Generator Questions

[Tom Goldman]

I'd just like to say thank you to Matt and Rich.
They just recently refurbished my Onan 7500 Quiet Diesel generator for my coach, and the price and service was outstanding.
They installed a new inverter section and replaced all the hoses and the belt,and a whole lot more for a fraction of what a new generator would have cost.
I highly recomend R&J Controls to anyone needing to have their gen repaired or to buy a new unit.
Thanks guys!

[Joe Martens]

Looking for input regarding Martin Diesel and Next Gen diesel generators? Pros and cons for both would be appreciated. They are going to be used in an ambulance as a back up power source to an inverter. We are currently using Martin Diesel and our ambulance builder is recommending Next Gen for some new ambulances we are having built. Thanks in advance.

[Rich Biebel]

Joe I am not familiar with either brand name generator you mentioned. So I could not give you any info on one....

Onan is by far the most common generator we get in for service or see for repairs.

I have worked on many of them that were installed in emergency response type vehicles. Diesels usually....

We have occasionally seen PowerTechs and I have worked on quite a few of those as well.

Tom thanks for the recommendation. See you soon.....Rich

[Rob Petrie E395]

Cummins Onan RV QD 10000
Is there anywhere I could find out how much fuel they should be using? And how many hours should they be run before servicing (oil, filters ect)?
Thanks

[Matt Schurman]

Oil and filter is 250 hours, fuel and air filters at 500 hrs.
My experience is that might be a bit too much, I go 200 and 400 respectively.

Fuel consumption will vary depending on how much load is on the engine, so the factory guide lists this:

No load = .11 GPH (gallons per hour)
1/2 load = .48 GPH
Full load = 1.01 GPH

Hope that helps....

[Rob Petrie E395]

Thank You.

[Rob Petrie E395]

Originally Posted by Matt Schurman

Oil and filter is 250 hours, fuel and air filters at 500 hrs.
My experience is that might be a bit too much, I go 200 and 400 respectively.

Fuel consumption will vary depending on how much load is on the engine, so the factory guide lists this:

No load = .11 GPH (gallons per hour)
1/2 load = .48 GPH
Full load = 1.01 GPH

Hope that helps....

I am using way more than that. I have been watching it since you gave me this info and checking every race to see what it is using. Basically what I have been doing is carrying fuel with me and filling the totor up at the track (it runs off one of the truck tanks) before starting the generator and then filling it again when I am done. The last 2 Saturday nights the generator ran from around 5PM to 11 PM. The biggest load all night was when I had the battery charger, weather station, and 1 fluorescent light over the bench in the trailer running. Nothing on in the toter, not even the refridgerator. Most of the time the battery charger only runs for less than 10 min between runs while I have the fans and pump running to cool the car. In 6 hours it burned right at 10 gallons the first night and almost 11 last Saturday night. I thought maybe I had a stuck injector or something so I did oil analysis to see if there was fuel in the oil and everything came back OK. It does not seem to smoke other then very briefly when first started. And runs great just uses a lot of fuel. Any ideas or should I just not worry about it. Thanks for your help.

[Sean Marconette]

Rob,
Does the generator sound like it has a load on it? Do you have access to a amp meter to measure the load at each circuit breaker? It sounds like there is a load on it from something else, other than what you have described. You could turn off circuit breakers one at a time and listen for the generator to unload, if something is drawing from it. I can run my A/C and everything in the trailer for close to 20hrs continuously on 15 gallons. I have a Onan Marquis Gold 7500.

Good Luck
Sean

[BobbyH]

Great thread/THANKS guys.Just curious what the life of a generator is,before it needs rebuilding /replacing.I just purchased a 2005 diesel pusher
with a Onan 7500 generator in it with about 1000 hrs.Never owned one before.

[NSSGTO]

With a Diesel Onan as long as you keep good oil changes with a quality oil and filter, give it plenty of fresh air/don't over heat it, chances are it may out live you. What hurts a gen set is sitting. They like to be run with a load.

I have seen a few with over 7500hrs personally. I don't think 15K would be out of the question if maintained.