ manual Generator warranty information

www.cummins.com

yea I can understand why you say its low, but low is good as long as the vehicle was maintained & not sitting idle for years.... which it was & wasnt. prior owner just didnt care to fix front AC.

I have it scheduled for Wednesday for oil changes, fluids, & will have them flush radiator & do brake fluids, etc as you recommended. I pretty much told the mechanic to just replenish what needs to be replenished & fix what needs to be fixed.. in terms of what it needs to travel. :]