Just a reminder ! It's time to exercise your Onans if you haven't.
Onan recommends a two-hour run at 1/2 load every month. They recommend a single long run as better than several short runs. I sometimes cheat a little and stretch the interval to maybe 6 weeks. But having bought a nearly-new used B with an Onan with a gummed-up carb and put hours & $ into cleaning it, I'm really a believer.
For a 2.8, a small 1500w heater makes a good load this time of year, at least here.
You folks with propane Onans aren't exempt, either . Part of the reason for the run is to dry condensation out of the oil and generator.
Jim, "The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean that you're an artist."
'06 Tiger CX 'C Minus' on a Silverado 2500HD 4x4, 8.1 & Allison (aka 'Loafer's Glory') www.tigervehicles.com
Jim...how difficult is it for you to get your generator started after waiting 6 weeks? The reason I ask is that it takes me about 8 pushes of the remote start button before it kicks in and runs for more than a few seconds, and I'm just wondering if this is normal.
Would it be better to start it directly at the generator instead of using the remote start or shouldn't it make a difference?
I, also, can attest to the necessity of exercising your generator. Like Handbasket I bought a barely used two year old RT with only two hours on the generator. On my unit the carb couldn't be cleaned, it had to be replaced ($). A gummed up carb due to bad fuel or not being run periodically is not covered by warranty.
What would you activate on your van to equal a half load on a generator?
We usually run the air conditioner, but it would be nice not to. We run the gen in our driveway and the a/C just adds more noise. I would rather turn on the TV and the fridge or some other combination of appliances.
Barbara
2005 Chevy Roadtrek 210Popular
Los Gatos, CA
Lynn, I usually have at least one or two short runs (5-15 min.) on mine every week or so, heating water for coffee, etc. I've never gone six weeks between starts, just prolonged runs.
Mine generally starts on the 1st or 2nd push. Remember, I use my van daily 3 seasons a year, and about weeekly even in winter. Today is the end of the longest 'still period' it's had for quite a while; hasn't been out since mid-week last week .
I'm just guessing here... you're probably having normal evaporation of fuel from the carb bowl, and seeing the time it takes for the small Onan fuel pump to replace it before starting. It's all right, I think, but you may want to do the exercise run every 4 weeks in winter.
And check the manual for the recommended starter cycle times.... how long to hold the button down, and how long to wait between tries; the starter can overheat pretty easily.
I don't think it'd matter which start button you use; I'm pretty sure they activate the same relay.
You could try starting the van engine first, to see if having higher starting voltage at the Onan made a difference. But if you're plugged in to shore power, this probably won't help.
Barbara, If it's too mild for a small heater or the house A/C & heat pump to work as a load, I'm kinda stumped.
As a 'better than nothing', I'd probably turn _everything_ on the house circuits on, except the cyclic stuff like the microwave, coffee maker, & LP furnace... burn all the house lights, reefer on AC, TV, vent fan, etc. Remember that the generator will be powering the converter, providing the 12V as well as the 110v. You might even carry a lamp or two out and run them, incandescent being best.
Dunno if the 210 has an electric mode on the water heater, but if so, I'd turn it on, _if_ you've got water in it.
I think the run itself is more important then being exact in the "1/2 load" calculation. And I think you're in a dry environnment, so the 2-hr. run may not be so important from a drying out perspective, anyway.
Also consider running the generator and A/C or heat pump while driving. That'd get you away from the 'noise & neighbors' problem, give the chassis some exercise, and charge the start bettery, too.
Quote: Jim...how difficult is it for you to get your generator started after waiting 6 weeks? The reason I ask is that it takes me about 8 pushes of the remote start button before it kicks in and runs for more than a few seconds, and I'm just wondering if this is normal.
If I haven't run the generator in 2,3, or 4 weeks it takes a little while for the generator motor to fire. I hold the starter button down and let it crank for 3-5 seconds, let it rest for 5-10 seconds and try again. Usually it will fire and begin running on the second try, but sometimes the third.
I don't think it would matter which switch one uses.
Great,..now you guys have given me something else to worry about! My RV has been in outdoor storage since November and won't be taken out until March. Does this mean I'm harming my generator? That's in addition of course to the fuel, the tires, the roof....
I could go to the storage facility occasionally and start 'er up if you think I should. This is so much more complicated than just getting in and driving!
Marty My Travel Blog
The MUTT (Marty's Ultimate Travelin' Toy): Leisure Travel Free Spirit 210B 3S
The Mutts: Rave - Border Collie mix; Wink - Miniature Longhaired Dachshund
I suggest you get down there and run it. After you get it going, you can add a fuel stabilizer, that will keep the fuel from gumming(varnish) up the carb. Here is the link for Sta-Bil the leading fuel stabilizer. http://www.goldeagle.com/sta-bil/
If anyone needs to know more about how to maintain the gen-set, you can go to Onan's web site, and do some reading. http://www.funroads.com/ or search the forums archives for "generator maintenance".
The reason you want to run the gen-set under load is so all the jets open up, and get cleaned out. If you add Sta-Bil make sure you run it long enough, and under a load, to get the Sta-Bil through all the fuel lines, and the carb.
Marty, if it's an Onan, even a propane one, I'm pretty sure the manual say to run it for a couple of hours under load every month.
While I'd feel comfortable stretching that to maybe every two months for propane, I'm not gonna be the one stuck with the repair bill... Aside from drying out the generator, you're also keeping tarnish from developing on the slip rings, as I understand it.
Jim, "I know it's true. I read it on the Internet."
! It's time to exercise your Onans if you haven't. 
. Part of the reason for the run is to dry condensation out of the oil and generator. 
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My RV has been in outdoor storage since November and won't be taken out until March. Does this mean I'm harming my generator? That's in addition of course to the fuel, the tires, the roof....
