My generator may not be repairable, what do I do?

Have you tried NAPA for your part? Amazing what they can do if they have a good parts person.

One other option is, if you opt for a portable genny, it might be possible to install a front hitch. You might be able to do it and not block airflow.
Here is an older thread with some info and pics.

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/26491343/srt/pa/pging/1/page/1.cfm

Even if you find this part, older Onan gennies can be troublesome, particularly if they have not been used much. It could be quite tasking to get it to run smoothly since their carbs tend to gum up easily, some have luck cleaning them, most times a new one has to be ordered.

Portable gennies is another route to take, inverter versions run quieter, provide cleaner power, and are more fuel efficient. We have a Champion 3K watt inverter genny with electric and remote start, easily powers our single AC unit and most 120Vac items on our 30 amp rig at the same time.

Being new to RVing do you plan to have power hookups most of the time, or is your preferred method primarily off the power grid? Two (or 4) house batteries will better serve your needs for off grid camping, we use 6 volt GC2 batteries from Samsclub, a single 12 volt can work if mostly using electric sites.

Our last 3 RVs have had onboard gennies, our first 2 TT/5er did not and we did not purchase a portable genny, that was 2 decades ago & did not realize their benefits when RVing off the power grid. Although we have solar we quickly learned that our Onan provided 100% self-containment at a touch of a button.

Thanks to all!

opnspaces wrote:
For your house batteries question. Do you already have existing batteries and need to replace? Or is the battery compartment empty and you need to know what to put in there?

Battery compartment is empty.

If you have existing batteries I would first try to determine if you have 6 volt or 12 volt batteries.

Hopefully the voltage is plainly marked on the batteries. But if not you can count the caps on top of the battery used for adding distilled water. Each cap is a 2 volt cell. So 3 caps per battery = 6 volts and 6 caps per battery = 12 volts.

For replacement batteries (both 6 and 12 volt) I find the best prices at Costco.

I will check them out.

Thanks!

garyemunson wrote:
https://www.smallenginesprodealer.com/part-onan-166-0799/

Not in stock. But thanks anyway.

For the missing part try one of the RV graveyard sites.

If the RV is a 30 amp service, a 4650 watt generator is over kill. I do think the Champion product line is a good choice.

I have a custom built rack on the back of the class C which carries a 2800 watt Yamaha. I did equip it with remote electric start.

I do have a hybrid inverter charger rated for 3000 watts which allows load support if needed.

My favourite battery is SiO2.

My bargain basement battery type are recondition telcom jars with a total capacity of 556 amp-hours. Cost is $1 cdn per amp-hour.

I do have a modest solar charging system.

An rv should be well balanced. We need to be careful when we alter things to keep weight in order.
Maybe a 2500 or 2800 Onan would fit. Maybe a compartment alteration might be in order. A good welder might be your friend. You could ask an auto body shop that does fabrications.

Go to a commercial truck scale:
I would want to know how much my rig weighs . Front then rear axle. Weighing all 4 corners to see individual weights would be best but f/r would work.
Reason: If, you need to add a portable generator as you described , plus the weight of the receiver and rack , you have to be careful to not overload the axle rating. Plus you need to think about how you will fuel it.
The more weight added to the rear might lighten the front. If the steer axle is too light it will affect handling. If the axle or tires are overloaded, all mechanical components could suffer. Just be careful when you start altering things on your own.

How often is the generator actually used?

I would be looking at a monster lithium battery and fill the roof with solar. Maybe carry a small portable propane generator for difficult situation. Oh wait, I already do this.