We just completed a 3700 mile partial tour of Washington, Idaho, Yellowstone, Tetons, Wyoming, Utah, Antelope Island, Nevada, Ruby Mountains, and Northern California.
... and wouldn't you know it ... the ONE TIME we really needed our Onan 4KW generator for non-microwave use is the single time it's really let us down since we have owned our rig.
We made dry-camp in late afternoon on Antelope Island (middle of the Great Salt Lake) in 95+ degree August heat. Before evening we decided to stay cool with the AC running off the Onan generator for 2-3 hours before the evening cool-down. We were parked on a level asphalt pull through camp spot and the air was real still - I couldn't feel any significant wind. We had the bathroom vent open (but with it's fan off) and the cabover vent open with it's Fantastic fan on low pushing air out in order to pull fresh air from the bathroom through the rig at all times while the AC was running. All windows and the coach door were closed.
Everything was fine for about 20 minutes .... then the propane detector began to alarm and after a few minutes of this we began to smell faint generator fumes inside the rig. Of course we then immediately and angrily shut down the the Onan and tried to get by in the heat with only the cabover vent Fantastic fan drawing through the rig and a another Fantastic portable fan blowing at us from the the dinette table. (The carbon monoxide detector on the ceiling never went off.)
Later in our trip we parked next to another couple that had a detector go off in their late model Winnebago Aspect Class C with their Onan running only a couple of minutes. They stated that they have this problem often in their fairly new rig.
I'm of the opinion that these expensive Onans SHOULD be able to be run hour after hour safely in a Class C if they're installed properly without us owners having to buy and install/use additional work arounds. Some thoughts I've had on this are:
- upgrading my vent Fantastic fan to a reversible one so I can have it blow inward to put positive air pressure inside the rig whenever we want to run the Onan for long time periods
- carry and use the excellent, but expensive and somewhat inconvenient Gen Turi exhaust stack
- instead of the Gen Turi, carry a less expensive but quick to set up flexible 5 foot stainless steel Onan exhaust extension that you lay on the ground to get the exhaust well away from the coach
- have someone who knows what they are doing permanently reroute the Onan exhaust pipe to get it away from the refrigerator lower intake vent and the Onan cooling air intake
- complain to Winnebago and try to get them to pay for something to be done (...good luck on this)
I've run the Onan in the back yard with the AC on for over an hour several times without the propane detector alarming or without smelling fumes. What on Earth may have caused this on our trip? I know it's going to continue to let us down if I can't get to the bottom of what the cause is.
Can any of you help with what's going on here??? Any of you had or solved this problem with your Class C rigs yet?
Connecting a pipe and laying it on the ground can be dangerous. A couple in a tent were asphyxiated by an RV that did this in PA last year. We use a Genturi when we run our genset more that an hour or so. $100 isn't that much in the big picture and it solves the problem. We tailgate Florida football games and run our genset several hundred hours per year along with several other hundred RV'ers; Genturis are required. Heat rises so the Genturi shoots the exhaust several feet above the RV so it doesn't come back down. I leave my roof vents closed. You can also carry a box fan and aim it to blow the heat and exhaust away. We usually do this even with the Genturi to blow away the genset heat from the patio area.
Shoot! Can you post a picture of where the Onan exhaust comes out? One reason I have not sprung for a Genturi is that I'm worried exhaust fumes would come back down through the vents.
I think you're just asking for trouble by having your Fantastik fan drawing in outside air while running the generator and the A/C. I don't understand why you would do this? I'd normally keep everything closed when running the A/C.
I don't think that the Onan let you down. I think that you were using the Fantastic in the wrong manner. I have never been able to run mine in reverse because it pulls in the fumes from the black tank vent. The exhust fumes fron the genset being lighter would normaly rise up, thus the fan was bringing them inside.
Then like sch911 says, Why...run the air conditioner and fan at the same time?
If the AC is running, close the vents. With the bathroom vent open and the front vent fan on, you were just helping bring in the exhaust fumes. And yes a Genturi should solve your problem. In my opinion I will take the short time it takes to put the Genturi on and be able to run the Gen set and the AC, even all night if I need to, rather than trying to stay cool with just a Fan Tastic running. I can also play the Television/DVD for entertainment. I would also test your Carbon Monoxide detector, if the fumes were coming in, it should have sounded an alarm. So I would suggest that you get a Genturi for occasions like this. Of course all this is just my opinion and offered as such.
Othertonka
2004 Southwind 32VS
2002 CRV Toad
U. S. Gear Unified brake system
Retired Fire Captain, SFD
I would say either get a gen-turi or make one your self. I made mine for about 20 bucks. we used our genny for almst 3 days straight and had NO fumes in the unit. the Onan worked awsome!!
I find it odd that the propane detector went off, instead of the CO detector. Is your Onan an LP model? But I agree, the way you were using the Fantastic Fan _may_ have been responsible. I've noticed that my gas Onan's exhaust is kinda smelly sometimes, but maybe that's just due to the fact than we're so used to cleaner exhaust from cars these days.
Jim, "Veni, Vedi, Visa... I came, I saw, I did a little shopping."
'06 Tiger CX 'C Minus' on a Silverado 2500HD 4x4, 8.1 & Allison ('Loafer's Glory'); '07 Forester 2.5 ( the 'HANDBSKT'); '95 Toyota SR5 V-6 4x4 pickup, ARB locker, Bilsteins, Warn hubs & M8000, etc;
'94 968, M030 swaybars ('DOPPLER')
i had a local muffler man make a stack for me.it slides over the exhaust and rises 3 feet over the top of the rv.4 years ago it cost me $35.many will say that is to far to push the exhaust but 400 hours and not a problem will make a believer out of me.you can have the pieces cut as small as you need for storage.they slip over one another and easy to put up.and it makes it super quiet.i feel safe running the genny anytime now.
1937(BAD BOY)pontiac,all steel,chevy 350,dyno=405hp,650 holley double pumper,ps,pb tilt wheel,heat & air,
700 r4 tranny,headers,3" exhaust with flowmasters.
just a good ole southern redneck country boy.our favorite place to go to swim with the manatees
Quote: We had the bathroom vent open (but with it's fan off) and the cabover vent open with it's Fantastic fan on low pushing air out in order to pull fresh air from the bathroom through the rig at all times while the AC was running.
Is this customary? I always thought the rig should be closed up so the cooled air could recirculate without introducing warm air.
Paul & Linda
2007 Jayco Seneca HD 34SS Duramax
2005 Saturn VUE
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