ScottE28516
Highland, Ca.
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OlderThanSand wrote:kwlincoln wrote:I use the same philosophy with my car. To keep the miles down, I just have it towed everywhere I go. Sounds crazy? It is! Use your generator. The hours used on it will have little impact on your resale. Most of us don't buy campers with concern about resale. The depreciation will take it's toll no matter what. If it wears out, have it rebuilt. It will outlast the motorhome anyway.
I don't agree with that. Although it's not a very accurate gauge, generator hours will give you some indication of how much a TH has been used. Now you may say that wouldn't change the price much and you may be right .. but it would steer me away from that unit if it was relatively new and had tons of gen hours. I bought a used TH and I looked at this very thing.
Since you can buy hour meters just about anywhere for about $25, the hours on one mean absolutely nothing! I can run mine for 5000 hours, clean it real good, change the meter and put on an additional 300 and you'd assume I only had 300 hours. Looks like I just made a sale to you!
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M GO BLUE
Southgate, MI
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When we bought our new fiver I specifically made a point of having it come with a built-in generator for necessity and convenience and use it all the time...makes no sense to go out and spend anywherw from $500 - $1,000 on a portable generator just because you want to save a few bucks by not running the built-in generator? Imagine how much gas can be bought for the built-in generator with the money you used to buy the portable generator...
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rcchallenger
La Mirada, California
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M GO BLUE wrote:When we bought our new fiver I specifically made a point of having it come with a built-in generator for necessity and convenience and use it all the time...makes no sense to go out and spend anywherw from $500 - $1,000 on a portable generator just because you want to save a few bucks by not running the built-in generator? Imagine how much gas can be bought for the built-in generator with the money you used to buy the portable generator...
I already had my Honda when I bought this trailer but you make a very good point. It's not cost effective. Personally, it saves me from hauling more gas or making a trip to town for gas. I don't want to leave my riding area unless I run out of beer 
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OlderThanSand
Tollhouse, Ca
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ScottE28516 wrote:OlderThanSand wrote:kwlincoln wrote:I use the same philosophy with my car. To keep the miles down, I just have it towed everywhere I go. Sounds crazy? It is! Use your generator. The hours used on it will have little impact on your resale. Most of us don't buy campers with concern about resale. The depreciation will take it's toll no matter what. If it wears out, have it rebuilt. It will outlast the motorhome anyway.
I don't agree with that. Although it's not a very accurate gauge, generator hours will give you some indication of how much a TH has been used. Now you may say that wouldn't change the price much and you may be right .. but it would steer me away from that unit if it was relatively new and had tons of gen hours. I bought a used TH and I looked at this very thing.
Since you can buy hour meters just about anywhere for about $25, the hours on one mean absolutely nothing! I can run mine for 5000 hours, clean it real good, change the meter and put on an additional 300 and you'd assume I only had 300 hours. Looks like I just made a sale to you!
Most people aren't that crooked. There are lots of telltale signs to look for. An hour meter is just one of them.
I was born during the day .. but it wasn't yesterday so your TH is still for sale
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Moosehead05
TN
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I am an RVIA certified tech. and the worst thing you can do is not use your generator. Low hours on a gen. is a bad sign. They need to be exercised 2 hours per month at 50% load to get the moisture out of the windings.
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rcchallenger
La Mirada, California
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Moosehead05 wrote:I am an RVIA certified tech. and the worst thing you can do is not use your generator. Low hours on a gen. is a bad sign. They need to be exercised 2 hours per month at 50% load to get the moisture out of the windings.
Thanks. Good point. I still use my Onan. We run the Honda during the day and the Onan at night. It still gets its workout.
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BobWanderer
Perris,Calif,USA
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Another vote for the second genny.
Wifey is up way earlier than I, and watches the DVD/TV until I Wake up. The Onan in right under the top of the bed and She wont run it at those times.
The Honda don't make much noise and its easy enough for her to start and provides entertainment for Her while I sleep off last nights BEERS. She also can use the Microwave to make some food and drink.
Yes I can add more batteries (Not Much Room for them) and Use the inverter, but the batteries are usually on the low side after a cold night. I don't care about being cost efficient, She is happy and I get some extra sleep. We have used it during power outages at home, which has happened a few times this year.
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ljbsvt
HooliVille #343
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Moosehead05 wrote:I am an RVIA certified tech. and the worst thing you can do is not use your generator. Low hours on a gen. is a bad sign. They need to be exercised 2 hours per month at 50% load to get the moisture out of the windings.
you brought up a good point - Generators need a decent load on them to be happy. When I use mine, I try to give it a workout, but while your using your 5500 to charge your batteries, your not putting much of a load on it at all - no where near 50%
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KaseyKahneFan
Oregon Coast
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Joined: 06/28/2008
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For anyone looking Costco online has a 1700 watt Cummins Onan inverter Generator 59db noise rating for 699.99 including shipping through the end of July. That's a better price than a 1000 watt Honda and should be very comparable in quality and 700 watts more power. They have larger sizes at very similar savings as well.
Personally I run the 5500 Onan because that's what I paid all that money for. sure it's easy to say a small one runs cheaper and you can pay for it in XXX hours, but if you were going to do all that messing with filling gas tanks, go out in the weather and pull start in you skives, load & unload it, set it up, then why did you buy a big built in Gen in the first place? Think of how many small generators you could have bought with the $4500 you spent on the built in one! Push the switch and start it up, that's what you bought it for!
* This post was
edited 07/03/08 11:55pm by KaseyKahneFan *
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PPCLI-Jim
canadas west coast
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i decided to go the "get a second generator route". what with some parks rules about genies running and making noise i decided it was worth it for me to spend a little now and save myself hassles. in this fashion i can stay where i want and not upset the neighbors . i can appreciate if someone complains if i run my 6.5 k Onan. while it does allow me to run my AC pacs it is noisy . my little 1 k is fairly quiet 59 db and can power my laptop tv fridge almost anything but the AC units . i also get up before my DW and it saves me waking her. later in the day if req i will run up my Onan and will always load it to better then 50% . I feel in this case less is more a little less power and a lot less noise... goes a long way in some of the parks i stay at ..
Been there, doing that have a few T shirts .
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